2012 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[Falcon]

Jason Varitek to announce his retirement on Thursday.

HOF propaganda to start immediately afterward.

Haha yeah, i'm not too familiar with his career stats to give an opinion if he's deserving or not. I'm sure Faldor will have a lot to say about this.

faldor gets a pass.

Gammons, Gordon Edes and Dan Shaughnessy don't!

[Falcon]

Definitely good news on your end Falcon. Fantastic catcher and worth the money to keep him for a long time to come.

For sure.

They really couldn't afford to let him walk, not much in the pipeline catcher wise to take his place and alot of young pitching on the rise that could use his leadership as they come up.

Seems like a win/win.

Holy hell, Yadi just broke the f'n bank.

From Ken Rosenthal's twitter:

Molina average salary of $14M-$15M in new deal with #STLCards would be second-highest ever for catcher behind Mauer at $23M.

[tim_m]

Holy Hell sums that up quite well. You think he's worth that much, Falcon?

[Falcon]

Holy Hell sums that up quite well. You think he's worth that much, Falcon?

Worth and value may be 2 different things in this case.

He's the best in the biz and irreplaceable for the Cards so a perceived overpay may be of greater value for them now than taking a chance on letting him hit the open market and rolling the dice.

He has inherent value beyond as well, provides stabilty to a franchise that's changed alot since last year and reassures a fanbase they will spend when it makes sense to spend.

[faldor]

Jason Varitek to announce his retirement on Thursday.

HOF propaganda to start immediately afterward.

Haha yeah, i'm not too familiar with his career stats to give an opinion if he's deserving or not. I'm sure Faldor will have a lot to say about this.

faldor gets a pass.

Gammons, Gordon Edes and Dan Shaughnessy don't!

Varitek certainly isn't a HOF by the numbers.  A Red Sox HOF for certain, but he won't get much love for Cooperstown.  His offensive stats aren't great, even by a catcher's standards.  And he was never really considered a good defensive catcher either.  BUT, he did handle the pitchers very well.  He was highly respected by his teammates.  And he was the ONLY catcher in MLB history to catch 4 no hitters.  The 2 World Series round off a pretty nice career for him indeed.

But no, not Hall worthy.

[pilferk]

Varitek certainly isn't a HOF by the numbers.  A Red Sox HOF for certain, but he won't get much love for Cooperstown.  His offensive stats aren't great, even by a catcher's standards.  And he was never really considered a good defensive catcher either.  BUT, he did handle the pitchers very well.  He was highly respected by his teammates.  And he was the ONLY catcher in MLB history to catch 4 no hitters.  The 2 World Series round off a pretty nice career for him indeed.

But no, not Hall worthy.

So...um...who's the Sox everyday catcher this year?

[faldor]

Varitek certainly isn't a HOF by the numbers.  A Red Sox HOF for certain, but he won't get much love for Cooperstown.  His offensive stats aren't great, even by a catcher's standards.  And he was never really considered a good defensive catcher either.  BUT, he did handle the pitchers very well.  He was highly respected by his teammates.  And he was the ONLY catcher in MLB history to catch 4 no hitters.  The 2 World Series round off a pretty nice career for him indeed.

But no, not Hall worthy.

So...um...who's the Sox everyday catcher this year?

Same as last year.  Jarrod Saltalamachia.  Varitek was the backup/Beckett's personal catcher last year.  The moment the Sox signed Kelly Shoppach signaled the end for Tek.  No room for 3 catcher's on the roster, especially with Ryan Lavarnway progressing in the minors.  Their catching situation is actually looking pretty good.  Salty got progressively better last season both offensively and defensively.  Shoppach is a good defensive catcher with some pop, especially against lefties.  And Lavarnway has legit power, and led 2 leagues he played in last season in throwing out baserunners. 

The biggest question is how the Sox pitching staff will do without Varitek, who they relied so heavily upon for the last decade plus.  That remains to be seen, but Varitek has been phased out the past few seasons and Salty gained a lot of trust last year as the starter so hopefully they'll be alright.

[pilferk]

Same as last year.  Jarrod Saltalamachia.  Varitek was the backup/Beckett's personal catcher last year.  The moment the Sox signed Kelly Shoppach signaled the end for Tek.  No room for 3 catcher's on the roster, especially with Ryan Lavarnway progressing in the minors.  Their catching situation is actually looking pretty good.  Salty got progressively better last season both offensively and defensively.  Shoppach is a good defensive catcher with some pop, especially against lefties.  And Lavarnway has legit power, and led 2 leagues he played in last season in throwing out baserunners. 

