I honestly can't follow the Sox reclamation project logic. I mean, I'm happy Giolito is looking good, but $19M for him and $21M on Buehler... $40M/year is enough to afford any pitcher in the league not named Ohtani. Why on Earth do you commit that kind of money where the best likely outcome is that one of the two becomes maybe... a #2 or #3 starter? They wouldn't be 100x better off nabbing Burnes or Wheeler even if they had to offer $45M/year?
So now we spent $40M this year, and because Giolito looks good we need to pay him $19M next year to be maybe our #4 starter?
Imagine if we had Wheeler instead and it was Crochet / Wheeler / Bello / Tolle...
Giolito has been the exception in a good way, but otherwise I 100% agree. Remember, they are also paying Patrick Sandoval 6M THIS season to literally just rehab and sit on his couch all year. He's owed another 12-13M next season. Then guys like Paxton, Hendriks, etc. over the years. You know, money that could be going to actual talent in the present. And then we have to hear about all the luxury tax ramifications, cost flexibility, etc.
I just hope they don't go into this offseason saying "oh we have Patrick Sandoval getting healthy and others coming back from injury so we don't need a #2 pitcher, and also we believe in Jordan Hicks bouncing back so no need for any other bullpen addition".
A lot of questionable deals along the way. You can add trading Sale while paying much of his salary, different, but a waste of money nonetheless.
I think the idea is spreading the risk. If you paid all that money to one pitcher, and he blows out his elbow, you have nothing. And in the past, you had a general roster that was not that great. By paying less money for multiple reclamation projects, you hope some work out while understanding that others won't. But if you are going to play that game, you still need to produce results. It is fair to judge on the results.
They signed Sale to a big contract, that went bad. Then traded him in a way that made it worse. Giolito is working out, Sandoval not so much. Paxton I think was the old regime, but they did not get much out of him. Trading for/Signing Crochet is a home run so far. They went out and got Chapman and have now paid him. So it is kind of hit or miss overall at this point, but trending in the right direction, I believe.
I expect that they will be players in the top end pitching market this off season. They already have made a run at Joe Ryan (if you believe the reports). The bottom line is making good deals. I don't think you will see as many reclamation project deals moving forward. I think the team/roster is at the point where will pursue the win now players.
