It's a fine contract if he produces at peak production for 2 years - at that point he'll clearly opt.
Or the last 150 games were an outlier, he'll be nearly 33 years old and gladly ride out the 3/75 has left on the deal.
How would the last 150 games be an outlier? He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a few years now.
It wouldn’t be crazy if the last 150-Game stretch ended up being the best stretch of his career. And that’s not really a slight...those are absolutely eye-popping numbers.
Overall, I think what Christian was alluding to was the element of wrong-way risk in the contract structure....if he produces bigtime, you’re either losing him or giving him a big raise in 2 years. If he doesn’t produce, you’re stuck for 3 years at $20M+.
Personally, I think the Sox did pretty well here, unfortunately. They needed the bat bigtime.
Even if this last season was an outlier(he was on 80+ HR pace!), Â
he's still a fantastic hitter that puts up great numbers. He's a fantastic hitter, I don't think anyone can argue that. However, the biggest red flag is his availability.
He averages about 110 games per season over his 7 year career. He's played 1 full season over that span. Over the last 4 seasons, he played 1 full season and every other season played about 120 games. He also made it clear that he doesn't want to DH either.
Great hitter, one of the best in baseball, but he will get hurt many times over that 5 year contract.
shorter track record than Stanton. And he's a bad OFer, while Stanton is decent in the field.
I would not trade Stanton for Martinez, even with Stanton being owed more money.
And it means that the Sox have to figure out where to put Hanley, who is a bad defender anywhere you put him.
It's a good deal for the Sox though. They finally have a hitter that's scary when he comes up. Ever since Papi retired, they haven't had that at all.
Hanley isn't a hporrible 1B. But Moreland is a former GG guy so he will be there too. I figure, that they will platoon (RHP/LHP) and on those days Hanley plays, Moreland will be a late-inning defensive replacement. There's also a positive in this in the sense that Hanely needs a certain number of ABs because he has a vesting option for next year. Given his age and rate of production decrease, the Sox now have an out on his contract because Hanley will lose enough Abs to JDM and Moreland so as not to have his option vest.
they don't get more injury prone than Martinez. He's missed 40+ games in 6 of his 7 seasons.
I also thought that he made it clear that he will not sign to be a DH. He expects to play the field. Did that change?
Whatever he wanted, he went for the money. If he went to AZ, which was hisonly other offer, he would have played OF but made less $$. He too the $$. In Boston he will primarily DH. Maybe not exclusively. Cora seems committed to regular rest days for all of his position players (which was a big issue with Farrell last year, especially for young guys like Bogaerts and Betts). The thought is that when Bradley rests in CF, Benintendi will slide over and JDM will play LF. Maybe also when Benintendi rests too. So, he will play som eOF, but it will be pretty sparingly. That I would think lowers the injury risk.
The risk of course is last season was classic peak in contract year performance from Martinez (guys have a funny way of staying healthier and producing when free agency is coming up).
But after that god awful Price contract, Sox did pretty well here.
I actually think the AL East as a whole will be worse...it’s getting back to the two horse Yanks/Sox race. I think Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa all suck this year
great deal except he's a bad fit for Fenway. He's a RH hitter Â
Might be a little pain at the end if he declines quickly, but the term is relatively short and they desperately needed a slugger. He may not be a perfect fit for them, and I seriously doubt he slugs anywhere near .690 again, but they're improved.
Never seen people so blase about the Sox & baseball in general. No 'Pitchers & catchers report in ___ days!' It was more Pats & Celtics talk. Man, I remember being in NE & all anyone talked about was the Sox, regardless of the date. It doesn't feel like that anymore.
They lost their identity and fire when the Red Sox started winning titles.
Same thing happened after the Rangers won the Cup. If anybody remembers back that far. :-)
RE: great deal except he's a bad fit for Fenway. He's a RH hitter Â
shorter track record than Stanton. And he's a bad OFer, while Stanton is decent in the field.
I would not trade Stanton for Martinez, even with Stanton being owed more money.
And it means that the Sox have to figure out where to put Hanley, who is a bad defender anywhere you put him.
It's a good deal for the Sox though. They finally have a hitter that's scary when he comes up. Ever since Papi retired, they haven't had that at all.
Hanley isn't a hporrible 1B. But Moreland is a former GG guy so he will be there too. I figure, that they will platoon (RHP/LHP) and on those days Hanley plays, Moreland will be a late-inning defensive replacement. There's also a positive in this in the sense that Hanely needs a certain number of ABs because he has a vesting option for next year. Given his age and rate of production decrease, the Sox now have an out on his contract because Hanley will lose enough Abs to JDM and Moreland so as not to have his option vest.
Hanley's not horrible. He is a bad 1B glove though, which is somewhat surprising considering he used to be a shortstop. Like I said, good get for the Sox to add a much needed big bat to the lineup.
