Devers : No talks after season begins (Speier report)

What should the Red Sox do with Devers?


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YTF

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Agree. I used to go to a couple games a year. I went to 2 in 2021; didnt bother last year and certainly am not buying tickets before the season starts for 2023. The prices are insanely high and the talent is poor. Not worth it.

I am not only getting emails, but calls and voice mails every other week. Their renewals are clearly not going well.



Part of the demand for large packages (half season and season) is obviously the ability to sell tickets you aren't going to use. People who are taking losses on those tickets are effectively paying more for the product. There are (or at least were) a lot of groups that would split seasons into 10-12 games. A couple people drop out probably kills those renewals.

I expect ticket sales to be down significantly as well as ratings.
You're getting calls and voice mails for going to a couple of games a year? Did you buy a large number of tix to those games? My wife and I used to go 4-6 times a year. I think just twice in '19 and not since 'cuz Covid. I get email notices for ticket drops, but nothing else.
 

Ale Xander

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If you ever (recently) asked about season tickets (or maybe even 10 game pax) you likely got a call or text
 

ehaz

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“Has anything changed since Chaim Bloom said the Sox weren't contemplating dealing Devers? Bloom said no. 'He is at the center of everything we’re trying to do' “

I assume this means they are definitely going to sign him. Why else would you go out on a limb like that? You’d look like an ass if you didn’t sign him.
Bloom already went out on a limb by calling Xander Bogaerts the "number 1 priority" and "plan A." Then after he signed with San Diego, Bloom went on a press tour telling every beat reporter who would listen about how they knew days in advance their valuation was nowhere near what Xander was going to get and how they weren't surprised by it.

So, I don't think he cares about looking like an ass. Every Bloom/Kennedy press conference is like the baseball version of a 2017 White House press briefing.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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I get that they say he’s their top priority, but are the two sides even negotiating? I assume they presented him with a deal at his birthday party that went over like a lead balloon. But by now, the two sides have to know where each other stands, and I sense they have a good idea over whether they are tough to get a deal done, or not, right?
 

bg1025

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You're getting calls and voice mails for going to a couple of games a year? Did you buy a large number of tix to those games? My wife and I used to go 4-6 times a year. I think just twice in '19 and not since 'cuz Covid. I get email notices for ticket drops, but nothing else.
I go to 2-3 games a year on average. Have never had any kind of plan or inquired about one, and i started receiving calls about plans starting before last season.
 

AlNipper49

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Agreed. Just look at a picture of each of them - they dont look anything a like. Sandoval was significantly overweight at his best moments and one of the most overweight players in league history at his worst.

Sandoval weighed about 30 pounds more than Devers at his best and 60-70 pounds more than at his worst. All at generous 5'10" rather than 6'0.

I dont understand the comparison at all - their listed numbers arent similar, they dont look similar - just sounds like a concern to make up a concern to me.
I probably saw him play 40 times in Greenville. He doesn’t look much different now than he did. He’s just one of those doughy guys. He’s nothing like Sandoval, who seemed to be trying harder at getting fat than being good at baseball.
 

chrisfont9

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I get that they say he’s their top priority, but are the two sides even negotiating? I assume they presented him with a deal at his birthday party that went over like a lead balloon. But by now, the two sides have to know where each other stands, and I sense they have a good idea over whether they are tough to get a deal done, or not, right?
We have yet to hear about anything until it happens with any of their deals, so I suspect this will be the same. For all we know they're up all night filling in the details.
 

mikcou

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I probably saw him play 40 times in Greenville. He doesn’t look much different now than he did. He’s just one of those doughy guys. He’s nothing like Sandoval, who seemed to be trying harder at getting fat than being good at baseball.
Yeah that was pretty much my point - Devers is a little bit big in the athletic sense; while he is never going to a ripped guy, there's no real indication of him being out of shape or trending that way. Sandoval started overweight and by his mid to late 20s was already having problems not being one of the fattest players to play.
 

mikcou

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You're getting calls and voice mails for going to a couple of games a year? Did you buy a large number of tix to those games? My wife and I used to go 4-6 times a year. I think just twice in '19 and not since 'cuz Covid. I get email notices for ticket drops, but nothing else.
Yes. Every other week like clockwork since the beginning of September.

No have never purchased more than a few games in a season.

Edit: Just noticed you asked how many per-game. Was never more than 4 and was more typically a pair.
 

