Much like Newman, the Sox are not “Ready to deliver”– The 2025 Offseason News (& rumors?) Thread

Max Power

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$70m and selling low on Yoshida to upgrade DH for the remainder of his contract seems like an insane use of resources that's necessarily going to cut into offering extensions. No thank you.
Teoscar would be brought in to play LF and replace Rafaela in the starting lineup, which is a very large upgrade. Yoshida would still be DH.
 

simplicio

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Yeah there's zero reason for this team to run a bad defensive outfielder outside of Ref platooning someone.
 

Max Power

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Until Roman Anthony is pounding on the door and then what?
Trade someone? You could choose from Yoshida, Abreu, or Hernandez himself. I'd like to see if Anthony could get his K rate down below 25% in the minors before he gets handed a starting job, so that might not be for another year anyway.

I wouldn't want Teoscar on a 3 year deal. But 2 years would be fine.
 

Fishy1

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Trade someone? You could choose from Yoshida, Abreu, or Hernandez himself. I'd like to see if Anthony could get his K rate down below 25% in the minors before he gets handed a starting job, so that might not be for another year anyway.

I wouldn't want Teoscar on a 3 year deal. But 2 years would be fine.
His K rate was below 25% last year.

I'm seriously so confused by people who think this team isn't going to promote these guys. They destroyed the minor leagues in a way a prospect hasn't since Mookie. They have nothing to prove down there.

This K rate stuff is also silly. Go look at what Kris Bryants K rates were in the minor leagues. Or Aaron Judge's. I'm not comparing him, just saying it's not dispositive of anything.
 
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chrisfont9

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His K rate was below 25% last year.

I'm seriously so confused by people who think this team isn't going to promote these guys. They destroyed the minor leagues in a way a prospect hasn't since Mookie.
Is there disagreement? maybe on the timing. But yeah, you don't buy an aging DH for $70m because you think Anthony could use a couple months at Worcester. Teoscar is the inverse of the SP valuation -- no matter how much you like him (ahem! PeteAbe), his skill set is VERY easily replaced, or at least 70% of it. He may be worth $70m but not to us.
 

Fishy1

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Is there disagreement? maybe on the timing. But yeah, you don't buy an aging DH for $70m because you think Anthony could use a couple months at Worcester. Teoscar is the inverse of the SP valuation -- no matter how much you like him (ahem! PeteAbe), his skill set is VERY easily replaced, or at least 70% of it. He may be worth $70m but not to us.
The biggest thing tbh is that teams are incentivized to promote now. The comp pick you get if a player wins ROY depends on then joining the team within the first two weeks of the season. And if Anthony and Campbell (who is a comp pick himself!) are as good as they seem, they'll be in the running. Those comp picks are worth more than Anthony or Campbell facing marginal relievers and starters in AAA for a couple months (if that's worth anything)- which again they've proven they are better than.
 

chawson

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They just pushed hard for Kyle Tucker in a similar situation, but these guys almost always get traded to the other league.
Tucker would have been great in that park (not so much ours), and I figure they'd have been able to sign him long-term. Rooting for the Cubs to do the same.
Heh, I really hope you were one of the people pushing hard for Jordan Montgomery last winter. :)
I wasn't, especially, but this is fair. I was thinking more of Yankee pitching prospects that flame out or get traded (and often flame out), but they have had success with some underheralded (IIRC) guys like Montgomery, Ivan Nova, and Domingo German remaining useful into their arb years, and I suppose King can be added there too. Luis Severino was obviously another Yankee farmhand who had a couple fantastic years before the injuries. Schmidt and Gil look pretty good.

Last winter before the Soto trade I made a list of all the Yankee prospects who were all traded in the last (can't recall) 12 years or so? That list is here (and spoilered), with last winter's trades added too.

