Red Sox Notes: Gonzalez, Ramirez, Scutaro
The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays today, so they have now won three consecutive games for the first time all season. Here's the latest on the Red Sox:
- Cork Gaines of Business Insider notes that the Red Sox saved $4.6MM by waiting until last week to extend Adrian Gonzalez. Because of the luxury tax, it would have been expensive for Boston to announce Gonzalez's extension much earlier.
- The Red Sox have only signed only player for more money than the $154MM they committed to Gonzalez: Manny Ramirez signed for $160MM as a free agent in 2000. Earlier today, Jim Callis of Baseball America dug up some old scouting reports on Ramirez, whose bat stood out, even as a high schooler.
- Manny went 13th overall to the Indians in the 1991 draft, which I took a closer look at last week.
- Marco Scutaro told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he doesn't mind sitting more while the red-hot Jed Lowrie plays regularly. Lowrie and Jose Iglesias could push Scutaro out of Boston within the next year, but the Red Sox are likely glad to have him on the roster at this point.
- Be sure to check out Tim Dierkes' review of Boston's offseason.
Offseason In Review: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Carl Crawford, LF: seven years, $142MM.
- David Ortiz, DH: one year, $12.5MM. Club option exercised.
- Bobby Jenks, RP: two years, $12MM.
- Dan Wheeler, RP: one year, $3MM. Includes $3MM+ vesting/club option for 2012
- Jason Varitek, C: one year, $2MM.
- Hideki Okajima, RP: one year, $1.75MM.
- Matt Albers, RP: one year, $875K. Arbitration eligible after 2011 season.
- Alfredo Aceves, SP: one year, $650K. Arbitration eligible after 2011 season.
- Total spend: $174.775MM.
Notable Minor League Signings
- Andrew Miller, Randy Williams, Dennys Reyes, Brandon Duckworth, Nate Spears, Rich Hill, Tony Pena, Paul Hoover, Matt Fox
Extensions
- Clay Buchholz, SP: four years, $29.945MM. Includes $13MM club option for 2016 with a $245K buyout and $13.5MM club option for 2017 with a $500K buyout.
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B: seven years, $154MM.
Trades and Claims
- Acquired SS Brent Dlugach from Tigers for RP Pedro Perez
- Acquired P Andrew Miller from Marlins for RP Dustin Richardson. Miller was later non-tendered and re-signed to a minor league deal.
- Acquired 1B Adrian Gonzalez from Padres for SP Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo, CF Reymond Fuentes, and OF/2B Eric Patterson
- Acquired 2B Tony Thomas from Cubs for P Robert Coello
- Acquired cash considerations from Indians for OF Bubba Bell
- Acquired C Mike McKenry from Rockies for RP Daniel Turpen
Notable Losses
- Adrian Beltre, Victor Martinez, Bill Hall, Mike Lowell, Pedro Perez, Dustin Richardson, Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo, Reymond Fuentes, Eric Patterson, Robert Coello, Bubba Bell, Daniel Turpen
Summary
This offseason the Red Sox lost a couple of key contributors in Beltre and Martinez, compensating by committing to Crawford and Gonzalez through 2017 and '18, respectively. Otherwise, GM Theo Epstein retained Ortiz, tinkered with the bullpen, and locked up Buchholz to a flexible contract.
Beltre and Martinez were huge losses for the Red Sox, who did not seem aggressive about retaining either player. The team was able to maintain great corner infield offense, while improved left field production should make up for a downgrade at catcher. The draft pick results: the Sox lost #24 to sign Crawford, but gained #19, 26, 36, and 40 for Beltre and Martinez. The Red Sox once again demonstrated that it's better to sign someone else's Type A and let yours leave rather than re-sign your own.
The Red Sox flexed their financial muscle with the Crawford signing, agreeing to a contract in the range of what most people expected for the left fielder. His first 58 plate appearances of 2011 notwithstanding, Crawford adds offensive value with his bat and a little more with his basestealing. Still, Corey Hart and Nick Swisher offer similar offensive production, and they wouldn't have gotten seven-year deals or $20MM salaries as free agents. Instead, the Crawford signing appears to be the biggest investment in defense we've ever seen.
