Category: Baseball

I Don’t Like This Proposed Jackie Bradley Jr. for Edwin Encarnacion Trade.

Earlier today, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox have had trade discussions over the winter revolving around outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and designated hitter/ first baseman Edwin Encarnacion. Nightengale did not go into depth on this, but it’s still something to think about. When I first saw this, I immediately was against it. If these two were the only big league players involved, it’s tough to say who wins this trade. On one hand, the Indians are losing their best power hitter, as Encarnacion lead the club in HRs, RBIs, and OBP in 2017. On the other hand, they are getting one of the best defensive center fielders in all of baseball. The Indians lost Austin Jackson to free agency, so it’s understandable why they would want to upgrade at that position. Is that defense worth parting ways with one of the best home run hitters in the American League? Probably not.

From the perspective of the Red Sox, acquiring Encarnacion while parting ways with Bradley creates holes and log jams. If this were to happen, I would need to see some corresponding moves and those moves would revolve around Hanley Ramirez and JD Martinez. First, I can’t imagine Hanley Ramirez would stick around if Encarnacion were acquired, he’s essentially an upgrade. Take Hanley away and replace him with EE, and you’re looking at him as the primary DH and Mitch Moreland as the primary first baseman. With that in mind, a hole is created in center field. Sure, Benintendi or Betts could be moved over there, but there is no other player on the Red Sox 40-man who could play a corner outfield position everyday. Brock Holt, Bryce Brentz, and Rusney Castillo all have positive qualities, but I would not want any of those guys handling a full-time position with the Red Sox. That’s why, ideally, JD Martinez would be brought in via free agency to take over for Benintendi in left field. Although his defense is lacking, Martinez and Encarnacion would be one hell of a power duo.

This is the ideal situation. A “big three” of Betts, Martinez, and Encarnacion would be awesome, but it could have happened sooner, and at a lesser cost. Remember, there was interest between Edwin Encarnacion and the Red Sox last year, but nothing transpired because of luxury tax complications. Now, we’re talking about giving up one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball for a 35 year-old Encarnacion, who will be making much more than JBJ will over the next two years both are under contract. If it were me, and Martinez was not signed yet, I don’t think I would do it. Give me the bargain in Bradley and let me try to plug power into my lineup through other avenues.

JD Martinez is Reportedly ‘Fed Up’ with the #RedSox.

Per Ken Rosenthal, free agent outfielder JD Martinez ‘has become “fed up” with the lack of flexibility on Boston’s part and may prefer playing elsewhere.’ This all came out last night, and it is not a good look on Martinez’s part. Whatever sense of entitlement he’s earned in his playing career, the 30 year-old is using all of it this offseason. Since free agency started, there were rumors that Martinez was looking for a seven-year offer worth around $200 million dollars in total. Last time I checked, the only offer Martinez has available to him right now is a five-year, $125 million dollar offer from the Red Sox.

Right before the World Series ended in November, Martinez left his old agency, RMG Baseball, for super-agent Scott Boras. If you were to look at the top free agents in baseball who have yet to sign with a club, you will notice that a majority of them are indeed Boras clients. The man is known for getting the largest and longest contracts for his clients and he is really putting that to the test this winter.

From the perspective of Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox, I do not take this as bad news. If there are no favorable offers on the table for Martinez now, why would that change as Spring Training begins? I’m not an insider, but I can’t imagine a team who plans on contending in 2018 would sign Martinez to a huge deal in March if they could have done so in January or February. Realistically, the Red Sox have been the most persistent team pursuing Martinez. There have been rumors about the Giants or Blue Jays trying to lure him, but those rumors carry less weight than the Red Sox ones do.

Evaluating the market for Martinez is not even that much of a challenge. There are not many teams out there willing to sign a 30 year-old outfielder with one of the worst gloves in baseball to a deal worth more than $200 million dollars. The fact that there’s still an offer on the table worth more than $120 million dollars is crazy. Why does it matter if there’s an extra two years on it or not? Just take it and show you are worth that deal.

Martinez may be fed up with the Red Sox, but Red Sox fans are beginning to get fed up with him.

JD Martinez Reportedly Has a Five-Year, $125 Million Dollar Offer on the Table from the #RedSox.

