Dempster Done?

DGreenwood

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kelpapa said:
Cot's has them at $148,475 if you subtract Dempster's contract out. This does not include the pre-arb players and benefits.
Miller's $1.9 million isn't listed on there yet, so it's just over $150 million plus the pre-arb salaries.
 

swingin val

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brandonchristensen said:
I hope he gets help from the Sox with health insurance if he is indeed stepping down to help his daughter.
It sucks that his daughter is sick but this guy has made like 99 million dollars playing baseball. if you want the Sox to be all altruistic u would hope there are more needy kids than Dempster's daughter
 

The Boomer

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If they don't sign Madson or someone else to a ML contract, who will take his place on the 40 man roster?  Will they simply hold a competition for spring training invites or, perhaps, leave the spot open to add somebody on waivers at the end of spring training?
 
This might make a non-roster invite to spring training more meaningful if they keep this spot open through spring training:
 
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/roster_nri.jsp?c_id=bos
 

Curll

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swingin val said:
It sucks that his daughter is sick but this guy has made like 99 million dollars playing baseball. if you want the Sox to be all altruistic u would hope there are more needy kids than Dempster's daughter
MLBPA provides health insurance for life for any player (+family) who makes the 25-man roster.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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The Boomer said:
If they don't sign Madson or someone else to a ML contract, who will take his place on the 40 man roster?  Will they simply hold a competition for spring training invites or, perhaps, leave the spot open to add somebody on waivers at the end of spring training?
 
I'd imagine they'd leave it open for now.  They don't have to fill it at all until there is a need.  That need could come during or at the end of spring training, or sometime during the season.  With all the NRI bullpen arms in camp, I imagine one of them will probably end up claiming it.
 

The Boomer

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IpswichSox

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Also the Baseball Show debuts tonight on Comcast at 7 pm.
 
edit: Still hard to imagine that he's walking away from $13 million guaranteed, even if he's injured and with his daughter's health situation.  How many players would have just gone on the DL and collected their money?  This is a huge gift to the front office.
 
More edit: From a MLB radio interview/tweet: "Demp owed 13.25 mil 'to end up on DL just so I can get the money is not how I wanted to do this. It's unfortunate to walk away from that'."
 

mauidano

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In a weird sort of way; a win-win situation.  Good for Ryan, good for his family and good that it's happening now.  Of course good for the Sox tat they can figure it out now and have some money to operate with.
 
And of course thanks for the memories of THIS...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNvh8duFn3s
 

curly2

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Amen, Montana Fan. Dempster seemed like a class act and his teammates were really excited for him to pitch in the World Series.
 
And sure, the game was a rout and he had already given up a homer in the inning, but the last pitch of his career was a strikeout to close out a World Series game. That's a hell of a way to go out.
 

The Boomer

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In addition to maybe having the $20 million to spend, they have more roster flexibility.  Here are some of the options they now have:
  1. Bring back Drew.
  2. Tear up Lester’s contract and increase his 2014 salary with the team friendly hometown discount showing up in years 4 and 5 of his extension when the risk of his decline is greatest.
  3. Trade for the salary of an established major leaguer whenever a specific deficit arises later on.
  4. Set up a Pawtucket rotation of Workman, Webster, Ranaudo, Barnes and DLR/Steven Wright so that they can go to the hot hand there whenever the need for a spot starter or injury replacement occurs.
  5. With both Britton and Lavarnway out of options if they don’t make the 25 man roster out of spring training, the opening created by Dempster will allow the Red Sox not to trade one or both of them out of desperation if, because of their depth chart, one or both of them can’t make the 2014 team.
 
M

MentalDisabldLst

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This is the flip side of top athletes always trying to get top dollar, not because they need the money, but because the money (and how much they're making relative to their peers) counts as a measure of "Respect", how much they are esteemed in the baseball universe.  It's the flip side because Dempster decided that he had all the respect he needed, and so the money itself - what use was that to him?  After nearly $100MM in income over the years just from baseball alone, the dollars aren't driving him.  If he were going to play, the money would be meaningful because it would represent "respect", but if he's not going to play, it's not meaningful to him.
 
That's my armchair-psychologist analysis of why he would willingly walk away from $13,250,000 rather than take the totally-legitimate avenues that were open to him to get that money without trying 100% to play his best baseball.  He deserves a lot of credit for it, regardless, but I see it as a lot more understandable through that lens, rather than thinking of him (and Foulke / Gil Meche / etc) as a bunch of ascetics.
 

jacklamabe65

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And I loved how Demp absolutely relished winning the Series to such an extent that he ended up playing with some buddies at Fenway in the middle of the night long after everyone else had left.The wonder of playing in the Bigs stayed with him to the very end. That is called having perspective.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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The Boomer said:
 
With both Britton and Lavarnway out of options if they don’t make the 25 man roster out of spring training, the opening created by Dempster will allow the Red Sox not to trade one or both of them out of desperation if, because of their depth chart, one or both of them can’t make the 2014 team.
 
