My original post was a bit cryptic- the whole market is stalled, I think as teams wait for Sasaki with the other FA pitchers on hold in hopes that the loser of that contest will shift their attention and big dollars. I am very encouraged by the Crochet trade, and I generally agree with the strategy of not paying top dollar for FA pitchers over the age of 30. And, as I've typed too many times of late, the FA hitters are a poor fit for the roster. So, what's on tap? I'm hoping it is a trade for a big name catcher.... we'll see.
I agree totally with this. I'd far rather them take the Crochet path than the Burnes / Fried path. Though they are still in a spot that I think they should get another starter that projects as better than a #4 (ie better than Giolito or Crawford).
I think that (this strongly assumes a Crochet extension, which I believe will happen) the strategy of trading prospects for pitching and then extending that pitching as the "only" bidder is a much better strategy for the Red Sox. If nothing else the hit rate has been much better: Pedro - and I know he was before FSG, but I'm talking about the strategy; Schilling; Beckett; Sale (would not have been nearly as big a deal if they'd given him his 5yr/$145m deal before he ever made a single pitch to the Red Sox - it's that they waited 2 seasons and then didn't have it even kick in until his age 31 season).
The flip side is that you need to be willing to "over pay" in terms of hitting sent out the door when you have no top end pitching prospects to send back. For what it's worth, I'm fine with that overpay and I'm thrilled Boston has gotten back to that move of shipping off prospects for elite pitching talent. I would be pro them doing it again even at costs including some of Casas, Abreu, Mayer if they were able (as in Jared Jones, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Pablo Lopez, etc).
My issue has never and not once been with the Red Sox not playing at the top of the FA market for pitching over the past 5 seasons. It's that they didn't "pay" for it at all (in terms of top of the market FAs, middle of the market FAs, trades or high capital draft picks).
Now, if they for some reason don't extend Crochet, we can have the "cheap" conversation (and to be clear, I think they will). But I do think that trading hitting (and overpaying) to get someone like Crochet and extending them is smart and what they should be doing.