12/21/24
November 24, 2014
Red Sox Sign Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez: The Boston Red Sox have reached deals with shortstop Hanley Ramirez (four years, $88 million) and third baseman Pablo Sandoval (five years, $90 million). Ramirez is likely to move to the outfield because the Sox already have Xander Bogaerts at his position. Jim Bowden expects the Sox to go after more than one top-of-the-rotation starting pitchers and names Cole Hamels, Jon Lester and James Shields among their targets. "The Red Sox lineup is now much better, but they're not even going to contend unless they completely revamp the top of their starting rotation with at least two elite starters," he writes.
They really don't give themselves much of a "down cycle" in Boston.
They don't dare. One talking head -- a particularly annoying one -- insists that this is all part of a PR campaign to make the team "appealing". His story is that the ownership wants to move into radio by buying a station, and that they would need "attractive" players to help sell it. My take is that the younger players they were trying out last year have not measured up (Middlebrooks, Bradley Jr.) and the young pitching is not quite ready. One other consideration for free agent pitchers is to look at the team and determine whether or not you have a chance of winning there. Lester did not have a choice when he was traded to Oakland, and trading one of their better hitters for pitching led to poorer results for the Athletics. Of the several teams that will be interested in John Lester, I would suggest Boston has a bit of an advantage, although it's not a sure thing by any stretch. The length of a potential contract seems to be the big item. Boston wants to keep it as short as they can, while Lester would like it to be 6 years.
posted by Howard_T at 12:10 AM on November 25, 2014
One talking head -- a particularly annoying one
Is this Mazz? I look forward to the day my hearing goes enough that I can't understand anything in that frequency. Then I'll have to keep an eye on the tilt of the dog's head to know I should change the channel.
posted by yerfatma at 08:54 AM on November 25, 2014
His story is that the ownership wants to move into radio by buying a station, and that they would need "attractive" players to help sell it.
"Move into radio"?
Is this the 1920s?!
posted by grum@work at 10:35 AM on November 25, 2014
I'm going to guess it's a radio host saying that. You'll be shocked to know our local sports savants lack a bit of perspective.
posted by yerfatma at 11:11 AM on November 25, 2014
Actually radio is a most attractive medium to be in. When was the last time you sat in Boston traffic during your commute -- either way, it makes no difference -- and turned on a TV? You guessed it, the radio is on, and if you are a sports fan, it is on sports talk radio. There's gold in them thar kilohertz (or megahertz in FM).
yerfatma, I think it was the airhead from Maine, Gary Tanguay. Fully as annoying as Mazz, but without any semblance of understanding. I usually watch the sports news that immediately precedes Tanguay and company and change channels afterwards, but on this occasion I was in the midst of cooking and couldn't get to the remote quickly enough.
posted by Howard_T at 05:54 PM on November 26, 2014
They really don't give themselves much of a "down cycle" in Boston.