With left-hander Dallas Keuchel still unemployed, the big-name free agent’s preparing for the season by “going through a full Spring Training, just like [Kyle] Lohse did,” agent Scott Boras told Jon Morosi of MLB.com earlier this week. Boras was referring to Lohse’s protracted trip to free agency six years ago, which ended March 25, 2013, with a three-year, $33MM agreement to join the Brewers. The majority of MLB followers expected Keuchel, 31, to land a far richer deal than that when the offseason began, but the onetime AL Cy Young winner has instead watched in recent months as most of the majors’ other high-profile free agents have come off the board. Still, the longtime Astro “is receiving offers,” Boras informed Morosi, who writes that the Braves are monitoring Keuchel’s market but are leery of surrendering a draft pick to sign the qualifying offer recipient. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported earlier this week Atlanta would “consider” Keuchel on a short-term deal; regardless of contract length, signing Keuchel would only cost the Braves their third-highest draft pick in 2019.
The latest on a couple other established starters…
- Nathan Eovaldi re-signed with the Red Sox on a four-year, $68MM contract in December, but only after the right-hander drew serious interest from elsewhere. The Angels and Phillies “really wanted” Eovaldi, per Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, though the feeling wasn’t mutual. During the free-agent process, Eovaldi informed his agency, ACES, he only wanted to sign with the Red Sox or his hometown Astros, according to Bradford. But the Astros, despite the questions in their rotation, didn’t pursue the 29-year-old. “Houston is home for me,” Eovaldi told Bradford. “I would have had more talks with the Astros but they just didn’t want any part of it so they were out of the question. While Eovaldi added that he was “a little surprised” the Astros ignored him, he’s happy to be back in Boston after helping the club to a championship in 2018.
- Clayton Kershaw has been the starter for the Dodgers’ last eight Opening Days, but it appears the superstar southpaw’s streak is on the verge of ending. Manager Dave Roberts said Friday (via ESPN.com) it’s “unlikely” Kershaw will take the ball for the Dodgers on March 28 in their season-opening game against the Diamondbacks. Kershaw has been battling shoulder inflammation throughout the spring, which has prevented the three-time NL Cy Young winner from making an appearance in the Cactus League and from throwing offspeed pitches during his rehab. Set to turn 31 on March 19, Kershaw’s entering the first season of a three-year, $93MM contract – a deal that’s off to an inauspicious start.
What an extremely embarrassing offseason when Nate Eovaldi has more interest than Keuchel.
Embarrassing for whom?
Maybe you didn’t see what happened in Oct?
Wait thats how you judge players? Ooof that won’t be a well built team.
EO also has a 100 mph heater and posted a 2.88 FIP in the second half for Boston in the ALE. And has Long been a guy whose arm has intrigued big league clubs. There’s legitimate breakout potential there and teams see that. His postseason was a hell of a platform and definitely got him a bunch of extra dollars but it wasn’t the only thing. And it might not be a bad thing either. If this guy is healthy he has the potential to be a massive bargain. They don’t pay for the past anymore and there was no pitcher in FA with a more exciting ceiling in the future. (Aside from maybe Corbin who rode one great year to 140 million dollars)
JD , he’s on a World Series team no way he was leaving. He was very important to bringing back the trophy to where it belongs in Boston. I bet your a Yankees fan aren’t ya!!
Everyone thought he had an exciting arm since the Marlins days, but the potential hasn’t been realized. Yes, he has improved and still may realize it; but, it’s a tough bet.
He also never posted a 2.88 FIP in the regular season for them nor did he throw gems in the postseason. It looked like that guy was present in Boston. I’m by no means saying EO is a sure thing but it’s not a gamble I’d be too pissed about taking.
Since his Dodgers days.
Agree, I hope he has turned the corner. Having seen him often as a Yankee fan, though, his games were painful to watch. Made no difference when he left.
What he lacked was command and was one warning those (then) envious NYY fans to temper it when they 1st acquired it because his FB was straight, tho high velocity wise and secondaries, as in a so-so slider not very good then..
He was just plain hittable, just like Joe Kelly has been the last half dozen years with his 100mph FB. A guy needs something average at least to go along with it and Eovaldi finally figured out to add a really nice cutter and has bought into the pitching philosophy in Boston of throwing that high one to change the eye level a few times.
