Here’s a look at the AL and NL East:
- Mets exec Paul DePodesta told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that has has been contacted for about “half a dozen” GM vacancies since leaving the Dodgers. However, the Mets’ vice president of player development and amateur scouting says that he only agreed to an interview once, only to later pull his name from consideration. If he gets interest again this winter, there’s no guarantee that DePodesta will bite. “It has never been about the title, especially after having it,” DePodesta said. “At some point, I aspired to that. I got there. Maybe it wasn’t all I expected it to be. I took a step back and said I wanted to do what I really enjoy. What I have here has been great. It satisfies what I’m looking for.”
- Each of the previous three times Dave Dombrowski took over a franchise, he did so with something of a clean slate to work from, but that’s not necessarily the case this time, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal writes. The Red Sox already have several large payroll commitments with $150MM+ in guarantees on the books, a far cry from what he had with the expansion Marlins in 1991, the Expos in ’98, and the Tigers in 2002. One key issue facing Boston is that they owe more than $50MM apiece to Rusney Castillo, Dustin Pedroia, Rick Porcello, Hanley Ramirez, and Pablo Sandoval, and all five players come with pretty serious question marks.
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald wonders if the Red Sox should copy the Royals’ playbook, even though they have more purchasing power than KC. Still, the Royals have managed to stock up on frontline starting pitchers with varying methods and with a strong bullpen behind them. Silverman feels that finding a No. 1 pitcher needs to be Boston’s No. 1 priority, though they need to put a great deal of effort into bolstering their relievers as well.
“Still, the Royals have managed to stock up on frontline starting pitchers”
It’s like he hasn’t even watched the royals this year.
Wasn’t their rotation ERA something like 22nd in the league? That’s nothing to brag about…but I can understand following their model regarding the bullpen
KC starting rotation was also 21st in SP WAR, per B-R (the lesser WAR, but still). If anything, KC just proves that you can survive subpar starting pitching if your bullpen is elite, your defense is strong, and your hitting is… average? (98 team OPS+)
How true. They have a bunch of mid-rotation types beginning with Volquez who is a career number 3. Ventura has #1 upside but is still young and yet to meet it.
The Red Sox should copy the Cardinals playbook, meaning they should spend while also maintaining a deep farm system. It took Dayton Moore eight years before his ideas started to stick. Remember the Gil Meche deal?
DePodesta was very intellectual and made some decent trades for the Dodgers but he had absolutely no people skills. LA media killed him and he basically hid from them all of that awful 2005 season.
This is why I laugh when people say the LA media is soft. They got DePo and former Lakers coach Mike Brown fired after they both had decent success. They’ve been calling for Mattingly’s job since 2013 and Kiffin/Sark were crucified, though the latter was deserved.
Can’t really blame him for not wanting to put up with that from the media! I know absolutely nothing about DePodesta, so I don’t know if he has people skills or not, or if he maybe just doesn’t want to put up with being treated poorly and constantly second-guessed by media and fans. Some people don’t have the stomach for that, and it’s not really a lack of people skills (well, not ordinary people skills anyway. It probably takes a special kind of people skills and a very thick skin to deal with a hostile media day inand day out!)
A lot of people with regular jobs have good people skills under ordinary conditions, but might not do as well with extreme hostility all the time.
(Sorry, I just keep seeing “lack of people skills” being blamed for things, making the person they’re talking about sound like they’re someone who can’t get along with people or have extreme social anxiety or something. When actually they probably have ok people skills in normal situations, but don’t like extreme hostility or dealing with a lot of media questions, or maybe they’re not suited to management positions or something like that.)
Personally, 12-16million per year for Pedroia is not overspending if he can stayhealthy. He played in 160 games in 2013 and prior to injury he regained his old bat this year. If he stays healthy he is a steal.
Pedroia’s current production with what he’s making is a bargain.
Agreed
I have been say I it all a long. They need Cueto. A youngish ace.
They do not need Cueto. His shaky (at best) transition to the AL is frightening, and going to the AL East is even harder. The ace acquisition needs to happen through trade, on a young, cheap starter. Enough money has been wasted already, they can’t risk any more big contract flops (like almost every single time this team has spent money in the past 6 years).
I would still prefer a trade for Sonny Gray or Matt Harvey for prospects for Red Sox
success in 2016.
The most likely would be Shelby Miller
How do you figure? I think they would sign someone before they’d trade for an unproven ace.
Harvey I can see as a fit seeing on how deep the mets are in young starters. But what would they ask for in return? Margot, Holt, Devers, Owens? After this year’s playoffs Daniel Murphy will most likely sign a larger deal than the Mets will be willing to spend. Enter Holt at second base (I didn’t know who else could produce next year as an every day player other than Holt, p edroia and Betts and no way the latter two are being dealt and I knew I should probably include a second baseman so I picked Holt) Margot is a top outfield prospect. #25 prospect in baseball according to mlb.com. Devers is a top power hitting third base prospect who is years away still. Owens would be a major league ready young starter who could add flexibility to the team. Meanwhile the Sox could get a young controllable ace in harvey and perhaps a second tier prospect.
I am not saying I would do this for neither side but simply trying to figure out what it would taje to pry Harvey away
I think anyone would prefer sonny gray and matt Harvey over cueto.
Exactly what are the serious question marks surrounding Pedroia? Whether he’ll be tall enough to ride the roller coaster at Six Flags? Guy’s still got it and isn’t very costly. No real concern there.
Yeah, I’m confused by that line too. His strikeouts have been up the last couple years, and he’s missed time in those seasons, but his defense is still elite and he saw a power resurgence when healthy in 2015.
The others, though… x_x
Yes, definite questions about Castillo, Ramirez, Sandoval, and to a lesser degree Porcello. Pedroia’s only had significant injuries in 2 of his 10 seasons, hit very well last year, and still defends like a champ. He doesn’t belong on that list.
Well put
His body appears to be breaking down due to his style of play. The nagging injuries that he used to be able to shake off last longer and hurt his game. He should be fine for the first half of the extension but the last four years are a problem.
Any team that doesn’t spend wads of money that makes it deep into the playoffs for at least 2 years straight will inspire a large number of armchair GMs to say ” My team should follow that model.”
The truth is the Royals are a product of a lot of time, effort, patience, and a some great moves that turned out exactly the way people hoped. But if you want to boil down the simplest advice to how to replicate part of the Royals success: Have good starting pitching and an even better bullpen.
And a clutch hitting team who can run with numerous guys with 15 homerun power
The Sox need a controllable TOTR pitcher. To me we have some strength in the OF and at SS. I like trades that really help both teams–Xander for Harvey…perhaps fill in with some pieces and enlarge it a bit. Those would be my centerpieces.
There is no way I am trading Bogaerts or Betts. Period. An ace is essential, but the Sox should not be stripping the MLB roster to acquire one. The farm has some of the best talent in the league, and that should be enough to pry loose 2 quality starters without evening touching Moncada, Espinoza or Benintendi. For the sake of argument, lets say the Sox did make a run at Harvey. Based on needs and proximity to the majors, Margot, Sam Travis, Owens, and an extra prospect further away (Guerra?) could at least start talks. Need a 2nd starter? talk to the Indians, Rays, A’s, or any number of other teams with a cheap but talented starter..Those conversations can still start with quality prospects
Royals Pitching Philopshy: Defense and Elite Bullpen. Never have to worry if your starting pitcher can go 6+ innings or strike out the side.
The Mets will not be trading any of their fiveyoung starters. And they see Dilson Herrera as a future all star 2b, so dont get too excited about Holt for Harvey (not that Holt would get them Harvey)