Some Red Sox links, as Adrian Gonzalez takes his first swings since undergoing shoulder surgery last fall…
- The Red Sox included a creative clause in Andrew Miller's contract that will discourage rival clubs from claiming the left-hander, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. If a team claims Miller, who is out of options, when the Red Sox try to send him from the majors to the minors, his 2012 option becomes guaranteed, according to Speier. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston says the option is worth $3MM, so a team would really have to want Miller to make a claim.
- Miller explained to Speier that he chose a minor league offer from the Red Sox instead of a Major League deal elsewhere because he wants to develop as a pitcher. The left-hander made a similar decision out of high school, when he chose to go to college instead of taking guaranteed money in the form of a signing bonus.
- As Speier explains, Daniel Bard told the Yankees he wouldn't sign for less than $2MM when they drafted him in the 20th round out of high school in 2003. The Bronx Bombers never made Bard an offer and he's now a key member of their biggest rival's 'pen.
- John Lackey told Dennis & Callahan of WEEI that he expects Carl Crawford's transition to the Red Sox to be a little smoother than Gonzalez's, since Crawford is accustomed to playing in the AL East. Lackey, who is hoping for a bounce-back 2011 season, says he was trying to sink the ball too much early on in 2010, his first campaign with the Red Sox.
Yikes, $2 million right out of high school? Well in the end it looks like they should have done it, but I wouldn’t have blamed them back then for not giving it to him.
Not really unheard of for a terrific talent and a guy that wants to go to college. Boston took Alex Myer with the #20 pick as an example back in ’08 (Bora rep no less) and it was rumored that he turned down 2m to sign out of HS.
but Bard was drafted in the twenteth ROUND
So was Myer.. My not being plain there…
my bad i thot u ment first round 20th overall
Good call Cashman. He needed that money to overpay for aging free agents.
What a myopic, immature thing to say.
myopic
And all of RSN expects crawford and Gonzo’s transition to be smoother then lackey.
How won’t Crawfords? Sure it’s going to be different that he’s wearing a Sox uniform but other than that he’s in the AL East. As for Gonzo, there will be some bumps in the road learning the new pitchers but he’s a professional and one of the best in the game, why wouldn’t he figure it out?
Well, that is setting the bar pretty low.
Millers just another classic case of miss handled young pitcher. I irk’s me when small market teams throw hyped prospects out thier instead of letting them develope, sure every once in a while thiers a king felix and matt cain, but letting players develope and ease into the pressure is why the red sox have Lester and Buccholz.
And you know what people will say if they are able to turn miller into a good power arm out of the pen, thats right, the yankees suck.
Not sure how Detroit is a small market.
You see, anything non Yankees or Red Sox is small market.
He’s clearly talking about the Marlins.
Miller came up with Detroit, before being traded to Florida in the Miguel Cabrera deal.
Not detroit, the marlins.
You should have watched him with the Fish..It was 100% brutal. The guy could not make 2 deliveries in a row the same in his mlb games, whatever they taught him in that organization have a feeling here is going to take more than just ST to forget.
Miller’s FB was NOT in the mid 90’s anymore, but 91-93mph tops last year in his few games and he looked totally lost.
Not knocking the guy cause want to see him come back as well, just think he’s going to be a slow work in progress.
Agreed. He’s currently pitching in a corrected arm slot and is doing a rotator cuff strengthening regimen. I watched some tape of him pitching live BP this morning. They are all still throwing around 80-90% velocity, but Miller was repeating the proper arm slot, over and over. Tito and Young were standing directly behind him, watching and actively coaching. At one point, Miller let his arm get high and released early. Young was vocal immediately, but I couldn’t discern what he had said.
The good news here is he is very teachable, looks good, and is getting direct attention from the top down. I believe he’ll definitely need further developmental work in Pawtucket, and he’ll see some time in the ML this coming season.
Do you love that everyone jumped to correct you over the Detroit comment, saying you meant Marlins? Considering they were wrong and all.
wowwww, you seem like you are very educated, I wish I could right as good as you
Im sure if you looked back at all the late round picks that wanted more money it would suprise most people, one that come’s to mind is when the sox drafted Mark Texeria in the 9th round in 1998, heck the reason the sox didnt draft pujols in 10th round in 1999 was they thought he would of taken to long to sign because of the negotiations over money. That one makes me sad.
Yeah it’s kind of silly to bring up the Bard situation and say the Yanks were stupid. It happens so much in baseball.
What idiotic GM would give Miller a MLB deal (excluding Omar Minaya and Dayton Moore)?
