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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 30, 2020 17:38:48 GMT -5
Red Sox roster turnover is tough side of business of baseball By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 30, 2020, 23 minutes ago The Red Sox used 44 players in 2018 on their way to a 108-win season followed by a resounding World Series championship. Only 14 remain in the organization from that team, which includes the essentially retired Dustin Pedroia. Just eight were in uniform for Sunday’s 9-5 victory against the Nationals. Mitch Moreland, one of the heroes of the ’18 Series, was the latest out the door. He was traded to the Padres on Sunday for two legitimate prospects. It was absolutely the right move. Moreland turns 35 next week and the Sox sold high on him while making room for Bobby Dalbec to play first base. It was a good idea to trade Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman to the Phillies, too. Consensus around the game is that the Sox received better than expected value in both deals. The sell-off could well continue before the trade deadline hits at 4 p.m. Monday. The Sox would certainly do Jackie Bradley Jr. a favor by trading him to a contender. But where does it stop, this creeping anonymity? Outside of a few core players, the Red Sox are loaded with fringe big leaguers not even the most avid fan could pick out of the lineup. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is adept at making moves that incrementally improve the team’s overall talent base while reducing the payroll. It was why ownership hired Bloom, to buy low and sell high enough times until you create sustainable success. It works. The Rays won 186 games from 2018-19 and are in first place this season. Their farm system is loaded with high-end talent. But the Rays also haven’t won a Division Series since 2008 and are exploring the idea of eventually playing half their games in Montreal to make up for the lack of interest in Florida. It’s a style that can seem antiseptic at times. Brock Holt, a valuable player who was immensely popular with the fan base, said Sunday he “didn’t really hear from the Red Sox at all” after becoming a free agent last fall. “A little strange to me,” Holt said. “It’s one of those things, first time through free agency, didn’t really know what to expect. Figured I’d get a phone call or something. They called a couple of times just checking in. But it was never really close to offering .”
Holt ended up with Milwaukee and was 3 for 31 before being released, then signing Saturday with the Nationals, so the Sox had it right.
Holt video chatted with Moreland on Saturday to congratulate him on reaching 10 years of major league service time.
“I asked him, ‘You going to get traded?’ He said, ‘No.’ But obviously he got traded,” Holt said. “I’m proud of him. He’s one of my favorite teammates of all time. He’s a winner, good to have around. Padres are lucky to have him.”
Moreland joined the Sox on a one-year, $5.5 million deal in 2017. He left with an .803 OPS over four seasons.
Moreland was an All-Star in 2018 and had one of the biggest swings in Red Sox postseason history, a three-run homer in Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
With the Sox down, 4-0, Moreland pinch hit with two outs in the seventh inning and crushed a Ryan Madson changeup to right field that for a second seemed like it might end up in the parking lot. The Sox went on to a 9-6 victory and a 3-1 series lead. They wrapped it up the next night. Like Holt, he was a good teammate whose effort you never had any reason to question.
Holt has watched the dismantling of the ’18 team with a mixed sense of melancholy and reality.
“That’s part of the business of baseball,” he said. “It’s the [lousy] part of it but it happens. It’s time to move on. It’s tough to see because we were so close, such a fun group of guys to be a part of. But that’s baseball.”
But, unlike Tampa Bay, baseball is part of the day-to-day fabric in Boston and you wonder how fans will adapt to the constant turnover.
If the team is successful, maybe it won’t matter. They’ll learn to root for the jersey and not who’s in them.
I asked Bloom on Sunday to what degree he takes intangibles into account when making these deals.
“We think about it. How can you not think about it?” he said. “We know what someone like Mitch Moreland means to our fans and the group in here and to us. That makes all of it harder.
“We’re aware of that; we think about it; we factor it in. We also know that our job is to make sure that we can set ourselves up to win a lot in the future. If there’s something we think that helps us do that, then even though they’re difficult emotions that come with it, we need to be willing to do that and we need to be willing to make those hard decisions.”[/quote]
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 30, 2020 18:25:15 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 25m Brock Holt just said that the Red Sox never engaged him in contract talks over the offseason, which surprised him.
Also said when he texted with Mitch Moreland yesterday, Moreland didn't expect he was getting traded. Interesting. I thought it was automatic.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 30, 2020 18:41:19 GMT -5
Well said, and I see on twitter folks complaining that it was not pitchers but they got that for Workman Padres gonna love Mitch, a serious dude who has a championship ring, clubhouse leader.....
