PREAMBLE
How many years are we going to "Hope" that core players perform up to their expectations and play a full season? Doing the same thing year after year after year expecting different results is called; "Sox Insanity"! Secondly, Sox front office process continues to hire or thinking of hiring ex-Sox employees (Ventura, Guillen, Thome, Getz, etc.) for managers. This falls under the definition of incest in the dictionary. WARNING: When incest is practiced, bad, weird, strange, goofy things result, never for the better. When you add a front office that is also from the Sox family, results have been Adam Dunn, Craig Kimbrel, Dallas Keuchel, Nomar Mazara, Adam LaRoche, Derek Holland, Jeff Samardiza (for Marcus Semien), James Shields (for Fernando Tatis Jr.), Todd Frazier (for Frankie Montas) which proves the definition accurate. "Sox Incest" has to end. Find a partners from other families! The Sox currently are the 4th oldest team in MLB (29.76). We all know which team is the youngest. Getting younger with focus on improving the defense should be the initiative. We all know you can't be charged with an error on the balls you don't get too or injured to at least make an effort.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Lucas Giolito: $10.8M TENDER Good $$$ range for a #3 starter with upside.
- Dylan Cease: $5.3M TENDER Duh!
- Reynaldo López; $3.3M TENDER Potential closer if Hendriks is dealt.
- Adam Engel: $2.3M NON-TENDER New scenery will help his career.
- Michael Kopech: $2.2M TENDER Also a potential closer if innings are an issue.
- Kyle Crick: $1.5M NON-TENDER Hope his career is not over. But it is here!
- José Ruiz: $1M NON-TENDER Cookie-cutter
- Danny Mendick: $1M TENDER Why not? Saving only $280k if slot goes to a minimum wage player.
CLUB OPTIONS
- Tim Anderson: $12.5M ($1M buyout) Pick up. Definitely has value. Two options for TA to decide on: Be traded or play 2b.
- Josh Harrison: $5.625M ($1.5M buyout) Buyout. Thank you for a serviceable year.
PLAYER OPTIONS
- AJ Pollock: $13M ($5 million buyout) — Buyout. AJ is looking for a ring. Money may not be top priority. Worth that to him if he only makes around $10m this year (with added incentives and playoff money).
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- José Abreu (Made $18M in 2021) Let go! Feels like the Sox have said good-bye already and are committed to Vaughn (so there is no other choice) who should only play 1B.
- Johnny Cueto ($4.2M) Let go! Another year older in 2023 (37?). Lightning in a bottle in '22. Still had a losing record.
- Vince Velasquez ($3M) Let go! Just because we can.
- Elvis Andrus ($14.25M) Offer. One error for the Sox in 43 games. TA 12 errors in 79 games. Keep until Montgomery is ready.
MANAGER
DeMarlo Hale. A Chicagoan who's the bench coach for Terry Francona. Has managerial experience as he filled in for Francona (health reasons) in '21. He's learned from and watched the best while in Cleveland. Plus, it weakens Cleveland somewhat. Fear is Cleveland has promised him the job whenever Francona leaves.
FREE AGENTS
First, the average age for ALL free-agents in 2023 is 33. The list of this year's free agents is underwhelming. Nimmo, Contreras, Judge are out of dollar range.
Andrew Benintendi for $15m. Solves the LF and averages 139 GP in non-covid years.
Chad Pinder for $3m. More versatile than Engel
Roberto Perez for $5m. Defense, defense, defense
TRADES
Another salary dump! Grandal for Madison Bumgarner. Although a higher salary in '23, goes down to $14m in '24 and is a year younger. Innings eater and a lefty. Same amount starts as Giolitto but with a better ERA.
Liam Hendriks to Baltimore for Tyler Wells and Anthony Santander. According to Trade Values, the Sox overpay somewhat (16.5 to 12.3 MTV's).
SUMMARY
Goal is to improve defense and get younger. The Sox will never win a World Series with TA at shortstop because of his defense. He says he's a team player, so we're moving him to 2B.
TA may be a bargain for a team looking for a shortstop but can't afford either of the 4 high priced free agents.
In millions AGE
C - Zavala (R) $ .720 (29)
1b - Vaughn (R) $ .720 (24)
2b - Anderson (R) $ 12.500 (29)
3b - Moncada (S) $17.800 (27)
ss - Andrus (R) $14.250 (34)
LF - Beintendi (L) $10.000 (28)
CF - Robert (R) $ 9.500 (25)
RF - Sandtander (S) $ 3.150 (28)
DH - Jimenez (R) $10.333 (25)
SP - Cease (R) $ 5.300 (26)
SP - Lynn (R) $18.500 (35)
SP - Giolitto (R) $10.800 (28)
SP - Bumgarner (L) $23.000 (32)
SP - Wells (R) $ .720 (28)
CL/RP - Lopez (R) $ 5.000 (28)
RP/CL - Kopech (R) $ 2.200 (25)
RP - Graveman (R) $ 8.000 (31)
RP - Kelly (R) $ 9.000 (34)
RP - Diekman (L) $ 3.500 (35)
RP - Bummer (L) $ 3.750 (29)
RP - Banks (L) $ .720 (30)
C - Perez (R) $ 5.000 (34)
INF - Mendick (R) $ 1.000 (28)
UTL - Garcia (S) $ 5.500 (31)
UTL - Pinder (R) $ 3.000 (30)
INF/OF - Sheets (L) $ .720 (26)
$184,683 (29.19)
Buyout - Polloack $ 5,000
$189, 683
