2012-2013 Off-season thread part II

[Redsox07Champs]

It's quiet...I dont like it.

[Soxfan85]

alexspeier #redsox announce minor lg signings of OF Mitch Maier, RHP Terry Doyle, UT Drew Sutton (returns!), RHP Oscar Villareal, RHP Jose De La Torre

[j-bay]

Joe McDonald@ESPNJoeyMac

Cherington on adding another outfielder: “We’re working on it. I’m not sure I can classify the progress but we’re working on it."

[Soxfan85]

jaysonst Source familiar with #RedSox thinking on chances they'll sign Josh Hamilton: "They're not zero percent. But they're not high."

[AI4]

I'm really hoping this Saltalamacchia for Gavin Floyd rumor has legs.

[EEasyA]

No offense bags but im glad you are not the Gm. It's not fair to a point that you are judging Hamilton because of his past. His drug and alcohol problems. No one would like for someone to judge us solely on our past. Furthermore,for all we know, Hamilton could come here and produce great, turn his life around and be a role model. Name me a single player that hasn't done something stupid or bad.

[j-bay]

Boston Red Sox‏@RedSox

Ben Cherington when asked about ideal right fielder for Fenway... joked Dwight Evans

[AI4]

No offense bags but im glad you are not the Gm. It's not fair to a point that you are judging Hamilton because of his past. His drug and alcohol problems. No one would like for someone to judge us solely on our past. Furthermore,for all we know, Hamilton could come here and produce great, turn his life around and be a role model. Name me a single player that hasn't done something stupid or bad.

No, we're glad you are not the GM. Don't judge him? He can turn his life around? For all we know the pressure of playing in Boston and dealing with the media sharks can get to him. Imagine if he relapses the first year and we'll be stuck with $25MM+ per for a bad player. This is a business, extensive background work is done on ALL free agents/trade targets and Hamilton's past raises an immense red flag. It is the sole reason why he won't be getting a long-term deal because it's hard to commit to such a fragile person.

[athlete9393]

No offense bags but im glad you are not the Gm. It's not fair to a point that you are judging Hamilton because of his past. His drug and alcohol problems. No one would like for someone to judge us solely on our past. Furthermore,for all we know, Hamilton could come here and produce great, turn his life around and be a role model. Name me a single player that hasn't done something stupid or bad.

He's never going to change his mind. I agree with 100 percent with you, but Bags is so high on how well he can get his stats right that he thinks his opinions are almighty. I bet he'd even be against Babe Ruth for his eating habits or Mickey Mantle for his drinking problems. lol

I completely agree with you on Hamilton though. Man can hit, and we need another power bat in our lineup.

[ruckus16969]

No offense bags but im glad you are not the Gm. It's not fair to a point that you are judging Hamilton because of his past. His drug and alcohol problems. No one would like for someone to judge us solely on our past. Furthermore,for all we know, Hamilton could come here and produce great, turn his life around and be a role model. Name me a single player that hasn't done something stupid or bad.

Look at Babe Ruth....

E bro you are right my man. I'm sick of people bashing this guy for making mistakes in his past. And these people who think just cause they never had any problems in life they are better. (Not you Bags. That last line for Crusis's statement the other day.)

JH plays GREAT baseball. We need some great players.

[athlete9393]

No, we're glad you are not the GM. Don't judge him? He can turn his life around? For all we know the pressure of playing in Boston and dealing with the media sharks can get to him. Imagine if he relapses the first year and we'll be stuck with $25MM+ per for a bad player. This is a business, extensive background work is done on ALL free agents/trade targets and Hamilton's past raises an immense red flag. It is the sole reason why he won't be getting a long-term deal because it's hard to commit to such a fragile person.

All wrong. 1. It has already been stated by the Red Sox that they aren't worried about his past issues at al because any team that signs him will have a plan in place for any unlikely scenario that something happens. 2. Yes, extensive background is done, but not to the point where people are totally rejecting a guy because he had a tough past. My Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth point made this example perfect (obviously he's not Mantle or Ruth, but they are perfect examples of great productive players with issues). 3. The reason he won't get a long term deal is because of his age and his injuries, not because of his past. See part one on more with that issue.

[j-bay]

NASHVILLE -- Ever since Mike Napoli became a offseason priority for the Boston Red Sox, a few players decided to reach out to the veteran catcher/first baseman in an attempt to recruit him to Boston.

It worked.

The Red Sox and Napoli have agreed on a three-year deal worth $39 million. Red Sox pitcher John Lackey and Napoli were teammates in Anaheim with the Angels, so it was Lackey who led the recruiting process.

“I’ve been working on him and I had a couple of guys text him,” Lackey told ESPNBoston.com. “We’ve been recruiting him the last few weeks, so I’m glad things worked out and we got him. He’s going to be a great addition to the club.”

Lackey and Napoli played together for four seasons and the veteran pitcher made sure to push the fact that there’s a good group of players in the Red Sox clubhouse and Napoli’s presence would only help solidify the type of character the team is trying to build.

“We talked about the guys on the team and I told him how great of a group of guys we have on the team,” Lackey said. “I had [Jon] Lester and [Dustin Pedroia] texting him and kind of recruiting him too. Those guys were getting in his ear, trying to convince him to come to Boston. Ben and those guys did a great job and they obviously put together an offer that he liked. It’s going to be fun.

“He’s fun. He’s a guy who likes to have a good time, but when it’s time to go he’s ready to compete. He’s not going to be scared about anything. He’ll get right in there and he’ll get after it. It’ll be a good spot for him. He’s performed well in big games, and in Boston every game is a big game. I think he’ll fit in nicely. He loves hitting at Fenway, I know that.”