Chance Adams, Manny Banuelos, Corey Black, Jhony Brito, Vicente (fka Jose) Campos, Cody Carroll, Chandler Champlain, Ian Clarkin, Roansy Contreras, Caleb Botha, Rookie Davis, Philip Diehl, J.P. Feyereisen, Richard Fitts, Giovanny Gallegos, Jorge Guzman, Jansen Junk, James Kaprielian, Luis Medina, Bryan Mitchell, Nick Nelson, Hector Noesi, Vidal Nuno, Glenn Otto, James Pass, Elvis Peguero, Jose Ramirez, Josh Rogers, Reiver Sanmartin, JP Sears, Justus Sheffield, Chasen Shreve, T.J. Sikkema, Caleb Smith, Trevor Stephan, Erik Swanson, Dillon Tate, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez, Alexander Vizcaino, Arodys Vizcaino, Ken Waldichuk, Beck Way, Tyler Webb, Hayden Wesneski and Miguel Yajure.

I'm more attuned to Yankee trades more than other teams but that seems like a lot of names, not a lot of career WAR. Certainly some of these guys are throw-ins for larger deals, but a good number had very lofty projections at a time (Banuelos, Kaprielian, Medina, Sheffield, Sears, Waldichuk). Plus there are guys like Deivi Garcia, Domingo Acevedo who weren't traded but just stalled.

This is basically a Cashman appreciation post. He got two years of Jameson Taillon for Roansy Contreras (since twice DFA'd), Michael Yajure, Canaan Smith-Njigba, and Maikol Escotto. The A's don't have much at all to show for trading Sonny Gray and Frankie Montas to the Yankees (for James Kaprielian, Dustin Fowler, Jorge Mateo; and Luis Medina, JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk, and Cooper Bowman). Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez are still young, but they had two of the very worst K% in all of baseball among starters last year.
 

chrisfont9

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The biggest thing tbh is that teams are incentivized to promote now. The comp pick you get if a player wins ROY depends on then joining the team within the first two weeks of the season. And if Anthony and Campbell (who is a comp pick himself!) are as good as they seem, they'll be in the running. Those comp picks are worth more than Anthony or Campbell facing marginal relievers and starters in AAA for a couple months (if that's worth anything)- which again they've proven they are better than.
Yeah. We've gone round and round on this, I have thrown the caution flag but if they mash major leaguers in spring training that will take care of it.
 

simplicio

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Tucker would have been great in that park (not so much ours), and I figure they'd have been able to sign him long-term. Rooting for the Cubs to do the same.

I wasn't, especially, but this is fair. I was thinking more of Yankee pitching prospects that flame out or get traded (and often flame out), but they have had success with some underheralded (IIRC) guys like Montgomery, Ivan Nova, and Domingo German remaining useful into their arb years, and I suppose King can be added there too. Luis Severino was obviously another Yankee farmhand who had a couple fantastic years before the injuries. Schmidt and Gil look pretty good.

Last winter before the Soto trade I made a list of all the Yankee prospects who were all traded in the last (can't recall) 12 years or so? That list is here (and spoilered), with last winter's trades added too.

Chance Adams, Manny Banuelos, Corey Black, Jhony Brito, Vicente (fka Jose) Campos, Cody Carroll, Chandler Champlain, Ian Clarkin, Roansy Contreras, Caleb Botha, Rookie Davis, Philip Diehl, J.P. Feyereisen, Richard Fitts, Giovanny Gallegos, Jorge Guzman, Jansen Junk, James Kaprielian, Luis Medina, Bryan Mitchell, Nick Nelson, Hector Noesi, Vidal Nuno, Glenn Otto, James Pass, Elvis Peguero, Jose Ramirez, Josh Rogers, Reiver Sanmartin, JP Sears, Justus Sheffield, Chasen Shreve, T.J. Sikkema, Caleb Smith, Trevor Stephan, Erik Swanson, Dillon Tate, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez, Alexander Vizcaino, Arodys Vizcaino, Ken Waldichuk, Beck Way, Tyler Webb, Hayden Wesneski and Miguel Yajure.

I'm more attuned to Yankee trades more than other teams but that seems like a lot of names, not a lot of career WAR. Certainly some of these guys are throw-ins for larger deals, but a good number had very lofty projections at a time (Banuelos, Kaprielian, Medina, Sheffield, Sears, Waldichuk). Plus there are guys like Deivi Garcia, Domingo Acevedo who weren't traded but just stalled.

