The Red Sox hired Curt Young as their new pitching coach, according to WEEI's Alex Speier. The team already made a formal announcement. Young, formerly of the Athletics, replaces John Farrell. Farrell is now manager of the Blue Jays. A few other Red Sox notes from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…
- Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi will probably decide later this week whether to join the Red Sox or Mets front office.
- The Red Sox told Bill Hall they'll reject his $9.25MM club option in favor of a $500K buyout according to Cafardo, though The Providence Journal's Brian MacPherson notes it's team policy to wait until the deadline to officially make option decisions.
- Cafardo says early talks with David Ortiz "haven't yielded much progress." Big Papi is known to be seeking multiple years, but the Sox have a $12.5MM club option just for 2011.
- Felipe Lopez has an "unspecified option" in his contract, writes MacPherson. He's a Type B free agent, but the Red Sox will need to decline the option, offer arbitration, and have him turn it down to sign a big league deal elsewhere if they're to get a draft pick.
- The Red Sox also have Adrian Beltre, Victor Martinez, and Jason Varitek as free agents. They have five arbitration eligible players: Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Kevin Cash, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon. Salty has already agreed on a contract for 2011.
It’s going to be tough to replace Ferrell, but hopefully he can get it done.
Dude, Curt Young is a way better pitching coach than Farrel, they made a huge upgrade
Dude, Curt Young is a way better pitching coach than Farrel, they made a huge upgrade
I am very excited about Curt Young joining the Sox.
On the cover it looks interesting and best of all options out theres. Really hope it works out and all, but really would have been pleased if Farrell had decided to return when it is all said and done. You just have to wonder when this coach will decide to up and leave for a managing position now.
That’s not always a bad thing.
A coach who can “decide to up and leave for a managing position” means he is one of the best coaches in the business, not only at his specific coaching job but as a baseball man in general. Those are the kind of people you want working for you, even if you do occasionally lose some.
The alternative is a guy who you have no fear of losing because nobody else wants him at the price you can offer. That’s an “ehh” moment for me.
Wasn’t knocking on Young, am sure he will probably do a decent job and Boston overall has had some outstanding coaches since Henry and Epstein started running the team as it should be.
My worry here is that the pitchers were used to Farrell’s philosophy, some pitchers in the past came to the team because of Farrell and his style and with a coach here (Young) that has been successful with another team, established veterans such as Lackey, Beckett, Papelbon and the never know what you are going to get for a reaction Matsuzaka may not be open to change.
The staff for the most part is made up of veterans and not made up of a flow of constant changing rookies, or pitchers with just a few years of service under their belts that Young had to work with in Oakland and in Boston, this is totally different situation he will be working with and hope that both sides will be able to bend some.
Well first of all, established veteran pitchers don’t change their style based upon who is their pitching coach, especially not the four most stubborn pitchers in baseball (Matsuzaka, Beckett, Lackey and Papelbon). It wasn’t Farrell’s fault, but those pitchers didn’t exactly live up to expectations so why is it a bad thing to change, even if it is just psychological? Matsuzaka was never on the Red Sox plan anyways, so I’m sure he is excited for a change.
I’m excited at the thought of JP joining the Red Sox staff.
p.s. I’m a Jays fan.
The jays will still suck, so it’s not like it matters 🙂
halloween’s over take off the troll costume
JP is going to be on sandwhich duty and coffee runs.
Ortiz is ridiculous if he thinks he’s getting a multi-year deal. I’m a Pirates fan, and if even they did that for him, I’d be incensed.
The Bucs owners are too busy spending their revenue sharing on god-knows-what to worry about signing free agents….
They are one of the highest spending teams when it comes to international FA and in the draft. That’s what they spend their $ on.
And European soccer teams……woops, I mean European football teams
Thats’s the NESV. Not the Pirates
And European soccer teams……woops, I mean European football teams
Having coaches leave for managerial vacancies should always be the goal – means you have the best people contributing to your organization.
*Had
This is good news. Yes, as much as I’d like to keep Ferrell, the pitching has tailed off since 2007 when he came on. Meanwhile, Young has had a great track record with Oakland’s young pitchers over the last 7 years. Oakland has ranked no lower than 6th in staff ERA. Last 3 years pitching staff ranked 1st, 3rd, 4th in AL. Bullpen 7th, 1st, 2nd. Also JP possibly joining the FO? Didn’t see that coming.
I’m a huge Ortiz fan, but he needs to can it. I hope the Sox offer something like 2 years $15M total with incentives that could push it to like $20-25M. He needs to appreciate that his option now at $12.5M would be exactly what’d he’d get on the open market, except it’d be over the course of 2 years LOL. Maybe if he wouldn’t get off to a slow start in April/May over last two years, Sox would be more willing to offer more years. His numbers have been decent at the end, but he limits the Sox in that he can’t play any other position. He should consider himself lucky he’s getting paid that much and honor the contract.
Nice hiring by the Red Sox.
