X Leaves the Spot for San Diego: 11 years, $280M

Max Power

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Allen Craig and Ian Kinsler? Do they also have Eric Gagne and Yoenis Cespedes in their front office?
 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory
Bogaerts: Looking forward to playing in San Diego for the rest of my career. They were straight forward in the negotiations. SD was my first ASG so I envisioned myself possibly being here someday. Roster is pretty stacked top to bottom including pitching. Watched a lot of the games in the playoffs. AJ has said I will be playing shortstop. This team reminds me of the Boston '18 team. So superior roster-wise to everyone.
 

Ganthem

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I'm late to this party, but really the Sox should not have let it come to this, somehow. There is no fucking joy in Mudville. Mookie. Xander. Yeah, they better sign Devers.
I don't think that is happening
 

soxhop411

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I was told that the ST offer for Xander was 90Million,,,

That was apparently completely inaccurate

View: https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1601338866266669056
Xander Bogaerts/Padres press conference on @MLBNetwork now. Pods are still working (seek starting pitcher and perhaps corner bat). As for Bogaerts, he made $150M plus extra after declining Boston’s best spring offer (about $120M) and landing $280M deal following opt-out.
 

mcpickl

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I was told that the ST offer for Xander was 90Million,,,

That was apparently completely inaccurate

View: https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1601338866266669056
The ST offer of 90M you were told about, that you now believe is apparently completely innacurate, was first reported by...Jon Heyman.

A report he never backtracked on until today.

Sure sounds to me like the mouth organ is now playing for Sox ownership now that they're taking some heat. Can someone get Heyman on the phone and pump up that number from 8 months ago now that we look ridiculous?
 

jon abbey

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Botching is very generous. Heyman reporting on free agency is the MLB equivalent of FOX news. There's an agenda, his intentions very apparent and he doesn't seem to care.
Yes, this is maybe more accurate than you think, he was hired by the NY Post in April and has not seemed to give a shit since. Long ago he was a pretty good baseball reporter, then he turned into a Boras mouthpiece, but since April, he seems to have just stopped caring completely. That Judge stunt the other day would have gotten a reporter fired in an era where there were any journalistic standards left.
 

patinorange

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AJ Preller: Talked to Scott after Thanksgiving about all of his FA's. Not expecting to talk Xander. Asked front office employees Allen Craig and Ian Kinsler about his character. Met with Xander a week later in Newport Beach, CA. Met with him again. Owner closed the deal.
Yup, these types of signings (and non-signings) are up to the ownership, not the GM.
Henry is responsible for Mookie and Xander leaving. Bloom is responsible for the bad trades of Beni, Renfroe, and the non-signing of Schwarber.
 

JCizzle

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E5 Yaz

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So, Cotillo's saying that because that's what Bloom told him. Good thing no one ever stretches the truth to reporters
 

chawson

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So, Cotillo's saying that because that's what Bloom told him. Good thing no one ever stretches the truth to reporters
This seems much less likely than the possibility that he’s telling the truth.
 

E5 Yaz

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This seems much less likely than the possibility that he’s telling the truth.
Because ...?
I ask because the defense position would be to say they talked to him but realized they didn't have a chance ... when publicly they were calling the media pessimists and didn't refute the reports on "momentum."
My comment was more a take on Cotillo basically saying that those who leaked the positive reports had an agenda, but the interview he did with Bloom was the real story. Seems naive to me on Cotillo's part
 

Remagellan

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I still feel pretty good about my Ortiz jersey. I hope it holds up, because I don't see the next player jersey purchase on the horizon!
For better or worse, if you're looking to purchase a Red Sox jersey, pick a home one with 34, 45, 8, or any of the retired numbers, because if they're really committed to the Rays' path to contention, there will be more farewells than there will be players retiring after spending most of their careers with the team.
 

chawson

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Because ...?
I ask because the defense position would be to say they talked to him but realized they didn't have a chance ... when publicly they were calling the media pessimists and didn't refute the reports on "momentum."
My comment was more a take on Cotillo basically saying that those who leaked the positive reports had an agenda, but the interview he did with Bloom was the real story. Seems naive to me on Cotillo's part
Bloom’s comments are specific and seem credible. We know Heyman’s a mouthpiece, so the “heavy discussions” bit he tweeted checks out. Besides, what would be the upside of giving an interview with easily falsifiable information like Bloom just did.