This is basically a Cashman appreciation post. He got two years of Jameson Taillon for Roansy Contreras (since twice DFA'd), Michael Yajure, Canaan Smith-Njigba, and Maikol Escotto. The A's don't have much at all to show for trading Sonny Gray and Frankie Montas to the Yankees (for James Kaprielian, Dustin Fowler, Jorge Mateo; and Luis Medina, JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk, and Cooper Bowman). Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez are still young, but they had two of the very worst K% in all of baseball among starters last year.
It's almost as though the Yankees' heralded development program is really a propaganda apparatus.
 

jon abbey

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It's almost as though the Yankees' heralded development program is really a propaganda apparatus.
Plenty of duds coming the other way also, just the way baseball works.

For instance, this is hilarious to me (unintentionally):

"The A's don't have much at all to show for trading Sonny Gray and Frankie Montas to the Yankees"

Because the Yankees certainly did not get much out of Gray and Montas, in Montas' case just 41 innings of 6.15 ERA before he hit free agency.

Anyway, all way off topic, sorry for my part in that.
 

HangingW/ScottCooper

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Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere, but Mark Feinsand on MLB.com shared that Teoscar Hernandez is actually looking for something like a 3yr deal with an AAV of around $23m per season. https://nesn.com/2024/12/mlb-rumors-what-it-could-cost-red-sox-to-sign-teoscar-hernandez/

“The Dodgers and Hernández seemed headed for a reunion, but the two sides haven’t been able to reach a deal thus far,” Feinsand wrote. “That opened the door for other teams — namely the Red Sox and Blue Jays — to jump in on the outfielder, who is seeking a three-year deal in the $22-24 million a year range, per sources.”

If Feinsand is at all legit (and I don't know, but writing for MLB.com I have to assume he isn't a complete hack) 3/$70m/$23.3m should be something that the Red Sox are all over (unless they are blowing smoke and DO plan on moving Devers to DH while bringing in another 3b). I think he remains an excellent fit for the Red Sox. Yes, he would cost a pick, but recouping that pick from Pivettta should be mitigated.

I still prefer the upgrade the defense at 3b / upgrade the offense at DH route. But at the Bregman cost and at the way Bloom could be, lets say difficult to deal with (Arenado), Hernandez at that type of contract should certainly be achievable.

IF Anthony does what many of us think he's going to do in Spring Training (and I'm one of them) Hernandez is the DH. If Anthony doesn't and needs some seasoning, Hernandez is LF for the year before moving to DH when Anthony is ready.
I'd definitely be in on Hernandez at 3/$70-75. I wonder if the hangup is moving Yoshida?
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Yeah, this is almost a straight salary dump. I don't think there were a lot of takers on Bellinger at his present salary.
does this mean the Cubs won’t be trading Suzuki now?
Probably not? Although they do have a shiny new superstar who needs extending all of a sudden, so you never know. I strongly doubt it, though.

I'd definitely be in on Hernandez at 3/$70-75. I wonder if the hangup is moving Yoshida?
He doesn't really make sense without a Yoshida trade, IMO, and I doubt teams are too eager to take him on coming off of shoulder surgery (a fact that a lot of people seem to forget when discussing him).
 

bosox1534

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Dec 17, 2022
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I think he had the same exact post a few days ago saying Santander was nearing a deal with the Astros, so not sure he knows anything. Santander following the Yankees on instagram is a lot more telling to me.
 

Margo McCready

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Dec 23, 2008
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The 2025 Red Sox are at a point where they should be playing their best players. Your Bregmans and Teoscars and Arenados just get in the way of that. They are the past. Anthony, Campbell and even Grissom are now. Them playing the game set to easy mode in AAA isn’t going to do anyone any favors because the sooner they find their sea legs in MLB, the sooner the Red Sox become a major problem for everyone else. Maybe I’m way off base here but I don’t see anyone being too psyched in 2026 and beyond when the corpse of Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, et al. is clogging up the team’s flexibility to extend the young core.