As Winter Weekend kicks off tonight, Michael Silverman broke this little bit of news at around 3:00 earlier today:

The Josh Hamilton reminder wasn’t necessary, but it is relevant news nonetheless. When Buster Olney tweeted on Wednesday that Martinez had a 5 year/$100 million dollar offer on the table from the Red Sox, there was much speculation about that not being enough. Well, two days later, this is where things stand. $125 million over five years would put Martinez’s AAV right at $25 million per season. I’m sure any contract Martinez signs will be backloaded, meaning he will make more in the last two to three seasons then he would in the first two or three.

Truthfully, I think this type of deal would be overpaying for Martinez’s services, but I don’t have a problem with it. Time and time again the Red Sox overpay for players. They reached for Pablo Sandoval after the 2014 season and gave David Price the richest contract in Red Sox history after the 2015 season to become their bona fide ace, which hasn’t happened and probably won’t happen.

There is plenty of risk in this deal, especially when you take into consideration how much time Martinez has had to miss because of injuries throughout his seven-year career. Despite that risk, the Red Sox have the chance to sign the best power hitter and maybe the best hitter in general left on the market. There doesn’t appear to be any other teams prepared to make him an offer so the time is now. This waiting game is getting kind of ridiculous, and I would hate to go into spring training with Martinez still unsigned. Like I have been saying though, we’ll just have to wait and see. See you at WInter Weekend tomorrow.

Where in The World is Eduardo Nunez?

MLB Free Agency started more than two months ago. The Red Sox entered this period with 12 free agents total. So far, only one has been retained, Mitch Moreland, while two have left for other clubs, Doug Fister and Addison Reed. Out of the nine free agents left, I would say Eduardo Nunez is the best player available. With that in mind, there have been zero rumors about a return. In fact, there have been no concrete rumors at all, just speculation about what team could use Nunez the most. When he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants back in July, it looked like there was interest in a reunion in the winter. But with the acquisition of Evan Longoria, the Giants are no longer in need of a third baseman, or any starting infielder for that matter, considering their infield now consists of Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford, and Evan Longoria. I don’t want to rule out Nunez resigning with the Giants, but I find it highly unlikely given the fact the left side of their infield is borderline great.

Back to the Red Sox perspective on all this, I would be interested in finding out how much Dave Dombrowski has engaged in talks with Nunez’s agent. Nothing has been leaked, which is a surprise considering how good Nunez was with the Red Sox. Health may be a concern, but he’s still a quality infielder to have on your 25-man roster, especially if Dustin Pedroia is going to miss time in April/May. I also have faith in Marco Hernandez and Tzu-Wei Lin if their services are required, but a veteran presence like Nunez is not a bad option either.

The #RedSox Have Offered JD Martinez a Contract. I Think He’ll Turn It Down.

Buster Olney tweeted this earlier, so I thought I would share my reaction. First off, I think this can be taken as good news for Red Sox fans. Imagine the reaction if the report was they had offered him five years, $150 million? Instead, I find an Average Annual Value of only $20 million dollars a year to be reasonable. Reasonable for the Red Sox I mean, not for Martinez. There are plenty of bad contracts for outfielders out there that Scott Boras can use as leverage. If Jacoby Ellsbury and Jason Heyward are making more than $20 million a year, then Martinez, a much better player, is worth more than that. You could make the case that the Cubs value Heyward’s defense more than his offense, and that is why he is making as much as he is, but I think I would take Martinez over him if I were starting a team from scratch.

Like the title reads, I don’t think Martinez will accept this offer. Not only is the offer just five years in length, it only has an AAV of $20 million dollars. To get Martinez, Dave Dombrowski will more than likely need to up that offer. At that point, it might not even be worth signing him. Investing more than five years and more than $100+ million dollars in an age-30 player has not worked for other teams in the past. Dombrowski has already stated he feels comfortable with the team in place now, saying, “So yeah, we would be content. Would we rather (sign Martinez)? Yes. But again, we have to be flexible in our thought processes because you never know what is going to take place.”

What does this mean you ask? Well, I think it means that Dombrowski is not willing to break the bank on one guy who is far from a guarantee. Putting money aside for next year’s loaded free-agency class is a good fallback option to have. I would not mind not getting Martinez if it made Bryce Harper would be patrolling the outfield at Fenway in 2019. That’s just me though, only time will tell what will happen. Martinez or no Martinez, the Red Sox still have work to do. See you at Winter Weekend.