Kelly would relapse to his old habits and get secondary crazy after periods of success using the taught philosophies in Boston and reek for extended periods, hope Eovaldi does not develop those habits
Vin Scully compared him to Nolan Ryan in his first-ever start for the Dodgers.
Can’t fault Eovaldi for signing quickly (and not wait for a 5th year) because Kuechel and his agent decided to dig in. I’m sure Kuechel received some decent offers we don’t know about. Nobody will disclose it as that would prove to be an awful PR move.
Don’t think you should put Eovaldi in the HOF just yet.
Dallas has been effective for years is what he meant, while Eovaldi has been rehabbing.
Keuchel has been effective, but inconsistent. If he’s still asking for a salary like he just came off his 2015 season, then there’s a good reason why Eovaldi, especially what he did this year, got more interest than Keuchel.
Keuchel “inconsistant”…me thinks you should check your comparative statistics between the two me bucko…you’re talking about a pitcher that is and one in Eovaldi that hopes he can be.
Interest was in a pitcher that would come cheaper than Dallas and that’s exactly what happened with him signing so soon.
And that’s keuchel’s fault. Teams won’t pay for the past anymore. Keuchel showed cracks last season. His GB% severely dipped. He was never a velo guy but it’s definitely concerning when you see an extreme GB pitcher lose some of that. It’s a red flag for the future and I don’t blame teams for not wanting to shell out 100 million bucks for that.
True but the same argument could be made for a guy like Aaron Sanchez. Remember the Jays limited his innings a few year ago when he had the lowest era in the AL despite his fewer starts.
Then the injury with the blisters happened and despite one great season, he’s been lacking albeit nonexistent since. If he doesn’t turn it around this year, it would be a Keuchel situation where he’d be good along time ago but not worth it in this free agent market.
Keuchel has a much better career than Aaron Sanchez. I wouldn’t comp the two of them. Sanchez has 1 notable season in his entire career. I think he has plenty of potential but Keuchel has been an above average pitcher for many years. The cracks seem to be beginning to show but his resume is much stronger. It also just could’ve been something of a down year for Keuchel. Wouldn’t be mind blowing to see him return to form getting grounders at an elite clip again. I wouldn’t pay 100 million bucks to find that out though.
Keuchel best days are behind him. He has jumped the Shark. His velocity has been declining for awhile now. What makes you think it will improve going forward?
Exactly. Keuchel has always reminded me of a left handed Masterson. He had a great peak but has been trending downhill the last couple of years. Teams are looking for hard throwing strike out machines and hope they age well while avoiding injuries. Keuchel is still a capable #3 and I am sure teams are willing to pay him like one. He sees himself as a #1 and is expecting that kind of money. His best bet would be for Boras to pay a visit to the Angels ownership. The need the pitching and their ownership isn’t afraid of a bad long term contract.
That’s a FActless statement. Keuchel’s FB velo has averaged ~89.5 mph forever. When he won the Cy Young he was throwing the same speed. If you want to talk about keuchel’s decline don’t bring up velo. He’s a soft contact/control ground ball specialist. That’s always been his game. The drop in GB’s last year is the concerning part.
The shortstop and second baseman were hurt last year as well. Grounders going down could be negativity effected by worse defense.
His FIP begs to differ, it (3.69) almost exactly matched his actual ERA (3.74)
Find something else (and not infielders injuries) to blame it on. I point to advancing age and expected regression which should be expected to continue on this one trick pony.
GB% doesn’t discriminate between a hit and an out. It only determines if the ball was hit on the ground. Nothing to do with who was playing SS
Not tied to talent or projection. Eovaldi had appropriate free agent strategy reflecting current market dynamic. Sign early with spender. I believe Keuchel had small window to get 3/75 with option and buy out but he and Boras played cards wrong.
Seems like Boras playing a lot of cards wrong lately.
Boras is living in the past. Problem is, he has a series of clients that he fed a particular strategy and set of promises to under the old CBA and FA regime.
Now those clients are hitting FA, and expect what they were promised year in and out for the last 3,4, 6 years – something that doesn’t exist anymore thanks to analytics, CBT, and QO making the perfect storm. Talk about square peg/round hole
Who’s to say Keuchels offseason wasnt busy. He like others remained unsigned because thier demands were too high and now teams are done big dollar spending. Its his fault for being not signed.
I’d take Eovaldi over Keuchel at this point in their careers in a heartbeat. They’re trending in opposite directions and it appears Keuchel is expecting more money than Eovaldi got. So embarrassing, no.
