Hot Stove Wishes

Hee Sox Choi

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Mar 27, 2006
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Choo as well.  Give QOs to Drew, Naps, Ellsbury, Salty.  Salty on a 1-year is fine.  We don't have anyone else.
 
I'd like to be in on Tanaka.  Big.  We can trade Dempster to San Diego where he can have a 2.80 ERA.  
 

rembrat

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I'd kick the tires on Beltran and hope he's willing to take a pay cut in dollars and years. 
 

AlNipper49

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People here really want Choo?  I mean I guess anything can happen but he's being represented by Boras, is on the wrong side of 30 and is looking for 5 years to boot.  
 
I doubt there will be a ton of meat on the bone in terms of value with him unless something unexpected happens.  And even with recent cases of unexpectedness (i.e. Bourne), the recipient still walked away with a pretty damn nice contract.
 

Youkilis vs Wild

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Mar 30, 2009
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This year was amazing. But I don't want the organization to lose sight of its plans. I want JBJ in center. I want WMB/Xander on the left side (though WMB will probably need to be on a short-ish leash). I want to see some of the young pitchers get a chance to really contribute. The organization is in a very healthy place; I want the plan to be seen through.
 
Re-sign Lester, Napoli, and perhaps Salty. BEN, PLEASE DON'T TRADE FOR A RELIEVER.
 

glennhoffmania

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By most (or all) accounts Choo is not a good defensive player.  Putting him in CF or RF in Fenway won't help.  He's a very good offensive player who will probably get a contract significantly in excess of his value given his age and defense.  Pass.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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AlNipper49 said:
People here really want Choo?  I mean I guess anything can happen but he's being represented by Boras, is on the wrong side of 30 and is looking for 5 years to boot.  
 
I doubt there will be a ton of meat on the bone in terms of value with him unless something unexpected happens.  And even with recent cases of unexpectedness (i.e. Bourne), the recipient still walked away with a pretty damn nice contract.
My thoughts exactly. With him coming off a (arguably) career year and the Boras factor, this is going to be a classic "buy high" sucker's play. Pass.
 

Hee Sox Choi

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Choo is an OBP machine.  Kills Rs.  Works the count exceptionally well and is a good enough OF that the Reds started him in CF.  He'd be a solid RF, be a great leadoff hitter (rest him sometimes vs. tough Ls) and see 20 pitches a game which would make our line-up even more of a grind.  Choo is highly underrated.  
 

jsinger121

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Jul 25, 2005
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Lester extension
Re-sign Ellsbury though likely not happening
Napoli at 2 years 26 million 
Salty back on a 1 year deal
Let Drew go. Xander at short and Middlebrooks at 3rd.
 

Otis Foster

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Jul 18, 2005
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Right handed power to supplement/replace Napoli. That=Kendrys Morales. I know he's limited defensively since his knee injury, but I don't know how badly. If he can play 1st, OPS of .785 with 62 games in a stadium not particularly good to rh power is worth looking at.
 
Red flag however - he's now represented by you-know-who. He can put lipstick on a pig and convince someone that she's Junior Miss in drag.
 
I've rooted for WMB to regain his mojo, but I don't think it will happen, at least in Fenway. Letting him go however will reignite the debate over resigning Drew and playing X at 3rd. But that's another issue.
 
Edit: Repeat after me, a broken leg is not a knee injury....
 

Minneapolis Millers

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We've got a lot of young guys to break in, especially pitchers.  Open some space by trading Dempster.  Extend QOs to all 4 big FAs.  Offer a low-ish deal to Salty (2/$20M total with an option year) and a 2-tear deal to Nap (2/$20 w/incentives for him to earn up to $28M total).  Ells is a tough one.   I don't know how they replace his speed, a rare weapon in a guy who has solid OBP and D.  But they can replace most of what he offers with JBJ, so I don't know how they justify a cornerstone deal for him.  Maybe if he'd take 5/100M, but he won't.
 