Only a few teams could afford to pay Crawford over $100MM, but the battle to obtain Gonzalez was a level playing field. The superstar first baseman earns just $6.3MM this year, about a quarter of his market value. Acquiring him for the 2011 season meant luxury tax savings and no draft pick cost. Gonzalez instead cost three significant young players. Kelly is a consensus top 50 prospect, and Rizzo fits into the top 75. Fuentes is also highly regarded.
Even dealing with the GM who knows Boston's farm system best, Jed Hoyer, Epstein made a good win-now move in acquiring Gonzalez. A trade like this makes more sense for the Red Sox than waiting for the prospects to develop. Another benefit: Gonzalez was willing to sign a below-market contract and didn't require the 2011 salary to be overwritten.
The Buchholz extension was of a different type; the Red Sox guaranteed him almost $30MM in the name of three free agent years and possible arbitration savings. This has been an effective strategy for Boston, but as it gains in popularity the prices rise and the deals become less team-friendly. Though Buchholz's 2.33 ERA earned him a sixth-place Cy Young finish last year, Baseball Prospectus' SIERA put him at 4.29. The top-notch ERA estimator placed Kevin Slowey and Luke Hochevar in the same ballpark, so Buchholz isn't an ace yet. Like Jon Lester after '08, the Sox need Buchholz to take another step forward to make this contract a big win.
Epstein's bullpen tinkering brought in Jenks, Wheeler, Okajima, Albers, Aceves, plus several lefties on minor league deals. The Red Sox could have purchased a more established southpaw, looking at the free agent market.
I agree with the decision to exercise Ortiz's option, even if $12.5MM seems steep compared to certain DH signings. Victor Martinez and Adam Dunn required at least that much, plus four-year commitments, to essentially serve as DHs. The trio is a cut above players like Vladimir Guerrero, Hideki Matsui, and Jack Cust.
Waiting until the Gonzalez extension became official allows me to talk about Boston's slow start; they're 5-10 at the time of this writing. This is a concern. If you pegged them as a 95 win team back in March and consider the first 15 games a fluke, they're projected now to win 91 games. Unless the team balances their start by reeling off a winning streak, I think they'll be aggressive in seeking trade deadline upgrades.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Quick Hits: Gonzalez, Padres, Rays, Mariners
Links for Sunday, as Grady Sizemore homers versus the Orioles in his return to the Indians' lineup….
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains why Adrian Gonzalez's contract extension makes sense for the Red Sox.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker takes a look back at his favorite offseason trades.
- The Padres have hired former Major League outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds as a professional scout, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock. Hammonds was the #4 overall pick in the 1992 draft by the Orioles and represented the Rockies in the 2000 All-Star Game in his best season.
- The Rays may add a bat to replace Manny Ramirez, but it likely won't happen anytime soon, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Not only will the trade market develop as the season progresses, but the Rays should also have a better idea in a couple months whether they'll be buyers or sellers.
- The Brewers have signed Luis Figueroa to a minor league deal, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. The infielder has only seen 16 big league plate appearances, most recently in 2007, but hit .319/.354/.429 in nearly 500 Triple-A PAs last season.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) wonders if Jack Zduriencik and Felix Hernandez will be a part of the Mariners' next winning team.
- Adrian Gonzalez's extension with the Red Sox is another example of baseball's stars gravitating to a handful of high-payroll teams, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer fields questions about Sizemore, Nick Johnson, and potential contract extensions in an Indians mailbag.
- The Rangers' rotation is holding its own without Cliff Lee so far, says Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Upton, Minaya, Saito
After extending Adrian Gonzalez this week, the Red Sox have guaranteed nearly $300MM to their two big offseason acquisitions, Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. However, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, some baseball people feel that Jayson Werth would have made more sense for the Sox than Crawford. One AL GM says he's "not sure that many of us are unhappy they chose Crawford over Werth," adding that Werth seemed to be a better fit for Boston's lefty-heavy lineup. Here are the rest of the highlights from Cafardo's Sunday Notes:
- The Red Sox may not have even been in on Crawford or Werth this winter if they had re-signed Jason Bay a year earlier. A National League GM calls Bay leaving Boston "one of the worst decisions both by a team and by the player," suggesting that both sides miss each other.