Keuchel had every right to ask for more than Eovaldi. I don’t blame him for that. He asked for too much more and it appears he hasnt tempered his demands since. If he would’ve been open to a deal similar but slightly better than EO’s day 1 of FA he’d be signed by now. Had he asked 4/70 from the get go he’d be somewhere right now I do believe.
JD,
The Sox seemed to reward Eovaldi and Pierce for their October heroics. Both in my view got much more than others would have paid. Also, they paid Eovaldi the years because even with the surgeries, they believe he’ll be more productive in years three and four than Keichel. Keichel and Kimbrel overpriced themselves and got burned by the delays in getting Harper and Machado signed. Had Boston wanted either and not made Eovaldi their priority he too could still be waiting.
The great majority of players who sign in free agency get more from the teams they sign with than they would have gotten elsewhere. That’s why they take the deals. Boston signed two guys who showed they could produce when it matters. I don’t see much wrong with that.
The other thing is the fans clamored to bring those two guys back. Boston likes gritty players. And I think what cemented Nates return more than all the rest was that insane short rest extended bullpen appearance/loss in the WS.
That showed more about his makeup than anything else could.
That Eovaldi contract is NOT going to be a good investment.
Look at the numbers:
Eovaldi in BOS:
ERA: 3.33 ERA+: 132 FIP: 2.88 WHIP: 1.278 K/9: 8.0 BB/9: 2.0
Keuchel in HOU:
ERA: 3.74 ERA+: 108 FIP: 3.69 WHIP: 1.314 K/9: 6.7 BB/9: 2.6
Teams are done paying for past performance – ie an outlier 2015 cy young several years ago in a career year that hasn’t been repeated.
Look at what have you done for me lately, the currently 29 and 1 mo yr old is going to beat out the 31 and 3 mo yr old, particularly when recent performance (not to mention absolute STUD postseason performance) are factored in.
So yes, embarrassing for keuchel and borass.
thanks to the advent of data metrics gm’s no longer pay for past performance. yes there’s exceptions, the new formula combines fiscal responsibility + player trend direction.
Agree Keuchel being unsigned is bad, but id take Eovaldi over him. Nate has so much better stuff
Keuchel needs to head back to the Astros. He got a fair offer after last year’s mediocre performance which I believe was due to injuries. He will get ok pay,is popular and it’s his best chance of getting another ring and go for big money after he hopefully has a good year
well, its good to see the Phillies at least wanted Eovaldi, though i can see thrm being a bit hesitant as well. they still shouldve at least gotten someone else this Winter if not for him.
I don’t understand the tepidness for a team like ATL to give up a draft pick for Keuchel. The division got a lot tougher this year. If you need a starter and he’s willing to go ST go get him. You have a plethora of prospects in the minors right now. If things go south with the team there’s a decent chance you can recoup equivalent value by dealing Keuchel at that time. Seems like they don’t want to spend and are using the draft pick as cover.
Even though I really want them to go for broke and spend some money, I’d also be hesitant to use the draft picks dye to the limitations they have in the international market. It makes each draft pick that much more important maintaining the waves of talent coming from the minors they’re trying to keep flowing. I would however like to see them use the surplus of high level players as currency for a trade if an actual ace. We’ll see what happens once opening day arrives with the pitchers on the doorstep though.
Like Kimbrel, we don’t know what Keuchel is still demanding. If he wants 3+ years with a high AAV, ATL isn’t interested. We have too many guys that will be ready during that time to have to hang onto Keuchel. I say go after Gio Gonzalez and call it a day.
“only third highest pick”? That’s still a 2nd round pick. Austin Riley was a 2nd round pick. That’s pretty significant to a team without the ability to add via international draft picks and a shallow lower farm system from MLB declaring 13 (?) of them free agents during Coppy-gate.
You don’t need to build a perennial farmhouse power team. You have about what 5-6 top 100 prospects? And about 3 more that were on the list at some point in the not so distant past as well as young guys on the ML team. It’s a pick. You could also draft Lucas sims with that pick. Keuchel will help right now. If he willing to go ST there more reason to do it than to not. There’s obviously value in the pick but if you’re trying to hold off the phils and Nats it’s going to be tough without another piece.