I'd avoid any older players deals for more than 2-years, so no Choo.  Players should want to come to Boston now - get a couple at team-friendly prices.  Add another arm to the bullpen.  (Out of  the box idea: Hughes??)
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Hee Sox Choi said:
Choo is an OBP machine.  Kills Rs.  Works the count exceptionally well and is a good enough OF that the Reds started him in CF.  He'd be a solid RF, be a great leadoff hitter (rest him sometimes vs. tough Ls) and see 20 pitches a game which would make our line-up even more of a grind.  Choo is highly underrated.
And for all these reasons somebody is going to give him 6/100 minimum and lock him into their lineup and payroll structure until he's 37. I hope its not us.
 

Laser Show

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Lester extension.
QO to Napoli, try to resign him for a reasonable deal (I like the 2 years, 26 million)
QO to Salty, try to resign him to a short term deal (nothing longer than 2 or 3 years)
QO to Drew. If he signs, platoon WMB and XB until WMB gets enough trade value for a decent return.
QO to Ellsbury. Sign him if he can be had at a reasonable price. He won't be though. Give the reins to JBJ
See if there's the right deal for the surplus of starting pitching depth (Read: don't do Arroyo for Pena again)
 
Go to war again.
 

SouthernBoSox

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Nap is the most important resign IMO. Amazing defense, tons of pitches, monster power, good OBP, right handed.
Let JBJ play center.
Relief arms.
Xander at short.
Lester extension.
More relief arms.
 

AlNipper49

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Laser Show said:
Lester extension.
QO to Napoli, try to resign him for a reasonable deal (I like the 2 years, 26 million)
QO to Salty, try to resign him to a short term deal (nothing longer than 2 or 3 years)
QO to Drew. If he signs, platoon WMB and XB until WMB gets enough trade value for a decent return.
QO to Ellsbury. Sign him if he can be had at a reasonable price. He won't be though. Give the reins to JBJ
See if there's the right deal for the surplus of starting pitching depth (Read: don't do Arroyo for Pena again)
 
Go to war again.
 
Why in God's good name would you platoon XB?
 

AlNipper49

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Frank said:
 
Put a package together for Stanton 
Yeah, WMB is most certainly a great cornerstone for any package which lands us Stanton.  What do you think, Middlebrooks and Aceves will get it done?
 

Frank Fenway

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AlNipper49 said:
Yeah, WMB is most certainly a great cornerstone for any package which lands us Stanton.  What do you think, Middlebrooks and Aceves will get it done?
 
It's too bad we couldn't add Bard, he'd really get the trade over the top. 
 

TomRicardo

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AlNipper49 said:
Yeah, WMB is most certainly a great cornerstone for any package which lands us Stanton.  What do you think, Middlebrooks and Aceves will get it done?
 
Whoa you want us to give up BOTH of them?  Little rich for my blood.
 

bakahump

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AlNipper49 said:
Yeah, WMB is most certainly a great cornerstone for any package which lands us Stanton.  What do you think, Middlebrooks and Aceves will get it done?
And Mallett.
 

Snodgrass'Muff

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bosockboy said:
 
If true they don't have a terribly high opinion of Salty.
 
I don't think this precludes them from making an offer to him.  It may also just be that the writer didn't think Salty was worth mentioning since Ross was the starter for the last three games or something?  I'm guessing Salty gets one... especially if they are hoping to sign him to a multi-year deal.
 

soxhop411

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bosockboy said:
 
If true they don't have a terribly high opinion of Salty.
unless they have a deal already in place, and do not need to offer him a QO?
 

Minneapolis Millers

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For all of you wanting to extend Lester, what's that going to take?  Something closer to Sanchez or to Verlander?  They have him for next year and then can extend a QO.  We should have a better idea by the end of 2014 what we have in Webster, RDLR, Workman, Ranaudo, Barnes and Owens.  Unless he's interested in a slightly-better-than-Lackey-level deal (5/$90?), I think they have to wait this out.
 

Snodgrass'Muff

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Papelbon's Poutine said:
I would love to see them explore the trade market for a RH power bat given their farm depth, whether they resign Nap or not. Go hard after Stanton.
 