 
Britton and Lavarnway both have an option remaining.
 

bosockboy

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Before bringing Drew back, I'd see if Headley could be pried out of SD this spring, who we now have a salary slot for and would keep X at SS.
 

tbrown_01923

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I want to thank Dempster for the role he played on championship squad, and the class at which he handled taking a diminished role towards the end.   I loved that team.  
 
Per the roster and team construction - I would prefer to keep the flexibility in both 40 man and salary until we see what this team has out of  the gate.
 

ivanvamp

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I'd rather just roll with Middlebrooks at 3b and Bogaerts at SS.  I really think Middlebrooks can be a quality 6-hole hitter, maybe not in 2014, but by 2015 anyway. 
 

E5 Yaz

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NESN should grab him for the occasional broadcast role. He seems to be a natural
 

JimD

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Youkilis vs Wild said:
Surprised to see the positive reaction in here. The silver lining is the salary, but I think we've all learned that a crowded rotation problem is not a problem at all. I had no trouble with keeping 180 of league average innings on the roster.
Doesn't seem likely that the Sox were going to get league average innings from Dempster this year, though.
 

YTF

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This is a huge gift for the Sox. Yeah 13 million comes off the books for this season, but also roster spot has been freed up. If the Sox had traded Dempster or Peavy as many of us had assumed might happen, that roster slot might likely be filled with the best available spare part we could have bargained for with cash being kicked in as well OR a useful chip tossed in to get more value for the departing pitcher. Now Peavey stays, the money remains as does a potential chip and that roster spot allows for whatever flexibility they choose.  
 
I wish Dempster and his family well.
 

TOleary25

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For those pointing out that it frees up money to extend Lester and fit the new contract under the luxury tax, the Sox/Lester could just wait until the season to sign an extension (ala Gonzalez and Beckett) so that the new AAV doesn't hit in 2014. With all of the money coming off the books in 2015, Lester's new contract should easily fit under the luxury tax. 
 
I'm in agreement with those saying the FO likely let Dempster know they either had trade possibilities or he wasn't going to be in the rotation to start the season. Ultimately I think it is a break for the Sox, no need to pay $13m for a 6th starter when there is a bunch of young talent that seem on the verge of making an impact in the MLB. This opens up the possibility to see more of Workman/Ranaudo/Barnes/Webster etc. at the big league level and let them compete for the rotation opening(s) in 2015. 
 

snowmanny

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Rudy Pemberton said:
Seems like these situations often happen when a player is involved in a divorce (thinking Sandberg and Foulke, for example). For the lawyers in the house, is there an alimony / child support reason for why a player would want to lower (or eliminate) their salary for a year?
And Bret Saberhagen almost retired after 1998 because the divorce/support agreement was going to take the vast majority of his salary.
 

Reverend

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Punts on $13.5m to focus on his family (and helps other families dealing with the condition too) and kicks the Sox payroll and roster flexibility in the process?
 
It's amazing that the 2013 club continues to get even more likable.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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wade boggs chicken dinner said:
just out of curiosity - is there a window for Dempster to reconsider? what happens if he decides in June he wants to play ball?
 
Pretty sure if he wants to come back, the Red Sox can add him back to the 40-man roster and pay him according to his contract.  But he has to come back to the Red Sox unless another team wants to trade for him.  They retain his rights, even if he wants to go to Japan or an independent league.
 

LeoCarrillo

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He's made $89 million in his career. For him to be walking away from $13 million for about seven months' work . . . well, I hope the Sox somehow reciprocate. Promise of a coaching job in a few years? Or better still, how about many millions toward fighting DiGeorge syndrome.
 

LostinNJ

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His secret plan is to take a year off, and then come back when Alex Rodriguez comes back.
 

koufax37

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LeoCarrillo said:
He's made $89 million in his career. For him to be walking away from $13 million for about seven months' work . . . well, I hope the Sox somehow reciprocate. Promise of a coaching job in a few years? Or better still, how about many millions toward fighting DiGeorge syndrome.
 
I too would like to see the Red Sox make a seven figure donation to help fight the illness his daughter has and support other families going through it.
 
It is rare to see an athlete who will walk away from those dollars.
 
Having personally walked away from money on the table when I could still play (many fewer zeros), for a combination of avoiding struggling through some performance limiting injuries and to spend more time with my young children (fortunately healthy), I know it is a very hard choice, and probably neither factor would be enough to walk away without the other, but combined it is the right decision.
 
I think this is likely a combination of factors that might make 2014 not so much fun at the ballpark (nagging injuries, crowded rotation, trade rumors) plus the personal side off the field.  With his daughter's condition, I don't think he will regret his decision for one minute.
 
However it plays out, a tip of the cap to Ryan, who appears by all accounts to be an even better person than player, a great teammate.  Red Sox Nation wishes you and your family well.
 
He gets to have the last check he cashes for a while be a World Series share and the last inning he pitched to be the 9th inning of a World Series victory at Fenway.
 

Harry Hooper

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What a teammate! He couldn't help his mates win on the field, so he helps them off of it.
 