Actually, its closer to eight depending on which list you favor. Digressing, we are very different from the Phillies and Nats. We are very much still a lower-mid market team due to our TV contract and debt for the new stadium. It’s not prudent for us to just go out and spend like those other 2 teams. Thus, keeping a farm where we can replenish ‘cheap’ talent is more important to us than them.
Jbig:….Yep, yep,, yep and yep…..this draft choice krapolla , as you noted, is just that.
Who in their right mind sacrifices a pitcher like DK (yes, with the inevitable age regression; I get it) for fear of losing some player who has a 10% chance of being anything but a 26th man on a 26 man roster?
I also get the financial risk, but let’s face it, unless the Braves stake their claim NOW, with Philly having (still) tons of money, the Nats primed to be in the hunt for another few years, and the Mets being serious (smartly or not, TBD), the Braves stand a real chance of disappearing in the NL East landscape.
Using a great farm system to achieve mediocrity, and stay there, isn’t exactly an intelligent gameplan.
I agree it is more important for your farm to b stronger than a team w a huge spending capacity…. Sure I get that. But the Braves have loads of financial flexibility moving forward. Donaldson’s 23 MM comes off the books this year. Kakis’ small money is gone, Teheran’s off. There has to be dollars there. Your farm system is significantly better and deeper than the phils or Nats at this point. Losing a draft pick isn’t the end of the world. If Keuchel or Kimbrel wants to go ST ATL should be in.
It is when you’re facing 3 years of international sanctions
The international sanctions don’t make the probability of that draft pick being a success any higher. It’s a draft pick for a proven ML starter regardless. They have more incentive to keep it than the Yankees or Sox but it shouldn’t stop them from a massive upgrade.
Correct, it doesn’t make the probability higher. What it does do is add to it’s importance of existing to keep a flow of high value replacements or trade capital to help the major league club. At this moment we do not need the top 100 type prospect for this year. We do however need a few each year so there is a large supply of quality major leaguers available for more than just the next 3 years. Will they all be on our club?No, but they can all be used to either play in a Braves uniform or help get a high level need filed for the Braves via trade.
I honestly think the draft pick thing is just a spin. The FO doesn’t want to sign Keuchel for any more than 2 years and he’s just not there yet. Same goes for Kimbrel. Neither of them are worth the risk… for any team… which is why they are still unsigned.
I’d be OK with paying Kimbrel a lot of money on a 2 year deal. But Keuchel just isn’t that good anymore. He’s a #3 starter and ATL already has a ton of those guys.
I’ll take Gio on a 1 year contract over Keuchel on a 3 year deal.
Bingo !
Boras comically misjudged the market on Keuchel so I’m not sure why he is still the guys agent.
Ask Harper why.
Harpers not a 31 year old pitcher.
He got the money a lot of people said he couldn’t.
Bet against Scott Boras at your own risk.
It’s time to start Walker Buehler’s streak of opening day starts.
Buehler most likely won’t be ready for opening day either. He will be making is first spring start on Tuesday. Hill will probably get the nod.
Buehler?
Buehler?
Buehler?
You can say that a fourth time and he still won’t be ready for opening day.
And yeah, I get the reference.
Not sure if you’re trolling or actually are unaware of the reference.
(Heavy sigh.)
Just don’t do that with “beetlejuice”.
Not only am I quoting the movie but also saying he won’t be ready for opening day.
Maybe bleacherreport is more your speed.
@dugdog83 – Like this site is filled with a bunch of savant commenters.
Maybe obsessing over dopey movies from the ’80s is more your style.
Some of us are more interested in baseball.
It’s more of a cult classic than a dopey 80’s movie. I’m here for the baseball Blue, I clicked on here for a Keuchel update. He’s a guy I rooting for this year and hoping a borderline contender makes a move on him. Even it’s a one year deal to prove himself.
I’m just very happy Nate is back with Redsox. I hope he had a fantastic yr being in the Stud rotation led by Sale. Barring injury, that rotation is very strong. A closer the Sox can pick up later in the yr unless the Evil Empire bulldozers over them like they’re capable of doing. Not sure why any player wants Boras. Sometimes money isn’t the deciding factor or should be, then again I’m not them.
Wow,’stud rotation”?
Sale missed 2 months
Which Price is it…the WS huy, or the regular season guy
My Seton Hall Porcello guy shines one year and sucks the next.
Nathan of the 2 TJ surgerys.
Rodriqiez, a back end 4 or 5.
Wow,that really does scare us in Yhe Evil Empire!