If this JD Martinez Report Is True, the #RedSox May Need to Look Elsewhere for a Power Bat.

(Source) Top free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox have been engaged in a staredown/stalemate for weeks. And judging by Martinez’s commitment to the cause, it may go on quite awhile longer.

Miami acquaintances of Martinez say he is willing to “hold out,” certainly into spring training, for what he believes should be his market value. The Red Sox have offered Martinez a five-year deal, and sources suggest at least one other has, too.

The Diamondbacks still have Martinez atop their list as well, and while a D-backs person suggested he didn’t believe an official five-year offer was extended, it’s hard to imagine them still being in it for less, and they are in it.

In any case, word coming out of Miami is that Martinez, 30, believes it appropriate that he get a six-year deal. It isn’t known what kind of total dollars the Red Sox, Diamondbacks and maybe others are offering (the Jays also have been showing interest and met with Martinez at the Winter Meetings), but sources suggest that Martinez is seeking $30 million-plus annually — $200 million if he can get it but at least $180 million, following his boffo season, first in Detroit and then Arizona.

The interested teams are believed offering somewhere in the $120 million to $150 million range (yes, that’s a big range, but the offers to this point are unknown). So it’s believed he’s in the neighborhood of around $50 million short of the asking price at present. That sounds like a lot.

But Martinez’s willingness to wait is bolstered by the reality that there are multiple teams involved (Arizona’s involvement may have been underplayed to this point) at somewhat similar levels, and also the fact that there is no one comparable – at least when it comes to 2017 performance. Jay Bruce and Carlos Gonzalez have been productive offensive performers, but Martinez’s 2017 season was extraordinary while Bruce’s was just very good and CarGo’s uncharacteristically unproductive (at least until the final several weeks).

While Boston has been seen as the favorite, word is Martinez prefers to play the outfield rather than DH, which is one edge the D-backs may have, and they’ve hired his personal hitting coach, Robert Van Scoyoc, as the team’s hitting strategist.

Martinez’s asking price is based on his monster season, in which he became the first player to hit 45 home runs in fewer than 120 games (he played 119) and posted a slugging percentage at .690 overall — .741 in Arizona — that would have been the highest in a season since Barry Bonds had Martinez had a few more plate appearances to qualify.

Some have seen Justin Upton as a comp, and he received a very nice $132.75 million, six-year deal with the Tigers two winters ago. His agent, Scott Boras, met at one point with D-backs owner Ken Kendrick, but as far as Boston goes, so far GM Dave Dombrowski has been handling things, and Dombrowski appears to be drawing the line at five years.

So, this is where things stand right now. JD Martinez has offers on the table, but none of them appear to have the length he and his agent looking for. I wrote a little bit about this yesterday, about how teams are moving away from committing long-term deals to players demanding a lot of money. JD Martinez is a prime example of this. Despite all the talent and numbers he has put up, no one wants to sign him to deal that exceeds five years in length. With that in mind, Martinez is reportedly willing to hold out until March to sign a deal.

What does that mean for the Red Sox? Well, I think it means one of two things. The first being that it is now time to move away from JD Martinez and start looking at other options. Or, it could mean that if Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox are desperate enough for a power bat, it’s time to offer Martinez a contract six-plus years in length. I doubt this would happen though. Offering one player up to $180 million dollars is a risky investment, and it would be hard to move that contract if something happened down the line.

If Dave Dombrowski does decide to stop pursuing a deal with Martinez, his other options are not as formidable. There are plenty of guys who hit for power regularly, like Jose Bautista nad Curtis Granderson, but I can’t see them taking on an everyday role with any club. Personally, I like Carlos Gonzalez. This has nothing to with numbers, because I know they have been declining, but I have always respected Gonzalez as a player. Todd Frazier is another player who comes to mind who will more than likely play in 2018 on a one-year deal. In all honesty, none of this could be needed if Hanley Ramirez performs the way he did in 2016. Guys like Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts also have room to improve their power numbers. A fresh start with a new manager could energize this team enough to where they look like they can compete with the New York Yankees.

JD Martinez or not, I still believe this team can put up 90+ wins. It would be nice to have him in the lineup but if he’s playing hard to get, move on.

The Hot Stove is Far From Hot.

