I love Xander, but he's a 31-year-old shortstop. Matching San Diego's contract would have been foolish. Maybe Bloom tenders a big extension to Devers, or maybe he goes after Soto or Ohtani next winter, but Xander is not the guy you sign for 11 years.
Isnt excepting Altuve a huge deal in this analysis? He got 7/175 (which would be the 2nd biggest deal the Sox have ever signed in their history) in a much lower market - they havent completely eschewed the top tier market; theyve just picked their places (similar to the Dodgers and Yankees honestly) rather than going hardcore in like SD has. Other than SD, almost no one has more than two large deals on their team at a single time so only having one doesnt seem out of line - having none does.
Bogaert's leaving has been well-telegraphed for months and should not have been a surprise to the organization.
It would be fascinating to see how a team compiled by the best minds of SoSH would fare.
For starters, the "average baseball executive" works like a lunatic. Long, long hours. Weekends. Holidays. Constant interaction with staff and execs from across the game.
Don't most major league teams employ departments full of people equivalent to "the best minds of SoSH"?
I am not necessarily saying that the Sox should have matched the Padre's offer. I am saying that Bloom seems to have no direction at all. He does not want to re-sign his own guys (X), he has no interest in making serious offers to big name agents (de Grom, Verlander, etc.), the farm system has some nice players but seems like it is more quantity than quality... what is the plan here? Hope that Ohtani wants to leave Trout and SoCal to come carry Boston? Same with Soto? Given how deeply, deeply concerned ownership is with costs, I somehow doubt FSG is going to want to put resources into baseball, especially when they are eyeing buying the Commanders. At the very least, signing X (even overpaying) would have signaled that ownership sort of cares about a good product and the fanbase right now.
Well getting those “best minds” to agree with each other would be a pretty impressive feat all by itself.
They appear to be obsessed with being in on as many players as possible, but not really focused on anything. I think that Bloom is opportunistic, flexible, and looks for value wherever possible, which isn’t the worst thing in the world but it leads to some strange steps in roster building.
If they extend Devers right away (highly unlikely), I'd be happy to see us go all in on either. If not, I'd prefer they don't and save that money for Ohtani and the rest of next year's FA crop.
I think the fans are going to grumble under most circumstances. Signing Correa or Swanson might change the subject for a while, but the second Correa/Swanson gets hurt or underperforms Xander through May, you'll be hearing grumbles.
I think we're all pretty much in agreement that 11/280 is nuts. BUT...we also all agree that we wish they'd have tried a LOT harder to get something done before it ever came to this.
If that would have even mattered, given the opt-out and Boras's ability to squeeze money out of rocks
Sure, but isnt this kinda like some alternate universe?
I don’t think that’s realistic as a Boras client. He was going to test the market, did, and now we adjust.
Correa yes. Swanson no (unless at value).
They’re also operating in a Scott Boras PR fantasy world where he would’ve taken the same contract as Jose Altuve back in March.
I agree they won't sign Correa simply because they won't give $300M+ to anyone. But I also think most organizations would give $300M to Correa before giving it to Devers.
How hard did they try? What were the offers from the Sox that X turned down? What offer would you have made to keep him from free agency? Do you think Boras had no idea that he'd get something around what he got as an FA and it was just lucky that he did?
I don't think even Scott Boras envisioned a year ago that Xander Bogaerts would get an 11-year, $280 million contract after the 2022 season. Not even close. Again, while the Sox were far off the Padres' offer, there were like three other teams who were "in the neighborhood". And by that I mean, they were still like $80 million short of what SD offered.
Altuve was a Boras client and signed an extension before free agency. It doesn't happen often for his clients, but he's ultimately working for them obviously. If we have credible reporters on record that Xander was comfortable with the 6/$150M last year, I don't see why we should doubt the story.
One reason to doubt it would be the dozens/scores/hundreds of hot stove tweets/stories that turn out to be wrong. To the extent it matters (it doesn't; he's gone), I think the onus is on giving some sort of reason why we should accept this story, when all the other reporting has been so wildly off.
Why would they be pushing all in on Correa and Swanson when they hardly lifted a finger for a player who they know?
Alex Speier doesn't put his name to stuff that isn't credible. He is not some hot take artist who put stuff out there to generate clicks.
Slight caveat, Cora knows Correa very well ... but I agree it's a long shot at best that they would pay what he'll get.
If anything, he's generally plugged in and positive with the front office & ownership side of things.
Ten years ago they held onto Betts, Bradley, Bogaerts, and then later Devers. They were building to the 2018 season. When that core was ready, they added Sale, Kimbrel, Martinez, and other pieces. If Bloom is thinking the same way, then we hold onto the guys who will be the core of the next great team (Bello, Casas, and the guys in the BA top ten), and then add a couple of big contracts as needed. Bogaerts at 11/280 would undermine that strategy. I don't know if this is how Bloom is thinking, but I hope so, and evidence points that way.
As E5 says, Cora knows Correa well, and of course, it's possible that they think either of those guys is a lot better than Xander or will age better. We have no idea, really, what their valuations of each player is (are?).
Because though every team's FO likely sees it differently, Boston's doesn't really see Bogaerts as a shortstop.
Yep, if a star player has Boras and you don’t overpay heavily for an early long term extension, they are getting to free agency where some team is going to go ape shit and do what the Padres did. It’s just the reality.
The only way I see Correa coming is if he gets the AAV he wants on a shorter-term deal. But, if the Cubs and Giants are in on him heavier he is going to get what he wants with a longer term somewhere else.
Yeah. I don't see Boston landing him. In fact, I don't think the Sox will even be particularly close.
Very high K rate. He has good power, but needs to stay in right center instead of trying to pull the ball to stay effective at the plate. I rate his glove work as very good from watching him. Has a tendency to try to do too much at the plate when the team is struggling for runs. Breaking balls away and low are his kryptonite.
I don't know if I totally buy this "disrespected.... poisoned the well...." bullshit. The team you're playing for offers you what you perceive to be a low offer prior to Free Agency where you see other players you feel you're at least as good as get more. So what? Say no and that you feel you deserve more. Are these players that butt-hurt by a low offer that they can't get over it? Fuck that. Seriously. I don't want these overly sensitive athletes then. They're STILL being offered millions more than 99.999% of us will see in our lifetime to play a game...... I know it's relative but I just don't get this "poisoned/disrespected" bullshit and then feeling like you're going to "get them" back by going elsewhere. I run a small construction company and after I put in some time putting a bid together and the client says, "oh... that's thousands more than I can pay" I just say okay.... let's start again. Here's my value and where can we meet on this? If they're freaking shitsticks.... then sure. But offering less than perceived self-worth isn't being an asshole, it's just business for fuck sake.
Would the Monster help or hurt him? If he needs to stay in RCF to not become pull happy, that may not play well in Fenway.
I wonder if he'd do a two year $90 deal. It'd destroy the threshold but would address long and short term issues as SS easily. Correa could still hit the market at the same age as X is now and cash in for even more