…and every one of them would be the Yanks #1 starter……
Sales the only one that would be the #1 starter in NY….
True that bob.Hes just jealous they don’t have the best player in the game in Betts!!!
Yeh, another Sox fan still living in 2018…and in your dreams Yankee hater!
How can ya not they are the defending champs till they are dethroned!
The best player in baseball is Mike Trout.
Trout retire?
Maybe but look at his batting average in his one season in the playoffs!
Bad shoulder Sevy is your ace? Is he the Sevy of the first half or the 2nd? CC the old 4 inning starter? Paxton? 30 years old and has maxed out at 160 innings in a season. Tanaka? Overpaid mid rotation arm. If you’re going to insult the Sox make sure your own backyard is cleaned up first. The Yankees have question marks left and right in their rotation. (As do 90% of the teams in baseball) BoSox definitely can’t be declared a stud rotation at this point though. They have plenty of question marks themselves.
Hey ….everybody has questions marks….the original comment was about a “stud” rotation of the Sox….just commenting that I differed with that comment. Or is that blasphemy because its not “Sox positive”!
If anybody has issues, its you Sox fans who rush to defend anytime something less than praiseworthy is said about your team.
You got a problem with that stud?
The Sox have a stud rotation, just sayin, hope they don’t need the bull pen. DD can pick up a reliever for the second haft unless the EVIL empire hasn’t already steamrolled over the AL east. I agree, 3 outta 5 would be #1 in NY. The Evil Empire fans are just living in the past. They are so jealous steaming from their ALL-TIME CHOKE in 2004. The biggest CHOKE in sports history, any sport. I give them a powerful hitting team, n a huge bullpen but, you can’t tell what will happen with CC, a SERIOUS heart problem, Sev a rotator problem , n Tanaka who knows which one will show up, kinda like Porcello, you never know which one will show up
rocky7 you say all that but who won the World Series the Red Sox so stick two socks in your mouth and shut your im a
New Yorker attitude.
Wow why don’t you stick it where the sun don’t shine Jerkoff!
Wow , way to keep it classy rocky typical New Yorker.
And I thought he was wishing him a good morning.
You attack Sale for missing some time in an otherwise Cy Young worthy season…meanwhile, Mr. Severino won’t be setting foot on the field until maybe sometime in May? Yeah, that’s reasonable.
Phillies are at least one or two pitchers away!
Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton…
Yeah, proof, but they had one of the best offenses in MLB when they won the WS.
Their offense this season is yet to be proven.
Besides, I don’t know why people here seem to think a great rotation is a guarantee of anything. The playoffs are a crapshoot, so anything can happen.
“Would only cost their 3rd draft pick ” in the Braves case that’s pick 60 and 1.2 million in draft money
I hope for Kimbrels family he gets a job. If I were him I’d fire Boras . The Evil Empire paid Chapman what Kimbrel wants, not sure why Kimbrel is asking so much.
Boras is not his agent.
Kimbrel would have to fire himself for his unreasonably high ask. He has a small time agent.
In all honesty if boras was his agent he would’ve hit the market 2 years ago and probably gotten himself 85 million bucks.
Kimbrel has yet to be signed cause he was awful in the playoffs where it matters most. He has been one of the best regular season closers statistically ever.
Going by folty’s confrontation with the media 2-3 weeks ago when he was upset and just didn’t wana talk; consider me seriously worried he knows It’s worse than they’re playing it out it to be.. Wouldn’t surprise me one single bit if he’s off to visit Dr Andrew’s within the next month.. This all reminds me of when Smoltzie went thru It..A TRUE; PURE COMPETITOR has difficulty dealing with the reality and frustrates them to the core.. *fingers crossed*
Dallas might want to settle for a Kyle deal for that total for 2 years. Either that or a 1 year deal.
This Eovaldi signing proves that a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.
Doesn’t everyone believe Kimbrel would get on his hands and knees to accept Eovaldli’s deal? Now?
He could have had that. 4 years/$68M.
Sounds like the Red Sox only had $68M to spend and Eovaldi got it first because of emotion. Eovaldi wanted to play in Boston.
It’s just that simple.
Kimbrel will get a job but he has to be going through hell waiting.
Kinbrel bombed in the clutch during the playoffs.
Eovaldi shined.
Maybe Kimbrel is hurt and everyone knows it?
Kind of and inside baseball secret?
