2012-2013 Off-season thread.

[Nomar]

Or maybe he was a beast in Fenway because he hit well against Red Sox pitching, not because of the park itself.

Honestly, not terribly interested in a player who seems like a home and away platoon player.

Yet you want Ross resigned i presume... Napoli is less of a H/A platoon guy, bu he probably isnt worth the money i would say.

I wouldnt think Fenway would be much better tan the Ballpark in Arlington for him too. Ill probably have to pass.

[bagwell368]

I want Napoli on a 3 year deal (maybe 4 if thats what it takes), because he is a beast in fenway.

Let him play some 1B, C, and DH.

Platoon hitter with two very good years in his 7 year career. He's aging. He's been banged up a bit. He's a below average fielding catcher. Outside of those two years, he's essentially been Salty.

He's going to command way too much money and years for what he is.

Signing him would be a major mistake.

[Station 13]

I wonder what the Twins want for Willingham? Power RH bat we need to hit 5-6th.

[BostonSports96]

In the last two years Lester had 64 starts - 12 of which were poor.

Some selected monthly ERA+

2011 Apr: 2.52
2011 Jun: 2.31
2011 Jul: 1.56
2011 Aug: 2.78
2012 Jun: 4.01
2012 Aug: 3.59
2012 Sep: 3.96

Trading the best SP (top 12 ML pitcher since 2008 (per rWAR) - better then Lincecum and Price) from a staff with distinct issues in the starting staff quality and depth for "kids" is unwarranted and unwise.

Okay, that is not what I said at all.

I said Lester "MAYBE gets traded" after some of these kids establish themselves and he becomes expendable. They may just let him walk after 2014, which is likely the case.

Am I lobbying to trade Lester? Nope.

Bags "The King of twisting words" strikes again.

[BackyardRounder]

We have a lot of money to spend, but looking at the next two years of free agents there isn't a whole lot of quality players available. Barring some kind of an Orioles-like run next year, I don't see us being competitive until at least 2014. There isn't a quick fix out there and I think our clubhouse issues are too great to be solved by next year.

2013 FA's

Starters
Zach Greinke
Jake Peavy
Dan Haren
Kyle Lohse
Hiroki Kuroda
Ryan Dempster
Edwin Jackson
Anibal Sanchez
Brandon McCarthy

Position Players
Josh Hamilton
David Ortiz
Mike Napoli
Michael Bourn
Adam LaRoche
Nick Swisher
Ryan Ludwick
Torii Hunter
Kevin Youkilis
Lance Berkman


2014 FA's

Starters
Tim Lincecum
Matt Garza
Ubaldo Jiminez
Josh Johnson
Chris Carpenter
Dan Haren*
Ervin Santana*

Position Players
Mike Morse
Paul Konerko
Chase Utley
Miguel Cabrera
Martin Prado
Alex Gordon
Jacoby Ellsbury
Adam Jones
*Brian McCann
*Robinson Cano
*Ian Kinsler
*David Wright
*Curtis Granderson

As you can see, there's some difference makers out there, but probably not enough to turn a 93 loss team in to a 93 win team without gambling on large contracts for players with warts.

So at some point will we be forced to make a trade, will we go back to giving out inflated contracts for players who probably won't earn them, or will we just punt to 2015 and hope that Kershaw and Verlander remain free agents?

[Justabitoutside]

Of coarse a trade will probably be made. I am just hoping we don't give away the farm, for a piece that isn't justifieable. Josh Johnson is an interesting discussion. I am not sure what it would take, but I can see us making a run at him.

I don't think any team is going to holdout, to see if Verlander & Kershaw hit the open market. That simply isn't going to happen.

[BackyardRounder]

It wouldn't just be a matter of holding out for those two starters. It would also be an issue of addressing clubhouse issues, waiting to see what we have in Lavarnway, Middlebrooks, Bogaerts, Bradley, Kalish, Iglesias, Barnes, Cecchini and perhaps even stockpiling additional prospects to make a trade for a Felix Hernandez type.

[NYSPORTS98]

Some talk in Ny about the Sox being a good home for Ike Davis. Davis has some sickness for half the season so the average is very likely not accurate. Very good glove and hit 30 HR. Why would the Mets move him? The Mets are the Jets and it likely makes sense to them.

[Justabitoutside]

As of now, we need a LF, RF, 1B, DH, and a SP. We will probably fill one of those needs via trade. Now we will probably Re-sign Ross to fill RF, and Ortiz to fill DH. We are presumabely down to filling LF, 1B, and SP. If we can get Justin Upton & Josh Johnson without giving up too much, we may be able to compete for 90 wins. That still will not be enough to make the play-offs. As much as I want to compete, the reality of the situation always sets in.

In the end the Red Sox will make a few small moves to make it seem like they are trying to compete. The fans will be happy to win 90 games instead of 69, and we have a core of players to move forward into 2014 and beyond.

[bagwell368]

Okay, that is not what I said at all.

I said Lester "MAYBE gets traded" after some of these kids establish themselves and he becomes expendable. They may just let him walk after 2014, which is likely the case.

Am I lobbying to trade Lester? Nope.

Bags "The King of twisting words" strikes again.

Wait, so I'm "twisting your words" - but you present your logic on why the Sox need to move off of Lester. Do you understand that this enfeebles your argument utterly?

"twisting words" has nothing to do with my motivation, sir, however you did provide me with a springboard to make my points on Lester.

[BackyardRounder]

I don't see how Justin Upton or Josh Johnson would address our many issues. I think we'll simply need to be patient, and try to build the team correctly, rather than doing the rash free agent signings that got us in to such trouble the last few years.

[bagwell368]

Goals for 2013:

#1. Do not weaken the future by trading away the top 8 specs (projectable) for any reason. Do deal kids that are deemed not able to make it such as Iglesias.

#2. Accept that no matter what we do, we can't win the WS

#3. Accept our chances of making the playoffs are less than 50/50

#4. Finish off dealing the cancers from the team no later than opening day 2014.

#5. Get a coaching staff that has an emphasis on taking pitches and high OBP, and throwing strikes. Get a top flight workout regimen for each player.

#6. Avoid big $ FA deals.

Following these rules puts us in much better chance to repeat making the playoff in 2015-2016. For one thing we won't be tossing big bucks away on guys like Napoli that are liable to be toast by 2015-2016.

[Nomar]

Alex Gordon got an extension early this year, and wont be a FA until 2016. Just so you guys know.

[Nomar]

Trading Lester makes no sense to me after his down year. It makes way more sense to trade Buchholz given the value his contract alone gives him. I doubt either gets traded though.

[BostonSports96]

Wait, so I'm "twisting your words" - but you present your logic on why the Sox need to move off of Lester. Do you understand that this enfeebles your argument utterly?

"twisting words" has nothing to do with my motivation, sir, however you did provide me with a springboard to make my points on Lester.

You strike yet again. I said Lester might get traded if some of the young guys can establish themselves.

When did I ever present my logic in a way that the Sox need to move off of Lester? Did I suggest they move him? No.

And yes, you are twisting words, you're the master of it.