TomRicardo

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Devers feels like the linchpin moment for this management group. I still think they trade him
For what?

I honestly am curious what would be the package for 1 year of Devers? I mean if San Francisco is going to offer Harrison and Luciano, you do that but outside of something like that I don't see how you end up better off then extending Devers.
 

E5 Yaz

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For what?
I honestly am curious what would be the package for 1 year of Devers? I mean if San Francisco is going to offer Harrison and Luciano, you do that but outside of something like that I don't see how you end up better off then extending Devers.
Oh, I agree, Plan A is extending Devers. I guess I just don't have any faith that they're going to do that. After that, it's a matter of finding a match ... and the possibilities are slim. It has to be a team with circumstances that would make them interested, on the verge of meaningful playoff action, and a front office confident enough to take the risk.
I don't know what they would have to offer, but I keep thinking Seattle is a possibility.
 

Green Monster

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Yes. Every other week like clockwork since the beginning of September.

No have never purchased more than a few games in a season.

Edit: Just noticed you asked how many per-game. Was never more than 4 and was more typically a pair.
Same here....get bombarded with email "deals"
 

Big Papi's Mango Salsa

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Oh, I agree, Plan A is extending Devers. I guess I just don't have any faith that they're going to do that. After that, it's a matter of finding a match ... and the possibilities are slim. It has to be a team with circumstances that would make them interested, on the verge of meaningful playoff action, and a front office confident enough to take the risk.
I don't know what they would have to offer, but I keep thinking Seattle is a possibility.
The two I keep coming back to are San Diego and Philly.

The Padres are obviously pushing every chip they have into the center of the table while they have this core. Machado can opt out after next year. Darvish and Snell are both free agents. They are obviously "going for it" and have shown no compunction over moving pieces around the diamond in seemingly unconventional ways to get this done. They signed Bogaerts when they have / had several options on the roster for short-stops. They moved Tatis Jr to the OF in the middle of a season (when he didn't have prior experience there - at least in the major leagues), they have a piece like Cronenworth that can move all over the diamond himself. The Dodgers are still the Dodgers with Freeman, Betts, Urias and Gonsolin but seem to be doing a bit of re-tooling, at least with Buehler out next year. Probably their best chance to over-take them in the NL West. I rule nothing out.

After yesterday (Correa to NYM) I can also see the Phillies getting into the mix if Devers were available. Dombrowski's track record speaks for itself. Hoskins and Nola are both free agents after next season, with Wheeler up the following year, so I could see them getting involved as well.


To be clear, I obviously think that we should extend Devers and build around him. No questions asked. I also think that is extremely unlikely to happen, so a little Preller vs Dombrowski bidding war would be nice.
 

Green Monster

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The two I keep coming back to are San Diego and Philly.

The Padres are obviously pushing every chip they have into the center of the table while they have this core. Machado can opt out after next year. Darvish and Snell are both free agents. They are obviously "going for it" and have shown no compunction over moving pieces around the diamond in seemingly unconventional ways to get this done. They signed Bogaerts when they have / had several options on the roster for short-stops. They moved Tatis Jr to the OF in the middle of a season (when he didn't have prior experience there - at least in the major leagues), they have a piece like Cronenworth that can move all over the diamond himself. The Dodgers are still the Dodgers with Freeman, Betts, Urias and Gonsolin but seem to be doing a bit of re-tooling, at least with Buehler out next year. Probably their best chance to over-take them in the NL West. I rule nothing out.

After yesterday (Correa to NYM) I can also see the Phillies getting into the mix if Devers were available. Dombrowski's track record speaks for itself. Hoskins and Nola are both free agents after next season, with Wheeler up the following year, so I could see them getting involved as well.


To be clear, I obviously think that we should extend Devers and build around him. No questions asked. I also think that is extremely unlikely to happen, so a little Preller vs Dombrowski bidding war would be nice.
Preller vs Dombrowski vs Cashman

Assuming that the Yankees don't pickup Donaldson's 2024 option then they would be needing a 3Bman.
 

jon abbey

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Assuming that the Yankees don't pickup Donaldson's 2024 option then they would be needing a 3Bman.
As of right now, NY has four infielders for three spots in 2024, not including Donaldson or IKF: LeMahieu, Gleyber, Peraza, and Volpe. I expect they will trade 1-2 of those 6 this offseason, but I definitely don't think they'd be involved in any Devers trade talks.

