The Red Sox are 69-90 since last September 1st, ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes (on Twitter). As a disappointing season winds down it’s time to look ahead to some possible offseason moves. Here’s the latest on the Red Sox…
- It’s likely that the Red Sox will “kick the tires” on a possible long-term contract for Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason, but it’d be a surprise if the sides find common ground, Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes. Agent Scott Boras will present Ellsbury as a superstar, but the Red Sox probably wouldn’t be comfortable paying him like one after 2013, his final season as an arbitration eligible player. It’s unlikely the Red Sox will look to trade Ellsbury, Speier writes. The outfielder told Speier he’s not focused on his contract status. “I just go out and play, man, prepare," he said.
- Torii Hunter said he’s open to the possibility of signing in Boston when he hits free agency this offseason, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. "I'm open to anybody, especially if David [Ortiz] is there," Hunter said. He noted that his first choice remains a new deal with the Angels.
- Hunter suggested that Carl Crawford will be pleased to start fresh with the Dodgers. “I'm sure he's a lot happier," Hunter said.
Boston does not need the likes of Torii Hunter in 2013. They have plenty of kids capable of hitting .260 for the MLB minimum….rather than what Hunter expects to be paid for his services
If the deal is right, meaning a 1-2 year deal at low cost, he can provide some leadership in a clubhouse that is hard to find such in.
But I agree with you in terms of his production.
Yep, especially with the acquisition of Jerry Sands, who was tearing it up for Triple-A Albuquerque with the Dodgers. Kid has a lot of power. One of the prospects I wish was not traded in the Gonzalez deal.
But it’s the PCL, where hitter numbers don’t typically translate to majors. Anyways, I thought the consensus was that Sands wasn’t projected to be an every day major league player.
Sands has always torn up the minors. For some reason, he can’t really do the same at the majors. Some were saying he has a hole in his swing that MLB pitchers easily exploit. I don’t know the reasons for his lack of success, but I don’t rue losing him. Not like I rued losing Konerko so many moons ago.
Hunter is to good for Boston!! Why would he go to a losing franchise??!! Hunter must have been quoted wrong!!
Cody Ross fits better.. probably cheaper, 6 years younger, not declining offensively and isn’t prone to making wack-o comments to the media that would be quoted and then twisted by a useless NE media.
still need an OF after Ross tho
True indeed. Depends on how they approach next season: compete or rebuild. Rebuild? I think they go with Nava/Kalish until Bradley is ready. Compete? then you are correct they will probably look to acquire some kind of low budget replacement for CC. i don’t think they will spend the money required on even a 1 year deal on Hunter.. As in 8-10m.
They’d be better off using Kalish in either scenario IMO, he’s obviously going to cost a lot less than Torii and if he can stay healthy he can be really, really good.
They really really need to extend Ross.
We agree too much here quite often. LOL
nothing would make me happier before the season ended than to see both sides agree on a Willingham type 3/21m deal.
I can see Ross putting up a 30HR season over the next couple of seasons if he stays.
lol, 3/21 was exactly what I said to a friend of mine the other day, too xD
Granted, Torii’s best years are behind him but you may want to double check his numbers. Plus he is a great mentor and club house presence. I would hate to see him in Boston, hope the Angels dump Wells and resign Torii.
Then what do you do with Bourjos, Trout, Trumbo, and Kendrys. They should dump Wells, and not resign Hunter
I would be happy to be collecting Crawfords’ paychecks anywhere.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think Ellsbury’s one big season was a Brady Anderson abberation?
I wouldn’t call it an abberation…I’d call it more of a Pedroia MVP year.
They’re both good (or even great) players, but not good enough to keep that level of excellence sustained for extended periods of time. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were both in the top 3 in WAR again next year (pretty sure they were 2-3 behind Joey Bats in 2011)…but I would be surprised if either one of them comes as close to winning another MVP as Jacoby did last year.
Pedroia’s 2011 was better than his MVP season.
