Captain's Gloomy Thoughts: Adrian Gonzalez

The Sox traded three prospects and a player to be named to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez. The highly touted, highly sought after first baseman is the biggest Red Sox acquisition since Daisuke Matsuzaka. And similar to that circus, it's been just a bit over-glorified.

Gonzalez is a great player. And after losing Victor Martinez, and likely Adrian Beltre, this move makes perfect sense. With the returns of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox should have a much more potent offense in 2011.

Gonzalez will also benefit from playing 81 games in Fenway, and 0 in PetCo Park. His numbers are markedly better away from his former home field. Despite having that handicap, he hit .298 last year, with a .393 OBP, and 31 homers. He's surpassed 30 HRs each of the last 4 seasons, and is only 28. He's entering the prime of his career.

At the moment, the Sox lineup could look like this:

1. CF Ellsbury
2. 2B Pedroia
3. 1B Gonzalez
4. 3B Youkilis
5. DH Ortiz
6. RF Drew
7. SS Scutaro
8. LF ???????
9. C Varitek

Pretty good, eh? However, I still can't help thinking how much better it would look with Victor Martinez in that 5 spot. And of course, Carl Crawford occupying an OF position would improve things dramatically. It's still beefy in the middle.

But scoring runs wasn't what undid the 2010 Red Sox. It was, ironically, preventing them. The Sox allowed the 8th most runs in baseball. They were 22nd in team ERA, 23rd in bullpen ERA, 23rd in Save Percentage, and blew the 4th most Saves in all of baseball.

In other words, this team needs pitching in order to have any prayer at once again reaching the World Series. So while this trade is a big step in the right direction, it comes after the Sox took a step back and allowed Victor Martinez to leave. And there's still quite a staircase for the Sox to climb with their pitching situation.

So I'm glad. But hardly thrilled. Like everyone else seems to be.

-The Commodore

The Red Sox Lost V-Mart, Now What?

I hate writing this post, I hate it. You know why? Because I really am starting to believe that the Red Sox don't give a shit about winning anymore. I can tell you that the Sox are going to trade for Adrian Gonzalez or Justin Upton, I can tell you that they will be a competitor for a Cliff Lee or sign Carl Crawford, but if they didn't do any of these would you be shocked?

It's been a very rough couple of years for off season signings:
John Lackey is up in the air. To me I believe we paid an innings eater for 82 million dollar deal. Carl Pavano probably could have done the same thing that Lackey did last year.
Julio Lugo: Bust
Edgar Renteria: Bust
JD Drew: 70 million dollars for a part time player, but gets a bye because he doesn't say anything, and you know he's naturally a good player (sarcasm).
Josh Beckett just got an absurd contract for doing really nothing.
Mike Lowell is a guy we gave three-year, $37.5 million deal and didn't even want him.
All of these are Theo mistakes.

The only guys who have been productive are our own homegrown guys Kevin Youklis, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz.

Which is another reason why Theo won't trade our farm system. Isn't that what a farm system is for? Trading. Theo would rather sign the likes of Brad Penny and John Smoltz then give up a prospect for an impact player. Unless it's trading Edgel Beltre for Erik Gagne (whomp whomp). The Sox have a lot of prospects that could be great in 4 years, and maybe we will look back and say, Damn, I really wish we kept Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo or Jose Inglesis. But for right now, the Sox need to win me back to be excited for next year.

We Were Outbid by the Tigers?

It's a good thing the Tigers weren't also trying to buy Liverpool. In case you haven't heard, the word is that the Tigers have signed Victor Martinez to a 4 year, $50 million deal. I guess that was too much of a commitment for the Red Sox, who once signed JD Drew to a 5 year, $70 million deal. The Sox once spent $51 million just to talk to Matsuzaka. They once gave Mike Lowell a 4 year, $60 million deal. They extended Josh Beckett's deal by 4 years for $68 million. They signed Lackey to a 5 year, $82.5 million deal.

They also just spent nearly half a billion on a soccer team that is over $400 million in debt. But $50 million for a consistent hitting catcher was too much. That was just too much of a commitment for the Red Sox.

