The Red Sox have not had meaningful tallks with free agent shortstop Stephen Drew since the start of camp, reports Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Boston appears set to move forward with its present roster construction, without adding Drew.
That does not mean that the team is saying that a reunion is an impossibility, explains Speier. Rather, the Red Sox now views Drew like any other valuable free agent: they might become involved if the bottom falls out of his market, or if a need arose due to an injury. In other words, Boston would only rejoin the chase for Drew if opportunism or exigency intercedes.
Is anyone actively engaged in talks with Drew?
Kendrys Morales, he and Stephen are at the same Spring Training Facility owned by their agent. They probably engaged in talks every day.
I wonder how that 1 vs. 1 baseball game is working out for them?
ZzzZz
How can his market bottom out if it doesn’t exist?
just sign already
The Qualifying Offer Era will be remembered curiously, if not necessarily fondly.
Teams will be less inclined to make the QO if some players take them. Now they just bank on getting the draft pick.
Sticking the screws to Boras. Red Sox ownership doesn’t like him. Love it.
They better like him soon with Bogaerts still under his influence, or convince Xander he’s better of with his agent/brother Jair in charge of his destiny.
2020 is a long way away. Besides Boras encourages his players to test the market. He’s certainly not doing Red Sox any favors either.
You see that story regarding X’s brother Jair wanting X to become his client? Jair is now a Sports agent in the Dominican. I forget who it was he started with, but this is his 1st year. He has signed several players. The guy that signed him got him started.
No, I didn’t. I’ll search now. thx.
I’ll look also.. Maybe prov journal???
Edit:
You probably found it:
On overthe monster from 1/27/2014
Didn’t know much about him. Found detailed story at OverTheM, 1/27/14. Jair signed with Rafa Nieves of Beverly Hill SC Agency as a player. While Xander signed with Boras. Now that Jair’s playing day look over, Nieves has hired him as a sports agent.
Sounds like they want to steal Boras’s client, if you ask me. Good for them, can only help Red Sox, if they are negotiating an extension with anyone, not named Boras.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is also represented by Boras. Dude has his fingers in everyone’s teams.
The 1 millionth Stephen Drew post and my 500,000th comment on it lol….If his price comes down to something reasonable, the Mets should scoop this guy up. Platoon him with Tejada, and combined, you’d have your 3+ WAR .725+ OPS SS that gives you sufficient defense. If they can get Drew for about 2 yrs $22mil, with Tejada making 1 mil, that’d be a good situation for the Mets. If the going rate for 1 WAR is worth about $5mil as they say, the Mets would be getting pretty good below market value with what I’ve described.
Who knows, maybe Wilmer Flores comes in and proves he can play the position and just straight up surprises us and becomes the starter. I just really think Tejada as a backup/part-time player is ideal, it gives the Mets depth — and for the love of everything holy keeps Omar Quintanilla off the Mets roster.
I’m pretty sure Drew would be all over $22M/2 years. From the rumors, it sounds like no one is offering him more than a year.
I guess this is a case of valuation by sabermetrics does not reflect value by GMs.
Drew and his agent turned down the qualifying offer because they thought he was worth more, but the market said he’s not. It’s that same egoic delusion that will prevent him from signing a contract before the June deadline.
As a Red sox fan, I would like him back for one more year. That’s it. If he signs the dotted line for I/10 million great. If not….oh well. The sox could just go with what they have. They do have depth in Betts and Cechini as long as Bogaerts plays well at third.
Cecchini is a third baseman, and not a shortstop. Betts played shortstop in high school but has transitioned to second base in the minors, though he has been taking ground balls at shortstop during spring training. But Betts is at least a year away from the bigs. Beyond Bogaerts, the Sox’ Major League ready depth at shortstop includes Jonathan Herrera (who is best served as a utility player) and Brock Holt. I love Bogaerts. He’s gonna be special, and he is an adequate shortstop, but Major League ready shortstop depth is one of the few weaknesses the Red Sox currently have.
