Red Sox preparing for a spending spree?!?!?

[nickagneta]

As I said, I see the exact same thing. I get the funny feeling that come March all the talk on sports radio is how the Sox tried to do everything on the cheap again. They were cheap last year even extending before their time, Youk and Pedroia to much less than market value contracts. I see another on the cheap off season, a purging of bad contracts, a youth movement upward through the system to see what we got, and a commitment financially towards free agents and trades for 2011.

[Donoghus]

I really think they're going to explore the trade route hard.  Whether its going after Adrian Gonzalez, revisiting the Halladay/King Felix discussions or something else.  I think a lot of this will go on during the offseason.

If nothing pans out via the trade route, I expect the Sox to make minimal splashes in free agency. They'll make roleplayer signings and low risk/high reward signings.

After that, they're biding their time for the '10 offseason.  

[Chris]

I don't see a spending spree. I see the opposite. I see a team restructuring what was an extremely friendly Wakefield deal to save money because that's the mode they are in. Money saving. I mean really, does restructuring a deal to save $1.5M under the CBT make any sense when you are already tens of millions under that level already? Epstein is blowing smoke up the guys butt with that line, that's for sure.

Or Epstein slipped and let something go he didnt mean to.  It isnt outrageous to think that they could try and trade for X (with an extended big money deal) and resign Bay, etc...

because thats the very thing, it makes no sense to be talking about saving the money unless they have thought they are going to be close to the limit.

Or because he doesn't want to scare off season ticket renewals by saying that the Sox are going into a money saving role for a year so that they can throw the house at Joe Mauer, Brandon Webb and Carl Crawford in 2010-11 off season.

I think this is very possible.  And don't forget Halladay and Lee in that summer (and of course Beckett as well).

I think the Sox will make a strong push to resign Bay, and they will also explore trades for true, young, impact players like Felix Hernandez, or Adrian Gonzalez.  However, if they can't get them for a decent price, I expect them to hit the bargain bin.  

I would not be surprised to see more guys coming off injuries like Rich Harden, and other guys who are willing to play on 1 year, make-good deals.  Then the rest of their money will probably be spent on trying to stock their farm system even more with guys like Aroldis Chapman.  

[nickagneta]

Great article about all this from Tony Mazz:

http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2009/10/all_about_the_money.html

At the moment, after all, Bay seems the best fit and solution -- at least on the free agent market -- for a Sox team that has some offensive questions after a collective .224 team batting average over the last two postseasons. Aside from Bay, the only other relatively young elite run producer on the open market is Matt Holliday, whose brief history in the American League is suspect. The Sox always could opt for a shorter-term solution like Bobby Abreu, but Bay and Holliday seem to be the most obvious place where the Sox could utilize the estimated $40 million (annually) they have to spend this winter.

If neither of those players ends up in Boston, general manager Theo Epstein may have little choice but to focus on a stopgap measure like Abreu, though he will have other options, too. Thanks to their financial picture beyond 2010, the Sox may have great flexibility in a trade.

Following the 2010 season, David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett all will be eligible for free agency, shedding another $35-$37.5 million from the Red Sox payroll, depending on the precise calculation. Jason Varitek ($3 million in 2010) could be gone. Tim Wakefield ($4 million, assuming the Sox exercise his 2010 option) could be gone. This could allow Epstein great flexibility to make a blockbuster trade in much the same way that interim Sox executives Bill Lajoie and Craig Shipley executed the deal for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in November 2005.

That year, in order to acquire Beckett, the Sox took on Lowell’s contract. The Sox subsequently re-signed both players, though Lowell would have been set free following the 2007 season had his career remained in a funk.

So, depending on what the Sox do this winter, Epstein could have an absurd amount of money to spend next year at this time, giving the Sox the chance to go on a spending spree like the one the Yankees ventured on last winter. At the moment, the Sox have an estimated $50-$65 million committed in player salary for the 2011 season. Even when adding the team contribution to player benefits, the commitment stands in the range of roughly $60-$75 million, roughly less half of the team’s projected number in the last few years.

And remember: Lester, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon, Daniel Bard, Daisuke Matsuzaka and J.D. Drew, among others, all are under team control through that year.

[ToppersBsktball10]

Maybe a spending spree on garbage that aren't worth the money and will suck. 

[ToppersBsktball10]

Maybe a spending spree on garbage that isn't worth the money and will suck. 

[jambr380]

It would be great to bring in some top notch players like the Yankees did last year. They definitely have the money. That being said, I am really not all about signing Bay if he going to cost us 18 mill/year (as one poster said). His average is just too low for a huge salary like that. I still think we may bring him back (unless there is a back up plan), but I think it will be because he didn't get nearly the money he thought he would in FA.

[ToppersBsktball10]

how exactly did that post twice?

[yall hate]

It wasn't really a good sign when John Henry laid off 25% of the employees in his hedge fund about a week ago.

I don't forsee a spending spree at all.  In fact, I don't want to see any more bad investments like J.D. Drew.

The sox need to resign Bay amd add one more hitter who can play 1B and the outfield in a pinch-- not necessarily a superstar, but a decent hitter.  Then they need to resign Alex Gonzales, and find a young catcher who can throw. Varitek and can the third catcher and bullpen coach.  They platoon Papi and Lowell at DH.