Don’t worry Lackey, I’m sure A-Gon’s transition will be plenty smooth once he discovers Pesky’s Pole.
link to dodgers-giants.com
Okay, that’s a brilliant option to make sure Miller stays put. Though I’m certain some non-Red Sox fan will try to call it cheating.
I’m certain you’re 100% right. And I agree, brilliant work by Theo.
That’s cheating! No, I’m just kidding, I just felt like saying that.
It is a very creative option.
It is really good for the Sox, but just for some additional info, Speier has another recent (much longer) article on Miller’s career up to this point, and the option was negotiated by both sides.
Miller wanted to make sure that if he was claimed by another team on waivers, it was because they were really committed to his development and not just taking a “why not, toss him in the minors” flier.
So it was a little less of just a sneaky way to get around waivers. It was a really good article, if you’re interested.
Edit: I’m a dope, the article above links to the article I’m referring to at the end.
Bingo!
Can you imagine the outcry if the Yanks did that? Why not put that clause in every prospect’s contract?
Idk, part of me thinks maybe it was Miller’s idea. He obviously chose the minor league deal with the SOx over major league deals, maybe he just really wants to play there. This clause helps him stay.
Andrew Miller seems to be really intelligent when it comes to developing himself as a pitcher. He knew he got screwed by the Marlins by being jerked around, and now he WANTS to go to AAA. The option shows that he signed with the intention of being a AAA starter, and agreed that he would be best of developing his skills.
We can only hope he actually develops those skills. He’s got good stuff.
He, or his agents, held out for a major league contract when he was drafted. If he was so concerned about developing himself why hold out for a contract that limits you to 3 or 4 minor league seasons???
It’s so easy to be a Red Sox fan.
It wasn’t in the 90s.
It is now.
Ah, the good old days…
It was brutal in the early 60s.
Am I glad to see another post about the Red Sox! Should be followed up by one about the Yankees, and of course the Albert Pujols contract. Be good if MLBTR could just stick to the Red Sox, the Yankees and Albert Pujols’ contract instead of the odd post about the other stuff.
Somebody’s whining.
Pssst… you’re the somebody.
But then we’d never know anything about Michael Young!
Oh, the horrors. When you read that, read it with a monotone voice.
Not hard for Joe Buck to do
VOICE IMMODULATION AFFECTS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS EVERY YEAR TINA
Speaking of draftees with the Yankees and Bard, and the Red Sox and Pujols, the Red Sox also drafted Matt LaPorta and Pedro Alvarez but never signed them. LaPorta was once a top prospect for the Brewers when he was traded to Cleveland for CC Sabathia. LaPorta has underachieved in the majors, but still has the potential to be a very good first baseman in the major leagues. At only 24, Alvarez was the top prospect on the Pirates last season and in only 347 at-bats last season, the 6-3 234 pound third baseman hit 16 homeruns and 64 RBI’s with a .254 BA and .461 slugging percentage. Alvarez is poised for a big season this year. I guess you can’t have them all, but boy would those two look good in Boston. Maybe Anthony Rizzo would still be around if the Red Sox supplemented LaPorta in the deal for Gonzalez instead of Rizzo. Who knows?
Laporta would look good in Boston?? LaPorta wasnt a top prospect at the time the Agon deal went down. Unless you are saying that he may have developed better in the Red Sox system then I agree it would of been nice.
“Daniel Bard told the Yankees he wouldn’t sign for less than $2MM when they drafted him in the 20th round out of high school in 2003. Then the Sox wanted to stick it to the Yankees by drafting him with the compensation they got by losing Damon.”
here’s this, red sox fans:
TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was blown away with Red Sox shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias after working out with him in Miami this winter.
“That kid is gonna be sensational,” Rodriguez said. “I was so impressed with him. He works hard and he’s such a good kid.
“His hands … great hands. Really, really stood out for me. He’s gonna be a good one. The Red Sox fans should be very excited to see this kid in the future.”
Rodriguez invited Igelsias to work out with him at his gym after a mutual friend recommended him.
better hope only a-rod’s on-field attributes rub off on him. MULTIVITAMINS AREN’T DELIVERED BY SYRINGE, JOSE. JUST SAY NO
And all of New England area males just enjoyed a collective “nut”. Say “thanking you” to Notsosureifsrs.
He was hoping A-Rod could teach him his “secret” to hitting so well.
In your own words, Bingo!
They didn’t actually move the fences in. They thought about it, but never did.
Wasn’t it something like they weren’t sure if they could get approval from the historical society so they’re putting it off for a year?
there are many other teams in many other sports that would argue that…bears packers for example 2 of the original NFL teams and have always been in the same division. bulls pistons….nicks and anyones…lakers celtics
just because ESPN uses the yankees bosox games to get ratings boosts does not mean its the best in professional sports
How is it the best? If by best you mean most hyped by ESPN and the ADHD riddled monotonous sports media then you’re right. The Yankees-Athletics feud of the 20’s and 30’s was legitimate and not media hyped like what we see now.
yes…. correct
Putting it off for an indefinite amount of time I think I heard. They were waiting for approval and it got too late to be able to finish before opening day so they withdrew the application.