Obviously, that is debatable. Essentially, the only difference between the two seasons is the defensive component of WAR, which is basically useless in a one year sample. Can you honestly say that his defense was twice as good in 2011 as it was in 2008? I doubt it. More likely, it was the same.
I didn’t even mention WAR in my comment. His OPS+ in 2011 was 129, compared to 123 in 2008. He hit more home runs, had more walks, and stole more bases in 2011.
Sorry for assuming you were using WAR.
wOBA: .382 (2008) vs .377 (2011)
wRC+: 131 vs 134
wRC: 120 vs 118
He had more strikeouts and far fewer doubles in 2011 than 2008. We could do this all day. The point was that it is debatable and pointless to definitively claim that one season was better than the other.
I severely doubt Ellsbury is using what Anderson did for his 50HR season.. They test every now and then for that sort of thing…
It isn’t nearly as outrageous as Anderson’s, considering how few players in the history of the game have hit 50 homers in a season, but I doubt he hits for nearly the same type of power he hit for in 2011. He definitely has more power now than he showed in his first couple of years, so a Brady Anderson career path makes a lot of sense.
The Sox need two OF. Presumably Ross will re-sign and be one of them, which then leaves LF. Hunter would be a fine stop gap for a year. I guarantee you it will be a trade or free agent in LF for the Sox next year, not a kid.
Carl’s happy??? We are estatic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanl You Dodgers.
The change of scenery could end up being a real positive for Crawford.
If he can be even close to what he was in Tampa, it will have been a great trade for the Dodgers.
We’ll see what happens.
Never, ever will that be considered a great trade for the Dodgers. They took a quarter billion dollar gamble on three players who have collectively drastically underperformed (some more than others), given their respective contracts. And they gave up two young pitchers with top of the rotation upsides. Best case scenario, at some point there is a possibility it could be considered an even trade, I guess, but every other scenario has the Dodgers losing that deal, most likely in a landslide.
Contracts are not a metric useful for measuring anything but contracts. Players play baseball, money does not play baseball. If the big four the Dodgers acquired this year produce near their career averages it will be a good solution for the Dodgers’ problems in the lineup and rotation. Not this year, though. This season is over for the Dodgers.
If the players traded perform at or near the level that their contracts warranted, then the trade ends up a great one.
Understand this: the Dodgers needed a 1B, LF and SP upgrade this winter anyways. Effectively, they did their winter shopping early.
And if you think the Dodgers could have filled all those needs in the offseason through free agency, you are kidding yourself.
There will be no viable 1B available through free agency this winter and Josh Hamilton is a huge risk to sign as an OF.
Crawford’s contract is obviously risky, but it also was part of the price to get AGon so it can’t be judged in an of itself.
Ellsbury’s 2011 season made him look like a $20 million/year player, but right now, he’s not that. Boras is going to try to get him Carl Crawford’s deal, but Boston won’t do that again.
Gammons was on the radio trying to say the Sox should keep Lackey because of how good he looks rehabbing, but I would deal him for Jason Bay. If Bay can stay on the field, his swing was made for Fenway Park.
With their payroll flexibility, I think the Sox could consider taking on Alfonso Soriano’s money and sticking him in left if it can help facilitate a deal to get Matt Garza.
For 5 million, I would like for Torii to end up in Atlanta
I’d hate to lose Hunter from the Angels. Such an important piece to this team
The Sox would be nuts NOT to trade Ellsbury during the off season. If they keep him for next year and don’t re-sign him to an extension, he walks and they get nothing in return. If they do sign him for $15-20 mil a year, as some Boston sports media bananas and the head banana(Boras) want, they WILL NOT get their money’s worth out of him. Bet on it. best to kiss him goodbye and trade him during the off-season for pitching and a good young outfielder.
I hope the red sox will not sign anyone who “used to be good”!—instead let’s go like the Patriots and sign up the younger players who are upcoming and want to establish themselves as good major league players——th yankees had all star players at almost every position and they stil did not win a world series during those years—-