This reminds me a bit of where most of us were after 2010.  We had the depth and we were thrilled to spend it on Gonzalez.  That didn't work out so great, though that was only a part of a much larger problem.  And while the Crawford and Beckett deals compounded the money issue that came in the aftermath of trading for Gonzalez (I'm sure they'd extend Stanton as soon as they could as well), the Gonzalez trade was a big part of why the upper minors ended up so barren.
 
Said differently, I can't imagine the price being low enough for me to be comfortable with that trade.  If I'm the Marlins the price starts at Bogaerts and I don't take any more calls until Ben comes around to that.  They have no reason not to ask for the stars and the moon on Stanton.
 

Mighty Joe Young

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Snodgrass'Muff said:
 
I don't think this precludes them from making an offer to him.  It may also just be that the writer didn't think Salty was worth mentioning since Ross was the starter for the last three games or something?  I'm guessing Salty gets one... especially if they are hoping to sign him to a multi-year deal.
 
Or they have already agreed on a long term deal
 
Edit: SoxHop411 beat me to it
 

selahsean

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absintheofmalaise said:
So the cost of Choo would be a large AAV, a draft pick and the loss of the slot money for that pick. Have I got that correct?
 
Yeah I'm lost on this.  You don't want to resign Ells, but you'd give up a draft pick for the right to pay Choo 18million + for the next 5 years.  Does not compute
 

Seabass

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Otis Foster said:
Right handed power to supplement/replace Napoli. That=Kendrys Morales. I know he's limited defensively since his knee injury, but I don't know how badly. If he can play 1st, OPS of .785 with 62 games in a stadium not particularly good to rh power is worth looking at.
 
Red flag however - he's now represented by you-know-who. He can put lipstick on a pig and convince someone that she's Junior Miss in drag.
 
I've rooted for WMB to regain his mojo, but I don't think it will happen, at least in Fenway. Letting him go however will reignite the debate over resigning Drew and playing X at 3rd. But that's another issue.
 
Edit: Repeat after me, a broken leg is not a knee injury....
 
Morales is getting a QO from the Mariners. He put up worse offensive numbers than Napoli (adjusting for park), was -1.4 dWAR according to BR, and will cost the Sox a draft pick. He is literally the last person I'd want them targeting, particularly after Napoli said he wants to come back. With Abreu signing in Chicago, he's the best 1B on the market and fits in with the team fantastically. 
 
I'd extend Napoli, Salty, Drew and Ells QOs. I assume they'll bring back Nap and Salty on 3ish year deals. If you can get Ells for around 5/100, you put him in CF next year, and LF afterwards, with JBJ taking over in CF. WMB gets the gig at third - if he can hold it down, great, if not, Cecchini could probably be a September replacement if he maintains his developmental path. The only player I'd make a hard run at is Masahiro Tanaka. I don't think Choo is a wise use of resources, even though I love his game - I just have concerns about giving him anything long term and giving up a pick for him. Plus, I don't think the FO would reasonably consider going after him. 
 
To those who want Stanton - what are you prepared to pay? JBJ, Henry Owens, Cecchini and Betts? Because that's the low end of what it'd take. I love Stanton, but he hasn't demonstrated an ability to stay healthy thus far in his career. The power is insane and his swing is poetic, but I don't know if he's worth emptying the farm for. 
 
The team is in excellent shape, and the farm is ready to contribute to the ML roster. Let's see how that plays out. Just because the Sox have money to spend doesn't mean it's wise to spend it.  
 

Brianish

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Napoli scares me. Healthy, I'd take him in a second, but my understanding is that some day, without warning, his hip IS going to collapse. You can only play hot potato for so long, and I'm not sure I like the prospect of the Sox being caught holding the bag. 
 

plucy

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a rock and a hard place
BCsMightyJoeYoung said:
Or they have already agreed on a long term deal
 
Edit: SoxHop411 beat me to it
From the tone of the interview on ESPN.com the other day Salty did not sound optimistic. If he was already in extension talks, he might have mentioned it.

Of the 4 FA's, I would like to see Napoli retained.

