Results tagged ‘ Anaheim ’
Our Lackey?
Dan:
Reports are that the top free-agent pitcher on the market — and longtime Sox nemesis — John Lackey took a physical with the Red Sox this morning, which could be a precursor to a deal.
If true, it’s an interesting move, and honestly one that I didn’t see coming. Given the depth of the Sox rotation, I didn’t believe they’d spend money on a big free agent pitcher this offseason, preferring instead to tweak their offense and save money for next offseason, when the team has some big decisions to make.
Signing Lackey will give the Sox an amazing starting rotation, with the front four being Beckett, Lackey, Lester and Matsuzaka — who, if he is anything like how he finished this past season, could next year be that amazing pitcher we’ve all been waiting for.
But this move could also set off an interesting chain of events. One of the most interesting ideas I’ve heard is that bringing in Lackey could give the Sox the flexibility to move Clay Bucholz, thereby possibly making a deal possible with San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez.
Another thing is what will now happen with Roy Halliday. Toronto NEEDS to move him this offseason. With the Sox out of the running, does that mean Halliday is headed to the Bronx, or – if they lose Lackey – will the Angels make an aggressive push to land him? Should be interesting . . .
Preliminary Off-Season Thoughts
Dan:
In the words of Mark McGwuire: “I’m not here to talk about the past.”
Let’s, for a moment, forget that ALDS with the Angels ever happened. Instead, let’s bring hope back to Red Sox Nation and talk about the future . . . unless the Sox fail to bring back Jason Bay. Then forget about hope and save yourselves, cuz this ship is sinking. So, let’s take a look at issues the Sox face this winter.
JASON BAY - The Red Sox absolutely, positively NEED to bring back Jason Bay. Rarely will I say the Sox “need” anybody. But the fact is the team’s weakest link this year was its offense. If the Sox lose their best offensive player (Bay), they likely won’t be able to make the offensive upgrades they need next season. The free agent market for bats this season is especially thin (forget Matt Holliday, the most overrated bat out there). And if the Sox land a good bat in a trade – like Adrian Gonzalez – but lose Bay, they’ll be swapping bats rather than making a significant offensive improvement next year (which would be keeping Bay and getting a Gonzalez). What scares me to death is there is no reason the Yankees won’t let Johnny Damon walk and instead throw a ton of money at Bay – which improves the Yankees offense AND hurts the Red Sox. This scares me.
JONATHON PAPELBON - I’ve been shocked at the number of people clammering to trade Paps since his blown save the other day. Sox Nation needs to get a grip. As I’ve said before, every great closer has blown big games (Rivera, Eck, Hoffman, Gossage). What makes them great is their ability to brush it off and come back. Papelbon has shown he can do it. Why would you mess with that? Did we learn nothing from the Closer By Committee fiasco that started the Theo administration in early 2003? It takes a certain type of mentality (or craziness) to be a closer, and Paps has that. Bard has great stuff, but we don’t know if he has the mental toughness to be a closer. He could instead be the next Billy Koch. That being said, the promise of Bard does give the Sox flexibility should it take dealing a Papelbon to bring a bigtime bat like Adrian Gonzalez in return.
ADRIAN GONZALEZ - In case you haven’t yet noticed, I want the Sox to back the truck up to land San Diego firstbaseman Adrian Gonzalez. He is a young, dynamic bat that could help this offense. And San Diego will be hiring a new GM (Jed Hoyer?) soon who will likely be looking to stock up on young talent. Slot A-Gonz into first, move Youk to third and . . .
MIKE LOWELL - He’s been a great player for the Sox for these past few seasons, but his best years are well-behind him. Injuries make him unreliable and limit his mobility in the field. If the Sox can find a better bat, they need to move on. The only way I see Lowell staying in that situation is if he was a platoon DH with . . .
DAVID ORTIZ - Undoubtedly my favorite baseball player of all-time. So it pains me to say this. I know he came back big in the second-half, and had impressive numbers as a result. Still, how many meaningful times did Papi come through this year against good pitching. Not many. He wasn’t a factor in the playoffs, and didn’t look like there was any hope he could be. Papi will never again be the great hitter he once was, and I’d say it was time for the Sox to move on, EXCEPT . . . tell me where the Sox are going to get another DH to replace him given how weak the free-agent market is. Assuming they keep Bay, the Sox are going to need to find a home for a new bat, and that will be in either Lowell’s or Ortiz’s slot. Given Lowell’s health issues, I wouldn’t be surprised if they dump Lowell, keep Ortiz at DH this year, and then try to replace him after next season.