Transactions:
Yankees move OF Melky Mesa and C/DH Jesus Montero into the 40-Man Roster. There isn’t any news on it but I saw it on the roster myself.
They had spaces open with free agents who filled last night, pretty non news. don’t expect anything
Former A’s pitching coach, already know he’s got awesome creds.
No matter what he’s going to look like a genius next year, no way that staff doesn’t get better next year.
Absolutely. For starters, we have odd-year Beckett, who is way better than even-year Beckett.
It’s staggeringly true in the basic stats, though 2008 was actually his best year with Boston so far from an xFIP standpoint.
He actually pitched really well in 2008 until the end of the season. 2007 he was consistently dominant throughout though, and then had that great October.
He actually pitched really well in 2008 until the end of the season. 2007 he was consistently dominant throughout though, and then had that great October.
It’s staggeringly true in the basic stats, though 2008 was actually his best year with Boston so far from an xFIP standpoint.
Well, I hated Farrell and Young did an amazing job in Oakland, so hooray!
why the hate?
ignorance most likely…
ignorance most likely…
farrell did a great job hopefully curt young will be even better, both great coaches
Ortiz will now need to have a good year. Not a bad position for the RS to be in. He’ll hopefully report in that slimmed down version we saw by the all-star break and be ready to roll. If he puts up .260/35 numbers he will likely get a decent 2 year deal by some AL team for 2012.
Ortiz will now need to have a good year. Not a bad position for the RS to be in. He’ll hopefully report in that slimmed down version we saw by the all-star break and be ready to roll. If he puts up .260/35 numbers he will likely get a decent 2 year deal by some AL team for 2012.
Ortiz is gonna talk himself right out of Boston with those demands. He won’t be happy being back for 12.5M next season. He won’t be happy if they offer him a Vlad type deal, which is really what a DH only player is going for these days. Is he really gonna be happy with a 2 year offer at a less AAV, which is bound to be his only multi year offers. He should have been begging for that option to get picked up.
Thats been my point this whole time, if i was his friend i would tell him to shut the hell up and laugh all the way to the bank and savor his last year making 12 million dollars to go up to bat and sit on his big papi, go up to bat, and sit on his big papi, no one would give him 7 million a year if he was a free agent, if he gets his way he will get his 12 million, over the course of three years!!!
Would anyone be upset to let Ortiz walk and they sign Vlad? Sox would save some $$$ and probably get better production. Just a thought.
Heck, let Ortiz go and sign Jim Thome. Wouldn’t lose much and save even more money. Would fill the same role, plus doesn’t need to play everyday so can rotate a guy like Drew into the DH role at times to give him “rest”. Thome wants a ring bad…..still think he stays in Minny….but Boston would be tempting.
Ehh I wouldn’t mind if they let him walk, but I wouldn’t be too excited about Vlad. Adam Dunn on the otherhand…
Now THAT is another situation. I remember reading that Dunn doesn’t want to DH, but just looking and his defensive #’s weren’t too shabby at 1B, plus he can play OF. He will cost maybe 3-4 years, $45-60M, but at least he has more versatility. Maybe Sox let Papi walk, sign Dunn, then switch him to RF when Drew is up and sign Gonzo/Fielder? Just throwing some “what ifs” around.
Dunn in RF at Fenway = a bad situation. Dunn as DH at Fenway is a better idea if he was willing.
I remember reading somewhere that when you give a player X amount of dollars they will play wherever you throw them, Dunn will get over himself if they pay him enough money and hey he may actually LIKE being a DH and not playing such crappy defense.
another note is i would rather pay Dunn 12.5 million than Ortiz…..
Ehh I wouldn’t mind if they let him walk, but I wouldn’t be too excited about Vlad. Adam Dunn on the otherhand…
If ortiz goes, the exact same, non fielding player on the roster is the LAST thing they need to replace him with.
They had another exactly like him in ’73 named HOF’er Orlando Cepada for you youngsters, look him up.. They flat out released him after a VERY productive season as a DH only also to free up a roster spot.
Ortiz is running his mouth too much. Let him go the way of “Cha Cha” ortiz ain’t nearly as important as he thinks he is.
I think the tam would be better off signing Dunn t eb the teams DH for the next 4-5 years.
Would anyone be upset to let Ortiz walk and they sign Vlad? Sox would save some $$$ and probably get better production. Just a thought.
and by the way, Bill Hall will be back, just not for 9 million, he will be back for about 3-4 million.
I think it’s less than 50-50 he’s back. Hall could land a starting gig somewhere, and probably get more than $4M doing it. Played very good defense at more than 1 position. If Casey Blake is getting $6M, Hall deserves it too. Unless Hall decides he wants to be on a contender more than playing time/money, he’ll be gone.
So much for JP coming to Boston. Mets got him.
Somehow I don’t think Red Sox fans are too shook up about this lol
Somehow I don’t think Red Sox fans are too shook up about this lol
Dammit. Why did the A’s not resign him? Whatever our pitching staff is already tops in the AL.