The latest on the Red Sox, including details on the team's final offers to the Tigers' newest free agent signing:
- The Red Sox offered Victor Martinez a three-year, $36MM deal and a four-year $42MM deal before he signed in Detroit, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne.
- As Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald points out, the Red Sox could bring Jason Varitek back in 2011, even though they declined to offer him arbitration. Click here for all the updates on which ranked free agents were offered arbitration.
- Wondering how the Red Sox have handled ranked free agents under Theo Epstein? Alex Speier of WEEI.com has all the details.
- Red Sox manager Terry Francona told the Dale & Holley Show on WEEI that he's confident the team will be strong by Spring Training, even though Epstein and the rest of the front office have some needs to address now.
- Francona called Carl Crawford a "game changer," not unlike Johnny Damon.
- The skipper also suggested that reports about Marco Scutaro's availability don't mean "anything."
- Francona was careful not to say much about Justin Upton, but he did repeat that the Red Sox value their own young players highly.
The funny thing is a guy on the Justin Upton post said weres the Agon red soxs rumors… so with out further adue A gon going to the red soxs for…
Your post makes my eyes hurt.
Paps(pick up most his salary) Ellsbury,Kalish,Kelly,and a couple mid prospect
Carl Crawford race definitely going to the Angels? Now that V-Mart’s off the table watch out…’cause here come the Sawks, I’m thinkin’
OF traffic jam or no.You know what, it really looks like the AL East will be much more competitive next season now that the Rays and Red Sox have lost some of their strong points…I love the Jays, and I still say the Yanks and Sox win the division and Wild Card respectively, but I could really see the Yankees and Red Sox winning 95 games each, and the Rays and Jays winning 85-90 each…The Orioles I think will have a nice season as well, maybe 74-78 wins. It’s going to be exciting! I still think the Sox will sign Jayson Werth, but we’ll see.
I think the Rays and Jays are going to lose too much while the Yankees and Red Sox still gain more than most other teams in the league. Rays will be hanging out in the middle with the jays.
I do agree about Werth. He is so easy to envision in a Red Sox jersey for some reason. Maybe because he has the Johnny Damon-esque caveman look down.
I know, he just LOOKS like a Red Sox! Haha. That said, I would hope we get Crawford over Werth, but we’re very likely to get one of the two, and it’ll probably end up being Werth…
I may be one of the only Red Sox fans saying this but I really hope the Sox don’t sign Werth, it just seems to me like he is fairly overrated.
Im with you…I live in PA(but Im a Red Sox fan) and I got to watch many Phillies games, Werth is just not worth the money he wants. He strikes out way too much and his glove isnt even that good. Crawford would be a much better investment and better all around player.
i’d rather have Bay at 4 years 60 million than Werth at 5 years 85 or whatever it’s gonna take… It’s left field at Fenway
Explain why you think he is overrated please.
Don’t get me wrong he’s a good ball player but he is being hyped like a great ball player. He only has one really good year and a couple of just pretty good ones, he is very J.D. Drew like without as high an OPS as Drew. Everyone is talking about him being a 3-4-5 hitter but he really profiles as more of a 6-7 hitter. If he could be had for a reasonable price I wouldn’t mind it too much but with all the hype he is going to get a much bigger contract than he is going to end up being worth.
JD Drew has averaged a lower OPS than Werth over the last 4 seasons. Victor Martinez, Jason Bay, and David Ortiz have been 3-4-5 hitters in recent years, I don’t see why Werth can’t be as good as those guys. Werth was the third best hitter on World Series teams. Pedroia and Youk compare just fine with Howard and Utley. The Red Sox lineup would be just fine with him in it. They need a right handed bat, and that’s what he is. They need to replace Beltre’s and Vmart’s bat somehow, and he’s the one free agent who can do that. They could make a deal for someone instead, but I think this is a strong possibility.
Fair enough, he would definitely fit better than Bay (or Ortiz as of late) but I might debate whether he could be as good there as Victor. I also agree about needing a good right handed bat. My biggest concern, and what really makes me think he is overrated, is what I think he is likely to get for a contract based on all of the hype over him and the number of teams potentially in on his services.
The Red Sox might lose Beltre and Vmart, but adding Youkilis, Pedroia, and Jacoby plus Werth would more than offset that. Then if you expect Beckett not to be one of the worst pitchers in baseball again, I’d say the Red Sox are in fine shape. The have flaws, but they should be an improved team just because they shouldn’t have another historic year with injuries.
All right, I know all the benefits of waiting out the market, and I realize how helpful for my team it can be to try to minimize any trade rumors, but come onnnnnn Boston. I wanna see something happen! xD All this talk is making me antsy.
I think its gonna be a very hard sell if all this backfires and the Sox end up with a catching combo of Salty and Tek, have Lowrie at 3b, and an outfield of Cameron, Ells, and Drew. That bullpen better be retooled with guys who can go lots of innings. Plus Lowrie and Salty will be on the D.L. by August. Taking some huge risks there Theo, but of course if money is a huge factor, you are doing what Henry wants.
