As we continue to round up leftovers from Day Two of the Winter Meetings with an eye toward Day Three, let's check in on the latest notes from around the AL East….
- In a piece for ESPN.com, Jerry Crasnick breaks down all the teams that could make a run at Shin-Soo Choo, including the Red Sox, Orioles, and Yankees. Crasnick concludes that the lack of very strong candidates doesn't necessarily bode well for Choo's chances of landing a $130MM+ contract, but cautions, as always, not to underestimate Scott Boras.
- if Stephen Drew is willing to sign for two years or less, he'll likely just return to Boston, tweets Newsday's David Lennon, who adds that the Mets will probably need the Red Sox out of the mix to have a real shot at the shortstop.
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald explains why Cole Hamels' contract with the Phillies may provide a blueprint for any extension talks the Red Sox have with Jon Lester.
- The Yankees' decision to sign three free agents who required draft pick compensation should help keep the team contend in the short term, but may further stunt the growth of the farm system, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.
“Cole Hamels contract may provide a blue print for Lester” because the Phillies totally aren’t trying to unload him with 5 years and $112.5MM left of that $144MM extension.
Yeah but it’s not because he’s pitching poorly
NG, that’s AMF’s point…even though Hamels is as appealing-looking as always, his contract already doesn’t really seem worth it, so it’s probably not something Boston would want to use as a model (especially given the perception that Lester isn’t at Hamels’s level)
I think Choo is awesome. I thought he was awesome when he played for my Tribe and I still find him awesome now. However, I don’t find him to be, “130+ million awesome”.
I find him 5/$90M awesome.
Actually, I think you’re spot on. 18 million/year from ages 31 – 36 sounds like it would be far more logical/cost effective than about 20 to 22 million/year from ages 31 – 37 or 38. Honestly, I don’t think any hitter aged 35 on up should be making any more than 15 – 18 million a year. I mean, I can’t really think of any player over the age of 35 that has ever really been worth it.
Would you trade Bourn or Brantley or Swisher or Asdrubal or even Masterson to the Red Sox in order to take on Choo’s $130 +?
Asdrubal walks in 2015, Masterson is a FA soon—are you pleased with Bourn and Swisher as FA signings ?–I’ve liked Brantley for a couple of years.
I’m always curious how fans view their players and how they would really fit on my team.
Why would Boston want Bourn/Brantley/Swisher? They’re not especially appealing players, especially if they would have to give up something in return to get one of them.
No One does
Except for Scott Boras and apparently Choo himself since he is going along for the ride!
Obviously Choo will go along with the ride. If Boras offered me up for $1M, I’d go for the ride as well!
Come on Nomar, I’ve seen you play and you’ll only be 40 next year. Certainly you’re worth more than a million dollars. Ask for incentives in any case.
True. Red Sox should bring me back to play SS. Starting Middlebrooks at third seems a bit risky. Plus, I could mentor Bogaerts…imagine if Bogaerts becomes the next me!
I would offer Lester extensions of 3/$60, 4/$72, or 5/$80; take one in spring training, if not, judge if you are going to make another WS run and possibly trade him midseason, or let him walk for a pick.
“If you sign a deal before you become a free agent, you’re probably
going to leave money on the table,” Lester said. “Like Pedroia, he left a
ton of money on the table. But this is where he wanted to be the rest of
his career and he sacrificed to become a Red Sox. I think when you get
down at that point, you have to weigh those things and that’s something
you have to sit down and you have to decide.
That’s a steep, steep team discount you’re expecting of Lester. Pedroia’s contract was the exception, not the rule in these things.
The Yankees made all the Angels’ FA mistakes in one offseason. Letting a fan favorite Cano walk, much like Torii Hunter, and blowing their next draft to pieces.
Offering $175 mil is just letting someone walk? Also, perhaps with the exception of Beltrans contract, the Yankees desperately needed upgrade. Why the Angels needed Pujols for $250 million when they had Trumbo (who is overrated and I’m not comparing the 2, but you can’t predict future results, in this case 2012 and 2013) and Josh Hamilton in what was already a crowded OF, still puzzles me.
