Red Sox/MLB 2024 Playoffs: Dodgers win the World Series

Johnnyduke

Registered User
Oct 30, 2007
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I think he's saying if they have a bunch of good, cost-controlled players on the roster that's more of a reason for them to go nuts spending, not an excuse to be cheap. I think everyone here actually agrees!
I think the problem is ownership will use whatever angle they need to explain not spending.

"We're waiting on our good young players to blossom first"

"Oh our good young players are blossoming and we're winning so why spend? We need that money for them down the line anyway"

Rinse and repeat

The reality is though not all the young guys we are talking about are going to blossom. It doesn't work that way. Some won't make it. Which is why you need to supplement with proven talent. Waiting and waiting and waiting has NOT worked and it's not the answer.
 

EverettMike

FIRE DON SWEENEY INTO THE SUN
Mar 7, 2009
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I think the problem is ownership will use whatever angle they need to explain not spending.

"We're waiting on our good young players to blossom first"

"Oh our good young players are blossoming and we're winning so why spend? We need that money for them down the line anyway"

Rinse and repeat

The reality is though not all the young guys we are talking about are going to blossom. It doesn't work that way. Some won't make it. Which is why you need to supplement with proven talent. Waiting and waiting and waiting has NOT worked and it's not the answer.

I agree, but the issue is with cheap, unmotivated ownership.
 

RoccoF14

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Mar 1, 2016
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I am so glad the Yankees lost. Like Montreal losing it never gets old.
For me, its not so much that the Yankees lost, its HOW they lost. I just pulled the series stats from Baseball Reference: 2024 World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-1) | Baseball-Reference.com

Team Batting Average: Dodgers .206; Yankees .212
Team OBP: Dodgers .296; Yankees .332
Team Slugging: Dodgers .406; Yankees .412
Team ERA: Dodgers 4.80; Yankees 3.83
Team WHIP: Dodgers 1.400; Yankees 1.164
Unearned Runs Allowed: Dodgers 0; Yankees 6

I can't find the series BA with RISP, but I'd wager the Dodgers got a lot more clutch hits than the Yankees did, even though both teams struggled at the plate, overall. End of the day, it came down to clutch hitting, bad defense and bad baserunning. Smoltz talked about it the entire series and he was 100% right.

It also helped to have Freddie Freeman in your lineup. He drove in 12 of the 25 runs the Dodgers scored and basically carried that team on his back. Amazing series for a really good guy.....
 
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GatorMike

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Jul 18, 2022
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I really don't want to go at you but yay for being 3rd in runs scored. Then fine, there are still no starting pitching prospects that are close. So go out and spend on the best starting pitcher out there. And I am almost certain you will say they should not do that because it will be a bad contract. I am done with "hope" that next year will be the year the young prospects carry the Boston Red Sox. Act like a big market team. Act with some urgency and stop screwing your fans every chance you get.

The Boston Red Sox should not be excited about the number of cost controlled position players. Nobody is forcing them to do that. Sign Juan Soto and maybe you are 1st in runs scored and an actual contender. But we can't do that because it will be a bad contract. We can only give out medium length bad contracts like Trevor Story and Yoshida.

The team stinks. It has stunk for too long.
I would actually be OK with giving Corbin Burnes or Max Fried the kind of deal that Aaron Nola (7 yrs, $172m) or Carlos Rodon (6 yrs, $162m) got. Maybe even slightly more. They're both close to 30 and fairly durable. I would also be OK with giving Blake Snell a shorter term deal, even if the AAV were slightly higher. I would not be OK with giving any of them a Gerrit Cole (9 yrs, $325m) deal.

In general, contracts where teams commit $100+ million to players after they turn 35 years of age are a huge risk. Especially if the player is a pitcher. If the Sox can sign someone like Burns or Fried (...I prefer Fried since Burnes' declining swing-and-miss rate scares the crap out of me) without having to guarantee them huge amounts of money when they're 36, 37, 38 years old, then go for it.

the sabermetrics version of "more days in 1st place"
You don't exactly need a degree in advanced statistical analysis to figure out that finishing 3rd in the American League in runs scored is pretty good.
 
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BigGoalBrad

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Jun 3, 2012
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The Yanks have to feel devastated. Probably their best shot at a title for a long time (Soto may leave, little payroll flexibility). Easy road (KC and CLE) and then faced an injury-plagued Dodgers. Could and should have won games 1 and 5.

On the other hand, Dave Roberts has got to be the biggest winner after this WS. Always criticized as Dodgers-manager, not getting credit for 20, but now winning a legit title with a Dodgers-team missing more than half their rotation.



So? 190 is middle of the pack in todays game.

