Cherington press conference

[Seven Costanza]

Victorino may be headed to DL.

FWIW, I walked past Vic on the street today around 5. He was with his wife and kids- wearing Hawaiian board shorts, flip flops, and certainly seemed to be walking normally. They were discussing a trip to Pinkberry.

Of course he's probably got a broken leg or something.

 

[JohntheBaptist]

Sure, but "unhappy" and "I'm taking my shit and goin' home" are pretty far apart. I wasn't suggesting they shouldn't have traded him or that it had to factor into their decision--I think you're right, it was just a very obvious move on their part for the reason you state and more.

 

[Ananti]

It's not he would actually have sat out, it's that all he has to do is threaten to do so and the team will capitulate by giving him a raise/extension. Because he's got almost nothing to lose by siting out and very little to gain by playing, where as he's got plenty to lose by playing (injury which could cost him his next contract).     The team has no leverage over him, because withholding $500,000 paycheck is all they can do.

 

[NJ Fan]

Thanks to all who transcribed...

 

[Sprowl]

FWIW, I walked past Vic on the street today around 5. He was with his wife and kids- wearing Hawaiian board shorts, flip flops, and certainly seemed to be walking normally. They were discussing a trip to Pinkberry.

Of course he's probably got a broken leg or something.

 
Shane gets landsick. Too much time not afloat and his sense of gravity gets seasick by proxy.
 
Victorino is 2013 (and he's 2015), but he might have the Hellenic flu for the rest of 2014.

 

[canderson]

Is there another GM in American sports recently that openly admits his own fuck ups and quickly - really quickly - will do drastic things to reverse course as much as Cherington? He has blown up two teams within 23 months and has a title in between.

 

[theapportioner]

Have to say, when Cherington was promoted to GM, I never expected him to be a ballsier dealer than Theo. But with the Punto trade, and the D-Day (Drew Day) set of trades, what he's done is a marvel. 

 

[SydneySox]

FWIW, I walked past Vic on the street today around 5. He was with his wife and kids- wearing Hawaiian board shorts, flip flops, and certainly seemed to be walking normally. They were discussing a trip to Pinkberry.

Of course he's probably got a broken leg or something.

 
Start a new thread!

 

[mauidano]

 
Shane gets landsick. Too much time not afloat and his sense of gravity gets seasick by proxy.
 
Victorino is 2013 (and he's 2015), but he might have the Hellenic flu for the rest of 2014.

:lol:

 

[catomatic]

I count 5-6 guys for three OF spots. Isn't it plausible that Victorino is dealt to make way for Cespedes in RF, JBJ stays in center with big (hopefully) bats in the corners to carry him and Nava, Holt and Betts shuffle around on the cheap to give rest and provide injury insurance? Does anyone think Craig is headed toward a platoon with a LHH stronger defensive OF. Nava doesn't really fit that bill—the glove part, anyway. Is Holt going to be taking eleventy-billion fly-balls off the Ft. Myers monster?  

 

[koufax37]

Would Victorino clear waivers?
 
I think we still have a deal to make somewhere to be our strongest and maximize our resources.
 
Craig can get some down time against RHP with the stronger platoon splits, but he is too valuable with his track record to be the short side of a straight platoon.  Prior to this season's struggles he had put up 1300 PAs of 130+ OPS+ over his 26-28 year old seasons, and that would seem a stronger predictor of his next couple seasons than his miserable 400 PAs this year.
 
Whether it is after the season or with waivers, we are still a trade away from being the best lineup we can be, and obviously will address pitching in one form another with some serious cash available to do so.

 

[geoduck no quahog]

I think the top dugout step would be the biggest obstacle for someone who's played 30 games in 2014, not waivers.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Sure, but "unhappy" and "I'm taking my shit and goin' home" are pretty far apart. I wasn't suggesting they shouldn't have traded him or that it had to factor into their decision--I think you're right, it was just a very obvious move on their part for the reason you state and more.

I don't feel it ever would have or ever will get this far. This is why agents exist......to get extensions such as this done. He can say publicly what he wants about honoring his contract (seriously what else is he coached to say on Day One with his new team?) but i don't see an extension not getting done for him to pitch in 2015. It's why his agent exists.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

No plans to move any minor league SP to bullpen.

