Our SS ends up being whatever the best offensive downgrade option to the .746 ops player we fielded last season you can dig up, with the potential trade off that it improves our defense in the process and doesn't cost $7.6m. Or more specifically, the answer to that is essentially less important once JD Martinez and whatever other value bat we sign provides the massive overall upgrade to our lineup even if we have to carry a defense-first SS. Both of which are going to be paid for with the help of that combined $26.5m we freed up while trading off the trio btw, which again plays towards one of the end game goals there of steering away second tier LT hits.
I'm aware of your feelings about trading any of B's, and what I view to be a fairly narrow outlook on their potential trade value and what would/should define a "contending team" that might have an interest in them. I just don't agree with them. Just like you don't have to agree with mine. But I will say this:
Two months ago almost nobody was crunching the reality math and seeing an over-the-LT season on the horizon...yet there it is. The same general thing seems to be applying now towards that previously unfathomable idea when that CBA got announced that we would be eating second tier LT hits. People who think we are signing JD Martinez, while not doing any type of budget cutting like I suggest above, are kidding themselves again imo if they don't see it looming.
In the spirit of going crazy, I've been thinking about scenarios where we deal Bogaerts for a young power hitter, and go glove-first at SS.
(I doubt this proposal makes the team better. Just making conversation.)
The problem is that I don't see any teams looking to win within Bogaerts' years of control who lack an entrenched SS of comparable quality to Bogaerts, even considering that fWAR kind of loved Bogaerts (3.2 fWAR, between Tim Beckham and Jean Segura). But play with me for a second.
The Cubs, Dodgers, Astros, Indians, Yankees, Mariners, Giants, Braves, Angels, Rangers, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals are all at least pretty well set at SS. Basically, unless the Twins or Brewers are interested, nobody makes much sense.
Here's an idea: deal Bogaerts to Minnesota for positionless slugger Miguel Sano, in the hopes that as he matures he'll become a 40 HR threat. I don't think that trade is *too* crazy, do you? Bogaerts upgrades the IF defense of the Twins considerably — Polanco isn't much of a SS, and Sano is a DH — admittedly with a bit of a step down offensively. With Matt Duffy coming back from injury, acquire Adeiny Hechavarria (Arb3) from the Rays for A ball pitching of comparable value to what they sent to Miami — Darwinzon Hernandez? (Alternately, if we think he's actually healthy, acquire
Duffy and add him to our pile of misfit infielders.)
So it's Bogaerts and Darwinzon out for Sano and Hechavarria. The resulting lineup trades .050 of SS OPS (and a ton of upside) for better infield defense, and adds a power-hitting DH. We lose years of control at SS, but gain them at DH.
You could then, if you wanted, also try to staple Hanley to Bradley or Benintendi to acquire a good 1B (if it's Benintendi, that 1B better be *good*), and sign Martinez for about Hanley's AAV.
You'd end up with something like:
Betts RF
Benintendi CF
Martinez LF
Devers 3B
Sano DH
Bour 1B
Pedroia 2B
Vazquez C
Hechavarria SS
Again, I'm don't really think any of this makes the team better. It's just a pathway.