Except none of those rivalries are nearly as old and few of them are the first that pop into your mind. The only one really as old that I can think of is the Dodgers/Giants rivalry.
Except Bulls/Pistons have never both been good the same time, and if they were it was never not one sided. Bears Packers just played in a postseason game for the 2nd time ever…Knicks and anyones I have no idea what that means….Lakers Celtics is legit but they don’t share a league.
Polls every year show Sox/Yankees as the 1 rivalry behind Ohio State and Michigan. These are nationwide polls.
Bears and Packers (1919 ?) – Yanks and Sox have been around since 1901.
Bulls and Pistons weren’t relevant until MJ came aboard and made them competitve.
(K)nicks and anyone- I love the Knicks but they have won enough titles to really have great rivalrys outside of maybe the Bulls and Pacers during the Ewing era and the one’s from the 50’s.
Lakers and Celtics is a great one and the only one that might come close to being better than the Yanks/Sox. But they only play 2x during the season and only meet in the finals. They have met 12x in the NBA finals across 3 generations of fans but I think it still falls short of the Yanks and Sox because of the “Babe Ruth curse”, the “Bucky Dent situation” and the 18 games a season they play each other.
Yeah cause we all remember the A’s-Yankees feud of the 20’s and 30’s…
Problem is those rivalries are temporary. You could say the Red Sox and Rays had rivalry for a few years, it seemed like every other game had a pitcher intentionally throwing at someone, spiking someone or just a straight out brawl, but very few Red Sox fans or Rays fans still consider it that way and since the Crisp/Shields fight it’s tempered quite a bit.
We could go further and talk about player rivalries, Kobe/Shaq being one of the most well known. But again, temporary. Shaq has faded with age and Kobe is still winning in LA.
Trust me when I say if you’ve ever been in yankee stadium or Fenway during a Sox/yanks match the atmosphere is as tense as any game 7 of the playoffs.
Funny you should say that. There’s an article up on ESPN Boston today.
I’m actually from RI, so it’s easier to get info about him. He’s on the local news sports every now and then. They’ve said he’s doing well and he’s working his way back slowly. Last thing that was on the news was video of him in Florida working out with the club. If they have anything else on the local news about him I’ll try to let you know.
He’s not an idiot. I’m pretty sure he was saying that, I’m going to go ahead and go to college unless you give me a whole bunch of money. They didn’t give it to him, so he went to college, and now look where he is.
Do you honestly think he thought he would get it? He is a 20th round pick making a 2million dollar demand of a major franchise.
What he is saying is if you give me 2million dollars I will sign, otherwise I am going to College. His intention was always to go to College just like virtually every other high school prospect taking in rounds 18+. If they get a huge offer they will consider it, otherwise they are not signing.
Keep telling yourself that,
I love it when people insist their OPINION is actually a FACT.
It may not match it in years, but it matches it in intensity. Bruins-Habitants. 85 years (both original 6 teams) of non-stop hatred and blood-letting. Have you ever seen pink ice? I have. I would swear that some nights the Red Cross was waiting in the wings to receive the Zamboni scrapings.
Kind of strange that 3 the best hitters in the 100+ year history of Fenway were lefties.. Teddy Ballgame.. Yaz and Boggs.. Then comes the Righty swinging Rice.
And shaq’s not winning with the celtics?
Back under the bridge you go.
No he’s sitting on the side injured.
He’s at the twilight of his career. It’s like pointing out Mike Myers or Alan Embree and getting worked up over them joining the Yankees.
To be fair him saying last year was not a fluke does not agree with you pointing out how much better the AL East is at hitting….Lackey is a solid 2 at best….Especially if people want to claim Wang wasn’t an ace for two years.
It’s not my fight but what are you arguing, that Lackey IS a #1 or #2 type pitcher?
Ya see here Sonny! I remember it like it was yesterday!
Weren’t they the Philadelphia A’s Back then? Philly really came back with the rivalry with the nab of Cliff Lee.
I am a Red Sox fan and a Packers fan, how has the Bears – Packers game not “been as big in recent years” when Green Bay had to beat them twice, once to get into the playoffs and then again in the playoffs, I’d think this year was quite a big rivalry for those teams….
Nobody watches the NBA?
I agree. The only year that Lackey was truly an “ace” was 2007.
