Let’s sign a starting pitcher!

simplicio

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Who needs big $300m contacts when you can just keep making $6-8m per year till you're 70?
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Lots of interest, few offers, no additions. Perhaps they just figured that Whitlock and Houck in the rotation and beefing up the bullpen was the way to go? I personally don’t think a reunion with Hill made much sense and that if they are going to add, it should be on someone with a higher ceiling, but starting to wonder if they are even going to add a starter at all.
 

Sin Duda

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I think it's becoming more obvious (at least to me) that Chaim is done paying retail and is waiting for the post-New Year's sales. He did this last year and got a relative bargain with Story. If Eovo is still available in a couple weeks for 2/$32, Chaim will get him.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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I think it's becoming more obvious (at least to me) that Chaim is done paying retail and is waiting for the post-New Year's sales. He did this last year and got a relative bargain with Story. If Eovo is still available in a couple weeks for 2/$32, Chaim will get him.
Not getting into shoulda/coulda offered extensions, etc.... But I don't really think as it turns out that there were any FA's out there worth paying premium for. Correa, Judge and Turner were the only "elite" players. Two of who are significant injury risks or and/or age risks. It's pretty clear that it's just not really the way to put together a team of long term sustained success. Maybe when the Manny Ramirez' and Soto contracts come up and they're still at a good age, you put in a real solid bid but I just don't think the cost for X or other second tier (not-quite-elite) talent is worth it. Rich Hill at $8M isn't worth it.
I'm good with the pitching on this team as is. I know I'm in the minority but I think it'll surprise a bunch of people here.
 

NomahNotRamon

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Sep 4, 2017
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I'm hoping Kluber or Eovaldi saddle up. What's a good comp contract for getting Eovaldi back—something a little less than what Bassitt got from TOR?
 

ehaz

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I'm hoping Kluber or Eovaldi saddle up. What's a good comp contract for getting Eovaldi back—something a little less than what Bassitt got from TOR?
You would think that Eovaldi’s market is being hampered a bit by the QO. If any of TOR, SD, PHI, NYM were to sign Eovaldi, he’d become their 2nd QO FA and basically tank their draft.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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You would think that Eovaldi’s market is being hampered a bit by the QO. If any of TOR, SD, PHI, NYM were to sign Eovaldi, he’d become their 2nd QO FA and basically tank their draft.
I wonder what sorts of offers QO guys are getting that are beating $20M in a year? I’m guessing injury prone types are looking for anything more than that even if it’s more years? Is 3/30 better than 1/20?
Is 2/26 better?
 

Beomoose

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I'm going to miss Nasty Nate.

Haven't seen much linking us to Kluber, so that may be it for quality FA options.
 

Blizzard of 1978

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I'm going to miss Nasty Nate.

Haven't seen much linking us to Kluber, so that may be it for quality FA options.
Very strange that Cora was quoted that the Red Sox were trying to sign one or two starting pitchers during the winter meetings, so far none. Maybe they were waiting on Nasty Nate?
 
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nvalvo

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I’m a bit relieved, frankly. Eovaldi has been really good for us when healthy, but he hasn’t been healthy all that much (407 IP in the four seasons of his most recent deal) and he is the most accomplished pitcher to have had Tommy John surgery twice. His career could end on any pitch.

I would have been fine with any one-year deal to Eovaldi, but a multi-year deal made me nervous.
 

Ganthem

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No semblance of any plan.
There is clearly a plan and even if you disagree with what Bloom did during the trade deadline, it doesn't mean it didn't make sense. Honestly I am kind of confused. People on this board are screaming that the Red Sox should make the playoffs ever year, but when Bloom takes steps to make that a reality, the same people start screaming about draft picks.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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There is clearly a plan and even if you disagree with what Bloom did during the trade deadline, it doesn't mean it didn't make sense. Honestly I am kind of confused. People on this board are screaming that the Red Sox should make the playoffs ever year, but when Bloom takes steps to make that a reality, the same people start screaming about draft picks.
Come on, every one of the hard core Bloom defenders insisted that it was all about getting under the cap and then using the Sox $$$ to their advantage and rebuilding the team via free agency this off-season, which really hasn’t happened.