Spending big on closers has always been one of the riskier plays and owners are more risk averse than ever right now. If a big name had to be on the outside looking in in the middle of March, I’m not surprised that it’s Kimbrel
I don’t think Kimbrel is hurt, I think he’s making demands like the market was 5 years ago and he hasn’t realized the radical change.
First, yes the FA market in the last two years has been slower. Maybe it’s collusion but it can also just be a natural market reaction to rising prices. Second, the role of the closer might be beginning to change. A lot of people flat out attacked BIll Balou for his “I won’t vote for Mariano Rivera” stance but his article did contain some very useful information. Part of it is there’s a growing sentiment amongst managers and front offices that a closer is overrated. Third, Kimbrel did not end the season great. His overall numbers last season we’re solid but his second half splits were not and ask any Red Sox fan who saw him coming out of the bullpen in August and September. We were getting flashbacks of the last years of Papelbon making the game just a little too interesting.
Kimbrel is going to be a powerful addition to any team but for only 60 or so innings no team wants to commit as much as he originally demanded.
Kershaw made a ton of money, first ballot hall of famer, but I’d be happy if he never throws again.
Why do you even think about how much money he’s made?
The greatest pitcher of our generation and you want him to be done by age 30. And I thought we had baseball fans around here.
Why?
Because antibelt is a fool. As is anyone else who thinks that Kershaw is done simply due to the fact that he set the bar so high with his extreme excellence that a “down year”” for him is still better than the vast majority of SPs in MLB. If Kershaw only pitches 2/3 of a season he is still worth much more than any other SP that is not in Cy Young contention on any given year.
I didn’t say he wasn’t going to play again, I said I didn’t mind if he didn’t. Snowflakes on patrol today!
Not sure why this is surprising. Keuchel’s K/9 slipped below 7 last year. Anyone who plays fantasy baseball, let alone a MLB GM knows that’s when a pitcher is on the edge of a sharp decline. Add to that his decrease in GB% and there are red flags galore for this guy. I would take a flyer on him for one year, but any longer than that and you’re playing with fire.
The Braves aren’t signing anyone to help other than the wasted 23 mil on Josh Donaldson and what a waste Markakis. They are clueless and cheap.
Not a magical combination
Well, Donaldson seems to still have something left and Markakis wasn’t expensive and he is what he is – he never misses a game, plays decent defense in a corner and hits his usual 280/350/400 every year. There’s some value there.
Super Stars of the game when they are 25, 26,27 years old will always make the big money when becoming Free Agents. Player’s over 30 and player’s who have declining numbers are no longer worth the comittment especially if draft choice is included. Not all teams seem to think paying over 10 mil per in a long term contract is worth the returns with relief pitchers. I am amazed the Phillies stepped up to the plate for player of Harper’s proven track record. Smart money was on Machado as he is the better of the two.
My biggest support of the braves signing keuchel or gio comes from the fact that a young rotation is going to break down in august/September. I think until then the braves would be able to compete just fine with their young pitchers but once they hit that 150 ip threshold im afraid it’s gonna get real ugly.
Of course that does mean the trade deadline is an option too. I’m of the opinion that keuchel had a down year but he’s got a jamie moyer type repertoire that will let him pitch effectively for another 10 years. If hes still available once the season starts he seems like a reasonable investment.
To me, Eovaldi is the example of how “free agency” should work. Players select the teams where they want to go, so it’s not just a bidding war. I realize this potentially doesn’t maximize income, but that process can prevent teams from signing other good players. It should always be about playing where you to play (hence the word free) and helping that team to win. Otherwise they can just rename the process to be “agency free” meaning the agency you hire is free to pursue the highest possible contract regardless of the consequences. When I worked as an actuary, if I used an employment agency to find me a job, I was still in control of where I interviewed. There were companies that I would never work for that might pay really well. I would not interview at those companies. If I interviewed well and a company offered me a job, within some negotiating room, I accepted the salary and benefits they offered to me. There are about as many lettered property and casualty actuaries as there are professional baseball players so it’s not like we grow on trees. We are not unionized but I don’t think of a union as the enemy. The players can still control their outcomes by clearly providing information to their agents. That to me is more effective than what some players have done for the money. It boils down to not being selfish and greedy, much like everything else in life.
Use kirshaw as “the opener” on opening day.
Anyone else going to point out that the Red Sox have looked absolutely awful this spring? At almost every position too.