For the first time in weeks, I thought the MLB hot stove was about to heat up. Pirates ace Gerrit Cole has been traded to the Houston Astros, or so I thought. It turns out that this was just a ‘false rumor’ or something along those lines.

This was a bummer. This move would have surpassed Wade Davis to the Rockies as the biggest move of the offseason. Sure, Gerrit Cole will more than likely get traded within the next few days, but it’s still all speculation. We can’t avoid the fact that the MLB offseason is progressing at a snail’s pace. JD Martinez, Eric Hosmer, and Jake Arrieta are just some of the top free agents still on the market. I thought for sure the Giancarlo Stanton trade would loosen things up back in December, but clearly I was wrong. If I had to guess what is causing this free agency back-up, I would say committment is the biggest issue. Big league clubs aren’t as willing as they used to to hand out large deals over an extended period of times. Gone are the days of ten-year deals, in my opinion. Josh Hamilton, Pablo Sandoval, and even Albert Pujols come to mind. I know that they did not sign ten-year deals, but the clubs they signed with certainly did not get a positive return on investment.

Although the clubs are leaning more towards short-term deals, it remains to be seen if players and their agents will ever accept it. As an agent, I’m fairly certain you want to get the most value out of your client, and that’s what Scott Boras specializes in. Because of this, you have guys like JD Martinez and Eric Hosmer who remain unsigned. There have been rumors that both are seeking deals where their AAV would exceed $20 million dollars, that’s not the problem. The problem is the length of the contract. Given the fact Martinez is already 30 years old, I’m certain there’s a consensus around Major League Baseball that he is not worth a seven or eight year deal, which appears to be what Boras, his agent, wants.

There are several factors that go into a player and his agent wanting a long deal, but baseball may be ushering in a new era where that is a rare occasion. You have your once in a generation talent like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado who are going to get deals that last 10+ years, but what about the rest? Is it worth it for the Red Sox to pay JD Martinez north of $20 million dollars a year into his age 37 season? Probably not. If Martinez and Boras were accepting of a three or four-year deal, then he would have been signed weeks ago, the same with Eric Hosmer. All I know is, the market is messed up and this may be the start of something new in baseball.

Farewell, Evan Longoria. The #RedSox Will Not Miss You, but I Will.

In case you missed it, Evan Longoria got traded to the San Francisco Giants earlier today.

The 32 year-old third baseman had spent his entire career up to this point with the Tampa Bay Rays. For the Red Sox, this trade is good news. Longoria has been a thorn in the Red Sox’s side since he got called up in 2008. In 171 career games, Longoria has a OPS of .854 and a BABIP of .319 to go along with 31 long balls. This may seem odd coming from a Red Sox fan, but I am going to miss watching Longoria play more often. Outside of the Red Sox, I would say Longoria is my second favorite player to watch, only behind Josh Donaldson. I respect his game and the way he has handled things in different stages of his career. It just so happens to be that I am a bit of a Giants fan too (I started paying more attention last season), so I look forward to seeing what he can do for the Giants. This move also puts ex-Red Sox, current Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval in quite the predicament, so there’s that.

Anyway, thanks for making some bad Rays teams worth watching Evan, see you back against the Red Sox in 2019.

#RedSox Resign 1B Mitch Moreland to a Two-Year Deal.

Mitchy Two Bags is back!

Image result for mitch moreland gif

The 32-year-old first baseman is here to stay, signing a contract that will keep him in Boston, barring a trade, through the 2019 season. The deal, which is worth $13 million, may come as a surprise to some. For the past few weeks, it looked like the Red Sox were in on free agent Eric Hosmer. With this move being announced today, I would expect Hosmer to land with the San Diego Padres in the next few days.

In his first year with the Red Sox, Moreland put together a solid season. Nothing great, but nothing too bad either. In fact, his worst stretch of 2017 was mainly due to a broken toe he suffered back in June. Other than that, I was impressed with the defense and run production he provided, mashing 22 long balls and driving in 79 RBIs. Looking forward to more of that in 2018.

Going with Moreland over Hosmer most likely means Dave Dombrowski is pursuing a deal with free agent outfielder JD Martinez. This scenario would also mean that the Red Sox outfield could get shaken up. With the reports out there that Hanley Ramirez could get traded, I would not be surprised if Jackie Bradley Jr. is involved in the same deal. Moving both Ramirez and Bradley would allow Martinez to switch between playing the field and DH’ing, a situation the outfielder probably wants. It would be sad to see JBJ go, but Martinez is an upgrade. As for Hanley, it appears his contract may be tough to move given his lack of production last season. Trading Ramirez could also mean the Red Sox may move away from a full-time DH, something the club has not done in a long time. Between Martinez (potentially), Moreland, and Bryce Brentz, that’s not a terrible idea.