Maybe he'll make a comeback down the line, (but at least for now) best wishes to Dempster and his family.
 

edoug

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Whatever his plans are, It would be terrific if he's in Boston to get his ring with his teammates.
 

Sampo Gida

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You can never have too much pitching as they say.  I still consider Buchholz somewhat of a question mark, and while they have what looks like pretty good minor league depth, you don't always know what you are going to get with them.
 
The money being free is nice, but who else is available that they want at this point in time and who would come on a 1-2 yr deal.  If Drew did not make sense before the Dempster news, why would he make sense now?
 
Frankly, I think Dempster had significant trade value by the deadline, so don't see him not playing as a positive.  You never know what hole needs filling due to injury or non-performance as the season progresses.   Prospects have value to some potential trading partners, but teams still in the race want someone to help now,
 
13 million is a lot for a player to walk away from. If it was a physical ailment like a neck disk, that could be considered a work related injury and I would think he should feel no guilt about collecting the salary on the DL.  I have to believe it is more to do with family reasons.
 

HangingW/ScottCooper

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This is definitely a surprise. I sincerely hope that he and his family do well. He's a standup guy that finished game 1 of the World Series. Kudos on a great career Dempster.
 

Byrdbrain

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edoug said:
Whatever his plans are, It would be terrific if he's in Boston to get his ring with his teammates.
He just said on NESN that he "wouldn't miss it for the world".
Well opening day anyway, not sure if they get rings then but I assume that is what you meant.
 

snowmanny

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Sampo Gida said:
You can never have too much pitching as they say.  I still consider Buchholz somewhat of a question mark, and while they have what looks like pretty good minor league depth, you don't always know what you are going to get with them.
 
The money being free is nice, but who else is available that they want at this point in time and who would come on a 1-2 yr deal.  If Drew did not make sense before the Dempster news, why would he make sense now?
 
Frankly, I think Dempster had significant trade value by the deadline, so don't see him not playing as a positive.  You never know what hole needs filling due to injury or non-performance as the season progresses.   Prospects have value to some potential trading partners, but teams still in the race want someone to help now,
 
13 million is a lot for a player to walk away from. If it was a physical ailment like a neck disk, that could be considered a work related injury and I would think he should feel no guilt about collecting the salary on the DL.  I have to believe it is more to do with family reasons.
They certainly might miss him, but you are not convincing me that if they did not have him already they would have spent this money on him right now.  It's pretty useful to have  flexibility moving forward.
 

LeoCarrillo

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Red(s)HawksFan said:
 
Pretty sure if he wants to come back, the Red Sox can add him back to the 40-man roster and pay him according to his contract.  But he has to come back to the Red Sox unless another team wants to trade for him.  They retain his rights, even if he wants to go to Japan or an independent league.
 
I don't think this is an impossibility. His teammates love him. If the rotation is hit with a rash of 15-day DL kinds of injuries, I wouldn't be completely shocked if he came back for a stretch run. Maybe help in September, etc. Not likely, of course. But more likely than (almost) signing Bruce Chen for one start.
 

RedOctober3829

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But according to an industry source, the Red Sox, having had internal knowledge of Dempster's decision for the past two weeks, have already been ramping up efforts to find some veteran free agents still looking for work.

Such a pitcher would probably have to sign a minor league deal and begin the year at Triple A Pawtucket, with the promise that any injuries or performance issues at the major league level would result in an opportunity.

The same source indicated that the Sox weren't close to signing anyone in that category.

Another option would be to bank Dempster's salary savings -- $13.25 million -- and save it for a mid-season acquisition.

Say, for instance, that the Philadelphia Phillies fall out of contention and make lefty Cliff Lee available. The banked money could come in handy in allowing the Sox to take on Lee's remaining salary, or that of another expensive veteran who could help the Sox over the second half.

http://www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/sox-have-decisions-make-dempster-out
 

Anal Hershiser

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So is Napoli's new nickname "Fart Wolf?" 

 
I know that's not what it says, but it's what I thought it said when I first saw the pic on deadspin.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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RedOctober3829 said:
Say, for instance, that the Philadelphia Phillies fall out of contention and make lefty Cliff Lee available. The banked money could come in handy in allowing the Sox to take on Lee's remaining salary, or that of another expensive veteran who could help the Sox over the second half.

http://www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/sox-have-decisions-make-dempster-out
 
I do think the once-vaunted surplus will become a deficit at some point in 2014. Just to throw some more names out, the next tier down of impending free-agent starters includes guys like Brandon McCarthy, Jorge de la Rosa, and (if he's at all healthy) Josh Johnson. Yovani Gallardo will probably be out there as well. (I'm assuming Shields and Masterson aren't going anywhere and that the Bailey extension gets done.)
 
So... not sure how appealing any of those options are. 
 

DLew On Roids

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Dead Balls said:
Why do you think Yankee fans hated him so much? Just because of Arood?
 
Maybe because he proves that class is something you can't get just by writing big checks and announcing you have it 100 times a day on your in-house propaganda channel?