He won't play in enough games to make a difference Â
Back to the tense rivalry and hating the redsocks. Back to normal. LOVE IT! Here's to crushing their hopes and trampling their dreams for the next 10 years.
it would be cool if the 21st century repeats the pattern of the 20th. Â
The Sox had all the titles up unitl 1918, then the Yankees dominated them for 80+ years.
In this century, Boston has 3 titles to the Yanks 1, and here we are in 2018. Should be fascinating.
Sox ownership is too smart to have an 80 year drought again. Unfortunately :)
Eh....they're in decent shape, but they're clearly behind the Yankees both today and in the future. The Sawx farm system has been largely emptied while the Yankees continue to have a top 5 system.
It's a fine contract if he produces at peak production for 2 years - at that point he'll clearly opt.
Or the last 150 games were an outlier, he'll be nearly 33 years old and gladly ride out the 3/75 has left on the deal.
How would the last 150 games be an outlier? He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a few years now.
It wouldn’t be crazy if the last 150-Game stretch ended up being the best stretch of his career. And that’s not really a slight...those are absolutely eye-popping numbers.
Overall, I think what Christian was alluding to was the element of wrong-way risk in the contract structure....if he produces bigtime, you’re either losing him or giving him a big raise in 2 years. If he doesn’t produce, you’re stuck for 3 years at $20M+.
Personally, I think the Sox did pretty well here, unfortunately. They needed the bat bigtime.
I was responding to the poster pointing out how historic his 2017 season was - should have noted 119 games, not 150 (which is another story).
Last year by many measures is an outlier in OBP, OPS+ and projected HRs per AB. He had a remarkable season.
If he continues that productivity in the next 2 years, he's obviously opting. Even if he returns to his career means he's still likely opting.
It's a fine contract if he produces at peak production for 2 years - at that point he'll clearly opt.
Or the last 150 games were an outlier, he'll be nearly 33 years old and gladly ride out the 3/75 has left on the deal.
How would the last 150 games be an outlier? He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a few years now.
It wouldn’t be crazy if the last 150-Game stretch ended up being the best stretch of his career. And that’s not really a slight...those are absolutely eye-popping numbers.
Overall, I think what Christian was alluding to was the element of wrong-way risk in the contract structure....if he produces bigtime, you’re either losing him or giving him a big raise in 2 years. If he doesn’t produce, you’re stuck for 3 years at $20M+.
Personally, I think the Sox did pretty well here, unfortunately. They needed the bat bigtime.
I was responding to the poster pointing out how historic his 2017 season was - should have noted 119 games, not 150 (which is another story).
Last year by many measures is an outlier in OBP, OPS+ and projected HRs per AB. He had a remarkable season.
If he continues that productivity in the next 2 years, he's obviously opting. Even if he returns to his career means he's still likely opting.
Got it. Yes, last season is an outlier in terms of the total production. But, over the last 4 seasons, when healthy, he has still been one of the top hitters in the game. Not an 80 HR pace, but a healthy pace none the less. He is a very good hitter who will improve the Sox offense. The Sox got a good deal here. How good depends on his health.
I would not trade Stanton for Martinez, even with Stanton being owed more money.
And it means that the Sox have to figure out where to put Hanley, who is a bad defender anywhere you put him.
It's a good deal for the Sox though. They finally have a hitter that's scary when he comes up. Ever since Papi retired, they haven't had that at all.
???
Quote:
It's a fine contract if he produces at peak production for 2 years - at that point he'll clearly opt.
Or the last 150 games were an outlier, he'll be nearly 33 years old and gladly ride out the 3/75 has left on the deal.
How would the last 150 games be an outlier? He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a few years now.
It wouldn’t be crazy if the last 150-Game stretch ended up being the best stretch of his career. And that’s not really a slight...those are absolutely eye-popping numbers.
Overall, I think what Christian was alluding to was the element of wrong-way risk in the contract structure....if he produces bigtime, you’re either losing him or giving him a big raise in 2 years. If he doesn’t produce, you’re stuck for 3 years at $20M+.
Personally, I think the Sox did pretty well here, unfortunately. They needed the bat bigtime.
He averages about 110 games per season over his 7 year career. He's played 1 full season over that span. Over the last 4 seasons, he played 1 full season and every other season played about 120 games. He also made it clear that he doesn't want to DH either.
Great hitter, one of the best in baseball, but he will get hurt many times over that 5 year contract.
However the Redsox have already indicated they will mitigate that chance by making him exclusive to being a DH.
AL East will be a beast this year.
If I'm Tampa Balt or Toronto I say get ready to punt by ASB.
I also thought that he made it clear that he will not sign to be a DH. He expects to play the field. Did that change?
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They stay under the luxury tax penalty.
???
I would not trade Stanton for Martinez, even with Stanton being owed more money.
And it means that the Sox have to figure out where to put Hanley, who is a bad defender anywhere you put him.