Napoli's numbers back that up.

“He’s a guy who likes to hit the ball out of the park and Fenway’s a pretty good place to hit it out of the park,” Lackey said. “Naps a good dude, man.”

Lester chimed in Monday afternoon on Twitter.

“Heard right before I got in the deer stand we signed Napoli. Awesome addition to our team!”

As far as Lackey’s offseason and continued rehab from Tommy John surgery that forced the right-hander to miss the entire 2012 season, he said he’s healthy and ready to go for spring training.

“I can’t wait to get this going,” he said. “I’m pretty much full go and I’m doing just regular-season workouts. I’m pretty much ready to go. After missing a whole year, I’m ready to get back in there, for sure.”

http://buzztap.com/link.jsp?id=18861...ce=twitterfeed

Best thing Lackey has done in a Red Sox uni

[bagwell368]

Here's the current redsox lineup with their bill james projections (i put it together just for fun)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury
152 G | 15 HR | 67 RBI | 37 SB | .294 AVG | .346 OBP | .436 SLG | .340 wOBA
2. Daniel Nava
87 G | 6 HR | 35 RBI | 3 SB | .266 AVG | .367 OBP | .414 SLG | .339 wOBA
3. Dustin Pedroia
156 G | 17 HR | 76 RBI | 19 SB | .296 AVG | .367 OBP | .459 SLG | .357 wOBA
4. David Ortiz
147 G | 32 HR | 103 RBI | 0 SB | .283 AVG | .386 OBP | .533 SLG | .385 wOBA
5. Mike Napoli
127 G | 29 HR | 75 RBI | 3 SB | .248 AVG | .350 OBP | .498 SLG | .359 wOBA
6. Will Middlebrooks
153 G | 29 HR | 99 RBI | 11 SB | .277 AVG | .316 OBP | .490 SLG | .345 wOBA
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia
110 G | 19 HR | 54 RBI | 0 SB | .239 AVG | .309 OBP | .454 SLG | .329 wOBA
8. Jonny Gomes
113 G | 16 HR | 49 RBI | 4 SB | .236 AVG | .337 OBP | .441 SLG | .331 wOBA
9. Jose Iglesias
139 G | 2 HR | 32 RBI | 16 SB | .240 AVG | .286 OBP | .283 SLG | .254 wOBA

This lineup has some great power in the 3-8 spots. Now imagine if Josh Hamilton was in this lineup instead of Nava?


with a pitcher or two this team could get right back in the thick of it (some 1 year, incentive laden deals perhaps?)

29/99 out of WMB? .240/.286/283 out of Iglesias?

I doubt those predictions.

OBP in the bottom 4 slots isn't that great.

[bagwell368]

********! 2011 Cardinals... not one pitcher won over 15 games. You don't need 2 shutdown pitchers. Obviously it helps, but the Cardinals arguably didn't even have one. And don't give me Carpenter, overated as far as I'm concerned. He wasn't a "shutdown pitcher," he was just a good one.

But that team would be a WC team now, having a one game playoff vs. the Braves and Hudson or Jurrjens - and may well not have gotten any further.

9? How about 20. If you look at Ortiz, Pedroia, and ellsbury's WAR from the previous season (2011), so not far off of what they could have done in 2012 is playing, their WAR would add up to 19. Add in all the other injuries and everything, you get at least 25, but all right, I'll give you 20.

So the injured players replacements did nothing the whole time? Sure thing.

Take away 20+5+5 (5 for the 2 to 3 additional players you add this year), and you get 30. That's 63 losses and that is likely a first place team and a very good one. Remember too that I underestimated as well.

Ah the optimism of youth.

This a lost cause. Why don't we throw in Pujols and Jeter and Manny and Pedro... No ****! Obviously you're gonna be great, but I didn't see any of those guys playing for the Giants... I saw a group of guys who meshed together and produced... same goes for the 2011 Cardinals.

This is the AL East, you need to be great to win it. The NL specializes in the sorts of teams you seem to like. Too bad.

Again, stop trying to downplay this team just because last year was a hopeless cause.

Again, you are entitled to your opinions, and I to mine.

[EEasyA]

No, we're glad you are not the GM. Don't judge him? He can turn his life around? For all we know the pressure of playing in Boston and dealing with the media sharks can get to him. Imagine if he relapses the first year and we'll be stuck with $25MM+ per for a bad player. This is a business, extensive background work is done on ALL free agents/trade targets and Hamilton's past raises an immense red flag. It is the sole reason why he won't be getting a long-term deal because it's hard to commit to such a fragile person.

I Never said i was the Gm and all oh Certain players can't play in Boston is Hogwash and Media made up fantasy. No one knows whether Hamilton could play in Boston or not. Everyone has and are entitled to their opinions, but let's not act its grounded on facts. Opinions are subjective not objective.

Lastly, why are you glad im not the Gm. Is it because i don't hate him like someone people do here and hold his past against him. I never once suggested we sign Hamilton for 5 years and 175 mil. I clearly said we should offer him a 4 year 135 mil with an option for a 5th. Furthermore, i said if we could put a clause in his contract if he relapses, but the MLBPA would never allow that.

Ben Cherington needs to do his due diligence on Hamilton. He is an elite player and if ben doesn't, he is not doing his job and should be fired. I finish up by saying by me saying/wanting the Red sox to sign Hamiton because i believe he would make our team better, and me not holding his past against him makes anyone wish i wasn't the Gm.I'm glad im not. I hope we sign Hamilton now because of the vitol going against.