JASON VARITEK - It’s hard to watch cornerstones of the 2004 championship team like Papi and Tek age and have their skills diminish. At this point, everyone has to accept that Tek is done. Even, probably, Tek. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him retire this offseason (but in some way that keeps that $3 mill option). At this point, I’m not sure the Sox offense can afford to have him as the backup catcher.
Don’t Panic (Yet)
Dan:
Sure, the Red Sox offense looked pathetic last night. Extremely pathetic. But this was a case of the Sox running into a talented pitcher who was as good as he could be. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other team.
The reaction to Game 1 results is always overblown, especially in a short series. When the Sox took Game 1 against the Indians in 1998, fans talked of a sweep. Three games later, the Sox were eliminated. Twice this decade the Twins have taken a Game 1 against the Yankees; both times the Yanks easily won the series.
You can’t help but like the Beckett – Weaver matchup tonight. If the Sox take it, they’ve earned a split and gained home field advantage. Then the Angels have to try to win at Fenway — not easy for them. Of course, should the unthinkable happen, then it WILL be time to panic.
2009 Progress Report
Dan:
Early in the season, when teams and players are very hot or very cold, I often say “Wait and see where they are come Memorial Day.” Now here we are, at the end of May, and we can finally take a look at who are real players this year, and who are pretenders. So here are some of my thoughts on the year so far:
–Goodbye, Toronto. Thanks for playing.
–You have to be happy with where the Sox are considering Papi’s woes and that their starting pitching has yet to click.
–I hate to say it, but Papi looks done. Consider that this slump extends well back into last season. This happens a lot in baseball. You just hoped it wouldn’t happen to such a pivotal great in Sox history.
–I don’t know what’s more surprising: That the Devil Rays are four games under .500, or that the Orioles are only four games under .500. Actually, yeah I do. The more surprising one is the Orioles.
–The Tigers are winning the Central. But what’s up with the Indians? They just can’t put it together. Eric Wedge, meet the unemployment line.
–The Rangers are good, but not that good. They benefit from a weak division. And, yeah, I am saying the Angels are weak.
–Stick a fork in Matt Holliday. He’s done.
–Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria would own the title of Team Owner I’d Most Like To Hit With A Shovel . . . if Mark Cuban wasn’t so damn annoying.
–The Cardinals won’t be near the top of their division come September.
–Ha ha ha ha. The Cubs are .500 and more than 4 games out! Ha ha ha ha ha . . .
–The Dodgers own the game’s best record by nearly 6 games . . . and they are probably only about the sixth best team in the game. They should send thank-you notes to all those Four-A teams that make up the rest of their division.
Good Deal
Dan:
Given baseball’s current economic woes and the lack of suitors for Jason Varitek, the reported offer by the Red Sox certainly seems more than fair. Reports have the Sox offering Tek a two-year deal, with the first year paying him $5 million, and the second season having a club option at $5 mill or a player option at $3 mill.
Let’s face it, most potential landing spots for Tek have already filled their catcher slot. And, with most teams struggling financially, it would be hard to imagine another team ponying up more than $3 million a year in a mult-year deal for Tek at this point. If the Sox wanted to play hardball, they could put a $2 or $3 million deal on the table for Tek and dare him to leave it out there. He has no other alternatives. It might not be the best business decision for the Sox in terms of saving Benjamins, but they are doing right by their team captain. Once again, Sox management is handling this brilliantly.
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Superagent Scott Boras has now botched A-Rod’s uber-contract in 2007, mishandled Manny Ramirez, cost Jason Varitek millions of dollars, and alienated the second-biggest financial institution in baseball (the Red Sox) with how he handled the Teixeira negotiations. Might we see Boras start to lose some of his shine?
