Was there ever an indication that Betts or Bogaerts would’ve taken this kind of deal? And does it really matter at this point, anyway? What’s done is done and I think Xander in particular is a non-pay that’s likely to look like a better and better call as time moves on.
Perhaps I am missing some sarcasm, but Bogaerts opted out of 5/100 to become a FA
I used to keep track of some of the Rays trades to see how long they yielded players.
Right, the contract was 6/120 with a player option after 3 years that he exercised, so that he could become a wildly overpaid second baseman on an irrelevant team with no fans.
Granting extensions after a players first year is pretty new, but is certainly a trend. The Braves have done this, the Rays did this with Franco and Lowe, and the Padres did it with Tatis. It's why I think high level prospects are even more valuable than they once were.
The Padres outdrew and outwon the Red Sox last year.
All very low bars...
EDIT: addressed below.
We vacation in Aruba every year. You wanna know where all the Padres fans are now? Aruba. All the local shopkeepers told me they follow them now due to X.
That's cool. I'd imagine the Netherlands WBC team is/was a big deal down there. They have some dudes.
Soccer is much bigger. X is the only baseball player they seem to acknowledge, he has a star on their outdoor "Walk of Fame." Sidney Ponson does not.
He sure was. It happened before his legal troubles, however; had they happened first I do not think he would have been honored.
It used to be us. I'd get love for my sox hat when I was down there. Alas.
Sadly, with Giolito out I see very little incentive for Montgomery to consider Boston.
Going back to Delmong Young makes my head hurt. Young Begat Garza AND Jason Bartlett (who was a ALL-STAR SHORTSTOP).
I think in a few ways they have signaled they are punting. They are definitely time shifting some expenditures by taking on salary this year that will save them in future years. It’s a forward thinking approach. Once they decided to punt they could have held steady at $190 or $200m and just said fuck it. But spending more of 2024’s cap space for future years is a minor encouraging sign about their inclination to spend to compete in future years. Sucks for 2024 though.
It may have opened Bello to the idea as well as creating just a bit more incentive for the FO to have something to change the narrative. I think it was happening anyway (I think you do too?) just saying it may have impacted timing.
Absolutely. Deals like this are (IMO) almost always the result of a lot of discussion and negotiation and I suspect something would have happened regardless. But both sides were likely motivated to find common ground (Boston for the PR, Bello for the security after being reminded of the injury rate of pitchers). Nothing like seeing an unexpected injury to make you think that mayyyyyybe you would feel better if you accepted a reasonable offer. Certainly at least one less thing to worry about now for Bello.
I won't argue that Bello hasn't been great this year but a 4.72 FIP is hardly the stuff of demotion even if there was someone "knocking on the door" in Worcester. This is a guy that, as the thread title says, they gave a long term extension to. His leash here should be quite long as he tries to figure it out and get back on track.
He’s got to be telegraphing his pitches somehow- especially when he’s throwing slider.
I don't think this is a turd in the punchbowl take at all. Bello was a mid-level prospect who made a huge leap during the 2021 season and rocketed up the rankings to thrust himself into the mix in 2022. It's not as though he was a can't miss prospect who's now flailing. He's about what you'd expect for a pitcher of his pedigree and age. He has roughly two years worth of big league experience (51 starts, 277 innings) and he's put up what you'd consider league average, mid-rotation numbers in that time: 4.51 ERA, 4.24 FIP. The reason for optimism with him is that he's just 25. There's over 100 years of big league history that shows that most pitchers typically come into their own in their late 20s.
If this turns out to be true, it’s concerning as it relates to the FO (I know we have had two baseball heads during this time but there is some continuity in the FO). Our big contracts:
The Bello and Rafaela contracts are commitments but by no means are they detrimental if they don't work out. They combine for a total hit of $15M on the luxury tax payroll each season, compared to $18M for Yoshida and $29M for Devers. That's a minor inconvenience if they flame out entirely and a bargain and a half if they come close to their ceilings.