IF all of this backfires. It’s pretty unlikely that Theo doesn’t end up signing one of the big name free agents and/or trading for some pieces, remember it’s not even December yet.
As much as I wish you were correct, I don’t buy it just like they are not gonna buy anything for the lineup. They have already hinted to everyone about Salty and Lowrie taking over at catcher and 3b, they are preparing people for the worst. You know those big names all have better offers from other places don’t you? Such as Victor, Beltre, Crawford, Lee. They might get Werth because everyone else is wise enough to stay away from a N.L. hitter who strikes out too much. Again, I hope you are right but I am tired of the ‘bridges to next season’ while the Yankees build for NOW.
The Yankees are mixing spending on FA and developing prospects at the same time and still have veterans that are still productive. Boston may be overreacting with these “bridge years” since all it would take to make the playoffs again would be better years from Beckett, Lackey, and Dice-K in the rotation and move Papelbon and move Bard to closer. Sign Derek Lee or Carlos Pena and shift Youk to third, and get a defensive oriented catcher. They are really not in this full blown panic mode alot of people have been saying.
Exactly. Leave it to a Yankee fan to speak logically about the Red Sox.
How could two Sox fans like this comment? Derek Lee or Carlos Pena? anyone with baseball knowledge knows that we are waiting for some certain 1st baseman to hit free agency, so this is a bridge year for 1st as YOUK is their first baseman, third base may be Lowrie but he was going to be a bridge at SS because there has been interest in Scutaro, third base will then be Youk and they will slide in their new 1st baseman and Lowrie will be SS unless Iglesias can develop his bat, he didnt look too goo in the AFL championship game going 0-3 but he will be fine…man two Sox fans liked signing Carlos Pena or Derek Lee? those guys arent going to go for a one year contract…..
I agree with you that, as a Sox fan, I want no part of Pena or Lee at 1B, but I disagree with you about those free agents’ prospects–they both get 1-year deals.
First, that was only half of one sentence, there was a little more to the comment than that. Second, I could go for Pena at first IF he went for a Beltre type of deal for one year to raise his value after a poor year, and I see no reason not to move Youk to third in ’11 if you intend to move him there in ’12 anyway. It wouldn’t be my first (or second) choice but I wouldn’t be upset about it.
The talk about Lowrie was in the event of a potential Scutaro trade, so he would be playing SS and taking over for Scutaro not third and taking over for Beltre. Also, even assuming ALL of the free agents choose to sign elsewhere they are still allowed to trade for players. Maybe it’s just me but I’m fairly confident that after not making the post-season last year the FO wont be downgrading the team, if only to keep fans watching the games they will put a competitive team on the field.
I’m tired of overly emotional Red Sox fans who bitch about the team in November…we can’t all get what we want though.
You will get over it.
Amen
Don’t count the Tigers out for another big time FA. They aren’t afraid to spend and could be one more big bat from sailing to the AL Central title…
because we all know Magglio isnt going to come back, and neither is Damon.
Magglio up in the air. If the tigers can’t land Werth or Crawford it is very possible Ordonez would really want to come to Detroit. It seems he is huge on Venezuelan pride, as shown by how he spends a ton of time with Hugo Chavez every offseason, that said he could really want to be on a team full of his fellow countrymen. He may be the best option after those two. DD seems to make a pretty big trade every offseason so that route isn’t out of the question either.
Wouldnt Crawford be better for CF since he has a stronger arm than Ellsbury?
OK I’m on it
where is Mike Cameron in all of this?
Great, an entire outfield that can’t hit lefties! Along with David Ortiz, how do you expect the Red Sox to score runs off the likes of CC Sabathia, David Price, and Cliff Lee with that type of lineup? Crawford isn’t a fit at all with the Red Sox, Werth makes much more sense.
Completely agree…Id hate giving up lots of great young talent for one year of any player. Even if they were do a trade+extension(Hallday style) I would still rather wait a year, keep the prospects and go after him in free agency.
While I personally agree I can see the argument for a trade too, it is riskier to wait until next offseason and bid for him against a number of other teams when if you trade for him you are guaranteed the player this year plus the ability to talk about an extension throughout the season and a window after the season before other teams can even talk to him.
Completely disagree that Crawford has never been a great outfielder; he is one of, if not the, best defensive corner outfielders in the game. Crawford is mainly in left to save his legs and I believe he has said he prefers it, but he would be a more than capable center fielder.
That being said I do agree that since Crawford has spent most of his career in left and Ellsbury has spent most of his in center that that is where they would both hypothetically belong where they to be on the same team.