I'm tired of hearing John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Luchino come on WEEI and pat themselves on the backs for spending the second most money in baseball, for spending their budget. Maybe it's time to raise the budget, guys. The Sox spent the second most last year, and had the 10th overall record. So maybe they should realize "we made some big contract mistakes." And instead of not spending, they could help alleviate those mistakes by spending a little more.

I don't expect them to outbid the Yankees for Cliff Lee. But I do expect them to not lose quality free agents to the Detroit fucking Tigers. Detroit, like every other team in baseball, is looking to improve. The Sox are content to be "contenders." Even though, they're not contenders, not in the AL East.

The Sox owners are not interested in winning. At least, not in baseball anymore. They want to win Premier League titles, and FA Cups. They're bored with the Red Sox. They had our fun, and now they've moved on.

And every bullshit, propaganda explanation we get from the Globe, or from WEEI, or from the Front Office itself, will only piss me off further. How come nobody asks how much the Sox made in 2010? How much was their profit. We KNOW that their payroll was on budget. And they just made a major purchase, so they must have some funds lying around.

I don't care if the Sox have a payroll of $60 million, or $300 million. I WANT THEM TO WIN. I understand that owners can't spend more than they make. But you know what, don't take the profits you make from our team, then use it to buy a second-rate, collapsing soccer team in England. Henry, Werner, and Luchino aren't from here, so they might not realize that we don't like the British here. Maybe we should fill Fenway with water and pour tea in it.

Good luck in Detroit, Victor. The Tigers obviously care more about winning than the Red Sox.

-The Commodore

If This Rumor Is True I'm Going To Puke - Victor Martinez Signs With Tigers (3 UPDATES)

There is a rumor going around Twitter that V-Mart is about to sign a 4 year deal worth about $50 million. The rumor was started by a writer named Ignacio Serrano who works for ESPN Deportes. I really don't know if we can take this seriously or not, but the Tigers have been rumored for awhile now, and if V-Mart was to leave the Sox this would almost certainly be one of the frontrunners for his services.

If this is true I am going to be really pissed off. V-Mart is worth $12.5 million a year, and a 4 year deal really isn't that bad. So I hope all Red Sox fans have their fingers crossed that is this bogus. One reason I think it might be is because it is very early for a free agent to be signing anywhere yet. Usually it really starts rolling during the winter meetings.

We'll keep ya posted.

***UPDATE***

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is confirming the report. Sounds like if this rumor is true we will have official word by the end of the day.


***UPDATE 2***

Looks like this deal is for real. Sean McAdam has confirmed the signing.

I am so angry that I am having trouble even writing about it. JD Drew makes 17 million a year, Ortiz is making 12 million, they were paying Varitek those kind of numbers a couple years back, but you won't sign the 2nd best hitting catcher in the AL. And for only 4 years???? I mean even if he can't catch in a couple years, Ortiz is only here for the year, and he could've easily slid over. On top of that V-Mart is a better hitter when he is not behind the plate.

You better start doing something Theo, because I know Beltre is gone, and this is complete bullshit.


***UPDATE 3***

So what do the Sox get out of this?

"The Tigers must surrender their #19 draft pick next year to the Red Sox, unless Detroit also signs Jayson Werth later. Regardless, the Red Sox will also receive a supplemental draft pick (MLBTraderumors.com)."

Tigers Getting Close To Signing Adam Dunn?

"Adam Dunn is moving closer to a deal, maybe with the Tigers, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Dunn and the Tigers are in serious talks, but big man is not close to an agreement with any team. The powerful left-handed slugger is known to be among Detroit's targets. He could fit as their regular left fielder, perhaps getting the occasional start at DH or first base. The Tigers have been aggressive so far this offseason, and to secure Dunn this early they'd probably have to guarantee four years (MLBTradeRumors)."

From everything I have been reading the Tigers are being very aggressive, and in a way I really hope they get him, because it could cut down their chances at signing V-Mart. I'm sure you've noticed at this point that all the writers for DC are in agreement that one of the biggest offseason things we want to see happen is to have V-Mart back in the Sox uniform. You just don't get production from the catcher position like V-Mart can produce.

Dunn would be a good signing too. The Tigers having him and Cabrera in the middle of that lineup would be terrifying, since Dunn is almost an automatic 40 HRs year in and year out.

Let Beltre Go, But Keep Victor

There are rumors that Adrian Beltre has been offered a 5 year deal by the Oakland Athletics worth $64 million. The Sox would be fools to match this. Beltre is only 31, but his career is an up and down roller coaster of inconsistency. And he's known for having a big year when his contract is up, only to fall off the next season.

Victor Martinez turns 32 in a few weeks, and he plays a more physically demanding position than Beltre, and he doesn't play it very well. His 2010 campaign wasn't as productive as Beltre's, but it's just one year in a steady stream of consistent performances. He'll hit .280 to .300, with an OBP between .340 and .380, and slug between .460 and .500. Because of this offensive reliability, Victor Martinez is worth a 5 year deal.

Martinez will not catch forever, and should be moved to 1B and/or DH. But he can catch for a year until Ortiz's contract runs out, then move to DH. He's a better hitter when not catching anyway. In the meantime, the Sox can find a more permanent solution to their catching situation.

And that's the other big difference between Beltre and Martinez. The Sox can lose Beltre, then trade for or sign another good corner infielder to replace his production. That's not going to happen very easily at catcher.

Beltre's not worth any deal longer than 3 years. Victor Martinez, due to his consistency, and the immediate lack of depth at his position, is.

-The Commodore

Red Sox Set Limit On Beltre, V-Mart (UPDATED)

The Red Sox have said that keeping Adrian Beltre and Victor are one of their top priorities this offseason, but a source tells Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe that they won't offer them more than four years and $52MM. ESPN

I don't like offering 4 years to Beltre however, I would imagine thats a fair deal. I just don't think Adrian Beltre and Scott Boras will accept a 10 and change contract for Beltre after the year he had. Also, I don't want Beltre on the Red Sox anyways. He's 31 and I just really think he's a contract year player. (Shame on me if I'm wrong) Plus that would be an end to an Adrian Gonzalez/ Prince Fielder rumors.

I do think V-Mart is a little bit more important to the Red Sox, so I really hope that isn't a hard line. Other teams would seriously outbid them.

Also, rumor has it that the Red Sox would think of trading Marco Scutaro if the opportunity to arise and the Sox would then install Jed Lowrie at short. I'm not really a Lowrie guy, but you can't deny the end of the season he had. Scutaro had a good offensive year, and I would prefer him unless we get anything significant.

***UPDATE***

"Theo Epstein denies he has drawn a "line in the sand" on Adrian Beltre talks. Certainly Epstein will have his limits as talks progress, but right now he said talks are still ongoing (Boston.com).

Good News For Red Sox?

Buster Olney made an interesting comment this morning about the relationship between the Angels and Scott Boras...

"They want Crawford, of course, and Beltre would be an excellent fit for Mike Scioscia's team, but remember, the Angels haven't gotten into a whole lot of give-and-take negotiations in recent years -- and Boras is the ultimate give-and-take agent. In recent years, there seems to have been a split between the Angels and Boras. We'll see if that's a factor."

From what I have read the Angels are ready to spend big this offseason, so I doubt this will matter much. I just really want Crawford, they Angels have have Beltre, because I know he is going to pull shit once he signs his name to whatever absurd contract he gets.

In not so good news, the Rangers are rumored to have jumped in the V-Mart race. I find that kind of funny, because all we did is hear they had too many good young catchers for like 4 years, and now they are out searching for one.

Latest On V-Mart

ESPN and MLBTradeRumors.com seem to be on board with the idea of V-Mart choosing his team for next season soon.

"The Tigers are widely seen, in other front offices, as the front-runner to sign Martinez, to add depth to their lineup and to be their regular catcher. Some other teams interested in signing Martinez peg him as a part-time catcher who mostly serves as a designated hitter or first baseman (Buster Olney - ESPN)."

The Tigers are reported to be all over him, and are willing to go up to 5 years to have V-Mart in their uniform next year. That is a long time for a catcher who will be 32 in December, but to be honest I don't care I want him back.

There are no other catchers (with the exception of Mauer) that can hit like V-Mart. The only way I could be talked into being OK with V-Mart walking is if Adrian Gonzalez is playing 1st for the Sox next year.

DP and I have said since last year that we have a really bad feeling that V-Mart will not be back with the Red Sox next year, and it's looking more and more that we might be right (unfortunately).

