I'm hoping the MRI is miraculously clean, but if not it's okay. Get the surgery and come back around the All Star Break next year.
I mean, while Sale's contract may have been less than smart Mookie wanted $250m more. I don't think it was one or the other and they picked Sale over Mookie.Good thing they chose to pay this guy instead of Mookie. Good job good effort.
One led to the other. They gave Sale his money and 18 months later they're suddenly concerned about payroll flexibility.I mean, while Sale's contract may have been less than smart Mookie wanted $250m more. I don't think it was one or the other and they picked Sale over Mookie.
I just think they used payroll flexibility as a buzzword for them scoffing at the idea of paying a single player $400 million bucks. Their opinion would probably be the same if they didn’t re-sign Sale or Eovaldi.One led to the other. They gave Sale his money and 18 months later they're suddenly concerned about payroll flexibility.
Anyway, this was all utterly predictable the moment the extension was signed. This guy hadn't finished out any season strong and he's built like a willow reed and his motion is awful. Of course he was gonna blow out the elbow, it was only a matter of time.
Everything this team has done since winning the World Series has been wrong, which is pretty remarkable.
If Sale needs UCL then just punt this season.
This just doesn't follow, though. They didn't pay Mookie what he wanted because they didn't think he was worth that much, not because they couldn't afford it.One led to the other. They gave Sale his money and 18 months later they're suddenly concerned about payroll flexibility.
Time to make that Padres dealOkay, I'm up for a full rebuild year.
See you mid-2021, Chris. You'll have plenty of time to kick ass from that point forward.
I thought the inability to sign Mookie argument was tied to the baseball related luxury tax penalties (eg draft pick losses), which are a direct result of the pitching investments. They couldn't pay him fair market value this year because of the need to reset the tax, not that he isn't worth a long term contract?This just doesn't follow, though. They didn't pay Mookie what he wanted because they didn't think he was worth that much, not because they couldn't afford it.
Now, if you want to argue that Sale and Mookie are related because the immediate failure of the Sale extension was a good reminder that it can be a crippling mistake to overpay even elite players, well, I can't argue with that.
There is actually no reason to think that they won't.My off the cuff reaction to this is that this could be the worst pitching staff we've seen the Red Sox put out in a long, long time. It's also a huge bummer that payroll management incompetence is wasting prime, cheap years of Benintendi and Devers, especially since there's no reason to have much faith that they'll stick around past their contract final year.
Could go either way I guess. What happens if they win 75 games this year and Henry gives Bloom an edict to go out and sign a high profile free agent or two to make up some lost PR and then three years from now we have the same discussion about how they're up against the luxury tax?There is actually no reason to think that they won't.
Given Sale's personality, if he can't pitch maybe there's a non-zero chance he might retire early? Talk about making chicken salad out of...Sale is quickly entering "Pedroia territory" where I just expect him to constantly be dealing with some degree of injury ranging from "season-ending, needs surgery" to "trying his best to play through the pain." Crazy that we still have 5 years of his deal.
That's the bummer in it for me. IF he had gone back to the mound last September and this had happened then, we'd be six months into his recovering in time to lead the rotation in '21.He should have had TJ surgery last summer.
You are shocked that Pedroia cannot play in spring training this hear? He played three games at 2nd base in 2018 and he played four games there last year (only three complete) and DH'ed in two games. ANd to boot, he is currently 36 years, 6 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day old. Do you think he's suddenly going to bounce back and be a full-time player after averaging 83 games a year over his past six seasons?This is less shocking to me than Pedroia not being able to play in a ST game.
Slow down. Read. Think. Breathe. I understand that we're disappointed in both the Pedroia and Sale situations but that's not a reason to let our critical reasoning and sarcasm meters get screwed up.You are shocked that Pedroia cannot play in spring training this hear?
Did you see the scans and test results on his elbow last summer, doctor? If not, then I don't think you can say whether he should or shouldn't have had surgery. Surgery is a last resort option, not the first choice. Especially if the doctors examining the injury don't believe surgery is necessary. Doctor freaking Andrews looked at him last summer and said surgery wasn't needed. That's all the confirmation I need. Hindsight 8 months later doesn't and shouldn't change that diagnosis.He should have had TJ surgery last summer.
At this point, they may still be better off holding their pieces until closer to the deadline when (a) we will have more info about Sale's status specifically and the talent level of this team more generally and (b) teams generally get a bit more desperate to all bullpen pieces, etc.If they really just decided to throw in their hand, what would that look like and what could they achieve?
I don't think I was being sarcastic, just realistic.sarcasm meter
this is what I do not understand. Why did they wait all offseason for this? Was the plan really just “give him time and cross your fingers come spring training”? Def leads more credence to the idea thAt lack of confidence in his health contributed to the push to trade mookie
This is why we can't have nice things.I don't think I was being sarcastic, just realistic.
Nope! Two separate issues.I thought the inability to sign Mookie argument was tied to the baseball related luxury tax penalties (eg draft pick losses), which are a direct result of the pitching investments. They couldn't pay him fair market value this year because of the need to reset the tax, not that he isn't worth a long term contract?
TJS is not something that should be taken lightly. John Lackey returned strong; Anderson Espinoza still hasn't thrown a pitch since his TJ.this is what I do not understand. Why did they wait all offseason for this? Was the plan really just “give him time and cross your fingers come spring training”? Def leads more credence to the idea thAt lack of confidence in his health contributed to the push to trade mookie
"Not having surgery" is not the same as "crossing your fingers."this is what I do not understand. Why did they wait all offseason for this? Was the plan really just “give him time and cross your fingers come spring training”? Def leads more credence to the idea thAt lack of confidence in his health contributed to the push to trade mookie
Do we know that he needs it now?He should have had TJ surgery last summer.
He ended up having a second TJ surgery last April. He's allegedly progressing well in his rehab and they hope he can start throwing again sometime next month with an eye on a late summer return to action.TJS is not something that should be taken lightly. John Lackey returned strong; Anderson Espinoza still hasn't thrown a pitch since his TJ.
Don't worry, be happyThis is why we can't have nice things.
There's been a lot of really interesting research about this. There was a great presentation at SaberSeminar a few years ago that I can't find online, but here's an article from Fangraphs from 2015: https://tht.fangraphs.com/tommy-john-surgery-success-rates-in-the-majors/.TJS is not something that should be taken lightly. John Lackey returned strong; Anderson Espinoza still hasn't thrown a pitch since his TJ.
Which is to say, did he not pitch as hard the previous six or seven times? Is it just a coincidence that he faced live batters and now has pain? How does this work?“I think I [threw] off the mound probably six or seven times this offseason,” said Sale. “My body is feeling good. Started flipping some breaking balls and getting after it a little bit. I'm doing normal stuff that I was before and it felt good. We'll just keep building from that.”“I feel good. I feel confident that when this thing starts, I'm going to be ready for it, and I'll be back to doing what's expected of me. I have a certain expectation level when I step on the mound, and I'm going to get back to that,” said Sale.“I feel better than I have in a long time, actually,” said Sale. “I've never taken that time off before. I don't know if since I started playing baseball if I've had that time off. Obviously it's something you don't want to have to go through, that was miserable, but there are silver linings in everything.
“You try to take the positives in every crappy scenario that comes up. I think that time off helped my entire body regenerate, my shoulder, my elbow, my forearm, every muscle in my body got a long break and a time to heal. I think in the end it will help me out in the long run.”
This we have a plan for