- According to Cafardo, Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers was willing to deal Justin Upton to the Red Sox in the offseason, but only if he got the Adrian Gonzalez package or Clay Buchholz in return.
- Several teams have spoken to Omar Minaya about potential job openings. Minaya, who dubs himself a "free agent," says he's still sorting through everything and searching for the best fit, but he could make a decision soon.
- Cafardo points out that spending time on the disabled list could cost Takashi Saito a good chunk of money this season. Currently on the shelf with a hamstring injury, Saito can earn up to five $100K bonuses based on time spent on the active roster.
Reaction To The Adrian Gonzalez Extension
The Red Sox finalized a contract extension with Adrian Gonzalez today, and while the deal was long-awaited, its completion still generated discussion about how the contract impacts Gonzalez, the Red Sox and some of the game's other top first basemen. Some of the more notable items…
- John Boggs, Gonzalez's agent, talks to WEEI.com's Alex Speier about the history of the negotations between the slugger and the Red Sox, how the deal was almost scuttled in December before Gonzalez was traded from the Padres, and how Boggs "aged a hundred years" when Gonzalez was hit by a C.C. Sabathia pitch last Sunday.
- In a separate post, Speier looks at Gonzalez's extension in the context of the biggest contracts ever. Boston officials note that the Sox have been willing to spend big on players before signing Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. The Red Sox were prepared to commit over $20MM per season to Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira.
- In a video report for FOXSports.com, Jon Paul Morosi said Gonzalez's deal "ratchets up the pressure" on Albert Pujols if the Cardinals slugger hopes to get a milestone free agent deal this winter. If Gonzalez has a better season than Pujols, then it will harder for Pujols and his agents to justify asking for a larger contract than the deal the Red Sox gave the younger Gonzalez.
- Morosi also says "it's possible" Boston could still be in the market for Pujols or Prince Fielder as a DH, as the Sox would part ways with David Ortiz. Pujols and Fielder have both said they want to continue playing first base, but Morosi notes that Victor Martinez and Adam Dunn said the same thing last winter before becoming the primary DH option for the Tigers and White Sox, respectively.
- The theory exists that Gonzalez and the Sox had this extension worked out months ago but waited until now to announce it so the club could avoid paying a luxury tax penalty. Morosi speculates that the new collective bargaining agreement might contain a later deadline than Opening Day for the luxury tax calculations since "the spirit of the law isn't being honored here."
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post
Boston’s Long-Term Commitments
The Red Sox announced their extension with Adrian Gonzalez today, less than a week after locking Clay Buchholz up to a long-term deal of his own. The Red Sox will see at least six players hit free agency after the season, while others are under team control for many years to come. Here's a look how long the Red Sox have their current 25-man roster under team control:
Through 2011: J.D. Drew, David Ortiz, Mike Cameron, Jonathan Papelbon, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek
Through 2012: Bobby Jenks, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Marco Scutaro (option), Dan Wheeler (club option)
Through 2013: Kevin Youkilis, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Albers (currently on DL)
Through 2014: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester (club option), John Lackey, Alfredo Aceves, Jed Lowrie
Through 2015: Dustin Pedroia (club option), Daniel Bard, Darnell McDonald
Through 2016: Felix Doubront
Through 2017: Carl Crawford, Clay Buchholz (club option)
Through 2018: Adrian Gonzalez
Boston may cut ties with some of their arbitration eligible players before they pick up six years of MLB service, but I've listed the current period of team control. With their recent long-term deals, the Red Sox have extended control over their core players. Drew, Ortiz and Papelbon are eligible for free agency after the coming season and after that it appears that Youkilis will be the next major contributor to hit the open market.
