Sigh…
And now we await the terms…
Sigh…
Will be interesting to see the terms. If it's something like 5/$80M I'm going to be disappointed.
The other thing is that the "full throttle" statement didn't happen in a vacuum.
They fired Bloom and it seemed natural to assume it had something to do with consecutive 78-84 seasons.
Then there were the comments of Alex Cora. I don't have the exact quotes, but what he basically said was that it was great that the team's farm system was looking a lot better, but all that really mattered was getting into October. He really put himself out there in a way that's a little unusual for a manager. It was hard to imagine him saying such things if he didn't think the front office was feeling the same and that they supported him speaking out about it.
Breslow also said something at his opening press conference about there not being financial restrictions on improving the team.
There were multiple signals sent out to the fans that this was going to be an aggressive offseason.
How many more times are we going to have to read a description like this for a free agent pursuit? Some scoff at the "interest kings" moniker, but that's what they are. If anyone thinks they are going to be remotely in the bidding for Snell or Montgomery, they are fools. The only angle to get a really good starting pitcher now is to trade a valuable farm piece away.
That thought occurs, but he's getting paid a hefty salary this year, so my guess is he would stick it out.Speaking of Cora, is he going to quit if the starting rotation doesn't get some notable improvement by ST?
But1011 of the top 15 starters to hit FA (using Fangraphs' projections) are no longer available. They can still make impactful moves, and maybe they will. But without question, there are fewer possibilities.
More like SG...There is no Fenway anymore. Really interested to see the numbers on Imanaga.We’ve taken a backseat in theFSG portfolio.
They’ve always kind of been the west coast Red Sox.What is going on with the Giants? No doubt they have extra motivation to demonstrate some response to the moves of their rival in LA, but Heyman said earlier today it was down to the Cubs and Red Sox. Plus, they couldn't land Judge last year.
Why would you assume that they’ll do that as opposed to just rolling with what they have? It seems unlikely that this ownership group is going to give up the cost controlled years of Mayer/ Anthony/ Teel (and for who we’re talking about, I don’t think they should).That’s disappointing. Looks like we will end up trading one of the young studs for a good starter.
Luck.Still waiting to see how they manage to become a better than last place team.
Maybe Bloom was fired for being too bold.If Bloom was fired for not being bold, they should probably look in the mirror.
That's assuming that if we were the highest bidder he was interested in coming here as opposed to the other teams and cities who were courting him. YY wasn't. We don't know who offered Imanaga what.There is no reason why we can’t sign Imagana other than being cheap.
Plus the Cubs pointed out to him they are on the West Coast (of Lake Michigan).That's assuming that if we were the highest bidder he was interested in coming here as opposed to the other teams and cities who were courting him. YY wasn't. We don't know who offered Imanaga what.
So all they've done with the rotation so far for 2024 is replace a combined ~190 innings of 4.00 FIP ball from Chris Sale and James Paxton with Lucas Giolito, who, if he rebounds and doesn't miss a single start, should improve on that slightly.Are the Sox content to just go with the pitchers they have? So much interest, so little in terms of signing players.
Given ownership's reluctance to go big the past few seasons it's not surprising that they're going small again.At this point, though, why would a player choose the Red Sox? I think they are close to the stage where they need to overpay to land someone of significance, and they clearly don’t want to do that. If all players hear is that a last place team doesn’t have much money to spend- and has been known to trade long term players, manager a potential lame duck, tough division….
Cora won’t be here in 2025. I think that’s almost a certainty at this point. He’s gonna get his pick of teams and get a ton of money from someone. And he’s going to go to a place he thinks is focused on winning now. The Red Sox are none of those things right now. I’d be shocked if he’s back. Stunned.Speaking of Cora, is he going to quit if the starting rotation doesn't get some notable improvement by ST?
This is not just for ITP, but why with this particular announcement? I was not sold on Imanaga at all from the get go and I haven't even seen the terms yet. How an unproven commodity choosing to sign elsewhere causes this kind of uproar is beyond me. It's January 9.I am so disappointed now, I can't even express myself other than in four-letter words not fit to print.
Seconded. Lance Brozdowski did a YT video on him and concluded that his stuff is fairly middling. No Yamamoto or anything remotely close.This is not just for ITP, but why with this particular announcement? I was not sold on Imanaga at all from the get go and I haven't even seen the terms yet. How an unproven commodity choosing to sign elsewhere causes this kind of uproar is beyond me. It's January 9.
As I see it nothing they've passed on is anything too special. People just seem to want to see a big splash as a show of faith. It's January 9.
They're not going to work on our timetable. We don't know their real targets or if those targets are even on SoSH's radar.
We don't know nothing.
It's January 9.
This is all true. I continue to say that we need to wait to see final painting. It’s undeniable though, that the color palette is a lot more limited than it was 6 weeks ago, and there’s a lot of empty spots on the canvas.This is not just for ITP, but why with this particular announcement? I was not sold on Imanaga at all from the get go and I haven't even seen the terms yet. How an unproven commodity choosing to sign elsewhere causes this kind of uproar is beyond me. It's January 9.
As I see it nothing they've passed on is anything too special. People just seem to want to see a big splash as a show of faith. It's January 9.
They're not going to work on our timetable. We don't know their real targets or if those targets even on SoSH's radar.
We don't know nothing.
It's January 9.
100% agree. Throwing a bunch of money at the wrong pitchers just for the sake of getting one or two of them isn't the answer (see Kluber, Corey). I was never sold on Imanaga although I would have signed him for a Senga-like contract (5 years $75 M). I'm not in favor of either Montgomery or Snell for the money or years they're likely to get. I wouldn't have given YY what he got from the Dodgers although I would have had less of a problem with that happening than with any of the aforementioned. Yes, the Sox need pitching but I'd rather see them explore the trade market or pay less money on a shorter term contract than handcuff themselves with a bad, long term contract as they did with Sale.I was not sold on Imanaga at all from the get go and I haven't even seen the terms yet. How an unproven commodity choosing to sign elsewhere causes this kind of uproar is beyond me. It's January 9.
As I see it nothing they've passed on is anything too special. People just seem to want to see a big splash as a show of faith. It's January 9.
All true as well, and if in another 6 weeks it doesn't look a lot different, hand me a pitchfork. Imanaga doesn't move the needle for me, that's all.This is all true. I continue to say that we need to wait to see final painting. It’s undeniable though, that the color palette is a lot more limited than it was 6 week ago, and there’s a lot of empty spots on the canvas.
You're right, of course. And while I'm usually pretty even-keeled about this stuff, I'm also still the board's resident Dice-K fan. I'm intrigued by pitchers who come from the NPB with interesting stats. I know the home run rate might mean he's a disaster here, but the swing and miss stuff seems intriguing to me. He's likely one of those guys--sort of like Dice--that most here would end up hating but I'd still make appointment viewing.This is not just for ITP, but why with this particular announcement? I was not sold on Imanaga at all from the get go and I haven't even seen the terms yet. How an unproven commodity choosing to sign elsewhere causes this kind of uproar is beyond me. It's January 9.
As I see it nothing they've passed on is anything too special. People just seem to want to see a big splash as a show of faith. It's January 9.
They're not going to work on our timetable. We don't know their real targets or if those targets are even on SoSH's radar.
We don't know nothing.
It's January 9.
The possibilities are shrinking with each day. Does anyone have any confidence that they are going to sign a good pitcher at this point? They won’t spend the money.This is not just for ITP, but why with this particular announcement? I was not sold on Imanaga at all from the get go and I haven't even seen the terms yet. How an unproven commodity choosing to sign elsewhere causes this kind of uproar is beyond me. It's January 9.
As I see it nothing they've passed on is anything too special. People just seem to want to see a big splash as a show of faith. It's January 9.
They're not going to work on our timetable. We don't know their real targets or if those targets are even on SoSH's radar.
We don't know nothing.
It's January 9.
Imanaga by himself doesn’t move it for me either. No one move does. But collectively? Another story. Tough to not detect a pattern.All true as well, and if in another 6 weeks it doesn't look a lot different, hand me a pitchfork. Imanaga doesn't move the needle for me, that's all.
Breslow has to have a spending mandate. Has to. There is no reason why we can’t sign Imagana other than being cheap.
The possibilities are shrinking with each day. Does anyone have any confidence that they are going to sign a good pitcher at this point? They won’t spend the money.
Meaning two years at $20m/year?Saving cash for a 40M offer to Roki next year.
Well, we can't know for sure who their real targets were, whether they thought of Imanaga as an upside #3 or just an end of the rotation type. But there's at least some smoke that they thought highly of him. They were reported to have heavily scouted Imanaga at least as far back as September. They've been described as one of the more involved teams since he was posted. Alex Speier said they showed consistent interest in Imanaga throughout the offseason. A couple weeks before that report, Speier said on MLBTV that Imanaga "was of considerable interest" to the Red Sox and that his "pitch characteristics from Japan were quite fascinating to the team." And we know that they were in the bidding up to at least this morning. Doesn't seem like someone they thought was nothing special but who knows. Opinions were pretty divided with BA calling him a #5 starter and Eno Sarris saying he'd rather have Imanaga at $100M than Montgomery at Nola money.This is not just for ITP, but why with this particular announcement? I was not sold on Imanaga at all from the get go and I haven't even seen the terms yet. How an unproven commodity choosing to sign elsewhere causes this kind of uproar is beyond me. It's January 9.
As I see it nothing they've passed on is anything too special. People just seem to want to see a big splash as a show of faith. It's January 9.
They're not going to work on our timetable. We don't know their real targets or if those targets even on SoSH's radar.
We don't know nothing.
It's January 9.