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I am still wondering what is happening in Anaheim. Before their defense imploded in October, they were arguably the best team in baseball last year. Sure, they lost K-Rod. But their biggest problem in recent years has been an offense that couldn’t support and protect Vlad Guerrero. Now they lose Teixeira, and although bats like Abreu, Manny and Adam Dunn are still out there, they don’t seem to be moving at all. It baffles me. They have millions of dollars they were preparing to give Teixeira in a mult-year deal; with Vlad in decline, their window of opportunity as an elite team is closing; never before have there been so many impact free agents desperate for a deal this late in the offseason. If this was our team, Sox fans would be yanking their hair out. If the Angels don’t make a move, the AL West could be wide open next season.
The Emperor Agent Has No Clothes
Dan:
It’s been fascinating this offseason to watch teams finally calling Scott Boras’s bluff. For years his negotiating practice has been to create phantom offers, telling teams that he had deals on the table for years and dollars beyond all reason, and sending actual teams into panic mode to sign their coveted players. Remember back in 2005, when he said he had in hand an offer for more years and roughly $20 million more for Johnny Damon then what he ultimately signed with the Yankees for? And how come Tek has yet to sign with that team that supposedly offered him three years at an annual pay raise?
Now teams are calling him on it. It’s great to see the Angels and Red Sox saying “Show us your cards.” And how nice was it to see Boras scambling this week, trying to keep the Angels as players as well as the Sox, saying his player was still interested in them, desperately hoping to salvage some kind of bidding war? But now the bidding that many thought could fly well past $200 million is dropping faster than the stock market.
Teams are now going to start being wary of Boras’s negotiating style. And in the end, it might ultimately start to cost his players some money. If teams are hesitant to bid on players, that could keep the prices down. Whereas the Sox might have been willing to approach $190 million for Tex, maybe now they knock ten to fifteen million off that price and dare Boras and Tex to get a better offer (and possibly with a doomed franchise). And maybe – just maybe – players might start being better off with other agents.
Of course, there’s always some desperate team looking to do something stupid to make a splash. The fledgling Washington franchise might just not see the wisdom in restraint and do something crazy. The Nationals are kind of like North Korea with nuclear weapons — a desperate, jittery, insecure, more-than-half-crazy entity that might try to make itself important to the baseball world by dropping a salary bomb on Tex. Then again, we’ve seen this scenario play out again and again. And if Tex signs with the Nats — preventing them from signing other significant players — he deserves his years of misery . . . and so do the Nationals.
What Happened Here?
Dan:
Anyone looking for proof that you can do something to curse your team look no further than this blog last night.
At 10:27 p.m., I posted an entry on how the Red Sox had a done deal with Mark Teixeira, and talked about how to move forward. Not 20 minutes later, John Henry sent out an e-mail stating the Sox were out of the Teixeira sweepstakes.
Karma?
We still don’t know what happened yet. Maybe the Angels’ desperation got the better of them and they went to 10 years. They certainly were looking at a dark place if they missed out on Tex, and needed him more than the Sox. Maybe the foolish Nationals made a desperate insane offer. It wouldn’t be the first time a franchise that couldn’t afford a superstar bid out of their league (Texas/ARod). If that’s the case, expect them to look to deal him within three years . . . and expect Tex’s complaining about the franchise not winning to begin in two.
Still, all hope is not lost . . . yet. This is Scott Boras and the Red Sox . . . two entities who have said deals were dead in the past, only to have them be revived later on. So, until a deal is announced and a physical has taken place, this thing isn’t over. But it doesn’t look good.
If the Sox don’t get Tex, you have to start to wonder about next year. They have a good team in place, and, if everyone is healthy, they should be fine. But, given the age of Lowell and Tek, and given the fragility of JD Drew, and the uncertainty of Papi’s wrist, there will still be a lot to worry about heading into the season.
Hot Stove Ready To Boil
Dan:
One week before Thanksgiving, and the hot stove is ready to cook. You can expect a flurry of offers, rumors and speculation up until Turkey Day; then a flurry of signings the week after.