As for FA signings, McCann should be a priority. Ortiz may go after next year, and a good MOO bat will be a priority. McCann can fill the lead catcher position for two years, then transition to DH, pt catcher.

While this is difficult to offer in the afterglow of a WS title, Ben might shop many of the short term vets on the roster. Victorino, Gomes, Ross, Peavy, Dempster and Lackey will all have appeal to next year's contenders. Some holes might (will) open on the 14 team, but I am looking further into the future for the next great Sox team. If they could obtain some upper level prospects or young MLB position players to add to the treasure trove, while retaining several of the starting pitchers ( not going to trade all three), they would still remain competitive for a playoff spot next year.

It needs to be about the future now. They grabbed a title; now set up for a 5-6 year run of excellence.
 

smastroyin

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Snodgrass'Muff said:
 
I don't think this precludes them from making an offer to him.  It may also just be that the writer didn't think Salty was worth mentioning since Ross was the starter for the last three games or something?  I'm guessing Salty gets one... especially if they are hoping to sign him to a multi-year deal.
 
What it actually is is that the author and his buddies were thinking about it about as much as the guys in this thread, and since Ross played the last three games they figure Salty isn't that important.
 

beezer

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Jul 9, 2009
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QO to all 4.
Lester extension 3/45
Ortiz extension 2/26
Resign Napoli 2/26 (finishes up his original contract)
Move Dempster to any team willing to eat as much of his salary as Possible
Resign Salty 2/25
 
Lineup:
Bradley CF
Victorino RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Bogaerts SS
Gomes/Nava LF
Salty C
Middlebrooks 3B
 
Rotation:
Lester
Buchholz
Lackey
Doubront
Peavy
(RDLR, Webster, Ranaudo, etc as insurance)
 

absintheofmalaise

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selahsean said:
 
Yeah I'm lost on this.  You don't want to resign Ells, but you'd give up a draft pick for the right to pay Choo 18million + for the next 5 years.  Does not compute
Exactly. The new CBA and The Plan seems to have been forgotten by a few people. 
 

smastroyin

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Isn't Choo just a fancy Nava?  They are the same age.  They are somewhat weak in the field.  They are both OBP heavy hitters who are weak against LHP.  In fact the Red Sox have two of those if you include Carp.  
 
Choo is better than Nava, and if you think Nava's candle has burnt out that's all fine.  But it seems like a lot to give up to basically get a gilded version of a guy you already have.  Consistency and the marginal upgrade are definitely worth something, and I guess maybe you consider Choo the consolation prize if you can't keep Ellsbury?  
 
Also, on Salty, isn't the QO the ideal solution for the Sox?  Make the QO and you don't have to worry about catcher next year and you get a year to evaluate what you think you have in Vasquez.  If he leaves for a multi-year deal you don't want to sign, then you get a draft pick.  I mean, anything is possible, maybe they have some agreement with him that they won't QO him or something.
 

BostonJack42

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SouthernBoSox said:
Nap is the most important resign IMO. Amazing defense, tons of pitches, monster power, good OBP, right handed.
Let JBJ play center.
Relief arms.
Xander at short.
Lester extension.
More relief arms.
 
Sign a bunch of guys who can become the next Koji become you can never have enough relief arms.
 
After that, I think there's really nothing wrong with (for the most part) keeping the band together for another year.
 

selahsean

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Dec 22, 2005
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QO's all around.
 
Resign Lester.  No explanation necessary he's an Ace.
 
Resign Ellsbury (hoping for 6/100 to get it done) because there's really nothing out there to spend the money on if we don't resign him.  At best you'd be left waiting till 2015 and making a run at some arms which may or may not be available.  I like JBJ, but what happens if he doesn't pan out?  How will the money saved on Ells help then?
 
Resign Salty to a 3/39 deal.
 
If Drew accepts the QO my starting third basemen is X for 2014 and WMB starts learning 1B.
 
Since this is a wish list...make a run at Stanton.  There's a Papi sized hole in our lineup in 2015 and I don't see any help on the FA market.