“But Crawford has never really been a great outfielder”
If this statement was “Crawford has always been a great outfielder” I would agree with you. However it is the opposite, and I’m confused how you could come to that conclusion. Please tell me this is a typo.
all things equal, you’d want the stronger armed player in cf. just look at a baseball field, where do the longest throws come from? rf, cf, ss, 3b, c.
all things equal, you’d want the stronger armed player in cf. just look at a baseball field, where do the longest throws come from? rf, cf, ss, 3b, c.
4th outfielder and right handed platoon player.
On the bench
Hey, I like Beltre!
Agreed on the other two though.
I don’t understand how you can say don’t sign Beltre and Werth without knowing the type of deal they will sign. If they can be had for the right value, of course you sign them…if the money becomes crazy you move on, simple as that. For example, Werth at JD Drew money would be an ideal fit.
Jayson Werth isn’t similar to the Bay situation at all. The Red Sox envisoned Bay to be a DH in the near future and thought he was a bad fielder until then. Werth is a similar hitter to Bay, but he is a very good defensive player and a very good baserunner. He isn’t that old when you factor in he doesn’t have much wear and tear on his body from playing early on in his career. A 5 year deal for Werth is much safer than offering Crawford 7. Crawford won’t be the same player once his speed declines, and he’s played in 600 more games than Werth despite the age difference. People focus on age too much…other factors determine projectability too.
I also don’t see how you can claim his track record doesn’t support his “recent” numbers. The guy has been a very good player since 2007, it isn’t a small sample. Basically he struggled when he was a young part time player. He’s been great ever since he became a regular. A three year sample size is a much better track record to go by than 50 games as a 24 year old or whatever.
I agree, he’ll be overpaid wherever he goes. But unless Theo has some amazing plan lined up to nab a first baseman, I hope the guy we overpay this year is Beltre, not Werth who as you mentioned earlier is overrated, or even Crawford. Thankfully we can’t overpay for V-Mart now. I just really like Beltre’s attitude, he was so fun to watch play. It would make for a less exciting team in 2011 not to have Beltre, even if its a better team. 😛
More than the money (or the agent) it’s the years he is likely to get that would make me the most hesitant to resign him.
This works perfectly for our conversation about Werth above. If Werth could be signed for Drew type of money I could go for that but I wouldn’t really go more than that and with all of the hype I just see him getting more.
He’s actually 31, so the contract will take him through his age 36 season. I don’t see how you can think Werth and Crawford will get the same years. Granted anything can happen, but common sense and just about every media outlet suggests otherwise. Werth is pretty much the same age as Drew was when he was given his 5 year deal. Mike Lowell isn’t a good comparison at all. The guy was 34 and was still a very good player until he got injured. Players get injured, it happens.
and 2010…or did you forget they finished 3rd place
Ok, again remember, if you have Beltre on a multi year deal and Youk is at 1st, then there is no FA 1st baseman next year….remember….no FA 1st baseman next year unless you trade Youkilis.
I think he was refering to the Tigers going after Werth or Crawford, which is in the interest of the Red Sox, hence why he is in on the convo.
Oh yes, almost forgot about them. It just seems like a big risk to me, to wait another year…but Yankees did it, so we should be able to! Haha. I dunno. I’ll be happy if Beltre stays, but if he goes I will hope Theo has some master plan to bring in an awesome 1B xD
In a typical offseason it may very well be significantly riskier, but with Fielder, Pujols, and Agon all potentially hitting the F/A market next year and with the Yankees locked in for big $$ to Tex, the Red Sox should be able to sign Agon without too much hassle.
Oh I definitely agree, as I said to begin my post. I was merely playing devil’s advocate and saying I can understand the argument to trade for a player with one year left on a contract.
Ya, this after the Red Sox fans were all over the Martinez agrees on contract with tigers thread.
I could be wrong but I think he was referring to a Tiger’s fan who did the same thing to a Sox fan on the V-Mart to the Tigers thread earlier, and you got the privilege of being the brunt of his joke.
I could be wrong but I think he was referring to a Tiger’s fan who did the same thing to a Sox fan on the V-Mart to the Tigers thread earlier, and you got the privilege of being the brunt of his joke.
victor martinez will regret signing with you guys because the redsox will beat detroit and go to the world series while detroit wont
Except I really can’t see them putting Beltre or Youk at DH so to get an A-Gon or Fielder you would have to get them to agree to DH while still paying them like a 1st baseman because any other team would pay them (and play them) like a 1st baseman.
Basically my point was that the DH spot being open doesn’t really matter because I don’t see any of them as a full time DH.
Basically my point was that the DH spot being open doesn’t really matter because I don’t see any of them as a full time DH.
Youk, Pedroia, and maybe trade Ellsbury for a RHH outfielder
I can see Fielder as Dh in a couple of years.
I agree that that is likely where people will be saying he should be but he has said that he wont and in a year from now when he is a free agent he wont be signing as a DH so regardless he’s going to be paid like a 1st baseman and not like a DH.