Red Sox offseason rumors

[CabanaBoyKen]

I think Abreu is just getting started, and likely will be a good player for a number of years. But the Sox have an abundance of left handed hitting OFers and someone from that group has to go. Might as well make a trade that helps the team with the abundance.

I also wouldn't mind seeing the team eat however much of Yoshida's contract they need to in order to move him to another team. Chalk it up to overestimating what they could expect out of him, take your lumps, but don't tie up the roster spot "just because" for the next 3 years. He's owed $18.6M each year for the next 3. If the Sox eat $10M per year, they're still saving $8.6M ($8.0M toward the CBT) and clearing the roster spot in the process. Although they might have to eat even more than that given the meager production Yoshida has provided.

 

[loyalsoxfan2]

I can't believe they're paying Yoshida that kind of $$$!
That wasn't a good signing.

 

[Takket]

Yoshida just has surgery too. that makes trading him even that much more complicated. but i fully agree they need that roster spot open.

i know the red sox will never sign soto, but there is no denying what him leaving the Y*nkee$ would mean. it would imminently help the red sox changes. that team's offense was soto and judge all year. you take soto away and they are pretty much back to the 500 they were in 2023. heck they were 500 for the last 100 games THIS year even with soto!

The red sox can't make roster moves in an effort to manipulate the Y*nkee$ roster, but they should certainly make their presence known in the bidding process. Make whoever signs him pay dearly for him. maybe the mets will throw such a pile of cash at soto it will be a moot point . But surely if soto wants to win, and wants the biggest contract, neither of those things should lead him to staying with the Y*nkee$. He knows what they all know. this year's Y*nkee$ had a great first 60 games, were a 500 team after that, and only made the world series because a year of pounding on the white sox allowed a bunch of mediocre AL Central teams rise up to meet the Y*nkee$ in the playoffs.

 

[CabanaBoyKen]

Great points Takket. I do believe the Soto market is mostly NY vs NY, with maybe some interest from Philly, Washington and Toronto as well as LA if Soto wants to get creative like Ohtani did. And honestly those teams can have him. He's a great player, but IMO not worth the insane numbers people are throwing out there for him. The Sox have other areas they need to focus on instead.

If the Sox don't land one of Snell, Fried or Burns this winter it's a failure. Flat out. The NEED one of those 3. And I've gone back and forth in my head over all of this since the off-season has started. Lately I'm leaning more toward Snell as the top target. From there they can start looking at trades for other pitching needs. Crochet remains a possibility, although you're only getting 2 guaranteed years with him so that tempers the offer a bit. Looking back at the Sale deal as a comp, he had 3 years of control, although more expensive ones as 2 of those 3 years were contract options for $12.5 and $13.5M. If the Red Sox want Crochet I think it will realistically cost them a package of Mayer, Abreu and a couple much lower level names. But I'd consider that.

 

[Takket]

seeing some crochet to red sox trade rumors floating about. of course, knowing rumors are almost always all bunk, it could mean several things... like the red sox are trying to scare seattle into rushing into a deal before they lose the red sox as a partner.

 

[CabanaBoyKen]

seeing some crochet to red sox trade rumors floating about. of course, knowing rumors are almost always all bunk, it could mean several things... like the red sox are trying to scare seattle into rushing into a deal before they lose the red sox as a partner.

I've been listening to the MLB Network channel on SiriusXM this morning and it seems like Boston is the most talked about team at the forefront of the Crochet rumors. I think Chicago coming out stating that they're prioritizing position players in a return for Crochet lines up perfectly with Boston. One of the commentators mentioned a possibility of something like Abreu and this year's first round pick Braden Montgomery for Crochet. I'd do that deal in a heartbeat.

 

[CabanaBoyKen]

I also heard on there the other day that Nick Pivetta was getting a significant amount of interest from other teams, with the speculation by the commentators being that his peripheral numbers in some areas are very good, and some other GMs may look at him as someone who they can get better production out of by tweaking his pitch mix a bit from what he used in Boston in 2024 to have him focus more on the pitches that the stats show play better. Some of the thinking is he overused the sweeper a bit too much, to his own detriment. Sticking more to 4-seam fastball, Curve, true Slider and Cutter might be more effective. The upside of all the discussion from my standpoint was that if there is that much early interest it increases the chances of him declining the QO. If that does happen I guess we can all just admit we totally misread his situation.

 

[loyalsoxfan2]

I hope Soto goes to the Mets!

 

[DemonessBaby]

I hope Soto goes to the Mets!

I heard the Mets are a possibility. He supposedly wants $600 million for 13 years. If this is true, whoever signs him for this amount will soon regret it.

 

[CabanaBoyKen]

I heard the Mets are a possibility. He supposedly wants $600 million for 13 years. If this is true, whoever signs him for this amount will soon regret it.

I agree. I just don't see him being worth that. But if either NY team wants to tie themselves down with a salary like that go for it.

 

[loyalsoxfan2]

$600 mil, that's nuts. Nobody is that good!
Who does he think he is?
The fact he thinks he's worth that makes me not want him

 

[CabanaBoyKen]

At least when Ohtani got his ridiculous contract last winter it was because there's the expectation that he's going to be a starting pitcher again as well as the phenomenal hitter he is. Soto doesn't provide stellar defense to go along with the offensive numbers. And even his offensive numbers aren't THAT great. Not to match the hype he gets.

 

[Takket]

At least when Ohtani got his ridiculous contract last winter it was because there's the expectation that he's going to be a starting pitcher again as well as the phenomenal hitter he is. Soto doesn't provide stellar defense to go along with the offensive numbers. And even his offensive numbers aren't THAT great. Not to match the hype he gets.

he won't have (literally) the AL single season HR record holder hitting behind him either. nor will he have a short porch to aim at. His production is bound to regress a bit.

Still, he's a beast. but the LT threshold is $241 so if you pay him $45 per year, that's 20% of your payroll for one guy. Assuming you don't breach the LT.

 

[CabanaBoyKen]

he won't have (literally) the AL single season HR record holder hitting behind him either. nor will he have a short porch to aim at. His production is bound to regress a bit.

Still, he's a beast. but the LT threshold is $241 so if you pay him $45 per year, that's 20% of your payroll for one guy. Assuming you don't breach the LT.

Well I did check his numbers and of his 41 HRs this past year he hit 20 at home and 21 away so it's not like he feasted on the short porch. But even so I still don't see him being worth that high an amount. His biggest positives have always been his high OBP and his young age. Age only becomes a factor in length of contract, not AAV, which is something I think gets lost in the hype. And while his high OBP is nice, it's not like he has well above average speed to capitalize on that.

 

[philthepat]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Giants try for Soto too. They've been desperate for someone to take their money for a few years now... not that I think he'll end up there.

 

[SoxFanOC]

Posey is in charge now and he said they are after a shortstop so I can see them going after Adames

 

[SoxFanOC]

I heard the Mets are a possibility. He supposedly wants $600 million for 13 years. If this is true, whoever signs him for this amount will soon regret it.

I think that the Mets will overpay to sign him. But they are losing Alonso, who I think will go to the Y*nkee$.

 

[philthepat]

 

[loyalsoxfan2]

Will he end up with the Dodgers too?

 

[philthepat]

Will he end up with the Dodgers too?

He has to be signed the same was as Ohtani originally was... where he can only sign a minor league deal and a team has to use their IFA bonus money to sign him.

His idol is Yu Darvish, so he has long been linked with the Padres. But yeah... we should just assume he'll end up with the Dodgers at this point.