The Boston media has discovered that it’s far more beneficial to them to report on the affective elements of this story rather than the substantive stuff. It was probably a strategic error for Bloom to do the “pessimist” bit, but that doesn’t make him wrong. It’s not wrong to call out the media’s cynicism and commitment to uncharitable reads. The best Bloom can do is just be accountable and forthright. Maybe it’s still not enough.

People are going to find reasons for outrage regardless. If we sign Correa tomorrow, it’ll be evidence of a larger plan — but of course, there’d still be local reporters filing stories asking why Xander wasn’t worth a big contract but Correa was (“he’s a cheater; Cora preferred him to X; you name it). It’s the same reason why reporters keep writing the same line about how Sox fans are getting restless with Bloom after two last-place finishes in three years. Sure, it’s true, but you have to suspend a ton of your own intelligence to make the assertion that it’s Bloom’s fault.
 
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soxhop411

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Going back thru some old tweets during the “negotiations” and something now strikes me as odd
View: https://twitter.com/Sean_McAdam/status/1600575802818469888?s=20&t=PczGM1hw536YvoWdFPGpyw

One Red Sox person, asked by someone today whether the Sox would re-sign Bogaerts, answered without hesitation: “Yes.”
Notice the phrasing of this tweet.
Its not even Sean who asked this “sox person” but someone who asked this “sox person” and then relayed that info to Sean.
You would think Sean would have enough sources to be able to ask someone in the FO directly himself and not rely on second hand info.

how do we even know that was actually a “sox person” since sean did not ask them directly
 
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DeadlySplitter

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The McWillams airport article is going to leave the most impression people, which portrayed Bloom as a clueless buffoon.

Chaim keeps saying all the right things, but this market is probably all out of patience, not that there ever was going to be much to begin with.
 

TimScribble

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The McWillams airport article is going to leave the most impression people, which portrayed Bloom as a clueless buffoon.

Chaim keeps saying all the right things, but this market is probably all out of patience, not that there ever was going to be much to begin with.
The “give me a minute” over and over strikes odd. Was he playing it all up? Or covering now.
 

chrisfont9

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Zedia

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Give Rick Burleson some love, please. Please...?
Edit: He'd be #5 if added to your list.
I think he'd be #7 after the above mentioned 5 plus Valentin. Or #8 ( not sure how Vern Stephens 4+ very good years compares to Burleson's 7 years of offensive mediocrity).
 

scottyno

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Are you referring to Iglesias and Shaw as putting up 'far better seasons'?
No, I'm referring to 2021 Kike, 2021 Whitlock, 2022 Wacha, and 2022 Story as having far better seasons. You said that every player Bloom has added is a complimentary piece, but Schwarber isn't.
 

mikcou

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No, I'm referring to 2021 Kike, 2021 Whitlock, 2022 Wacha, and 2022 Story as having far better seasons. You said that every player Bloom has added is a complimentary piece, but Schwarber isn't.
Re: Story and Schwarber - yeah there is no reasonable basis that Story is a complimentary player but Schwarber is a core piece - they are both complimentary 2.5-3.5 win players who aren't quite starts and got corresponding non star deals. On the far better season point, actually being able to play games counts too. Story may have been better on a rate basis, but they were basically the same once you take into account Story couldnt say on the field for a full season and was paid considerably more last season. I think both guys will be worth their deals at the end of them, but am more certain on that with Schwarber (think Schwarber will have significant excess value at the end of it) than Story. Then again, I was also shocked that Schwarber only got the 4/79 deal. Figured that was an easy 5/110 type.