WHAT I LIKE SO FAR
The Coco deal: Scoring Ramon Ramirez – a 27-year-old strikeout reliever with a sub-3.00 ERA in the American League last year – is about as much as you could expect to get for Crisp. Thankfully, Coco performed great the last two months of the season to up his trade value. If you’re not a big fan of this deal, you should be. Don’t look at the last two months of the season and think it is a sign of things to come for Coco. He played in Boston three years, and we’ve seen the player he is: A guy who is an excellent outfielder but most of the time is excruciatingly frustrating at the plate with the exception of brief flukes (August & September). Crisp will be an excellent addition to a team like the Royals, and he could very likely find himself contributing on a team that surprises people next year. Meanwhile, you can never stockpile enough relief pitching, and hopefully Ramirez can be a solid contributor out of the pen in ’09.
Texeira Rumors: Although I still don’t count the Yankees out completely from the Mark Texeira race, I’m glad to read that most people seem to think them acquiring Nick Swisher signals they aren’t in it. But I’ll believe that once Texeira is in a Red Sox uniform. I’m happy that the Sox are considered the front-runners alongside the Angels in this race, and sound like they are positioning themselves for an aggressive run at the hitter with the most upside in this free agent class. Acquiring Texeira would give them one mighty lineup next season.
Catcher Rumors: Regardless of whether they bring back Jason Varitek, the Sox need to get themselves their catcher of the future. And it sounds like even if they do bring back Tek, the Sox are determined to get one of the young catchers from the Rangers, possibly even offensively-gifted Jason Saltalamacchia. This bodes well.
Lugo To Tigers: There’s a rumor that the Tigers might be interested in acquiring Julio Lugo and sending the Sox either Nate Robertson or Dontrelle Willis. I’d trade Lugo for a bag of balls, as I don’t think he has any trade value, so I’d love to see them get a pitcher. My one concern here is Dontrelle Willis’ contract, which I haven’t looked up. If I remember right, the Tigers signed him to a rich, long-term contract. If that’s the case, I might be scared. Maybe they take on each others’ bad contracts. And while Willis has been undependable and was downright terrible last year, his age and stuff means he still has a lot of potential upside. But at what price?
Yankees Are Still Rich But Stupid: The Yankees are poised to offer an oil tanker full of money and long-term years to C.C. (or LB) Sabathia this winter. Sabathia is a great pitcher, and he **dominated in Milwaukee this season (**=facing National League hitters). But he can be beat (see 2007 ALCS), and he can’t singlehandedly take a team to October. Plus, that kind of long-term contract for a pitcher — especially one with the girth of Sabathia — is a huge risk (Where Are They Now: Bartolo Colon). Tack on the fact that they also plan to payout big cash to get A.J. Burnett — a guy whose entire career has been marked by underachieving, injury-plagued seasons — and Derek Lowe — who last time he was seen in the American League was a headcase sporting an ERA north of 5.00 — and the Yankees could be putting themselves in a bad position for years to come. Sure, they are rich beyond belief, but even the Yankees aren’t immune from suffering the effects of numerous bad contracts. And, let’s face it, this is the same management team that thought they could win last year with three unproven rookies in Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain, and who brought in broken-down pitchers in Kevin Brown, Jared Wright and Randy Johnson.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
Sox In On Burnett: As I already stated, I am not a big fan of A.J. Burnett. But I know Sox owner John Henry is. So it is with a lot of concern that I’ve read the Sox are genuinely interested in Burnett. Hopefully they are just upping the price for the Yankees. If that’s the case, you can refile this in the above section. But if it isn’t, consider me even more worried about this than I was about the Sox chasing JD Drew. And you saw how that worked out . . . . . Oh, wait. Never mind.
Jake Peavy: There’s a few things I don’t like here. First, as I stated when rumors first surfaced that the Padres were dangling Peavy, I said the Sox should try to make this deal. Peavy has proven himself to be one of the game’s elite pitchers. His stuff, his track record, and his age make him a prime target to be among the game’s best for the next several years. And he doesn’t have the, ahem, “baggage” that Sabathia has. The Sox should be willing to move one of their top pitching prospects, as prospects are unproven and often don’t work out. And you always — ALWAYS — deal a prospect for an elite proven player. So I am concerned that the Sox are not involved in the Peavy bidding. Peavy can veto the trade, and right now doesn’t list the Sox as a candidate of his, but that could always be made to change, especially by the Red Sox. The other thing I really, really don’t like about this is I am now hearing the Yankees may be getting in on Peavy. Sabathia, Burnett and Lowe don’t scare me; the Yankees getting Peavy does.