Perhaps Anthony is your primary LF, Campbell primary 2B, and Grissom is your utility infielder against right-handed starters, and then spells Yoshida at DH against left-handed starters. Rafaela’s presence on the roster should make that possible. Hell, would anyone be surprised at all if when position players report to camp this Spring, we learn Grissom spent his winter learning first base to back up Casas as well? Romy and Hamilton still have options remaining, I believe, and they’ve played like guys who can competently hold down the fort covering for IL stints. I wouldn’t run from them or Rafaela in the event that Grissom or the rookies do need the game temporarily slowed down for them with a little AAA breather.

If Yoshida were to be moved, I could see Teoscar making sense as a DH, but wasn’t one of the main problems with the offense last year all the strikeouts killing rally after rally? Maybe instead of paying Yoshida to play for someone else, we take advantage of his contact skills. And if he absolutely does need to be platooned, again, Grissom’s skill set also just so happens to be a good contact, keep the line moving-type of guy.
 

Hank Scorpio

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Some early 2025 predictions:

Bellinger bats .197 with about 20 home runs.
Fried gets knocked around by the Red Sox, struggles for a while after - and then is diagnosed with a torn labrum in late September.
Devin Williams gets TJS.
Gerrit Cole posts an ERA in the mid-4s.
Aaron Judge needs multiple days off with nagging leg and back injuries in the second half, including the final two weeks of the season. His status is a huge dark cloud over the next off season.
Yankees lose the final four games of the season, with three of those losses being direct results of Boone's decision making. He's given a four year extension three days after YED.

The 2025 Red Sox are at a point where they should be playing their best players. Your Bregmans and Teoscars and Arenados just get in the way of that. They are the past. Anthony, Campbell and even Grissom are now. Them playing the game set to easy mode in AAA isn’t going to do anyone any favors because the sooner they find their sea legs in MLB, the sooner the Red Sox become a major problem for everyone else. Maybe I’m way off base here but I don’t see anyone being too psyched in 2026 and beyond when the corpse of Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, et al. is clogging up the team’s flexibility to extend the young core.
I suspect Campbell and Anthony may be the best options at 2B and LF, but it's certainly not a given. I do think they should add a bat. For me the question is, do we add a 3B and DH Devers, or add a DH, and keep Devers at third. Bregman or Arenado would be a huge upgrade defensively, which is something the team struggled with last season. Bregman will cost more money over more years, but is probably the better player between the two. Hernandez is probably a better bat than Arenado at this point. But Arenado can basically be had for nothing. The difference between him and Yoshida is negligible, but he'd bring a huge defensive upgrade.
 

Sausage in Section 17

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Some early 2025 predictions:

Bellinger bats .197 with about 20 home runs.
Fried gets knocked around by the Red Sox, struggles for a while after - and then is diagnosed with a torn labrum in late September.
Devin Williams gets TJS.
Gerrit Cole posts an ERA in the mid-4s.
Aaron Judge needs multiple days off with nagging leg and back injuries in the second half, including the final two weeks of the season. His status is a huge dark cloud over the next off season.
Yankees lose the final four games of the season, with three of those losses being direct results of Boone's decision making. He's given a four year extension three days after YED.
93387
 

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jon abbey

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Some early 2025 predictions:

Bellinger bats .197 with about 20 home runs.
Fried gets knocked around by the Red Sox, struggles for a while after - and then is diagnosed with a torn labrum in late September.
Devin Williams gets TJS.
Gerrit Cole posts an ERA in the mid-4s.
Aaron Judge needs multiple days off with nagging leg and back injuries in the second half, including the final two weeks of the season. His status is a huge dark cloud over the next off season.
Yankees lose the final four games of the season, with three of those losses being direct results of Boone's decision making. He's given a four year extension three days after YED.
You forgot:

Trade the whole farm system for Vlad Jr., who reports but refuses to say anything to reporters except "I'm just here so I won't get fined" and who proceeds to take three called strikes without swinging every plate appearance. Then after the season, he holds a press conference where he is happy and outgoing and burns all of his Yankee gear before hitting FA.
 

cantor44

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The 2025 Red Sox are at a point where they should be playing their best players. Your Bregmans and Teoscars and Arenados just get in the way of that. They are the past. Anthony, Campbell and even Grissom are now. Them playing the game set to easy mode in AAA isn’t going to do anyone any favors because the sooner they find their sea legs in MLB, the sooner the Red Sox become a major problem for everyone else. Maybe I’m way off base here but I don’t see anyone being too psyched in 2026 and beyond when the corpse of Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, et al. is clogging up the team’s flexibility to extend the young core.