Of course you can be successful with a lesser or average payroll, but you have a much higher shot if you are in the top 5 perennially. And all things considered, the Red Sox have no reason not to be right behind the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets. Especially after what has transpired over the past years finishing in the basement. 2018 was already 6 years ago.




And judging from recent past and seeing how many prospects they have, it's much more likely that they are using that currency (prospects) instead of real money. Meaning Crochet rather than Burnes / Fried.

The AL is pretty bad. If San Diego didn't blow it the Yankees were winning the WS.
 

KrejciMVP

Registered User
Jun 30, 2011
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Tampa, Florida
Thank god they low-balled Teoscar.


I think the problem is ownership will use whatever angle they need to explain not spending.

"We're waiting on our good young players to blossom first"

"Oh our good young players are blossoming and we're winning so why spend? We need that money for them down the line anyway"

Rinse and repeat

The reality is though not all the young guys we are talking about are going to blossom. It doesn't work that way. Some won't make it. Which is why you need to supplement with proven talent. Waiting and waiting and waiting has NOT worked and it's not the answer.
It's a repeat of the same thing every year, same warnings not to spend, same mediocre team. Next comes the highlights of some single A player hitting a HR and the future is bright
 

McGarnagle

Yes.
Aug 5, 2017
30,253
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While corner OF is far from our biggest need, I really want them in on Soto. I don't expect FSG to open the purse strings for him, but it would be a big step forward for the franchise.

Realistically, you need one of Fried/Burnes/Flaherty (or even get lucky and do the high school reunion with both Fried and Flaherty to join Giolito at a slight discount). I do like the Bregman idea and kicking Devers to DH, though Masa is a white elephant and I'm not sure you can move him so easily. After that you need a closer to replace Kenley (or just convert Whitlock back to one of healthy). I've always felt Houck would be an absolutely dominant closer if they committed to it but he's made steps forward as a starter and mathematically that gives you more value.

If they make the right moves I think you can compete again next year. Orioles are going to be there for a while but if they lose Burnes and don't get a comparable ace then they're vulnerable, and the Yankees are on the downswing especially if they lose Soto. The Sox have a window, the question is whether Henry and Werner actually want to open or close it.
 
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Johnnyduke

Registered User
Oct 30, 2007
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Red Sox currently 17th in money committed to 2025. That's just crazy to me. No more waiting for the kids. Sign proven talent and take some of the pressure off these kids when they're ready. Act now.

Old pal Chaim Bloom left us with two turd contracts in Story and Yoshida. Breslow should try to dump one or both if at all possible. Be creative. Banking on Story being healthy is laughable at this point. Yoshida at 18m a year is disgraceful.
 

McGarnagle

Yes.
Aug 5, 2017
30,253
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I feel like Yoshida was signed just so they could get a Japanese pipeline going and attract Yamamoto and Ohtani the next year, but Henry changed gears and fired Bloom and then didn't give Breslow enough budget to be serious on Yamamoto (and they had no shot at Ohtani whatsoever). Then they're left with a guy who hits well but not for power and can't play defense.

It kind of reminds me of the first time the Celtics signed Al Horford. The idea was to build a big three with Durant, then Durant screwed over Ainge and went to Golden State and he was left with Horford who was good but kind of lost in the fold without support.
 
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Smitty93

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Dec 6, 2012
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I feel like Yoshida was signed just so they could get a Japanese pipeline going and attract Yamamoto and Ohtani the next year, but Henry changed gears and fired Bloom and then didn't give Breslow enough budget to be serious on Yamamoto (and they had no shot at Ohtani whatsoever). Then they're left with a guy who hits well but not for power and can't play defense.

It kind of reminds me of the first time the Celtics signed Al Horford. The idea was to build a big three with Durant, then Durant screwed over Ainge and went to Golden State and he was left with Horford who was good but kind of lost in the fold without support.

Perhaps, but I always viewed it as similar to Rusney Castillo. They missed out on Jose Abreu, who proceeded to have a great rookie season, and were committed to signing the next top name coming out of Cuba, thinking they were undervalued assets.

With Yoshida, they missed out on Seiya Suzuki, who proceeded to have a good rookie season, and were committed to signing the next top name coming out of Japan, once again thinking internationals were undervalued assets.

Basically, they FOMO'd their way to overpaying for a flawed player twice because they regretted not extending enough before.
 

KrejciMVP

Registered User
Jun 30, 2011
28,796
10,558
Tampa, Florida
Red Sox currently 17th in money committed to 2025. That's just crazy to me. No more waiting for the kids. Sign proven talent and take some of the pressure off these kids when they're ready. Act now.

Old pal Chaim Bloom left us with two turd contracts in Story and Yoshida. Breslow should try to dump one or both if at all possible. Be creative. Banking on Story being healthy is laughable at this point. Yoshida at 18m a year is disgraceful.
You get those numbers at maybe 2 mill a year
 
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