“The Yankees’ decision to sign three free agents who required draft pick compensation should help keep the team contend in the short term, but may further stunt the growth of the farm system, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.”
++++++++++++++
LOL, yeah, because the Yankees have really done so well drafting. We’re not talking about the Cardinals and Rays scouting department here folks.
As a Yankee fan I know the deal by now.
Look at Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Jesus Montero, Killer B’s (Brackman, Betances, Banuelos) and the list of rejects go on.
Losing draft picks means little when you have folks in the talent department that can’t utilize it effectively.
Yet they still brought back the same people like Damon Oppenheimer.
HIs most recent 2013 draft class of Eric Jagielo, Aaron Judge, Ian Clarkin, was ranked 3rd by Baseball America, will see what comes of that down the line, though I wouldn’t hold my breath for much positives.
Good points. Thank God for that very well 2013 draft. The 3 players you mentioned all ranked within the top 6 of tgeir farm. Banuelos isn’t even in their top 10 anymore. Somehow BA continues to rank their farm in the middle of the pack. They must be doing something right that keeps them from being ranked one of the worst farms in baseball
I see Sox offering Lester 5/100
I’m confused here. Yes we lost three draft picks by signing those three but don’t we get some back with Cano and Grandy singing with another team?
No. They lose their 3 highest overall picks. Yankees lost 18th overall pick and 2 comp picks. Their 3rd comp pick (Kuroda) re-signed.
Yes, the Yanks get draft picks from Cano and Granderson signing elsewhere.
The breakdown:
– out – picks in rounds 1, 2, and 3
– in – 2 picks between rounds 1 and 2
The first supplemental pick is lower than their first round pick but the second supplemental pick is higher than their second round pick would have been. To me, this is a wash. Essentially, they swap Cano, Granderson, and a third round pick for Ellsbury, McCann, and Beltran. That does not sound like sufficient reason for Chicken Little to start worrying. They do need to get lucky with a few of these draft picks though or the farm system will never improve.
Tx Dan. That makes more sense. Losing the picks for me isn’t as critical since yankees have no patience or success with recent drafts so. It’s not as bad as it seems. They usually reload through free agency or trades anyway. I wish they would develop more from the farm but it doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon.
I just read the WSJ article. The claim there is that the three draft picks lost are the round 1 pick and the 2 supplemental picks. That is the first time I have heard that angle. If true, then the swap is actually Cano, Granderson, and a first round pick for Ellsbury, McCann, and Beltran. I would be interested in getting clarification on whether supplemental picks are lost for signing QO free agents. Does anyone out there have a definitive answer?
Yes, it’s been stated multiple times. The supplemental picks are lost.
Origiinally, the Yankees were selected to pick 18th overall and 3 compensation picks if Kuroda, Granderson and Cano signed elsewhere.
Lost 18th pick overall for signing McCann (technically the signing order of FA with QO doesn’t matter). Had Granderson, Cano and Kuroda all re-signed with the Yanks, then they obviously would not get any comp picks, so they’d lose a 2nd, 3rd and 4th round draft pick
Cano and Granderson signed elsewhere so that gives the Yanks 2 comp picks, however they signed Ellsbury and Beltran which makes them lose those picks. Kuroda re-signed with the Yankees so obviously no comp pick there.
Therefore in next year’s draft, the Yankees first overall pick is a 2nd round pick. Not sure where it would come at. Probably 50’s or 60’s overalll.
“The breakdown:
– out – picks in rounds 1, 2, and 3
– in – 2 picks between rounds 1 and 2”
Incorrect. They are out of round 1 and they lose the 2 comp picks because they signed 3 FA’s with qualifying offers. And since Kuroda re-signed with the Yankees, there is no compensation picks at all for them. The Yankees first overall pick will come in the 2nd round, unless they sign yet another FA with a qualifying offer.
Except $20M a year isn’t just for elite any more. The economics of baseball is always changing. Lester getting $20M a year would not shock me.