Perhaps Anthony is your primary LF, Campbell primary 2B, and Grissom is your utility infielder against right-handed starters, and then spells Yoshida at DH against left-handed starters. Rafaela’s presence on the roster should make that possible. Hell, would anyone be surprised at all if when position players report to camp this Spring, we learn Grissom spent his winter learning first base to back up Casas as well? Romy and Hamilton still have options remaining, I believe, and they’ve played like guys who can competently hold down the fort covering for IL stints. I wouldn’t run from them or Rafaela in the event that Grissom or the rookies do need the game temporarily slowed down for them with a little AAA breather.

If Yoshida were to be moved, I could see Teoscar making sense as a DH, but wasn’t one of the main problems with the offense last year all the strikeouts killing rally after rally? Maybe instead of paying Yoshida to play for someone else, we take advantage of his contact skills. And if he absolutely does need to be platooned, again, Grissom’s skill set also just so happens to be a good contact, keep the line moving-type of guy.
Yes, they need a RHH power bat and Teoscar would be great. He doesn't block anyone because if Anthony is promoted, Teoscar can indeed DH, or you can rotate DH. His presence on the team makes Rafaela a super sub and creates a competition between Grissom and Campbell to start. So, maybe he blocks Grissom ...but man oh man this team needs quality RHH badly.
 

nighthob

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You forgot:

Trade the whole farm system for Vlad Jr., who reports but refuses to say anything to reporters except "I'm just here so I won't get fined" and who proceeds to take three called strikes without swinging every plate appearance. Then after the season, he holds a press conference where he is happy and outgoing and burns all of his Yankee gear before hitting FA.
And you forgot the part about Jr. Vladi taking a big steaming dump in Cole’s locker before exiting the clubhouse.

Edit: I forgot to specify that the dump take place as a result of Jr. Vladi eating a 12 pound bag of spicy pastelitos and signing with the Dodgers for 12/600 in free agency.
 

TomRicardo

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Some early 2025 predictions:

Fried gets knocked around by the Red Sox, struggles for a while after - and then is diagnosed with a torn labrum in late September.
There is almost no chance this team is going to knock around any LHP if they land Teoscar. If they don't, there is more of a chance Bellinger goes back to all star form. The Red Sox as of now might be one of the worst line ups ever set up against LHP.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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You forgot:

Trade the whole farm system for Vlad Jr., who reports but refuses to say anything to reporters except "I'm just here so I won't get fined" and who proceeds to take three called strikes without swinging every plate appearance. Then after the season, he holds a press conference where he is happy and outgoing and burns all of his Yankee gear before hitting FA.
Don’t stop!!!
 

RobertsSteal

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Jul 15, 2005
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The 2025 Red Sox are at a point where they should be playing their best players. Your Bregmans and Teoscars and Arenados just get in the way of that. They are the past. Anthony, Campbell and even Grissom are now. Them playing the game set to easy mode in AAA isn’t going to do anyone any favors because the sooner they find their sea legs in MLB, the sooner the Red Sox become a major problem for everyone else. Maybe I’m way off base here but I don’t see anyone being too psyched in 2026 and beyond when the corpse of Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, et al. is clogging up the team’s flexibility to extend the young core.

Perhaps Anthony is your primary LF, Campbell primary 2B, and Grissom is your utility infielder against right-handed starters, and then spells Yoshida at DH against left-handed starters. Rafaela’s presence on the roster should make that possible. Hell, would anyone be surprised at all if when position players report to camp this Spring, we learn Grissom spent his winter learning first base to back up Casas as well? Romy and Hamilton still have options remaining, I believe, and they’ve played like guys who can competently hold down the fort covering for IL stints. I wouldn’t run from them or Rafaela in the event that Grissom or the rookies do need the game temporarily slowed down for them with a little AAA breather.