Now Bloom and the gang might as well keep going....Vaz, Pillar, JBJ, Barnes....anyone not named Xander , Devers and Verduga. Agree with all of those especially JBJ .I laugh at some thinking JBJ will bring a top prospect, Except for Vazquez, we don't have anyone that will fetch a top prospect. I'd be plenty happy getting kids like Seabold and lottery tickets like Pivetta. We really aren't giving up much a value. In terms of FA contracts, Moreland is kike the last kid chosen in a schoolyard game. One month of Workman, a good, but not great closer. Hembree? I'd like to get rid of half the team. Create one team of veterans who will be here in 2021 and one team of newbies and prospects.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 30, 2020 18:54:58 GMT -5
By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 30, 2020, 23 minutes ago
But where does it stop, this creeping anonymity? Outside of a few core players, the Red Sox are loaded with fringe big leaguers not even the most avid fan could pick out of the lineup.
If, by anonymous players, they mean:
Benni Verdugo Vazquez Bogaerts Devers Sale ERod Eovaldi Perez
This isn't some minimum wage team loaded with rookies.
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 30, 2020 20:44:01 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 41m You can’t rebuild a team thru FA. You need depth in the Minors that allows you to make a trade for controllable Starters. So I like adding players that you may package with others to get what you want. Moreland wasn’t going to help you win your next Championship.
Merloni is spot on about trying to build through free agency. We need to build the farm. I get that. At the same time, I am not going to be happy about trading away the players that we have on reasonable deals, like Moreland, JD, and Vaz. I am ready for the trade deadline to be over. LOL Does the team option on Moreland's contract carry with him to the Padres?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 2:40:13 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 41m You can’t rebuild a team thru FA. You need depth in the Minors that allows you to make a trade for controllable Starters. So I like adding players that you may package with others to get what you want. Moreland wasn’t going to help you win your next Championship.
Merloni is spot on about trying to build through free agency. We need to build the farm. I get that. At the same time, I am not going to be happy about trading away the players that we have on reasonable deals, like Moreland, JD, and Vaz. I am ready for the trade deadline to be over. LOL Does the team option on Moreland's contract carry with him to the Padres? Yes the option goes with him.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 2:59:24 GMT -5
The Mets’ deadline wish list includes a catcher and pitching (both starting and relieving) help, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets. Perhaps in a related item, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes that the Red Sox have been “doing background on Mets minor leaguers,” which could hint at a potential trade. Rosenthal figures Christian Vazquez would be a natural fit to address the Mets’ catching needs, and we’ve already heard that the Sox have discussed Vazquez with the Rays in recent days. Speculatively, such Red Sox hurlers as Martin Perez, Matt Barnes, or Ryan Brasier could potentially be on the Mets’ radar, though the Sox just lost potential trade chip Nathan Eovaldi to the injured list.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 3:19:18 GMT -5
Sox get 2 prospects for Moreland from SD
By Ian Browne @ianmbrowne August 30, 2020
BOSTON -- The Red Sox on Sunday morning continued their quest to acquire talent for the future when they traded veteran leader and red-hot first baseman Mitch Moreland to the Padres for two prospects -- infielder Hudson Potts and outfielder Jeisson Rosario.
At the time of the deal, the power-hitting Potts was ranked No. 16 in San Diego’s farm system by MLB Pipeline and the dynamic Rosario was No. 19.
“Both these guys have a chance to be really exciting players,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. “Very high upside, both of them. Pretty accomplished Minor League players at levels where they’ve been very young.”
Another important spinoff of the move is that the Red Sox recalled slugging prospect Bobby Dalbec from the alternate training site to replace Moreland on the roster. Dalbec is ranked No. 3 among Red Sox prospects, and this is his first stint in the Major Leagues.
The Red Sox wasted no time getting Dalbec in the lineup, as he batted eighth and started at first base for Sunday’s game against the Nationals.
Dalbec and Michael Chavis will share duties at first base the rest of the season. Dalbec will also get some time at third when Rafael Devers needs a day off.
The deal took place one day before Monday’s 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, and the day after Moreland reached 10 years of service time in the Major Leagues, a moment the Red Sox celebrated as a team.
Moreland is off to a red-hot start, which undoubtedly helped boost his trade value. The left-handed hitter has a line of .328/.430/.746 with eight homers and 21 RBIs in 22 games this season.
With the 34-year-old Moreland, his value always went beyond the numbers.
“He’s the ultimate professional,” said Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke. “He plays hurt, which you don’t always want guys playing hurt, but he’s always willing to go out there and play. He produces when he’s out there. He’s a good defender. Obviously offensively he creates runs, whether he’s driving them in, whether he’s getting on base, he has a knack of helping your team to produce a lot of runs.
“I’ll miss him for sure. The guys loved him. The coaching staff, myself, [we] loved him. Upstairs they loved him. He’ll be missed.”