To be clear - I like the Story deal and think it will turn out well. I was just confounded last offseason when they didnt make more of an effort with Schwarber, especially after his final deal came out.
 

scottyno

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Re: Story and Schwarber - yeah there is no reasonable basis that Story is a complimentary player but Schwarber is a core piece - they are both complimentary 2.5-3.5 win players who aren't quite starts and got corresponding non star deals. On the far better season point, actually being able to play games counts too. Story may have been better on a rate basis, but they were basically the same once you take into account Story couldnt say on the field for a full season and was paid considerably more last season. I think both guys will be worth their deals at the end of them, but am more certain on that with Schwarber (think Schwarber will have significant excess value at the end of it) than Story. Then again, I was also shocked that Schwarber only got the 4/79 deal. Figured that was an easy 5/110 type.

To be clear - I like the Story deal and think it will turn out well. I was just confounded last offseason when they didnt make more of an effort with Schwarber, especially after his final deal came out.
Depending on which WAR you use Schwarber was either sightly negative or slightly positive value this year, it's nearly impossible for someone who provides as little as he does on the bases and with his glove to provide significant excess value on his current contract. He'd have to hit much better than he did last year which was already above his career average.
 

mikcou

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Depending on which WAR you use Schwarber was either sightly negative or slightly positive value this year, it's nearly impossible for someone who provides as little as he does on the bases and with his glove to provide significant excess value on his current contract. He'd have to hit much better than he did last year which was already above his career average.
Agreed on what his WAR was last year - I'd quibble a bit that $8M a win is too low and that last year was at least 8.5 and were seeing more like 9.5.

The other thing that I think is relevant here (and funny due to how bad a fielder you really have to be for this to be true) - Schwarber is more valuable as a DH than as a LF by these metrics. That is what he was signed to do, but had to play LF because of injuries. If he was an everyday DH, hed have picked up at least another quarter win last season - he'd have been a 3 fwar DH last season. That is one of those situations, where WAR isnt particularly reflective of the performance - most players are always going to look worse playing somewhere they shouldnt be, but if its needed, its beneficial to the team, not detrimental.

As for the bat - you'd expect 28-31 to be the best hitting years, so one should expect that the years are better than his career averages. That was one of the reasons the deal was so surprising to me at the time; grabbing the entire prime with very little downside year exposure is a pretty nice deal. Absent serious injury, it'd be pretty shocking if significantly underperformed the pricing.
 

soxhop411

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Xander Bogaerts was out of the lineup again Monday with his balky left wrist. He’s hoping to return to the lineup Tuesday for the series opener against the Seattle Mariners, but that depends on how he responds to an alternate round of treatment.

The Padres’ $280 million shortstop is keeping those details close to the chest.

The treatment that works — and Bogaerts knows because he’s managed this recurring ailment for several years — is not available because he needed a cortisone shot in spring training, meaning the All-Star break is likely the next time team doctors would allow that anti-inflammatory injection.
“I vouched to get it, but the doctors who know a lot more than you were like it’s not recommendable and it’s not the best thing for you to do for you in the long road,” Bogaerts said Monday afternoon. “I took another route. Hopefully it gets back to normal. It is very frustrating, though. It is.”

The wrist flared up last year after a collision with Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo. Bogaerts went on to hit .307/.377/.456 with 15 homers and 73 RBIs en route to his fifth Silver Slugger Award. When it popped up again this spring, Bogaerts received an
injection late in spring training and was hitting .362/.430/.580 through his first 18 games with the Padres.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/story/2023-06-05/padres-notes-xander-bogaerts-hopeful-for-a-tuesday-return

How long has Xander been managing that wrist issue?
 

moondog80

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That might explain why Xander has been awful since his hot start -- down to 252/337/388 for the season.
 

soxhop411

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That might explain why Xander has been awful since his hot start -- down to 252/337/388 for the season.
but the thing that shocked me is
The treatment that works — and Bogaerts knows because he’s managed this recurring ailment for several years
That would be a chronic injury at this point no?
 

JCizzle

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Kinda puts the Sox "low" offers in a new light, doesn't it?
I'd be inclined to give them more credit if they hadn't signed his replacement for decent money who is going to miss most of this season with his own documented injury. That said, at least it's not 11 years for a billion dollars. :redwine:
 
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