All you Red Sox fans think your the best team, watch the YouTube videos about the Red Sox starters in the playoffs supposedly using a sticky substance on their hands. There are videos with price tapping his left hand to his chest and his shirt sticking to his hand. The there is porcella obviously has a shiny substance on his left wrist that he touches every time he receives the ball back from the catcher watch the videos the tell me what the Red Sox are the best at
I’m guessing you also believe the moon landing was faked, JFK was assassinated by the CIA, and the Earth is flat.
And that RBI are the mark of a good hitter…
As a matter of fact I DO. Did you watch the video or are you just commenting because you don’t have anything else to do
No doubt Eovaldi pitched well in the WS. But he has a career 44-53 record / 4.16 ERA and has given up more than a hit per inning (887 hits in 850IP) and signed for four years at $68MM with an extensive injury history.
Wow.
It wasn’t just the WS, though. He was fantastic for his whole tenure with the Sox last year.
I presume the Sox management has better information than we do. The trainers who worked with Eovaldi and tuned him up to perform like an ace for the last half of last year may know exactly what it took to create that performance and have confidence they can make it happen again. As to the injury history, I hope they have a good sense of that too, and how durable he looks going forward.
The Red Sox bullpen has a motto. A little tar can make you a star
A third round pick for a team that has major international sanctions for the next few years is a big deal.
Pretty sure Keuchel’s being unsigned has nothing to do with lack of offers. If people keep bringing you plates of food and you continually hold your nose and roll your eyes, it’s your own fault if you go hungry.
It seems like teams are very reluctant to give up a draft pick in order to sign a free agent, and Keuchel is simply one of the latest to see his market affected by it. There are certainly other factors, including his age and decline in production, but recent years have shown that the draft pick compensation has been a significant factor for a given free agent’s potential market.
But it’s not just the draft pick comp. Keuchel was reportedly requesting a contract of 6/150 at the beginning of the offseason.
He’s a good pitcher, but that’s #1 money, not #3 money, and if you were a GM you would have said “no” to that also.
MLBTR’s free agent predictor had him a 4/82. He and the Boras team should have paid attention to that. They didn’t. Therefore it’s possible that many teams that we potential landing spots for him turned their attention to and signed other guys who’s demands were more reasonable, and the market for him shrank.
Now, he’s sitting out there with no contract, and, as you point out, draft pick comp tied to signing him, so even a team that might be agreeable to bringing him in on a 1 year pillow contract has to think really hard about giving up a draft pick to do it.
Which team is that? Certainly not one of the non-contenders in the AL. Even potential contenders in the AL like the A’s, Rays and Tribe and Twinkies are probably not giving up a draft pick on a short term deal. That leaves, perhaps, the Angels in the AL. IN the NL, ATL and MIA aren’t giving up the draft pick, he’s not an upgrade for the Mets and Nats, and the Phillies have a bunch of young SP who pitched well for 4 months last season and need to prove they can go all year. IMO scratch any team in the NL Central, the Dodgers don’t need him, the Rockies probably wonder how he would do in Coors, the Snakes don’t look like they’ll bite, the Giants are looking a a season of non-contention and the Friars… OK, maybe.
So where does he go at this point?
Boras has pulled rabbits out of his hat before, so nothing would surprise me, but Keuchel’s market seems so limited right now that it’s hard to see any fit at the dollars he wants.
This is the correct answer, by the way. Keuchel wants to be paid like Scherzer, but he’s not going to pitch like him.
If he waits until the MLB draft, then the draft pick is no longer part of the deal, and the first year salary is prorated, making Year 5 on the deal more palatable financially (since 5 full guaranteed years for a pitcher his age is not a smart idea).
My guess is he will sign a 1year deal with Astros, who won’t need to surrender a pick, and won’t be able to put a QO on him next offseason.
Given that Eovaldi really only wanted to go to one of two teams, and one of them wasn’t interested,the Sox were basically bidding against themselves. We don’t know what the Angels or Phillies were offering, but if the Sox offered the same or more they probably overpaid. They could have underbid the other two teams by a small amount and still signed him.
Of course, you don’t want to buy bad will, so you have to be careful and not underbid too much.
The best thing Keuchel can do is go to the NL. He was a quality pitcher in the AL and can be a star if he goes to the NL. The Braves are crazy not to give him a two year deal with a club option for a third year. If he will take it