Moreland came to Boston as a free agent in 2017, then re-signed on a two-year deal prior to the ’18 season and again re-upped with the Red Sox this past January.
“He comes up with big-moment hits. For me, when you get in the playoffs, that’s what you need,” Roenicke said. “You need guys that in the moment can put all the external pressures off and still produce. He’s one of those guys.”
His three-run pinch-hit homer in Game 4 of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium sparked the Red Sox to a memorable comeback win. The Sox clinched that Fall Classic the next night.
“In particular, we’ll never forget what happened coming off the bench in Game 4, we were down four runs at the time, in the 2018 World Series,” said Red Sox general manager Brian O’Halloran. “Beyond just that particular moment which helped us win the World Series, this is a guy that just brings the effort every day, you know, a good player on both sides of the ball and a terrific leader in the clubhouse and active in the community as well. We’re going to miss him. He’s been a tremendous player and person for us for almost four years now.”
With the Red Sox in last place in the American League East and decimated by injuries to the upper portion of their starting rotation, Bloom has clearly been in a selling mode for this trade season. On Aug. 21, the Sox dealt trusted relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to the Phillies for young pitchers Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold.
It’s possible Bloom will make other moves before Monday’s Deadline.
“We certainly expect to be very active in conversations between now and tomorrow afternoon,” said Bloom. “We’ll see what comes out of those conversations, but at this point, we don’t have another one of those Zooms teed up [with reporters] right after this one, but we’ll see what develops over the course of the next day-plus.”
Potts and Rosario are both expected to join the player pool and report to the alternate training site in Pawtucket, R.I., once they clear the COVID-19 testing process.
The 21-year-old Potts could one day wear out the Green Monster if he progresses as the Red Sox hope. He was a first-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. In 423 Minor League games, Potts has hit .256 (419-for-1,639) with 57 home runs. And he has versatility on defense, making 331 starts at third base, as well as 25 at second base, 25 at shortstop and five at first base.
“Hudson Potts is primarily a third baseman, but he did see some time at second base last summer as well,” said Bloom. “A big physical kid with a lot of power and a good arm. Really good tools. There’s a chance, as he continues to develop his approach, that he can be a real asset with the bat and be able to play multiple positions.
Rosario, aside from his freakish athleticism, is known for doing back flips when his teams win games.
“Jeisson Rosario is a top-flight athlete who profiles as a true center fielder and a true leadoff hitter,” said Bloom. “Plus-plus runner, really good athlete, very good ability in the outfield, has a really advanced feel for the strike zone at a young age and we’re excited to see how he develops as he grows and adds strength, but he’s got the upside to play center every day and hit at the top of the lineup.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 3:50:17 GMT -5
Red Sox roster turnover is tough side of business of baseballBy Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 30, 2020, 6:11 p.m. The Red Sox used 44 players in 2018 on their way to a 108-win season followed by a resounding World Series championship. Only 14 remain in the organization from that team, which includes the essentially retired Dustin Pedroia. Just eight were in uniform for Sunday’s 9-5 victory against the Nationals. Mitch Moreland, one of the heroes of the ’18 Series, was the latest out the door. He was traded to the Padres on Sunday for two legitimate prospects. It was absolutely the right move. Moreland turns 35 next week and the Sox sold high on him while making room for Bobby Dalbec to play first base. Advertisement It was a good idea to trade Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman to the Phillies, too. Consensus around the game is that the Sox received better than expected value in both deals. The sell-off could well continue before the trade deadline hits at 4 p.m. Monday. The Sox would certainly do Jackie Bradley Jr. a favor by trading him to a contender. Get 108 Stitches in your inboxGet everything baseball from the Globe's Red Sox reporters every Monday-Friday during baseball season, and weekly in the off season. Related: Red Sox trade Mitch Moreland to Padres, call up Bobby Dalbec But where does it stop, this creeping anonymity? Outside of a few core players, the Red Sox are loaded with fringe big leaguers not even the most avid fan could pick out of the lineup. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is adept at making moves that incrementally improve the team’s overall talent base while reducing the payroll. It was why ownership hired Bloom, to buy low and sell high enough times until you create sustainable success. It works. The Rays won 186 games from 2018-19 and are in first place this season. Their farm system is loaded with high-end talent. But the Rays also haven’t won a Division Series since 2008 and are exploring the idea of eventually playing half their games in Montreal to make up for the lack of interest in Florida. Advertisement It’s a style that can seem antiseptic at times. Brock Holt, a valuable player who was immensely popular with the fan base, said Sunday he “didn’t really hear from the Red Sox at all” after becoming a free agent last fall. Mitch Moreland celebrates with Xander Bogaerts and Brock Holt after Moreland's memorable homer in the 2018 World Series. Mitch Moreland celebrates with Xander Bogaerts and Brock Holt after Moreland's memorable homer in the 2018 World Series.Jim Davis “A little strange to me,” Holt said. “It’s one of those things, first time through free agency, didn’t really know what to expect. Figured I’d get a phone call or something. They called a couple of times just checking in. But it was never really close to offering .”
