New Poll Question: If you could only have one player of the list, who would it be?
What if it comes down to one person? Who would you opt for? Vote in the poll on the sidebar.
Previous Poll results:
What is the Red Sox’s biggest need?
- Another power bat..somewhere…anywhere! (65%)
- Retaining Jason Bay (16%)
- An above-average shortstop (9%)
- Nothing; it’s OK to lose in the postseason sometimes (6%)
- A legitimate No. 3 SP (4%)
I find it very interesting that more people feel there’s nothing to be done than there is in getting a ‘legitimate’ No. 3 starter. Is it because of faith in Buchholz and Dice-K?
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Of course Holliday might adjust to ALE pitching and the lights of Fenway, as JD and JB did. However, he might not. Yes, his defense is superior to JBay, but if his bat doesn't come fully around, he too becomes one dimensional. Except JBay is a better hitter at this point, and is just as likely to remain so in the ALE. For better D and comparable offensive potential at Fenway, J.Reddick already looks like a better bet in 2011. Perhaps Theo won't block him, and go with Dye or Figgins short term.
But I still hope Theo signs J.Bay.. Theo shouldn't and won't give Holliday 6/120, which the catastrophe that is Boras will demand, but Cashman might if we pick up JBay or JDye and AGon. Agree fully with MAG that excellent pitching is available in FA (Bedard, Harden, Mulder, Sheets) and that if we need anything it is another big bat, not just for 2010. As the contracts of Lowell, Ortiz, Drew expire, tbe core of the lineup might be Youk, AGon, Victor, Bay, Reddick, Westy? No more Papi, Manny, Mike, JD. That's OK. Also, no more Damon, Matsui, Posada, Jeter (Mariano).
If the question is simply "which player do you want, without regard to acquisition cost," then I'm for King Felix. With Felix, the Sox would have three ace-quality pitchers. Three! With that kind of pitching strength and depth, you can get by with a good (rather than great) offense.
As for A-Gon, I have some qualms about the NL-AL transition. Some players do it seamlessly (Bay), some take a while (Drew), and some never get it (Renteria, a two-tine failure in the AL). But the biggest thing is that first base is the easiest position to fill. It'd be a lot easier to find a first baseman who's 80% as good as A-Gon, than to find a pitcher 80% as good as Felix.
Which is not to say I'd throw A-Gon in the trash. To me, he's a strong second. But Felix is #1. And Lackey would be #3.
I’m a fan of J-Bay. He is such a classy guy and he has being great for us from the start.
But, the more I see the numbers of Holliday, the more I like the guy. He is certainly a more complete player than Bay: he is a much better defender, and he hits for better average as well (.318 for life). His career OPS is .933. In comparison, Teixeira’s is only .923.
In fact, according to fangraphs Holliday’s value for 2009 is $25.4, and Teixeira’s value is $23.6.
So, I think Holliday can be a significant upgrade to the lineup, specially in the long run. And I think Theo is thinking the same thing, because he could have signed Bay before. The fact he didn’t do it, shows he was thinking in another option, and there is no better option than Holliday.
And about Reddick, I like the kid, but he is not ready for the big leagues yet. In the future he can be the natural replacement of Drew. In any case, signing Holliday don’t block any prospect at all.
And I know Holliday is gonna be more expensive than Bay. But we have the money, and we have the need! And there’s nothing wrong in investing in a position of need. So, I think there is absolutely no excuse to miss this opportunity.
Theo, we need Holliday. Just give him the money.
We will soon have to extend Victor, Ellsbury, Beckett & others. Signing Holliday to the Manny Money that Lucifer is demanding ($20MM or more) will skew payroll badly, create schisms and cliques in the clubhouse. He is NOT worth double what Youk, Pedroia, Drew, Lowell, Ortiz, Beckett, Papelbon, Lester, Daisuke, etc. earn. He isn't. The Boras contracts of Tek & Drew are waning, with only two remaining on the team.. Whatever we pay for his client Holliday will reflect what we will pay to keep Ells or Daisuke, or to pick up any current or young players during the 6 years that Holliday will be on the team. Holliday isn't worth that kind of money at this time. Allowing Boras to tamper with the team isn't worth the pain he will cause. If the Sox don't raise his worth by entering the bidding, the Cards will be better able to afford him.
just a reminder, Ellsbury is with Boras. not sure he's gonna extend here.
extension with Victor and some pay for Beckett will probably be covered with the off-book amount from Lowell and Ortiz.
"He is NOT worth double what Youk, Pedroia, Drew, Lowell, Ortiz, Beckett, Papelbon, Lester, Daisuke, etc. earn."
actually, I think premium talent player can demand premium value. whole market is not supposed to reflect the linearity of value and talent. the rarer the talent ; the talent getting paid more exponentially than linearly.
And If Ellsbury ask too much, we have Reddick, Kalish and Westy in line to take his spot.
We need to show some love to Lin: One of the best defensive CFer in all the minors with a plus-plus arm. A speedster in the Ellsbury mold, a line drive hitter (LD% 21 this year in Salem) and has a great plate discipline ( BB% 12%, K% 13.4): If he razes his avg (very likely due to his LD hitting ability), we may have something very special.
A player that certainly need to be closely followed.
another interesting stat for Holliday:
Pitcher with ERA< 3.5 OPS.996 (JBay .778)
3.51<ERA<4.25 OPS.884 (JBay .944)
4.25<ERA<5.25 OPS.829 (JBay 1.029)
ERA over 5.25 OPS.989 (JBay 1.147)
He's all around player almost by definition.
comparably, out cleanup hitter K. Youkillis
Pitcher with ERA< 3.5 OPS.642
3.51<ERA<4.25 OPS.979
4.25<ERA<5.25 OPS 1.029
ERA over 5.25 OPS 1.147
there was a big rant from Gammons about Manny skipping strong starters in contract year.
kind of interesting to check out new cleanup hitter's performance.. :)
Youk. still, you're great player.
Thanks for that data, 080808. Great info.
Not if we trade them for AGon, Felix, Halladay, JJ, etc. I understand the exponential value of a great player, but is Holliday truly that great player vs. Bay? Manny was. ARod was. Pujols and Mauer are. Or is Holliday's exponential greatness a fiction of the omnipresent Boras PR machine (see Teixeira, Lowe, Damon, Drew, Matsuzaka, etc.). Watch & listen to the talking heads of baseball, and the print media of baseball, begin their Press-Release saturated hyperventilating about the greatness of Holliday. IMO he is an above average player with stats largely based in the NL. As indications of this, I would point out just how well Julio Lugo and my man Joe Thurston have done with the Cardinals in the NLC, and the recent drubbings of Colorado in postseason.
I'm not arguing against Holliday's signing. I just don't think he is a premium player worth a Boras-inflated price, and not worth double what our team of above average All-Star/GG/MVP players earn. IMO, that is asking for trouble.
HANLEY RAMIREZ!