MLB Off-Season

[finfangfool]

I'm OK with my Sox signing Napoli. We don't need C depth as much as we needed OF or pitching, but he can play 1B and he's got power. Might even strike out less than Salty. Hope our next step is signing some pitching. I'd like to see Brandon McCarthy from Oakland, Shaun Marcum, Ryan Dempster, Anibal Sanchez, or even Edwin Jackson come to my Red Sox. I don't trust Lohse for the money we'd have to pay coming off that career year (have to wonder if it's a fluke), Greinke also would be too expensive and uncertain (although you know he has talent), Haren would be nice if we signed him for a couple of years if he couldn't find a long-term deal and hope that he bounced back, and I see the Mets want to ship off Dickey but he's also very uncertain (also a career year at the age of 38) and I don't know what we'd have to give to get him. Ah well, I'll just enjoy my Patriots season and worry about the Sox after we get knocked out of the playoffs.

[finfangfool]

And now we add Victorino. Like Napoli he's on the wrong side of 30, his skills are on the decline, and we overpaid. But also like Napoli he fills a role we need, there's a chance he bounces back in a new environment, and his is only a 3-year contract. Hamilton would have wanted more per year than the pair of them and a 6 or 7-year contract to go along with it. Hamilton might contribute more for the next two years than the two of them combined (not would but might), but after that he'd be another albatross like Crawford or Lackey (why couldn't we have talked the Dodgers into taking Lackey as a throw-in?). Now that we've got all the batters we're likely to sign it's time to focus on that pitching problem. Haren's off the market (we could have tried for 2 years at 13 mil a piece and I'd have been fine with that, but what's done is done) so we'd better hurry up. Still some quality SPs out there, but there won't be for long. If we could grab Soriano away from the Yankees and hope Bailey stays healthy long enough to be a set-up man (or just use Aceves and/or Bard if he ever recovers) that'd be nice too.

[DennyK]

Here's the latest on Josh Hamilton: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[DennyK]

Are the Rangers the leaders in the Greinke sweepstakes? http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[Mark Parnell]

Playing in front of 3,000 people in Toronto.. that's approx. twice as many as he played in front of in Miami!

The Jays were 23 rd in attendance last year with an average of 25,951 and while the days of filling he Rogers Centre are probably long over, there is a great buzz around the Jays after this trade. For the first time in 8 years I have ordered tickets for the Jays next year. My guess is that they will end up top 15 in attendance but winning is what will ultimately put asses back into the seats. I like what AA has done but Tampa to me is still the best team in The East.

[Mark Parnell]

As a Jays fan I get that the Red Sox don't really have the luxury of rebuilding and while I agree that Victorino and Napoli fill needs I think they would have been better suited looking at getting younger. In terms of pitching, McCarthy would be a great pick up but I would avoid Dempster and Dickey. The hot rumour is the Jays going after Dickey and like you I am a little scared of a 38 year old pitcher. I get he's a knuckleballer but not at the cost of what the Mets would want.

[finfangfool]

Well crap. McCarthy signed and on the cheap by the Diamondbacks. Wish my Sox would have gotten him. More pitchers being signed every day, and not by us. No more Haren either. From what's left I'd like to see us get Marcum first, Anibal Sanchez 2nd, Edwin Jackson 3rd, or Ryan Dempster as a last resort. Greinke and Lohse aren't worth the money it would take, and nobody after Dempster is worth rostering (even taking into account what little we have and that Lackey is a part of it).

[DennyK]

James Shields is now a member of the Kansas City Royals: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[DennyK]

The Dodgers have signed Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[DennyK]

Mark Reynolds is now a member of the Cleveland Indians: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[DennyK]

Michael Young is now a Phillie: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[Mark Parnell]

Can anyone tell me what Kevin Towers was thinking today? I like the KC / Tampa deal especially if KC can sign Shields to a long term contract but how does Towers give up on Baeur for a shortstop who is above average on D but whose career OBP in the minor leagues is awful and who really can't hit???

[finfangfool]

It was a bad trip up to the majors for Bauer, but he's a kid. I'd agree that it was a bad call.

[Vibranium]

so Hamilton to the Angels, Napoli to the Red Sox, and the loss of some other people

Texas...welcome back to the land of the irrelevant

[finfangfool]

Nah, decent hitting still and a couple of decent pitchers (and the Free Agency period hasn't ended yet, still some quality starters out there). I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rangers back on top of their division. Angels lost Greinke and Haren, Pujols is another year older (will he get off to the slow start again?), Trout seems phenomenal but who knows if he can keep that pace, and even with everything going right last year (gaining Greinke, and effectively Trout, Trumbo stepping up, etc.) it didn't help them. Will the A's contend again, or were they a fluke? Wouldn't count the Rangers out just yet. Now my Red Sox? Looking pretty certain we'll be in the bottom half of the AL East.