Not in the 20th round. In fact, 8 years later and I would be hard pressed to find anyone who signed for $2mil in the 10th round let alone the 20th.
how dare he post 4 WAR in his first season in the AL east
if he repeated last year’s performance for every year of the deal, he’d have been worth 20 WAR, which would make his deal a very valuable one for boston
the red sox should hope he struggles so badly every year
they’re the ones who love guns and stuff, right?
i’d have gone with mark bellhorn there but yes
iirc they found out they’d lose a crapload of historical landmark preservation money from the state if they went through with it
Back already?
Welcome back.
It really wasn’t about the 4 WAR or the 14 wins. The frustration was with the unnecessary/uncharacteristic self-destruction in late innings. He’d pitch a beautiful 5 or 6, giving up only 2-3 runs, then melt and surrender 4, 5 or 6 runs in the 6th or 7th.
He has got to avoid giving up the big inning in 2010. It wasn’t a sinker problem. It was fatigue and focus. He’d walk 2 or 3 guys due to losing focus and he’d pitch past his fatigue point. Then the hits would drop in and the runs came across. Losing some weight should hold down the fatigue. I just hope he can keep his focus into those critical 6th and 7th innings.
I don’t recall reading that, but it very well could be the case; I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.
lackey is a #2
You seem a little too interested in this Red Sox post. You have 6 comments already and I suspect you will respond to this for 7!
He’s better than Sabat… Nope can’t do it. Where’s RSDynasty when you need him?
give it a minute
can’t give you a link, but some good googling yields:
* Starting in around 2006, the Red Sox have been applying for state tax credits from a pool designated for historic preservation projects. (Eligible projects can have up to 20% of their costs paid for by the state.) They’ve received $11.1 million so far, and are seeking an additional $28.4 million.
* To get historic preservation credits, needless to say, you need to be doing historic preservation. The state commission ruled that moving the fences in from their historic distances so that relief pitchers could have more elbow room wouldn’t qualify as “preservation” — and so would jeopardize the entire $39.5 million that the Sox are looking to get.
* Sox execs, needless to say, dropped the bullpen plan like a hot rock
You should be good from here on out. If not, you know the drill.
Thanks. “dropped the bullpen plan like a hot rock” Yeah, no doubt. I bet even Moreno could have figured that one out.
Noooooo…….that’s NASCAR. They just don’t bring ’em to the locker rooms.
NASCAR-Hunting, Walmarts and weddings.
NBA-Locker rooms.
NFL-Night clubs
Mlb-Arbitration hearings and contract negotiations.
Bingo!
A #2 is somewhat debatable and largely relative to what team he’s pitching on I suppose. He would be the Yanks #2 in 2011. I would say borederline #2 is fair to say and he would be a #1 on some teams. Doesn’t make him a pitcher with “front of rotation stuff” though.
i’m still confused, but which team does charlton heston play for i bet they suck
oh sure, not a #2 everywhere. but 4-6 (been awhile, but) WAR is generally considered TOR production
He was a shooting guard for the then refered to as Washington Bullets.
ben hur hur hur
Don’t mind me, it’s the wanna be lawyer in me, but I generally take WAR w/ a grain of salt.
Edwin Jackson had almost identical stats as Lackey last year and had a similar WAR @ 3.8.
Justin Masterson had similar peripherals to Lackey last year and he only had a 2.7 WAR.
If Pete Maravich was “Pistol Pete” then what would Heston have been? “Maching Gun Charlie?
yeah and you know i really hate to argue about baseball don’t i
really though i don’t mind characterizing his performance in 2010 as lucky, but it was still quality. his swinging-strike rate last year is really concerning to me, but just about everything else seems like a bump in the road between the AL west and the AL east
Chicken or the egg?? Was he a 20th rd pick because he told every team it would take $2 mil for him to sign?? The 20th round is a good place to select even the toughest signs. If Bryce Harper told everyone it would take $100 mil to sign him, some team would have drafted him and taken a chance he would sign for what he did…
Not understanding your point. Plenty of players drop to the late rounds because teams know they are intent on going to college. Plenty of teams will waste a pick in the late round gambling that they might be able to pursuade them otherwise. The Yanks are not crying foul over it. They understood the risk. It’s no a big deal because it happens every draft. Almos every single 1st rnd pick out of college was drafted by someone in the late rounds out of HS.
He’s still winning more games then kobe even if he is on the sidelines injured.
1970’s rivalry between the NY Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. Madison Square Garden was a literal frozen battlefield.
Yeah. That’s my point. He wasn’t 20th round talent that wanted $2 mil. He was top notch talent that wanted $2 mil and the Yanks took a shot in the 20th rd. Not much to lose. Potential, now actual, high reward if he signs…