If Yoshida were to be moved, I could see Teoscar making sense as a DH, but wasn’t one of the main problems with the offense last year all the strikeouts killing rally after rally? Maybe instead of paying Yoshida to play for someone else, we take advantage of his contact skills. And if he absolutely does need to be platooned, again, Grissom’s skill set also just so happens to be a good contact, keep the line moving-type of guy.
Great post.

All the hand wringing we do here about not making another big signing/trade might be misguided. A young talented team pops just about every year: Tigers this year, D’backs the year before, O’s in that same window, etc.

Let’s be next.
 

Yo La Tengo

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The 2025 Red Sox are at a point where they should be playing their best players. Your Bregmans and Teoscars and Arenados just get in the way of that. They are the past. Anthony, Campbell and even Grissom are now. Them playing the game set to easy mode in AAA isn’t going to do anyone any favors because the sooner they find their sea legs in MLB, the sooner the Red Sox become a major problem for everyone else. Maybe I’m way off base here but I don’t see anyone being too psyched in 2026 and beyond when the corpse of Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, et al. is clogging up the team’s flexibility to extend the young core.

Perhaps Anthony is your primary LF, Campbell primary 2B, and Grissom is your utility infielder against right-handed starters, and then spells Yoshida at DH against left-handed starters. Rafaela’s presence on the roster should make that possible. Hell, would anyone be surprised at all if when position players report to camp this Spring, we learn Grissom spent his winter learning first base to back up Casas as well? Romy and Hamilton still have options remaining, I believe, and they’ve played like guys who can competently hold down the fort covering for IL stints. I wouldn’t run from them or Rafaela in the event that Grissom or the rookies do need the game temporarily slowed down for them with a little AAA breather.

If Yoshida were to be moved, I could see Teoscar making sense as a DH, but wasn’t one of the main problems with the offense last year all the strikeouts killing rally after rally? Maybe instead of paying Yoshida to play for someone else, we take advantage of his contact skills. And if he absolutely does need to be platooned, again, Grissom’s skill set also just so happens to be a good contact, keep the line moving-type of guy.
From your post to Breslow's ears. If they really feel like they need another bat, make a deal for a catcher and/or wait and target the best available player on a one year deal as a complimentary player, not a three year log jam. And sign some more pitchers as the top priority.
 

Rich Garces Belly

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If the Yankees are really in on Santander and the Mets are in on Bregman, what is the market for Alonso? I’d much rather sign him to a 2-4 year deal than Teo to a 2-4 year deal if they will both just be DHing.

Alonso in Fenway hits 50+ home runs.
 

TheDogMan

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Oct 25, 2024
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I still believe people are sleeping on Rafaela. I have a feeling Cora is going to try to get him in the field as often as possible. If they don’t bring in a RH OF, I think he plays 100-120 games out there. Unless Story goes down, in which case he’s our everyday SS. He showed enough to me in his rookie year to believe he is part of the future.
Sure, this makes sense. I'm not suggesting they 'lost' any trade for Soto, my point is that they clearly wanted to sign him long-term and having him acclimate to the Bronx for a year was part of the pitch. They paid what everyone agreed was a lot. Soto had a great year and the Yankees did too. Their attempt to re-sign him didn't work. I don't know that they'd want to do that again for one year of a hitter (at $30~ million) about to leave for free agency.

Michael King is a real asset, and two years of him at arb rates is fairly significant. As for the other guys, who knows. The Yankees trade a lot of pitchers from their supposedly terrific farm system and I can't remember many of them amounting to much, at least since Ian Kennedy.
As I see it we are way behind NY even with Crochet. We need a closet, not a retread we hope works out. A RH power hitter and another excellent starter to hang with the Yankees. We finished 10 games behind, we lost our closer best setup guy our rh power bat and a SP. We have gained a #1 starter, a minor league fringe big league catcher and reliever who used to be a great closer, now not so much. We can hope our kids step up and/or Grissom becomes useful and Story stays healthy and discovers The Fountain of Youth. The Yankees lost Soto, Torres and a washed up Rizzo.They have added a stud starter of their own, one of the games best closers, Cody Bellinger to play CF or first base. I think NY's improvements trump our own. The question is. Do we intend to win the AL East or fight for a wildcard.
 