Yanks Get Swisher
Dan:
As a Red Sox fan and someone who has had the misfortune of having Nick Swisher on my fantasy baseball team the last two seasons, I was happy to see the Yankees trade for Swisher this week. It’s a move that has left me kind of scratching my head.
First, Swisher is an enigma. He’s a guy who can absolutely light the league on fire for two-week stretches, getting homers in bunches and looking like the second-coming of Carl Yastremski. But most of the year he’s just what he is: a .219 hitter who makes Dave Kingman look like Wade Boggs. Sure, he’s only 28 years old, and could still turn out to be a late-blooming Jim Thome. Or, just as likely, he could be playing independent league ball in three years. He’s not the kind of guy I’d want to depend on to boost my lineup. But, then again, I’ve never thought of Brian Cashman as a guy I’d want piecing together my baseball team.
At least the Yankees didn’t give up anything, unless I’m missing the boat on some of those prospects. Which makes me wonder why the White Sox did this deal at all. If Chicago was a playoff team last year, and they thought so highly of Swisher as to go after him just a year ago, how can they be so confident they’ll be competitive next year without him? And why did they sour on him so fast? And being that as it is, why did the Yankees feel the need to get him? I just don’t get it.
I like the fact that most pundits now say that this move means the Yankees won’t go after Mark Texeira. I still don’t believe it, but I like hearing them say it. Texeira is a world above Mr. .219, and I’d love to see him in a Red Sox uniform next season. And word is the Yankees are banking on targeting CC Sabathia (aka LB Sabathia) this offseason, and wouldn’t sign both him and Texeira anyway; a scenario that reminds me a lot of Winter 2000 when the Yanks signed Mike Mussina while the Sox got Manny Ramirez. Bats are much more dependable than arms. And since that signing, the Sox have won two championships, while the Yankees . . . well, they won a lot back in the 20th Century. But I still won’t believe the Yanks won’t chase Texeira until I see it. With the money they have coming off the books, and the cashfall they expect from their new stadium, they can certainly afford to sign Sabathia, have Swisher play outfield and sign Texeira for first base.
But I don’t want to think about that. So I’ll just keep listening to the experts say the Yanks won’t chase Texeira . . . the Yanks won’t chase Texeira . . . the Yanks won’t chase Texeira . . .
ALCS Prediction: Who Knows?
Dan:
If you say you can confidently pick the winner of the ALCS, you are either a fool or a liar. (Or, like my brother, both.) No matter how you break this down, it could go either way. My gut instinct is to go with the Devil Rays. They have good defense, a deep lineup, and a deeper pitching rotation. They’ve also spanked the Sox all season. Think the Sox just need to take one in Tampa? Think again. Tampa beat down the Sox in both Boston and Tampa this year. And they’ve got the track record — they’ve been great all year long.
But then again, Scott Kazmir has looked mortal this season. The Rays bullpen has a bunch of questions, plus there are health concerns surrounding slugger Carlos Pena. And not only are they young and relatively inexperienced, they’re the freakin’ Devil Rays. They can’t possibly be going to the World Series . . . can they?
Of course, things don’t any better for the Red Sox. Lowell is out for the series. We’ll have Mark Kotsay playing first. Josh Beckett looked highly suspect in his last start. Papi and Pedroia have been MIA, and the offense as a whole struggled mightily to score runs in the last series. And then there’s that track record — the Sox haven’t been able to conquer the Rays this season.
But then again, the Sox were whooped by the Angels all season too, and managed to conquer California/Los Angeles/Anaheim in the playoffs. They could do it to the Rays. Even though their offense struggled in the ALDS, they managed to win in four games. You have to think that their bats are due to explode at any time . . . which could punch their ticket to the World Series. Their rotation is more talented than the Rays. Their bullpen is deeper. Their bats are better. And they have the experience; the been-there-done-that factor.
But then again . . . ah well, who knows what will happen. But it should make for an interesting series. I’ll let you know who I picked to win it after its all over. 
fansonthefield
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