1) Bogaerts
2) Betts (after conversion)
3) Marrero
4) Meneses
Red Sox have plenty of depth.
Besides its a very strong Shortstop FA class in ’15.
I wouldn’t really say that Betts and Marrero are considered SS depth for this season. Betts was transitioned to 2B because he was not considered a good defender at short. Marrero struggled to hit in A and AA last season with and OPS of .676 and the latter being .558
See your point, being that Jeff was talking more about this season. But then again, how many teams do have a ready to step in SS if their starter goes down.
Very little teams do. I think Herrera is good enough to be the insurance for the position. His defense is above average. Xander will be fine though. Stephen Drew is not needed
I meant to say *as long as Bogaerts plays well at short*. Either way I’d like to see Betts moved to short and center for at least some of his at bats. I know Betts is still likely a year away. That’s The reason I want Drew for a year. I don’t want Herrera or Holt manning significant time there and Marrero as solid as he may be defensively needs to show something on offense. Drew would buy them time to figure out what Bogaerts and Betts really are….as well as Marrero I suppose.
I want him back because he is still a solid glove at short with a left handed bat that has some pop left in it. It allows Farrell to keep the lineup left/right pretty much through out. With Middlebrooks & Boegarts on the left side it’s too right handed. Hopefully they can bring him back on a Cruz type deal for a year.
Question: If Drew waits until April 2nd and then signs with a club, does that take away the team’s ability to make a QO next fall, because he wasn’t on the team the entire season?
If so, that is probably what Drew is doing. Wait until April 2nd, sign the best one-year deal he can, in a hitter friendly park. Then try FA again next year, without comp attached.
Yep. Gotta be on the 40 man roster the entire season.
Thx.
The only problem with the strategy of signing after April 2 but before the draft is his value will be even lower to the signing team since he won’t be playing the full season, they still have to give up a draft pick, and they can’t get one back by offering him a QO at the end of the season if he has a good year.
The game plan in my scenario isn’t about getting value this year. The plan would be to put up as big of numbers as you can, show your healthy for another season, then get a big multi-year contract next year. 6-8mil would be fine for ’14, and then your clear of comp.
I still don’t understand what Boston’s intentions were to make the QO. If they were ok with having him back at 1 year, 14.2 million, why are they are not bringing him back at 1 year? I feel like they gamed the system, fully intending to get a draft pick and not actually wanting the player.
The QO contract gave the Sox exactly what they wanted – 1 year, no strings attached. That’s been their offer all along, and Drew’s understandably not interested. That’s not gaming the system, it’s just the state of play with Bogaerts coming up.
If they want him on a no strings attached deal, offer him the one year, 14.2 million dollar deal again. At this point, he’d take it.
I just think the Red Sox have always been a shady organization since Theo Epstein took over and left. They can’t really want Drew if they aren’t taking much effort to bring him back.
They already offered him 14 and were rejected. Drew is not, was not ever worth that and should have jumped on it. I had heard that the red sox then offered him a two year deal with a lower annual and were rejected. Do you suggest the red sox beg him to return or simply give him whatever he wants? Remember xander is waiting.
I love the Qualifying offer. He gambled with $14M and lost
They gave him a shot at a 1 year 14.2 million dollar pact. They offered it to him because they knew that if he accepted, they would be alright paying him that. If he didn’t, they knew they would get the pick compensation if he wanted to go elsewhere.
It was all in Drews hands and he screwed it up. Drew has no negotiation power whatsoever, not just with the Red Sox, but with any team. His demands are still too high.
If he wanted to wait, he is going to have to settle for a contract much like Cruz just signed. All of that is on him.
If they want him on a no strings attached deal, offer him the one year, 14.2 million dollar deal again. At this point, he’d take it.
I just think the Red Sox have always been a shady organization since Theo Epstein took over and left. They can’t really want Drew if they aren’t taking much effort to bring him back.
Drew was an automatic out last year. Xander’s defense is just as good, if not better, and his bat is no worse. No reason for Drew to be on the roster.