The biggest question is how the Sox pitching staff will do without Varitek, who they relied so heavily upon for the last decade plus.  That remains to be seen, but Varitek has been phased out the past few seasons and Salty gained a lot of trust last year as the starter so hopefully they'll be alright.

I wasn't sure which direction they would go.  I've seen Salty play.....he would not be my choice for everyday use.  Maybe he's improved and I missed it.  Shoppach is a better CATCHER, but you're basically giving away your #9 hitter to the other team (although his OB% isn't historically horrible, I guess).    Tek wasn't much of an improvement with the stick, but his OB% was historically OK, and he seemed to come up big in big spots.  And he was, for my money, the best defensive option...simply because of his prowess with the pitching staff.

Tek gave them almost 70 games last year...that's a pretty good sized work load.

It'll be interesting, for sure.

[LongGoneDay]

Same as last year.  Jarrod Saltalamachia.  Varitek was the backup/Beckett's personal catcher last year.  The moment the Sox signed Kelly Shoppach signaled the end for Tek.  No room for 3 catcher's on the roster, especially with Ryan Lavarnway progressing in the minors.  Their catching situation is actually looking pretty good.  Salty got progressively better last season both offensively and defensively.  Shoppach is a good defensive catcher with some pop, especially against lefties.  And Lavarnway has legit power, and led 2 leagues he played in last season in throwing out baserunners. 

The biggest question is how the Sox pitching staff will do without Varitek, who they relied so heavily upon for the last decade plus.  That remains to be seen, but Varitek has been phased out the past few seasons and Salty gained a lot of trust last year as the starter so hopefully they'll be alright.

I wasn't sure which direction they would go.  I've seen Salty play.....he would not be my choice for everyday use.  Maybe he's improved and I missed it.  Shoppach is a better CATCHER, but you're basically giving away your #9 hitter to the other team (although his OB% isn't historically horrible, I guess).    Tek wasn't much of an improvement with the stick, but his OB% was historically OK, and he seemed to come up big in big spots.  And he was, for my money, the best defensive option...simply because of his prowess with the pitching staff.

Tek gave them almost 70 games last year...that's a pretty good sized work load.

It'll be interesting, for sure.

Love Tek, but this was a long time coming. He was a sure out at the plate, and not giving Sox enough behind it anymore.
Seemed like he went on vacation from throwing runners out around 2008.
Salty is no defensive guru, and I wasn't in love with that signing at all, but at least he has some pop.
Shoppach is what he is, a bum.

Unfortunately, there aren't many catchers in MLB worth writing home about. The ones that are are locked up long term.
Lavarnway looks like he could be the real deal offensively. Hopefully he improves dramatically on the defensive side.

Sox again go into the season with a big question mark at catcher. I won't harp on letting Martinez walk anymore since hes a DH now, and out for the year.
Shortstop aint lookin so hot either. Starting rotation looks better without Lackey in it. Hopefully Bucholz can stay healthy. Beckett looked dominant early last year, hopefully he comes in interested and in shape.

Bullpen is a crapshoot.

Hopefully Crawford turns himself into something other that what he is currently, one of the biggest bust in MLB. So far he has brought nothing to the table. Sucks on both sides of the ball, and supposedly cries about his spot in the order. He's making Manny look like a defensive stud.

[pilferk]

Love Tek, but this was a long time coming. He was a sure out at the plate, and not giving Sox enough behind it anymore.
Seemed like he went on vacation from throwing runners out around 2008.
Salty is no defensive guru, and I wasn't in love with that signing at all, but at least he has some pop.
Shoppach is what he is, a bum.

True, he's getting a bit long in the tooth.  I thought they'd keep him for another year to see if Lavarnway would develop.  Besides, there looks like there might be a couple decent options on the FA market next year (not least of which might be Russell Martin).

Tek couldn't throw anyone out...but not much got passed him, either (which...when you catch Wakefield for forever...I guess shouldn't be surprising).

Salty's got power..but his defensive skills are, IMHO, lacking (and that's being kind) and his BA/OB% aren't exactly fear inducing.  Basically a below average defensive catcher who is a below average hitter with average to slightly above average power.  Eh....

Shoppach is better defensively, I think, but even worse with the stick.

You're right, not great options among them.

Unfortunately, there aren't many catchers in MLB worth writing home about. The ones that are are locked up long term.
Lavarnway looks like he could be the real deal offensively. Hopefully he improves dramatically on the defensive side.

It seems like a bunch of teams have young guys developing..and the established guys are all on their way out or locked up long term.  Should be 2 or 3 better options on the FA market next year.