Red Sox Extend Adrian Gonzalez
After months of anticipation, the Red Sox have signed Adrian Gonzalez to a contract extension, the team announced. The deal is for seven-years and $154MM, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
Gonzalez gets a $6MM signing bonus, $21MM per year from 2012-16 and $21.5MM in 2017 and 2018, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The contract includes a partial no-trade clause, according to Olney. Gonzalez can block deals to two teams, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Those teams are prohibited from acquiring Gonzalez and flipping him to the Yankees.
It's the second nine-figure contract the Red Sox have agreed to since December (Carl Crawford signed for $142MM) and the second-biggest guarantee in franchise history. Only Manny Ramirez ($160MM, eight years) signed for more guaranteed money.
The Red Sox progressed toward an agreement with Gonzalez's agent, John Boggs, after acquiring the first baseman from the Padres in a December trade. The sides didn't finalize a deal and talks continued earlier in the spring. As Alex Speier of WEEI.com pointed out in December, the Red Sox may have waited to announce the deal because they save on the luxury tax by waiting.
Gonzalez underwent shoulder surgery in October, so the delay also gave Boston time to evaluate his health. The 28-year-old has a .268/.362/.439 line in 41 plate appearances so far, though his career line is a more robust .284/.368/.506.
The extension means Gonzalez won't hit free agency after the season, when Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are expected to test the open market for the first time in their respective careers. Ryan Howard, who signed an extension with the Phillies last April, would have been eligible after 2011 as well.
Trade Or Release Remains Unlikely For Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka had already strained the patience of Red Sox Nation before this Monday’s horrendous start. Boston may skip Matsuzaka’s next outing, but talk of trading or releasing the right-hander remains premature.
The Red Sox aren’t about to give up on Matsuzaka, though their patience for him is dwindling, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Releasing Matsuzaka this year is not an option, according to Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald. The Red Sox still owe Matsuzaka $10MM this year and $10MM more in 2012 and they aren’t eager to eat that much money.
There’s a slim possibility the Red Sox will look into deals for Matsuzaka even though he has a no-trade clause. Peter Gammons said on WEEI's Mut & Merloni show that the Red Sox could consider trading him for another player with a bad contract.
Dennys Reyes Clears Waivers
WEDNESDAY: Reyes cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to MLB.com's transactions page.
FRIDAY: The Red Sox announced that they have designated Dennys Reyes for assignment. In corresponding moves, Boston placed Matt Albers on the 15-day disabled list and called up Alfredo Aceves and Felix Doubront.
After a month of anticipation, the Red Sox selected Reyes and Albers for their Opening Day roster, preferring them over Aceves, Doubront, Hideki Okajima and others. As GM Theo Epstein pointed out before the season, Boston will need all of its relievers at some point in 2011.
Though Reyes isn't to blame for his team's 0-6 start, he hasn't helped. He has walked two and allowed a pair of hits in 1 2/3 innings spread out over four appearances. At one point in yesterday's loss to the Indians, the left-hander hit two consecutive batters. The four appearances cost the Red Sox $900K, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
Quick Hits: Votto, Davis, Matsuzaka, Indians
Links for Tuesday, as the Rangers announce that Josh Hamilton will miss six to eight weeks with a non-displaced fracture of his right shoulder…
- The other MVP from last year, Joey Votto, continues to adjust and improve his game, as Dave Cameron points out at FanGraphs. Votto appears to be chasing fewer pitches outside of the strike zone.
- Trackman, a Danish technology company, is using 3D Doppler radar ball flight measurement to scout pitchers and pitches with hard data, as Tom Verducci reports at SI.com.
- Doug Davis can opt out of his minor league deal with the Cubs on May 30th, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox are, of course, unlikely to trade Daisuke Matsuzaka, despite his awful start yesterday. However, they are considering skipping his next start, according to the Boston Herald.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown examines the Indians' hot start and says it provides us with the "opportunity to discover what is right in an organization that has been forced into hard decisions" since they took a 3-1 lead over the Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS.