Considering the Offseason So Far

Since the winter meetings start next week, it is time to talk about some baseball (mostly Red Sox though).

Some of the best off season news is that Joe Morgan was non-tendered by ESPN.  I didn’t mind Jon Miller, but Morgan drove me crazy.  He was a Hall of Fame player, but not a good color man.  They will replaced by the team of Orel Hershiser, Bobby Valentine and Dan Shulman.  Not too wild about Bobby, but Orel provides some great insight in my opinion.

AP Michael Dwyer

I was a bit surprised by the whole Victor Martinez thing.  Not that he left, but some of the details of his departure.  While he was in Boston we occasionally read how he was a catcher- he wanted to catch.  He was willing to play a little firstbase or DH, but he viewed himself as a catcher.  Victor is an elite hitter as a catcher, but only very good as a DH or a first baseman (and a below par fielder).  When you consider the guy who won the Silver Slugger award at the position last year (on a 1 year deal) made $9 million, you see that the price for elite DH’s is not quite as high as elite catchers.  And that is the catch- the Red Sox didn’t want to pay him like an elite catcher when he had shifted to first base or DH full-time.  Position does matter.

Their experience with ‘Tek’s swift offensive decline (and Victor, his conditioning is legendary so it wasn’t that he didn’t take care of his body), left a bad taste in their mouth.  That and the Mike Lowell contract.  They don’t want old guys gone bad being paid big bucks.  They can’t print money like the Yankees can (especially with Fenway no longer being a HOT ticket and NESN ratings plummeting).

During the press conference to announce V-Mart’s good-sized contract it was announced that he was going to back up their catcher and spend most of his time at DH and 1st base.  Huh?  I felt like I got the old switcheroo.  But they are paying him like he’s a elite catcher.  He doesn’t have the thump you want from a DH or 1st baseman.  I will miss his ability to excel against lefties, but I think the Red Sox made a good move.  He was also a great club house guy, who worked well with some of the pitchers (Clay) but struggled with others (is Beckett’s decline coincidental?).  His probable replacement didn’t hit as well, but did a good job with the pitchers.  All starters went into the 7th (and with that bullpen, it was a huge deal).  So the Sox most likely got a defensive upgrade.  Victor worked hard, and showed some improvement but he’s over 30 and his defensive skills won’t drastically improve.  When you have to face the Rays 19 times, and face the possibility of facing the Rangers in the playoffs- you have to throw people out!

AP Photo Jeff Roberson

Of course, now there is talk of the Red Sox picking up Russell Martin via free agency, or swinging a trade with the Dodger for him.  He has been hampered by injury the last few years, but might make a good platoon with Salty. [Update: they have just re-signed, not resigned, Jason Varitek.]

I’ve posted before on the Crawford-Werth debate. Sox officials met with Crawford yesterday.  They plan to meet with Scott Boras (hit the Darth Vader music) about Werth and Beltre before the Winter Meetings.  My BIG concern (really big concern) is the length of contracts mentioned thus far.  Far too long.  I suspect the Red Sox will be quite resistant to commit to anyone that long, especially anyone over 30.

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Considering Baseball’s Offseason

It has been a strange offseason for baseball to say the least.  There have been some surprising turn of events.  It has not turned out as expected by many experts, agents and players.

Last year the Yankees spent tons of money on 3 players.  Due to the economy, and fears of a prolonged recession, many players did not get big contracts, or long contracts.  Bobby Abreu, for instance, took a cheap (by baseball standards) one-year contract with the Angels.  He had a very productive year which he leveraged into a good contract.

Experts and agents expected big money to be tossed at players like Chone Figgens, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Adrian Beltre and John Lackey.  That really hasn’t materialized as expected.

Figgens got a good deal from Seattle, but not quite what many expected from a guy who showed himself a very good defender and lead-off hitter.  It happened fairly quickly as the Mariners began a process of remaking the team.  Figgens essentially replaced Beltre, who is asking for another rich contract.  Like many Scott Boras clients, Beltre sits waiting for the promised big deal that doesn’t seem to be materializing since Scott can’t create competition for his client’s services.   If the Red Sox back off of Beltre because he’s asking too much, most teams are probably hanging up on Boras.

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Considering Teixeira Hold ‘Em

Mark Teixeira is like the anti-Manny.  Money Ramirez just wants to hit, be adored on the field and ignored off the field.  He forfeited 2 one-year team options for $20 million a piece in the hopes for one last big contract.  He’s not known for his fielding, nor his community involvement.

Teixeira is a 2-time Gold Glove winner who is known for his community involvement.  He is the ideal team player.  The Sox, who couldn’t get rid of Money fast enough, really want Mark.  They see this off season as the chance to undo the mistake the previous ownership made in not treating him well after drafting him out of high school.  He ended up at Georgia Tech, like their Captain who also switch-hits, before being drafted by the Rangers.

But there is something they have in common beside being hitting cage rats- Scott Boras.  Scott is the bane of most GM’s existence.  He has a reputation for not negotiating above board, often creating phantom offers.  He often gets what he wants for a player (see J.D. Drew & Johnny Damon for example).

He’s up to his old tricks again.  The Red Sox had made the highest offer for Teixeira’s services for the next 8 years.  During a meeting in Texas, in this lousy economy, the Red Sox were informed their offer was about $25 million short.  Ah … so who is going to sign him to that contract at $24 million per year?

Boras must think he’s dealing with the Yankees, whose $161 million dollar offer was about $60 million more than any one else’s offer.  The Red Sox have made the biggest offer thus far, but not by much.

The other teams have pretty much maxed out their offers.  And, so it seems, have the Red Sox.  This is not being cheap- we’re talking nearly $200 million here!  But Scott Borat, I mean Bora$, like many a guy on a used car lot, has a figure in his mind and no one has met it.

So what happens?  It should be interesting as Teixeira’s personal deadline draws near.  Will someone up their offer?  Very doubtful at this point unless the Yankees decide to nearly double their contract signings so far.  Will Teixeira realize it isn’t going to happen and do what everyone expected him to do and sign with the Sox?  Will he persist and wait teams out, possibly until Spring Training?  That would hold up a number of other free agents, and he could see the number of teams pursuing him dwindle until THEY have all the leverage and Mark and Bora$ have to save face.

Why should Teixeira sign with the Red Sox?

• They have made the best offer so far- a generous one, mind you.
• They are successful now, and should be for years to come.  The Yankees’ window, if the big signings work for them, will be small since their stars are aging and there aren’t enough young stars rising thru the ranks.  The Red Sox have vets like Papi, Drew and Lowell, guys entering their prime (Beckett, Youkilis, Dice-K, Bay) and young studs who are the foundation for the next decade (Pedroia, Lester, Ellsbury), and some exciting prospects to boot.  They have pitching & hitting.
• They are on the east coast, where he wants to be.
• They have a hitting philosophy just like his.  With those hitters around him, he’ll see more good pitches which will lead to some All-Star numbers, possibly Hall of Fame numbers, and lots of victories.  He has a chance to become legendary.
• The Angels made it to the playoffs, losing to the Red Sox, and have promptly lost their record-setting closer, and most likely their DH (Anderson).  They have the pitching, but not the offense unless they suddenly reload.  They may get to the playoffs, but they won’t be favorites to win it all unless other teams are hobbled by injury.

It all makes sense to everyone by Mark and $cott.  Or maybe it does, and they are just trying to milk a few million more out of the Red Sox.  But doesn’t that reduce their ability to field a winning team around you?  Bora$ isn’t concerned about that, just his percentage off a bigger contract.  Mark, only you and the Red Sox care about winning championships.  Time to change your play.

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