Beattie, Beckett, and the bullpen
Well, it's November 22 and we're two weeks from the winter meetings. Frightening, considering the Red Sox are still without a GM. Looks like Jed Hoyer and Larry Lucchino have been handling the "important stuff" but it still makes me nervous, considering Jim freakin Beattie remains a candidate. Jim. Beattie. Who is he, you might ask? Well, he was the VP and GM of the Montreal Expos from 1995-2001. All the Sox fans out there, you're probably feeling queasy already, even if you don't know the regular season results for the Expos during those years. Let's take a look, shall we?
Montreal Expos
2001: 68-94
2000: 67-95
1999: 68-94
1998: 65-97
1997: 78-84
1996: 88-74
1995: 66-78
That's right, folks. In those seven years, the 'Pos had just one season over .500. But Jim Beattie's most recent position was as the executive VP of the Baltimore Orioles. Surely the team fared better than the Expos during those years...
Baltimore Orioles
2005: 74-88
2004: 78-84
2003: 71-91
2002: 67-95
Not a single winning season. And I don't care if being the Red Sox GM is this guy's dream job. Plus, putting aside the wins issue, Beattie's managerial style is not right for this team, so let's hope John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino recognize that.
Right now, I'm pulling for Jed Hoyer or Jim Bowden, though Bowden has previously indicated that he wants to stay in Washington. Hoyer I just like. He's young, smart, and innovative.
*****
The Josh Beckett trade: definitely a good move for the Sox. I'm not going to lie and say I have absolutely no problem with losing Hanley because ideally, we'd want to hold onto him for as long as possible. But the reality is we don't desperately need him right now. Honestly, I'm surprised we kept him for this long. (Theo can be credited for that.) He's perfect trade bait and if the Sox were to use him in a trade, I'd want it to be for an ace like Beckett. It's no secret the team struggled in the pitching department last season and you just can't make a decent post-season run without a number 1 (or number 2...) starter. Schill is a question mark, not sure what's going on with Wade Miller, Arroyo could also be trade bait, and Wells is gone. We'll see if the Sox put Papelbon in the starting rotation (Tito, if you're reading this, pretty PLEASE start Paps) and then there's other youngins lurking around.
As for the bullpen, I'm feeling fairly confident with it right now, especially after we re-signed Timlin. We'll see what happens with Foulke, but I'm already in love with Hansen and am pulling for him to prove himself as a setup man and become the Sox closer in a year or two. He can do it. Being a closer takes a certain mindset and this guy has been doing it for years with great success. His stints with the Sox this past season were so-so, with Theo and Tito hesitating to put him on the post-season roster, but I really have a good feeling about this guy. Plus, he's a cutie.
(I just had to throw that in there.)
By the way, if the Sox can't re-sign Damon, I'd love to see him go to the Yanks with a ridiculous contract for four or five years. Watch as his numbers tail off within a year or two and his shoulder continues to give him more and more trouble, leaving the Yanks with a 40 million-dollar contract and a subpar outfield.
Or maybe that's just wishful thinking...
Montreal Expos
2001: 68-94
2000: 67-95
1999: 68-94
1998: 65-97
1997: 78-84
1996: 88-74
1995: 66-78
That's right, folks. In those seven years, the 'Pos had just one season over .500. But Jim Beattie's most recent position was as the executive VP of the Baltimore Orioles. Surely the team fared better than the Expos during those years...
Baltimore Orioles
2005: 74-88
2004: 78-84
2003: 71-91
2002: 67-95
Not a single winning season. And I don't care if being the Red Sox GM is this guy's dream job. Plus, putting aside the wins issue, Beattie's managerial style is not right for this team, so let's hope John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino recognize that.
Right now, I'm pulling for Jed Hoyer or Jim Bowden, though Bowden has previously indicated that he wants to stay in Washington. Hoyer I just like. He's young, smart, and innovative.
*****
The Josh Beckett trade: definitely a good move for the Sox. I'm not going to lie and say I have absolutely no problem with losing Hanley because ideally, we'd want to hold onto him for as long as possible. But the reality is we don't desperately need him right now. Honestly, I'm surprised we kept him for this long. (Theo can be credited for that.) He's perfect trade bait and if the Sox were to use him in a trade, I'd want it to be for an ace like Beckett. It's no secret the team struggled in the pitching department last season and you just can't make a decent post-season run without a number 1 (or number 2...) starter. Schill is a question mark, not sure what's going on with Wade Miller, Arroyo could also be trade bait, and Wells is gone. We'll see if the Sox put Papelbon in the starting rotation (Tito, if you're reading this, pretty PLEASE start Paps) and then there's other youngins lurking around.
As for the bullpen, I'm feeling fairly confident with it right now, especially after we re-signed Timlin. We'll see what happens with Foulke, but I'm already in love with Hansen and am pulling for him to prove himself as a setup man and become the Sox closer in a year or two. He can do it. Being a closer takes a certain mindset and this guy has been doing it for years with great success. His stints with the Sox this past season were so-so, with Theo and Tito hesitating to put him on the post-season roster, but I really have a good feeling about this guy. Plus, he's a cutie.
(I just had to throw that in there.)
By the way, if the Sox can't re-sign Damon, I'd love to see him go to the Yanks with a ridiculous contract for four or five years. Watch as his numbers tail off within a year or two and his shoulder continues to give him more and more trouble, leaving the Yanks with a 40 million-dollar contract and a subpar outfield.
Or maybe that's just wishful thinking...
posted by Pam at 4:14 PM
5 Comments:
first off, Yankee fan.
Secondly, the Beckett trade doesn't seem that great for Boston. You give away a potentially great INF for Mike Lowell, who hit an amazing .240 last season. I know that he's the lemon for Beckett, but even then he's young...but with shoulder problems and recurring blisters. I know Simmons glossed right over this and kept saying how he was a Yankee killer, but that was only one game 2 years ago - not worth the trade for (trust me, I understand "but this pitcher was great!" when the Yanks signed the available pitchers from the 99 all-star teams).
Paps will be a beast next year if he starts. I fear him more than any other starter on the rotation because he's young and his stuff is sick. Also, I think Burnett is a FA, and with Beckett and Clement on the roster, why not pick up AJ to make 3/5ths of the ole' Marlins rotation? The Denver Broncos of baseball (they took a ton of FAs from the Browns this offseason)!
Another question is: who is your infield? I figured you'd plug in Hanley, move Youks to first. Now with Mike "I hit slightly better than roid-depression Jason Giambi" Lowell, will the rest of the line-up make up for that hole? It's possible, I just figgered they'd be a strong 9 like they have the last few years.
Oh, and if Damon is a Yankee for anything more than 3 years, I will shit in George's mouth, put a gun to his head and make him do a cha-cha, and then post it on dirtdogs.
Mike Lowell is one year removed from an .800+ OPS. If taking on his contract is what it takes to get Josh Beckett, I'll do it.
And as for Hanley? If we were talking about any other 21-year-old AA infielder with a .725~ OPS who *wasn't* named Hanley Ramirez, this would not be a big deal. People drool over Hanley because of his scouting reports, but so far, he hasn't lived up to the hype. Trade him while his value's high. He might be the next Bagwell, but he also might be the next bust. You always, ALWAYS trade potential for talent if the talent's going to fill a big hole. And pitching for the Sox is a big hole.
INF -- Youks 1B, Graffanino 2B, Renteria SS, Lowell 3B. As long as they don't trade Manny (idiots), sounds fine to me.
You always, ALWAYS trade potential for talent if the talent's going to fill a big hole.
Good. I will now never allow a sox fan to EVER criticize the Yankees purging their farm system. Thanks for the help!
I'm sorry, the Yankees have a farm system?
Robinson Cano says "sup"
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