If something comes up regarding free agency soon, I’ll have something.

REPORT: The #RedSox Want Both Eric Hosmer and JD Martinez.

(Source) ORLANDO — A source at the winter meetings said that the Red Sox are engaged in talks with not only free agent outfielder J.D. Martinez but also free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer.

The intent is not to try to ensure signing one of the two elite hitters, said the source.

The goal is to try to sign both of them.

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski neither confirmed nor denied the report.

“No, would not comment on any free agents discussions,” replied Dombrowski in a text this morning. 

After three-plus days of little noteworthy news on the Red Sox’ critical search for elite free agent offense, today’s development certainly seemed to contrast with Dombrowski’s comment here on Monday about a column in the Boston Herald that the Red Sox ought to sign both Hosmer and Martinez.

“I’ve read that, but I don’t know where we’d play those two bats,” said Dombrowski when meeting with the Boston media on Monday. “I’m trying to figure that one out. But I would say we’d be more limited to probably one bat. I can’t say that — I guess if we went for a platoon-type guy or something somewhere else, but I don’t really know where that second bat would play. Middle-of-the-order type. I mean you can get a better offense, but a middle-of-the-order type bat.”

Signing Martinez, who could command a multi-year contract that could total anywhere between $200-$300 million, and Hosmer, whose contract could fall north of $150 million in total value, would obviously strap the ballclub’s coffers significantly.

On the field, this double-barreled response to the Yankees’ stunning trade for Giancarlo Stanton approach $200 million, would certainly be a compelling and understandable counter-move.

The cash outlay is significant, obviously, but the Red Sox have a good reason to pounce now for an immediate boost to their offense rather than wait another year. Signing Martinez would not cost the Red Sox a draft pick and Hosmer at age 28 is notably young to be on the market.

Signing the pair would likely necessitate the Red Sox trying to unload first baseman/DH Hanley Ramirez’ contract. Ramirez is being paid $22 million this year and a same-priced option for 2019 would kick in if Ramirez reached attainable incentives as an everyday player.

Mood after reading this:

russell westbrook wtf GIF by NBA

What are we doing here, Dave? You want BOTH of these guys. You want to throw close to $400 million dollars for the both of these guys. I know you weren’t here then, but the last time the Red Sox did this, the following season was not too great, remember?

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Signing two big name free agents in the same offseason has not worked out for the Red Sox in the past, so would signing Martinez and Hosmer to mega-deals be any different?

Dave Dombrowski is a secretive guy. There’s no telling what he has planned, and this is something to keep an eye on. Finding a trade partner to take on Hanley Ramirez’s contract would be another challenge. If he’s not willing to play first base anymore, that really limits your options, especially if you don’t want to trade him to a team within the division.

Acquiring Martinez and Hosmer wouldn’t even move the meter too much for me. Maybe that’s because my mind is set on Bryce Harper, but still. If I were to describe these potential moves in one word, it would be, “meh.” The thing that concerns me is if taking on this much salary would limit the Red Sox in the future. Resigning guys like Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel, and Mookie Betts should be priorities once their current contract ends, and that could be tough to do if nearly $400 million dollars are tied up in Hosmer and Martinez.

Obviously, these moves would bolster the middle of the Red Sox lineup. For the fun of it, here’s what I think the Red Sox everyday lineup would look like if these moves are made:

  1. Betts
  2. Benintendi
  3. Martinez
  4. Hosmer
  5. Devers
  6. Bogaerts
  7. Pedroia
  8. Bradley Jr.
  9. Vazquez

Not perfect, I know. Just something I thought I would throw together real quick. Dustin Pedroia has always been a top of the order guy, so it would be tough to see him in the bottom third of the lineup, but it is a possibility. DH is another interesting thing to consider. If they hold on to Bradley, then I would say Martinez is the DH. That puts the move into even more question, because signing a DH for maybe $200 million dollars does not seem like the smartest thing to do. This is all speculation though, and I’ll have another blog coming if something goes down.