 
This is curious to me.   There are way more candidates than are going to be starters and you would think some -mWoekman and maybe Kelly from what I've read - could be dominant and coat-controlled relievers.
 
Maybe that will be next year.

 

[Stan Papi Was Framed]

 
This is curious to me.   There are way more candidates than are going to be starters and you would think some -mWoekman and maybe Kelly from what I've read - could be dominant and coat-controlled relievers.
 
Maybe that will be next year.

yes, that makes sense.  Give as many guys a chance to prove themselves as starters for the rest of this year, and move some to the bullpen next year who don't work as starters (and perhaps trade some in the offseason).  There's a lot of interesting pitching at AAA and AA right now, both starters and relievers--plus several guys who are already in Boston.  Theoretically seems like it would be worth trying a 6 man rotation to see as many starters as possible the rest of the way, though I realize that in practice that would create more problems than it's worth (e.g. by throwing guys out of their routine).  

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

It's not he would actually have sat out, it's that all he has to do is threaten to do so and the team will capitulate by giving him a raise/extension. Because he's got almost nothing to lose by siting out and very little to gain by playing, where as he's got plenty to lose by playing (injury which could cost him his next contract).     The team has no leverage over him, because withholding $500,000 paycheck is all they can do.

 
He has plenty to lose.  By not playing to the terms of the contract he agreed to, the team owning his contract would put him on the Restricted List, and he would be unable to sign another contract.  He couldn't just "wait out a year" and become a free agent, he owes his team a year under those terms and they have the leverage to force him to do so if he wants to play baseball again.
 
Moreover, if he did play for that year but played shittily and/or grumbled to the press at every opportunity, that would be reflected in his next FA deal.  He's on contract year status and has all of the pressure that comes with that.
 
Pretty much his only leverage is to retire.  He can grumble about it, but major leaguers are far too competitive to just sit out rather than playing the game.  It would be a truly rare set of circumstances that would cause a major leaguer to refuse to honor a contract - you just don't hear about players doing that here, as opposed to the NFL, because all non-option years are fully guaranteed.

 

[Harry Hooper]

yes, that makes sense.  Give as many guys a chance to prove themselves as starters for the rest of this year, and move some to the bullpen next year who don't work as starters (and perhaps trade some in the offseason).  

 
 
Exactly, starters will tend to be more valuable than relievers as trade chips.

 

[Stan Papi Was Framed]

 
 
Exactly, starters will tend to be more valuable than relievers as trade chips.

plus it makes sense to try as many of the possible starters as you can--more chance 1 or 2 work out.  That may be all they need to begin 2015--assuming Buchholz is useable and a #1 and/or 2 come in via free agency or trade.  Rotation could look like #1 Shields/Scherzer/Lester, #2 someone thru a trade or another free agent, #3 Buchholz, #4 Kelly, #5 one of Ranaudo/Workman/Webster/De La Rosa/Escobar/Wright, with some of those who don't make it waiting in the wings along with Owens, Johnson, Eduardo Rodriguez (minus whoever may be traded or moved to the bullpen).

 

[Ananti]

 
He has plenty to lose.  By not playing to the terms of the contract he agreed to, the team owning his contract would put him on the Restricted List, and he would be unable to sign another contract.  He couldn't just "wait out a year" and become a free agent, he owes his team a year under those terms and they have the leverage to force him to do so if he wants to play baseball again.
 
Moreover, if he did play for that year but played shittily and/or grumbled to the press at every opportunity, that would be reflected in his next FA deal.  He's on contract year status and has all of the pressure that comes with that.
 
Pretty much his only leverage is to retire.  He can grumble about it, but major leaguers are far too competitive to just sit out rather than playing the game.  It would be a truly rare set of circumstances that would cause a major leaguer to refuse to honor a contract - you just don't hear about players doing that here, as opposed to the NFL, because all non-option years are fully guaranteed.

In aggregate, for a guy who's already made $108 million in his career,  he has nothing to lose.   But since he's no longer on the Red Sox I find this debate moot.  We'll see if he pitches for $500k next year, my money is on not.

 

[Hee Sox Choi]

Someone requested this.  Press conference (looks like just highlights):
 
http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/mlb/314334275777/0/ben-cherington-talks-red-sox-trades