It's a good deal for the Sox though. They finally have a hitter that's scary when he comes up. Ever since Papi retired, they haven't had that at all.
I also thought that he made it clear that he will not sign to be a DH. He expects to play the field. Did that change?
But after that god awful Price contract, Sox did pretty well here.
I actually think the AL East as a whole will be worse...it’s getting back to the two horse Yanks/Sox race. I think Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa all suck this year
Quote:
Never seen people so blase about the Sox & baseball in general. No 'Pitchers & catchers report in ___ days!' It was more Pats & Celtics talk. Man, I remember being in NE & all anyone talked about was the Sox, regardless of the date. It doesn't feel like that anymore.
They lost their identity and fire when the Red Sox started winning titles.
Same thing happened after the Rangers won the Cup. If anybody remembers back that far. :-)
2017 spray chart over Fenway...
Quote:
shorter track record than Stanton. And he's a bad OFer, while Stanton is decent in the field.
I would not trade Stanton for Martinez, even with Stanton being owed more money.
And it means that the Sox have to figure out where to put Hanley, who is a bad defender anywhere you put him.
It's a good deal for the Sox though. They finally have a hitter that's scary when he comes up. Ever since Papi retired, they haven't had that at all.
Hanley isn't a hporrible 1B. But Moreland is a former GG guy so he will be there too. I figure, that they will platoon (RHP/LHP) and on those days Hanley plays, Moreland will be a late-inning defensive replacement. There's also a positive in this in the sense that Hanely needs a certain number of ABs because he has a vesting option for next year. Given his age and rate of production decrease, the Sox now have an out on his contract because Hanley will lose enough Abs to JDM and Moreland so as not to have his option vest.
Hanley's not horrible. He is a bad 1B glove though, which is somewhat surprising considering he used to be a shortstop. Like I said, good get for the Sox to add a much needed big bat to the lineup.
In this century, Boston has 3 titles to the Yanks 1, and here we are in 2018. Should be fascinating.
In this century, Boston has 3 titles to the Yanks 1, and here we are in 2018. Should be fascinating.
Sox ownership is too smart to have an 80 year drought again. Unfortunately :)
Quote:
The Sox had all the titles up unitl 1918, then the Yankees dominated them for 80+ years.
In this century, Boston has 3 titles to the Yanks 1, and here we are in 2018. Should be fascinating.
Sox ownership is too smart to have an 80 year drought again. Unfortunately :)
Eh....they're in decent shape, but they're clearly behind the Yankees both today and in the future. The Sawx farm system has been largely emptied while the Yankees continue to have a top 5 system.
Quote:
In comment 13836582 christian said:
Quote:
It's a fine contract if he produces at peak production for 2 years - at that point he'll clearly opt.
Or the last 150 games were an outlier, he'll be nearly 33 years old and gladly ride out the 3/75 has left on the deal.
How would the last 150 games be an outlier? He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a few years now.
It wouldn’t be crazy if the last 150-Game stretch ended up being the best stretch of his career. And that’s not really a slight...those are absolutely eye-popping numbers.
Overall, I think what Christian was alluding to was the element of wrong-way risk in the contract structure....if he produces bigtime, you’re either losing him or giving him a big raise in 2 years. If he doesn’t produce, you’re stuck for 3 years at $20M+.
Personally, I think the Sox did pretty well here, unfortunately. They needed the bat bigtime.
I was responding to the poster pointing out how historic his 2017 season was - should have noted 119 games, not 150 (which is another story).
Last year by many measures is an outlier in OBP, OPS+ and projected HRs per AB. He had a remarkable season.
If he continues that productivity in the next 2 years, he's obviously opting. Even if he returns to his career means he's still likely opting.
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In comment 13836737 Matt M. said:
Quote:
In comment 13836582 christian said:
Quote:
It's a fine contract if he produces at peak production for 2 years - at that point he'll clearly opt.
Or the last 150 games were an outlier, he'll be nearly 33 years old and gladly ride out the 3/75 has left on the deal.
How would the last 150 games be an outlier? He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a few years now.
It wouldn’t be crazy if the last 150-Game stretch ended up being the best stretch of his career. And that’s not really a slight...those are absolutely eye-popping numbers.
Overall, I think what Christian was alluding to was the element of wrong-way risk in the contract structure....if he produces bigtime, you’re either losing him or giving him a big raise in 2 years. If he doesn’t produce, you’re stuck for 3 years at $20M+.
Personally, I think the Sox did pretty well here, unfortunately. They needed the bat bigtime.
I was responding to the poster pointing out how historic his 2017 season was - should have noted 119 games, not 150 (which is another story).
Last year by many measures is an outlier in OBP, OPS+ and projected HRs per AB. He had a remarkable season.
If he continues that productivity in the next 2 years, he's obviously opting. Even if he returns to his career means he's still likely opting.