And above all, they keep their young pitching.  All of it.  Pitching is 70% of the game, except in September and October, when it's 80% of the game.

JD Drew as a bad investment is a played out comment.  It simply isnt true.  Multiple scouting/analysists peg his 'value' at greater then the yearly salary they pay him.  If you want me to dig them up, I will.

John Henry's business is different from the team.  The hedge fund industry is getting destroyed, apples - oranges.

[yall hate]

They were cheap last year even extending before their time, Youk and Pedroia to much less than market value contracts.

I dont understand this...are you saying it was a mistake to sign them when they did?  werent those smart, financially productive moves?

[houseonfire09]

I think it's time the Sox start thinking about blowing it up and starting over.  It seems like half the roster ATM is filled with guys who should retire now or next year, while the other half is filled with guys who can't carry a team by themselves if needed or just aren't quite good enough to be anything but role players on a contender.  Build through the farm system, and try again in 5-7 years.

[Donoghus]

They were cheap last year even extending before their time, Youk and Pedroia to much less than market value contracts.

I dont understand this...are you saying it was a mistake to sign them when they did?  werent those smart, financially productive moves?

I tend to agree.  Epstein & Co. were extremely smart and proactive in getting these guys locked down to long term deals before they sniffed the free agent market.  I thought they hedged their bets extremely well in this aspect because both deal are almost universally understood as being "team friendly".  

It wasn't anything about being frugal.  It was smart, big picture management.

[Atzar]

I think it's time the Sox start thinking about blowing it up and starting over.  It seems like half the roster ATM is filled with guys who should retire now or next year, while the other half is filled with guys who can't carry a team by themselves if needed or just aren't quite good enough to be anything but role players on a contender.  Build through the farm system, and try again in 5-7 years.

Uh, what?  Ortiz, Lowell and Tek are at the of their careers.  We still have Pedroia, Youk, Drew, Jacoby, VMart, Lester, Beckett, Buchholz, and a solid pen headlined by Papelbon.  The FO is very high on Bard and still thinks a lot of Lowrie despite his injury problems.  Starting with Reddick, we have several guys in the farm system who could contribute in the next couple of years.  And yet you want to blow the team up? 

[Chris]

It wasn't really a good sign when John Henry laid off 25% of the employees in his hedge fund about a week ago.

I don't forsee a spending spree at all.  In fact, I don't want to see any more bad investments like J.D. Drew.

The sox need to resign Bay amd add one more hitter who can play 1B and the outfield in a pinch-- not necessarily a superstar, but a decent hitter.  Then they need to resign Alex Gonzales, and find a young catcher who can throw. Varitek and can the third catcher and bullpen coach.  They platoon Papi and Lowell at DH.

And above all, they keep their young pitching.  All of it.  Pitching is 70% of the game, except in September and October, when it's 80% of the game.

JD Drew as a bad investment is a played out comment.  It simply isnt true.  Multiple scouting/analysists peg his 'value' at greater then the yearly salary they pay him.  If you want me to dig them up, I will.

John Henry's business is different from the team.  The hedge fund industry is getting destroyed, apples - oranges.

Wow, I hate this argument.  I lost about 2 hours of my life last month wasting it listening to callers on the big show try to make this point.  I don't care what statistical analysis you do, it will not change the fact that JD Drew is not a good investment.  You should NEVER be paying $14 million per year on a guy who is a 7 or 8 hitter when everyone is healthy, unless you are the Yankees, and have no salary restrictions whatsoever.

I know he gets a little more flack than he deserves, but no matter how you cut it, he was not good value for what they are paying him based on the current market.

[Atzar]

It wasn't really a good sign when John Henry laid off 25% of the employees in his hedge fund about a week ago.

I don't forsee a spending spree at all.  In fact, I don't want to see any more bad investments like J.D. Drew.

The sox need to resign Bay amd add one more hitter who can play 1B and the outfield in a pinch-- not necessarily a superstar, but a decent hitter.  Then they need to resign Alex Gonzales, and find a young catcher who can throw. Varitek and can the third catcher and bullpen coach.  They platoon Papi and Lowell at DH.

And above all, they keep their young pitching.  All of it.  Pitching is 70% of the game, except in September and October, when it's 80% of the game.

JD Drew as a bad investment is a played out comment.  It simply isnt true.  Multiple scouting/analysists peg his 'value' at greater then the yearly salary they pay him.  If you want me to dig them up, I will.

John Henry's business is different from the team.  The hedge fund industry is getting destroyed, apples - oranges.

Wow, I hate this argument.  I lost about 2 hours of my life last month wasting it listening to callers on the big show try to make this point.  I don't care what statistical analysis you do, it will not change the fact that JD Drew is not a good investment.  You should NEVER be paying $14 million per year on a guy who is a 7 or 8 hitter when everyone is healthy, unless you are the Yankees, and have no salary restrictions whatsoever.

I know he gets a little more flack than he deserves, but no matter how you cut it, he was not good value for what they are paying him based on the current market.

So .279/.392/.522 with 20+ HR's and very good defense isn't worth $14M?  That's what he provided last year, and it's right in line with his career averages.  For somebody who was top 10 in the AL in OBP and OPS, he doesn't get near the credit he deserves.