Gammons Says "Don't Expect V-Mart Back"

Peter Gammons was on WEEI yesterday and had a lot to say about what the Sox will be looking to do this offseason. He first touches on Red Sox free agents Beltre and V-Mart...

"I don't expect Victor Martinez to come back, I think Detroit is going to give him four or five years," said Gammons. "And I don't think anyone else is going to give him four or five years. I'm not so sure Beltre will be back, I can't gauge that market. But I do think they will go hard after Crawford, I really believe that."

That is just awful news. I really trust Gammons, and I agree that if the Tigers give him a 5 year deal there is no way the Sox will match (although I would). Beltre I expected to be gone, there is just no way they trust him to put up those numbers again, and he is known for having "contract years".

DP and I agree that the Sox biggest offseason concern has to be to resign V-Mart. There just aren't any other catchers that come close to him (other then Mauer). Losing him would be a huge blow unless they go out and trade for someone like Prince Fielder or Gonzalez.

Gammons wasn't done there. He also talked about Carl Crawford...

"There is no doubt in my mind that they (Red Sox) are going to go really hard after Carl Crawford," said Gammons. "That will be a matchup with the Angels, and you know there are some puffs of smoke coming out of New York that suggest the Yankees might go after him, even though their primary need is pitching."

He seemed sold on the fact that the Sox are going to land Crawford. As much as I am excited about that, I don't think it will be enough to bring this lineup to the next level. The Sox really need a power bat in the middle of that lineup, especially if lose V-Mart to Detriot.

Gammons also said that Cliff Lee is definitely going to resign with Texas. Suck on that Yankees.

Sox Need To Do Right By V-Mart

"Rockies manager Jim Tracy told the Denver Post that the Rockies are looking to add an "impact bat" this offseason. According to the report, the Rockies will target Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez if he is available (WEEI)."

I have a huge fucking problem with this. V-Mart should be locked up, there realy aren't many catchers out there that hit the way he does. Sure 4 years from now he probably won't be a catcher, but neither will Ortiz, so who the fuck cares. His defense isn't the best, but it's also not as people make it out to be.

I understand if the Sox let Beltre walk. He is a classic case of a guying playing for his contract. V-Mart on the other hand plays a premium position, and the Sox just can't afford to lose this guy. There are many first baseman the Sox can take a run at, while moving Youk to 3rd....Konerko, Pena, Dunn, ect through free agency, and obviously Fielder/Gonzalez through a trade.

Bottom line is there is a lot of room for improvement, but this is one position that can be taken care of "in house". Perfect off season would be to resign V-Mart, sign Konerko/Dunn or trade for Fielder/Gonzalez, sign an OF (Crawford/Werth), and fix the bullpen, and maybe some rotation depth.

Red Sox Offer V-Mart 2 Year Deal

The Red Sox came out of nowhere and offered V-Mart a 2 year deal. We don't know how much it was for, but V-Mart didn't seem at all impressed...

"That's a business part of the game," he told WEEI.com regarding the offer. "They're trying to do one thing, and we'll see what happens. I don't really have to do it. They came with something, and that might just be where the negotiations start. But I don't see myself signing a two-year deal. I'm young enough (31). I work hard and I give it all. I just want to be treated fair."

He is exactly right. He is worth way more then a 2 year deal. I know there are concerns that he can only play catcher for a couple more years, but look at the free agent market there really isn't much out there.

Here is what the Sox might do. Sign V-Mart to a 4-5 year deal, pick up Ortiz option then either trade for Fielder/Gonzalez OR go after someone like Adam Dunn. I do think Beltre is gone, so Youk would move over to 3rd, Dunn/Gonzalez/Fielder at 1st, Ortiz at DH for next season then the Sox can take the next 2-3 years to find a suitable catcher.

Anyways, I just hope this isn't one of those deals where the Sox offer a contract knowing there is no shot at him signing it, just so they can say they tried, because I do have a bad feeling that V-Mart is going to leave too.

V-Mart Should Be Back Today

Victor Martinez appears ready to be activated from the 15-day disabled list for Monday's Red Sox game against the Angels in Anaheim. Here is what Francona had to say...

"I actually think he's probably going to be ready," Francona said. "If he comes in and says, 'I'm hurting,' we're not going to do it. All things point to him being ready to go."

During the last week the Sox have got Buchholz, Beckett, Hermida, and V-Mart back, so if there was ever a time this team should make a run it is now and when they get Pedroia and Ellsbury back. The question is do they have enough to overcome thier hole in the standings. Currently the Rays are 5 games up on the Sox for the Wild Card, and the Yankees have an 8 game lead for the AL East. Sure it is possible, but the fact the Sox bullpen is so bad worries me. These starters are going to need to pitch 7 games every night if they are going to have a shot at making the playoffs. The thing is this rotation is so good that they have the talent to pull it off.

I'm really interested to see how V-Mart plays the rest of the season. He is a free agent at the end of the year, and he hasn't really had a great year. Hopefully this will fire him up and he will finish out the year strong.

V-Mart Latest Red Sox To Hit DL

Victor Martinez will not need surgery on his left thumb, but sources say that the Red Sox will place him on the 15-day disabled list at some point today. Gustavo Molina is expected to be called up, and serve as a backup to Tek while V-Mart is out.

The Sox are really banged up right now with Pedroia, Beckett, Ellsbury, Hermida, Buchholz, and now V-Mart all out hurt. The next 2-3 weeks are really going to test the depth of this squad. Pedroia will be out about 6 weeks, V-Mart shouldn't be out more then 11 games (over a span of 17 days). Buchholz doesn't need to start this week, since the Sox have 2 days off, so he shouldn't miss any time. There is still no word on Ellsbury, and Hermida is about a week away.

If Boston can ever get healthy they could be a really scary team. For now they are really going to need Lester, and Dice-K to carry this rotation, and Youk and Ortiz to carry the lineup...should be interesting.

Sox Leave Their Health in San Francisco

The good news is that the Sox took 2 of 3 from the Giants. The bad news is that injury took 2 or 3 Sox from the field.

Pedroia went down on Friday, after fouling a ball off his ankle, breaking his foot. He's likely to be out for 6 weeks, which would mean the Sox would have to play sans-sparkplug until August. Pedroia was in the midst of an insane hot streak. In his last 53 at-bats, he was hitting .490, slugging .849, with 4 homers, 13 RBI and 17 runs. I think he's been the MVP of the Sox to this point, and playing without him will be a struggle.

When it rains, it pours. 10 game winner Clay Buchholz was forced to leave Saturday's game because he hurt himself running the bases, of all things. That's just a really bad beat right there. Fuck the NL, and fuck the idea of pitchers hitting. But I guess the potential sacrifice of a Cy Young candidate is worth seeing pitchers bunt foul for strike 3. The diagnosis is a hyper-extended knee. The prognosis is that he may miss a start, but it doesn't look like a DL stint will be called for.

Bad things happen in threes. Victor Martinez fractured his thumb in Sunday's game, thanks to some foul tips. He's not expected to hit the DL, but it's perhaps still too early to tell. He'll be evaluated again today. V-Mart had also been playing well as of late, hitting .359 in June with a .409 OBP.

So some bad luck, and the stupid, antiquated, boring bad rules they have in the NL all add up to some key injuries for the Sox.

-The Commodore

Sources:
WEEI
Rotoworld


Photo Credit:
Getty Images

Red Sox 9, Athletics 4

Victor Martinez was 5 for 5 with 4 doubles as the Sox' offense propelled them to their 30th win of the season. And yes, the Sox are still in 4th, but it's a strong 4th. They'd be leading the AL West, or be a very close second in every other division in baseball apart from the AL East.

John Lackey was as mediocre as ever allowing 12 freaking hits over 6 innings of hard work. He threw 116 pitches and allowed 4 earned runs. Declarmen and Bard were perfect when the game was tight. It was nice to see the Sox exploit Oakland's bullpen, pull away, and give Papelbon the night off.

Adrian Beltre was 3 for 5 with a huge 3 run homer. He's hitting .342 this season, but more impressively he's .367 with runners on and .423 with runners in scoring position. Screw run prevention, A-Bel is giving the Sox some much needed run production.



But as Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre soar, Dustin Pedroia struggles. He was 1 for 5 last night, but he's 10 for his last 68 (.147), and only two of those hits were for extra bases. He'll likely break out of it, but he's a cornerstone to a successful Sox offense. Without Pedroia, and with Ellsbury "injured," this team lacks table-setters.