Sox again go into the season with a big question mark at catcher. I won't harp on letting Martinez walk anymore since hes a DH now, and out for the year.
Shortstop aint lookin so hot either. Starting rotation looks better without Lackey in it. Hopefully Bucholz can stay healthy. Beckett looked dominant early last year, hopefully he comes in interested and in shape.

Bullpen is a crapshoot.

Hopefully Crawford turns himself into something other that what he is currently, one of the biggest bust in MLB. So far he has brought nothing to the table. Sucks on both sides of the ball, and supposedly cries about his spot in the order. He's making Manny look like a defensive stud.

It'll be interesting.  IMHO, Yanks got better, TB got slightly better (because their rotation gets more experienced), and the Sox stood still.

[LongGoneDay]

Love Tek, but this was a long time coming. He was a sure out at the plate, and not giving Sox enough behind it anymore.
Seemed like he went on vacation from throwing runners out around 2008.
Salty is no defensive guru, and I wasn't in love with that signing at all, but at least he has some pop.
Shoppach is what he is, a bum.

True, he's getting a bit long in the tooth.  I thought they'd keep him for another year to see if Lavarnway would develop.  Besides, there looks like there might be a couple decent options on the FA market next year (not least of which might be Russell Martin).

Tek couldn't throw anyone out...but not much got passed him, either (which...when you catch Wakefield for forever...I guess shouldn't be surprising).

Salty's got power..but his defensive skills are, IMHO, lacking (and that's being kind) and his BA/OB% aren't exactly fear inducing.  Basically a below average defensive catcher who is a below average hitter with average to slightly above average power.  Eh....

Shoppach is better defensively, I think, but even worse with the stick.

You're right, not great options among them.

Unfortunately, there aren't many catchers in MLB worth writing home about. The ones that are are locked up long term.
Lavarnway looks like he could be the real deal offensively. Hopefully he improves dramatically on the defensive side.

It seems like a bunch of teams have young guys developing..and the established guys are all on their way out or locked up long term.  Should be 2 or 3 better options on the FA market next year.

Sox again go into the season with a big question mark at catcher. I won't harp on letting Martinez walk anymore since hes a DH now, and out for the year.
Shortstop aint lookin so hot either. Starting rotation looks better without Lackey in it. Hopefully Bucholz can stay healthy. Beckett looked dominant early last year, hopefully he comes in interested and in shape.

Bullpen is a crapshoot.

Hopefully Crawford turns himself into something other that what he is currently, one of the biggest bust in MLB. So far he has brought nothing to the table. Sucks on both sides of the ball, and supposedly cries about his spot in the order. He's making Manny look like a defensive stud.

It'll be interesting.  IMHO, Yanks got better, TB got slightly better (because their rotation gets more experienced), and the Sox stood still.

Yeah, the options are so thin that I would have preferred Tek as a backup rather than Shoppach, since he's so familiar with the system.
At least Shoppach knows what to expect after his first tour, but he is what he is.

Looks like the Sox are gambling on health. The only way they are better than last year is if guys like Bucholz and Youk bounce back.
I'm used to watching a carousel shitty shortstops play for the Sox. That seemed to be Theo's preference, and maybe Ben caught the bug.
They couldn't wait to get rid of Gonzalez, twice. He made it look too easy. Gotta get an overpaid player with no range like Lugo or Scutaro in here to fit the bill.
Now they have cheap, shit shortstops. We have Iglesias to look forward to though. He should be a defensive stud, and is projected to hit 0 HRs and just north of .200

I expect Gonzalez to have a monster year this season. Last year was nothing to sneeze at, but his power numbers should be up.
AT least I can tune in and watch if I feel inclined. I refuse to watch Lackey, Wakefield or Dice K starts, and looks like I should be spared the torment this season.
Fingers crossed Dice K stays hurt!

[Falcon]

Staying with the catcher theme, it looks like Molina's deal could be finalized as early as today.

5 years/$75 million.

[pilferk]

Staying with the catcher theme, it looks like Molina's deal could be finalized as early as today.

5 years/$75 million.

They DRASTICALLY overpaid.  I understand WHY they did...but they still did.

[Falcon]

More staged drama novelty baseball on the way in 2012 - yippee!!!

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/29/report-expanded-playoffs-will-be-a-go-for-2012/#comments

[tim_m]

More staged drama novelty baseball on the way in 2012 - yippee!!!

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/29/report-expanded-playoffs-will-be-a-go-for-2012/#comments

Not surprising it got implemented this year. All sides clearly wanted to work out a way it could start this year. Espn says no agreement or announcement yet but indicates its imminent.