Holt ended up with Milwaukee and was 3 for 31 before being released, then signing Saturday with the Nationals, so the Sox had it right.
Holt video chatted with Moreland on Saturday to congratulate him on reaching 10 years of major league service time.
“I asked him, ‘You going to get traded?’ He said, ‘No.’ But obviously he got traded,” Holt said. “I’m proud of him. He’s one of my favorite teammates of all time. He’s a winner, good to have around. Padres are lucky to have him.”
Moreland joined the Sox on a one-year, $5.5 million deal in 2017. He left with an .803 OPS over four seasons.
Moreland was an All-Star in 2018 and had one of the biggest swings in Red Sox postseason history, a three-run homer in Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mitch Moreland's memorable homer in the 2018 World Series remains a favorite among Red Sox fans. Mitch Moreland's memorable homer in the 2018 World Series remains a favorite among Red Sox fans.Stan Grossfeld
With the Sox down, 4-0, Moreland pinch hit with two outs in the seventh inning and crushed a Ryan Madson changeup to right field that for a second seemed like it might end up in the parking lot. The Sox went on to a 9-6 victory and a 3-1 series lead. They wrapped it up the next night.
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Like Holt, he was a good teammate whose effort you never had any reason to question.
Holt has watched the dismantling of the ’18 team with a mixed sense of melancholy and reality.
“That’s part of the business of baseball,” he said. “It’s the [lousy] part of it but it happens. It’s time to move on. It’s tough to see because we were so close, such a fun group of guys to be a part of. But that’s baseball.” Brock Holt was a part of the 2018 World Champions. Brock Holt was a part of the 2018 World Champions.Jim Davis/Globe Staff
But, unlike Tampa Bay, baseball is part of the day-to-day fabric in Boston and you wonder how fans will adapt to the constant turnover.
If the team is successful, maybe it won’t matter. They’ll learn to root for the jersey and not who’s in them.
I asked Bloom on Sunday to what degree he takes intangibles into account when making these deals.
“We think about it. How can you not think about it?” he said. “We know what someone like Mitch Moreland means to our fans and the group in here and to us. That makes all of it harder.
“We’re aware of that; we think about it; we factor it in. We also know that our job is to make sure that we can set ourselves up to win a lot in the future. If there’s something we think that helps us do that, then even though they’re difficult emotions that come with it, we need to be willing to do that and we need to be willing to make those hard decisions.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 3:59:35 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 10h Brock Holt on leaving the #RedSox as a free agent last offseason -- 'They called a couple times just checking in, but they were never really even close to offering. I think early on in the process I knew it was probably the end.'
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 4:13:20 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 8h Wasn't sure when this actually happens but it looks like right at 4. "Once the trade deadline passes at 4 p.m. Eastern, the season will be considered official as far as resetting the penalties for the luxury tax." bostonglobe.com/2020/08/29/spo
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 4:13:45 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 6h Night before the trade deadline and no live programming on mlb network. Much like how they go off the air at 7pm local time during the winter meetings, makes no sense to me.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2020 4:17:11 GMT -5
Dan Maher @coachdanmaher · 7h Replying to @loumerloni Lou, I won’t ask you who we should target in return, because the answer could be limitless. What do you think about tanking for draft position? Kumar Rocker? Jack Leiter?
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 6h I worry Manfred will combine these last 2 years and Sox would be in 8-9-10 range
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 31, 2020 6:22:44 GMT -5
Merloni is spot on about trying to build through free agency. We need to build the farm. I get that. At the same time, I am not going to be happy about trading away the players that we have on reasonable deals, like Moreland, JD, and Vaz. I am ready for the trade deadline to be over. LOL Does the team option on Moreland's contract carry with him to the Padres? Yes the option goes with him. That's too bad. I was hoping we could re-sign him for the same amount this offseason.
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 31, 2020 6:28:10 GMT -5
Red Sox roster turnover is tough side of business of baseballBy Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 30, 2020, 6:11 p.m. I get too emotionally invested in our players. I'm still not used to losing our players in trades or through free agency. That said, some players are easier for me to say bye to than others. For instance, Mookie's trade did not sadden me nearly as much as Moreland's. I think it's because Mookie always seemed to be concerned about going after the most money, while Moreland seems more content with staying with the Sox.
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