Guess I disagree with this. $150M out in the 2037-2040 range shouldn't move the needle.
So there is just one acceptable outcome for you. They either try and are successful or try and fail in which case you'll be upset that they even tried in the first place.
Get out of my head. This has been exactly what I have been thinking of during Sotomania.
This is the real thing. It's a definitional issue. I think, for those of us saying no, all the visible effort - the PR campaign, bringing out Papi and Rafi - is what the Sox are doing *instead of* trying to be the highest bidder.
Maybe. If getting outbid on a free agent means you weren't actually trying, then signing a guy who ages like Trout or Pujols or Murphy or Banks to a 15 year deal means you're stupid. It's all about the results, right?
In the current MLB environment all long term mega deals may be both lousy bets and necessary if you ever want to acquire top talent to round out a roster. If you're going to play the game this kind of feels like the guy.
If the Sox interest was legitimate, they should have assumed they would have to make the highest offer. Soto was set up to play in NY last season so if the money is less or even with the Yankees/Mets, he is unlikely to bite (I am setting aside all the soft stuff like Ortiz courting him or whatever mythical connection there is between the DR and Fenway because that doesn't seem to overwhelm money as a driver, ever). And if they were tied with, say LA, you have to assume the Dodgers get the push there given that its LA and they stock a roster to compete every year.
At the numbers i seen this morning in the 15/705+ range i would not fault the Red Sox for bowing out. I get that this sport has these idiotic term deals but i would not extend this far for a guy that only hits! He doesn't play the field particularly well, doesn't have a great arm, what happens when he is no longer in his prime and his bat speed is down and he is hitting .250-.275 with 20 hr and 65 rbi's a season as a DH and you still have 7-8+ years of his contract?
at 650-700 mil? yeah, I think that's not only stupid but irresponsible. Pitching is way more important IMHO anyway.
So you want him, but you're pissed that they even bothered exploring the signing because they wouldn't go into it determined to outbid a loose cannon with more money than Croesus.
A lot Boston fans miss consistent playoff baseball after paying some of the highest ticket prices, too.
What trouble did they go through, exactly? They made an offer, they did their media spin and they live with the outcome. Its not like Breslow had to summit Everest or anything. They did some PJ traveling and had a few phone calls. That's pretty much a day ending in Y for most of their fans, sans the private plane.
Again, what about Cohen did we not know going into this? Flip this around: The biggest free agent in a generation, in the prime of his career, represented by Scott Boras is on the market. You know that there’s an interested party out there who will spend top dollar on him. Your strategy all along was to somehow convince him to take less money to come to Boston? Really? And you’re ok with the Sox wasting time like this?
Quite the opposite. All this trouble is supposed to signal how absolutely committed they are to winning and fielding the best team possible. And even if they don't get the guy (again!) it's because of other factors like Soto never wanting to be here, or other teams willing to pay more for Soto's services, or something else that was outside of ownership's control. But fans should be excited that they tried.
This isn’t really accurate at all. Going after the top free agent signals to others players and agents that you are serious about spending money this offseason, and it increases fan morale knowing that at least on the surface it seems as if they are going to work hard to improve the team this offseason. I don’t understand what you’re so upset about, would you rather have had them just never be in it in the first place? The only thing it cost was a few plane rides and some Zoom meetings. I for one have been very intrigued by the whole process and am enjoying all the drama taking place, however at this point am also kind of ready for him to just sign so we can move on with the offseason.
You know what shows that you’re serious about spending money? Actually doing it.
Ok, only one of the marquee free agents has signed, it’s December 6th, and the winter meetings haven’t even concluded yet. Come back in March, and then your complaints can be justified if they didn’t spend. Stop being so negative and have a little faith the team that has won 4 World Series in 20 years is going to come through when they say they’re going to come through. Things could be a lot worse, just ask the Oakland/Sacramento/Vegas Athletics fans.
I look forward to reading this statement again next December, just like the last few Decembers!
That’s a big part of it, but - and this is where my scars begin to show - when they begin to issue/leak statements about the lengths they are going to try to get (insert target), I assume that we’ve entered the “acceptance” phase of grief.
I don’t get the point of being negative all the time towards this team, it does nobody any good. There are few things that bring me more joy than Red Sox baseball, and even though some seasons are better than others, I don’t feel the constant disdain a lot of you feel during subpar seasons. You can be critical, sure, but the constant negativity is getting old.
And if they offer $750M and Soto takes $751M from the Mets, is that because the Sox aren't serious about spending money or because Soto liked the Mets money more?
When the frustration is constant without much relief, I don’t see much of a difference.
This is kind of the problem if your strategy is to keep your powder dry unless you get the unicorn under 30 free agent. Guess what? Lots of other teams are going to want said unicorn and it's going to get expensive. Or they just sign with the Dodgers because the team spends money and has a loaded roster.