Do folks really think this off-season is going to plan?
 

BaseballJones

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I guess they are really impressed with Whitlock, Bello and Houck. Three young upcoming pitchers. Let's hope it's Clemens, Boyd and Hurst part 2.
To be fair, all three have a LOT of talent. Doesn't mean they'll pan out but any organization in baseball would love to have those three guys.
 

E5 Yaz

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I wanted to sell, so I agree, but just think what this board would be like right now if they’d sold two games out of a wild card spot.
Far from the place of reason it has been this offseason
 

simplicio

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Also Crawford showed decent stuff last year, and Mata should be up at some point.

I'm really not sorry to see Eo go elsewhere, we just don't need to add another injury risk like that. Thankful for what he's done here, and good luck in Texas.
 

BigSoxFan

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I guess they are really impressed with Whitlock, Bello and Houck. Three young upcoming pitchers. Let's hope it's Clemens, Boyd and Hurst part 2.
I’m perfectly fine giving real opportunities to young pitchers with upside in lieu of signing old guys like Hill.
 

Ganthem

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Come on, every one of the hard core Bloom defenders insisted that it was all about getting under the cap and then using the Sox $$$ to their advantage and rebuilding the team via free agency this off-season, which really hasn’t happened.

Do folks really think this off-season is going to plan?
I believe that those of us who are not reactionary, are seeing the plan being build up the farm and install a core of cost controlled young players and then supplement them with free agents and trade. At the same time Bloom wants to contend and so going over the cap or not going over the cap doesn't really factor into. I also wonder how much difference there is between having a pick in the 70 vs the 130, but i digress. I for one saw all the money coming off the book and the farm system being better then it has in years, and I thought this would be the off season to spend and trade. I can admit when I was wrong. What I should have done is ask myself is there players worth spending on and the answer for the most part is no. As for trading, that can't take place until that core is actually in place. The most valuable chips currently are Bello and Casas and the Sox need them to be part of that core. So yeah you can disagree with how Bloom handled the trade deadline, but acting like it is some gigantic piece of malpractice and the worst thing every is an argument that does not make much sense.
 

simplicio

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I'd feel way better about 1 year of Nate than 2+. His injury track record sucks.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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That’s all well and good, but then why did Chaim go on and on about how they wanted to add starters and wanted them to be guys you’d be comfortable starting a playoff game with?
 

simplicio

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Would you be comfortable starting a playoff game with Eo given how he looked coming back from injury last year? I wouldn't.
 

E5 Yaz

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Would you be comfortable starting a playoff game with Eo given how he looked coming back from injury last year? I wouldn't.
So, instead at the moment they'd be starting games with Sale, Paxton, Whitlock and Houck ... all of whom are coming back from injuries, and none of who have pitched full seasons as a starter recently, so who know how they'll be come playoff time

edit ... forgot Pivetta
 

simplicio

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I’m a fairly orthodox believer in what baseball ops is doing, but this (plus the gamble on Ward, if he doesn’t return) strikes me as the best ammo for the Bloominati to rail against. Big losses for not much gain.
Curious if you have insight into why Ward was a piece they really needed to keep, or if you're just reacting to him going first in the rule 5 draft/something inflammatory written in the media about that. Cause the guy was reported as having dimished stuff coming back from TJ, and was mid-teens on the soxprospects list I believe?

I’d give Cueto 2/$34.
Me too.
 

BigSoxFan

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Would you be comfortable starting a playoff game with Eo given how he looked coming back from injury last year? I wouldn't.
<Insert Jim Mora .gif>

I think if Eovaldi looks like he did post injury this spring then, yes, I would not be warm and fuzzy about the prospect. But there is also the chance he improves physically. Ultimately, losing Eovaldi won’t make or break this team.