My impression is that teams almost always trade their stars who are getting close to FA to the other league if at all possible. Never say never with Preller (the Steve Cohen of GMs) but trying to fit in Devers to their current situation seems absolutely insane to me. The Phillies and the Dodgers make a lot of sense though.
 

Green Monster

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As of right now, NY has four infielders for three spots in 2024, not including Donaldson or IKF: LeMahieu, Gleyber, Peraza, and Volpe. I expect they will trade 1-2 of those 6 this offseason, but I definitely don't think they'd be involved in any Devers trade talks.

My impression is that teams almost always trade their stars who are getting close to FA to the other league if at all possible. Never say never with Preller (the Steve Cohen of GMs) but trying to fit in Devers to their current situation seems absolutely insane to me. The Phillies and the Dodgers make a lot of sense though.
Agreed...I can't see Devers being traded in division to the Yankees. I was thinking the discussion was about next year FA sigining not a trade scenario...
 

CoolPapaLaSchelle

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Bay Area based, and the Giants are getting killed for the Correa fiasco. They need a big swing to salvage the off season. Might Devers to SF make sense, perhaps centered on LHP Kyle Harrison? Bonus if we can bring back Yaz (maybe by including Duran)?
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Agreed...I can't see Devers being traded in division to the Yankees. I was thinking the discussion was about next year FA sigining not a trade scenario...
I guess one upside of a trade now is that it decreases the odds of Devers to the Yankees after the season if a team trades for him with the hope of extending him.

It seems like he would be scary in that park. Although it's interesting that it's one of the worst parks for his splits. 60 tOPS+ 197 PA

Although, shouldn't we want the Yankees to sign him? Put to the side the annoyance of seeing him on our rivals, if another team pays more for a player than you were willing to pay, wouldn't you rather it be a team that you compete with? Because by definition you believe they overpaid.
 

OCD SS

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Bay Area based, and the Giants are getting killed for the Correa fiasco. They need a big swing to salvage the off season. Might Devers to SF make sense, perhaps centered on LHP Kyle Harrison? Bonus if we can bring back Yaz (maybe by including Duran)?
For some reason I suspect that a smart CBO like Frahan Zaidi is not going to panic his way into a trade for the sake of better media coverage any more than Bloom is.
 

EvilEmpire

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I guess one upside of a trade now is that it decreases the odds of Devers to the Yankees after the season if a team trades for him with the hope of extending him.

It seems like he would be scary in that park. Although it's interesting that it's one of the worst parks for his splits. 60 tOPS+ 197 PA

Although, shouldn't we want the Yankees to sign him? Put to the side the annoyance of seeing him on our rivals, if another team pays more for a player than you were willing to pay, wouldn't you rather it be a team that you compete with? Because by definition you believe they overpaid.
I really don't see Devers as a fit for the Yankees on a long term deal. I think the Yankees value defense a bit too much and with Judge being signed for what is likely the rest of his career, it isn't too hard to look down the road and see him needing that DH slot to continue contributing. Under those conditions, Devers deteriorating at 3B and needing to DH for a goodly portion of a long deal would really suck.

Maybe Devers transitions to 1B some day, but I don't think you can count on it.

Short term deal? Sure. That would be great. But it isn't happening.
 

jon abbey

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Yeah, I don't see Devers to NYY as an option via trade or the FA market, although things can change by next winter.
 

snowmanny

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Although, shouldn't we want the Yankees to sign him? Put to the side the annoyance of seeing him on our rivals, if another team pays more for a player than you were willing to pay, wouldn't you rather it be a team that you compete with? Because by definition you believe they overpaid.
We should root for the Yankees to sign him because the $30M AAV might screw up their payroll in 2030?
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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We should root for the Yankees to sign him because the $30M AAV might screw up their payroll in 2030?
Well, yes. Or make them more reluctant or less able to sign a big contract in 2025, or all of the reasons that we didn't want to do it.

If you think the deal that Devers wants or will get is a good deal then it will suck if it's not us who gets it. But if we evaluate it as a bad deal, then wouldn't we prefer that a team in our division/conference get saddled with a bad deal?
 

Minneapolis Millers

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Agreement is good. With this building block in place, if $300M is an acceptable goal, the Sox and Devers could still get this done with a Turner-like contract (11/$300). Raffy’s not as good overall, but he’s significantly younger and likely to be a better hitter over the lifetime of the deals. And a $27.27 AAV should be manageable.