[faldor]

Same as last year.  Jarrod Saltalamachia.  Varitek was the backup/Beckett's personal catcher last year.  The moment the Sox signed Kelly Shoppach signaled the end for Tek.  No room for 3 catcher's on the roster, especially with Ryan Lavarnway progressing in the minors.  Their catching situation is actually looking pretty good.  Salty got progressively better last season both offensively and defensively.  Shoppach is a good defensive catcher with some pop, especially against lefties.  And Lavarnway has legit power, and led 2 leagues he played in last season in throwing out baserunners. 

The biggest question is how the Sox pitching staff will do without Varitek, who they relied so heavily upon for the last decade plus.  That remains to be seen, but Varitek has been phased out the past few seasons and Salty gained a lot of trust last year as the starter so hopefully they'll be alright.

I wasn't sure which direction they would go.  I've seen Salty play.....he would not be my choice for everyday use.  Maybe he's improved and I missed it.  Shoppach is a better CATCHER, but you're basically giving away your #9 hitter to the other team (although his OB% isn't historically horrible, I guess).    Tek wasn't much of an improvement with the stick, but his OB% was historically OK, and he seemed to come up big in big spots.  And he was, for my money, the best defensive option...simply because of his prowess with the pitching staff.

Tek gave them almost 70 games last year...that's a pretty good sized work load.

It'll be interesting, for sure.

You know I THOUGHT Salty had a much better 2nd half last season, but I checked the numbers and that wasn't the case.  He was actually much worse.  So much for those warm fuzzy feelings I was having.  He did get better behind the plate though as the season wore on.  And Shoppach does seem to be an improvement as a backup over Varitek, so it gives them more of a viable backup.  Again, Varitek's real only redeeming quality at this point in his career was his handling of the pitching staff.  I think BOTH catchers they have now are better both offensively and defensively. 

It'll be interesting to see.  From what I've heard of Bobby Valentine, he does some unconventional things.  So I almost expect some surprises coming out of camp.  Everyone EXPECTS Salty will be the starting catcher, but maybe he goes with Shoppach, or even Lavarnway.  Also at SS, Aviles is the front runner, but maybe he goes with all glove no bat Iglesias. 

On the SS front as well.  I'm getting sick and tired of hearing people blast the Sox for trading away Marco Scutaro.  People are making it out like they traded away Cal Ripken in his prime.  This is Marco Freaking Scutaro we are talking about.  Don't get me wrong, guy had a nice season last year.  And he was one of the few that actually played well in September.  But people tend to forget that he had lost his starting job last season to Jed Lowrie, and if injuries didn't derail Lowrie's season AGAIN, he may not have gotten it back.  Credit to Scutaro for coming back and finishing strong, but I do not see a HUGE difference between him and Aviles.  I could be proven wrong of course, maybe all these critics actually know what they're talking about. 

I think the Sox will be alright this year.  I'm liking Bobby V. more and more each day.  I think he's a fresh change that they desperately needed.  They still have a lot of talent, so the potential is there.  They have a few more question marks than the other contenders, so that's an issue.  The back end of their bullpen could very well be worse than it was last year.  Aceves, Bard, and Papelbon COULD turn into Padilla, Melancon, Bailey, though I think Aceves will remain in the pen as that's where he's best suited.  Still though, the 8th and 9th inning guys seem to be a step down from last season.  On the bright side though, I don't see how the rest of their bullpen can be worse than it was last year because aside from those 3 guys it was AWFUL last season.  It HAS to be better this year.  And as many questions as they have with their 4 and 5 starters, it won't be tough to outdo the numbers put up by the Lackey, Dice-K, Weiland, Miller, Bedard, Wakefield's, etc.

The extra wild card comes in the right year for the Sox it appears, as the AL East is far from guaranteed to get that top wild card with the AL West coming on strong.  Pennant races should be even more heated this season.

[Falcon]

Staying with the catcher theme, it looks like Molina's deal could be finalized as early as today.

5 years/$75 million.

They DRASTICALLY overpaid.  I understand WHY they did...but they still did.

And the ripple effect of Molina's deal has officially started - apparently both Miguel Montero and Mike Napoli have tabled long-term talks today with the D-Backs and Rangers.

[tim_m]

Staying with the catcher theme, it looks like Molina's deal could be finalized as early as today.

5 years/$75 million.

They DRASTICALLY overpaid.  I understand WHY they did...but they still did.

And the ripple effect of Molina's deal has officially started - apparently both Miguel Montero and Mike Napoli have tabled long-term talks today with the D-Backs and Rangers.

Ouch! Napoli is a good player for the rangers. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

[Falcon]

Details of Yadi's deal are done.

5/75 with a mutual 6th year option at $15 mil with a full no trade.

[Falcon]

Pardon the pun DISCLAIMER:

AJ Burnett just can't buy a break, can he?