Margo McCready

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Dec 23, 2008
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As I see it we are way behind NY even with Crochet. We need a closet, not a retread we hope works out. A RH power hitter and another excellent starter to hang with the Yankees. We finished 10 games behind, we lost our closer best setup guy our rh power bat and a SP. We have gained a #1 starter, a minor league fringe big league catcher and reliever who used to be a great closer, now not so much. We can hope our kids step up and/or Grissom becomes useful and Story stays healthy and discovers The Fountain of Youth. The Yankees lost Soto, Torres and a washed up Rizzo.They have added a stud starter of their own, one of the games best closers, Cody Bellinger to play CF or first base. I think NY's improvements trump our own. The question is. Do we intend to win the AL East or fight for a wildcard.
Well, the offseason’s far from over so there’s still opportunity to upgrade the roster. So many possibilities still on the table. That said, and it’s entirely possible I’m being way too optimistic here, but we’ve seen Duran, Abreu, Houck, and even Kutter Crawford make the leap this past season. I don’t recall any of those guys even being especially highly touted when they were coming up. Perhaps 2025 is the year Anthony, Campbell, Grissom, and a (knocks on wood) healthy Casas join them as legitimately productive players. To my knowledge, the latter four all have higher “pedigree” than the former, no? Yes, any of them can fail spectacularly. And yet it’s also possible that they themselves are the major upgrades to the lineup we need. I mean, developing all these young, up and coming players is thee reason we hit the reset button after the 2019 season, is it not? Wouldn’t it be a waste of the last half decade in the wilderness to change course on that now that they’re ready for The Show? If there’s a taker for Yoshida, then sure a lefty masher to primarily DH would be fantastic. Short of that, I’d be rolling with the kids. I guess I just don’t think of it as a matter of the division vs. a wild card right now so much as I’m thinking the focus should be on kicking the window as wide open as possible for a sustained run of success that starts right now. I just don’t see expensive and declining vets helping to do that enough to justify having them clog up roster spots and payroll flexibility that should be extended to young players.


I’m with you on the pitching side though, another quality starter and shutdown hi-lev reliever would no doubt be a big help navigating the marathon MLB season. I’d be much more interested in spending money there and saving more for extensions rather than bringing in expensive bats.
 

OldeBeanTowne

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Dec 12, 2007
1,417
Does 4x$17 get Tanner Scott to sign? I tend to agree with those who are arguing to add the best available pitching over a guy like Teoscar. I much prefer signing Canha, as has been mentioned, and putting that money toward a Flaherty deal, if Burnes is out of their price range.

A guy like Andrew Heaney doesn't seem to fit the Breslow/Bailey high velocity archetype, but his offspeed stuff is above average and he can pitch out of the bullpen, if need be. Is he the kind of guy they could sign relatively cheaply to get a decent number of (130-140?) above or about replacement level innings from?
 

chawson

Hoping for delivery
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
5,208
How about Chris Martin and/or David Robertson on one year deals?
I read somewhere that Martin wants to play in Texas for his last MLB season (he's from Arlington). Not sure if that was speculative or what. Otherwise he's a no-brainer to bring back if he's comfortable here, imo.

2023-24:
93397
 

Norm loves Vera

Joe wants Trump to burn
SoSH Member
Dec 25, 2003
5,978
Peace Dale, RI
Agree on Martin. Wouuld love him back, but you can't fault a guy for wanting to ride out to the sunset in his home town. Has there been any word on what he is looking for $?
 

Yo La Tengo

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 21, 2005
1,375
The Soto trade did not ‘burn’ the Yankees one bit and there is IMO literally zero chance NY trades for Vlad Jr.
I think "burn" is the wrong word, because the Soto trade put the Yanks in the World Series last year. But the stated goal was to have Soto play in the Bronx, connect with the team, and then sign an extension. Looking at Tucker's comments, about being open to discussing an extension with the Cubs, raises the hypothetical of the NYY making an alternate trade with the Astros and being set with two superstars for the team's narrowing competitive window.