Interesting game to watch tonight as Daisuke Matsuzaka faces Ben Sheets. Daisuke's only allowed 3 hits in his last two starts. But he's also surrendered 12 walks. And I do mean surrender.

-The Commodore

V-Mart Out Again

Victor Martinez said on Tuesday night that he was still feeling al ot of pain in his injured toe and did not think he would play on Wednesday night against the Rays. He would once again be replaced by Jason Varitek.

This is really too bad, because V-Mart had been hitting the cover off the ball last week. He hadn't been all that impressive this season until right before he got hurt. Hopefully he will still be on fire when he returns, but the good news is that Tek has been playing well this year and should be fine, if he is needed for the next couple of games.

The Sox just need to get healthy, their pitching is getting it going and if this lineup can get Cameron, Ellsbury, and V-Mart going they are going to be all set. The Sox are starting to become a dangerous team, but the question remains whether or not they started to get it going to late?

The Red Sox "Other" Problem

It is early in the season, and like any season we are overreacting on the problems with the Red Sox. Lack of offense, Ortiz, bullpen, blah blah blah. I am not saying I am not one of them, far from it actually, but there is another problem that doesn't seem to get talked about by fans.

The Twins stole 3 bases yesterday, 2 by Denard Span and another by Nick Punto. To put it lightly, this isn't the first time this has been a problem. Opponents are 11 of 12 in stolen base attempts against Martinez this season, and 1 for 1 on Varitek. Last season V-Mart only threw out 11% of the batter that ran on him, and Varitek only threw out 13%. It is an interesting problem for the Red Sox, who have built a team that is supposed to prevent runs through solid defense. I would think it would be hard to do that when every single is quickly made into a double.

Twice last season a team stole 8 bases against the Sox in a single game! Think about that for a second. Now that has happened yet this year, but I see no reason why it won't. It used to be that the Sox would slug their ways to wins, but this team was supposed to be different. Good pitching, great fielding, run prevention was supposed to be the keywords this season. Just seems odd that they left the whole throwing guys out completely out of the equation.

I don't know what the answer to this is. Tek is only a little better defensively then V-Mart, and obviously V-Mart is 100 times the hitter Tek is. I know some numbers are always inflated, because I could steal on Wakefield, but still this problem is bigger then the 1 out of 5 games the Wake will pitch.

So I ask you sports fans, how do you fix this problem? Will they? Because you can't just let every guy that gets on base stroll his way to 2nd base.

V-Mart Wants To Stay In Boston

V-Mart was on WEEI yesterday, and he was very open about his willingness to play for Boston past the 2010 season...

"Who don't want to be here in the long term? This is the organization, this is the team that everybody wishes to play here, especially a team that is always in the race, always in the playoffs. As a baseball player, that's what you want. That's what you work for. You work really hard to make it to the playoffs and get a ring."

Some stupid reporters are saying that the Red Sox are holding back, because of their interest in Adrian Gonzalez. If you know anything about the Red Sox then you know that is complete bullshit. Youk can easily move over to 3rd, Ortiz is retiring, V-Mart can play DH/1st/C, so there is a lot of room for a guy like Adrian Gonzalez (especially after this season is over).

Anyways, I really hope he signs long term. I know he won't be a catcher for too much longer, but even if he is eventually just a DH I think he could add more power to his game, and he would obviously be a lot fresh (hopefully resulting in better power numbers).

Red Sox Look To Sign V-Mart Longterm

This is a deal that needs to be made prior to the offseason. I don't want a nother Jason Bay situation to happen. Victor Martinez wants to stay in Boston is a very loyal guy (ask the Indians). With David Ortiz going away after this season, V-Mart is a perfect option to be DH along with catching some games. Martinez is a very good hitter, and with the Sox lacking hitting, it would be smart to lock him up.

I really like what the Sox did this offseason, and even though this is me being extremely biased, I honestly believe they are going to win the World Series. Their pitching is unmatched (assuming they are healthy) and their defense is awesome, and hitting isn't really that bad. Sure we couldn't compete with the Yanks line-up, but we can definitely score some runs.