Riverbrian

I've been reading articles. It seems the bill is coming due while Henry and Dombroski disagree on the payment method. I'm also reading reports that Dombrowski simultaneously increased the size of the analytics department while ignoring the information produced from the larger department. The Red Sox were built from a young core that is reaching arb and free agent age. Dombrowski spent money and prospects to supplement that core and it won a World Series. Now the farm is dry while the contracts are wet. They have the highest payroll in baseball and finished 12 games behind the lowest payroll in baseball, while the Dodgers and Yankees are trying to get under the competitive balance tax and still pushing out 600K talent to help them do that. IMO...We are about to witness a mini-rebuild in Boston. I think Henry is absolutely involved but I'm not sure dysfunction is the right word. Owners hire the people who hire the people, clubs are always a reflection of the ownership.

Win a World Series and then tossed before the next season finishes suggests a certain amount of expectation.

Sure but that was yesterday. Everyone is raiding the Rays organization now. Bloom’s attractiveness isn’t static... it’s fluid. Listen... I think what you say makes sense. He’s still building here... he wants to finish what he started. Admirable and sensible. I’m a goal oriented loyal guy myself, I can certainly understand that sentiment. However... the scenario floated by Spycake is also very plausible. Adding the Boston resources to the Falvey model is an advantage. He’d be crazy not to listen. Not many will turn it down. The opportunity to publicly turn down an attractive job is cred that can be cashed in later. If He knows he isn’t first choice. Declining the interview is smart. Both are plausible theory’s. Either way we are all guessing.

Turning down an interview establishes trust. Going to a job interview establishes doubt. If you had any information that the job is a long shot. Turning down the interview is savvy. It didn’t matter the industry... you will get useful credit from superiors. Interviewing for a long shot just tells your superiors that it’s only a matter of time.

Yep... I can’t help but assume that Bloom is at the head of the class. Bloom in the mix gives Falvey the chance to look good declining a job that requires Bloom declining first.

You said: "Those saying the money doesn't matter" I replied: "Every team has a budget". I was agreeing with you. The money does matter. My main point is that his price has gone from 4 million to 8 million and he priced himself into waivers at 4 million a year prior.

Red Sox owner John Henry seems like such a smooth guy. Buying scarves for his assistants. Coffee in the press box during interviews but something isn't right. First Brad Pitt turned him down now it's Derek Falvey. Somewhat surprising but in reality... It's not like the job he chose to remain to see through to completion is terrible.

If Garver is capable of playing a decent 1B... Let him play C and 1B. Get him some more AB's in the process. We just watched the team move players around last year. We can do it again in 2020.

Last year the Sox were trying to sign Machado. With all the youth one year older... I don’t believe the attempt at the top of the pile was a one and done. Meaning... you will hear the White Sox in on Cole and the others. Meaning... whatever you think they are now has little relation to what they will be. Meaning; Dismissing the Sox is a bad idea. You can dismiss the Tigers and Royals tho.

Every team has a budget.

We acquired Cron off of waivers because Tampa didn't want to pay him the 4M he would have received in Arbitration. I don't believe we had the first waiver claim meaning other teams passed on paying Cron 4M. The price is now 8M and his year wasn't as good. Wait for Tampa to waive Jesus Aguilar and sign him.

Agreed

It isn’t the same organization. New ownership. It’s a ground floor opportunity. They tore it down and are building it back up. If Rowson can get those young players to hit with bench coach in the job title, It would be a solid step toward a manager job in the future. The only question that I would have is this: If our bench coach gets the Pirates job. Who replaces him? Would Rowson be a candidate for the same job with the Twins? If that’s the case... the Marlins job becomes a slightly questionable.

It's a song by Chicago.

A Bench Coach is pretty much insulated from the wrath of fans. The manager will bare the brunt of any decision that goes wrong. However, as we all know. Call for a run on 3rd and 7 and the fans will be all over the OC.

When you get down to the root of any team with roster issues. It's my opinion that development is almost 100% the heart of the problem. My opinion is in line with yours... Development is the primary issue with the Angels. The thing that I will question is exactly how much of that development issue is self inflicted? Did they commit to spending because they didn't develop or did they not develop because they committed to spending? I don't know but either way... they didn't develop and if you don't develop... it kinda forces you to spend. It sure looks like Eppler has done a great job on the farm but to me... the question still remains on how they will use these improved farm resources going forward. Will they trade it for more Upton types or will they actually use it to stabilize future payroll in an attempt to establish a young core? Teams need 600K talent... they can't FA across the diamond with expensive 30 plus downside players because they leave themselves no wiggle room and every team has a budget. The 600k talent allows you to go big on Trout and Machado's without breaking the budget. The Red Sox built their core. The Dodgers built their core. The Cubs built their core and they spent money. The Angels tried to buy it and ran plum out of resources and now I'm hearing rumors that they will be targeting Cole. Which is just more of the same trip on the U.S.S Good Money After Bad. Will Fletcher and Rengifo get playing time if La Stella and Cozart are healthy? Lot's of questions yet to be answered and I'll be watching. Hiring Joe Maddon was a step in the right direction because he has shown the ability to produce 600K talent and utilize it. The hiring of Ausmus was the exact opposite of Joe Maddon. Is Moreno a bigger force in the decision making than Eppler or Maddon could ever be. If I was the GM... I'm not... but if I was and Moreno gave me some breathing room. I'd tear it down to Trout and Ohtani and take my lumps for a couple of years so I have a chance at delivering a title contender before Trout's contract is up and Trout won't play for a title contender if they think adding Cole to an already astronomical payroll with multiple holes on the mound and no depth across the diamond and these things will require even more money to fix. I love Maddon... just don't know what he walked into. A roster mess with expectations is a bad combination. I'd love to have Trout... but, the Twins need pitching. The Angels have trapped themselves into keeping Trout with the contract extension. It feels really good to say that the Twins are in much better shape than the Angels are.

I agree that Trout is special. He's an odd case... before he signed the extension. You couldn't trade him because there is no way you could get enough. Now that he has signed the extension... you can't trade him because there is no way you could get enough. I'll leave you with this for your wall.

Trout signed a long term contract at free agent prices. In the real world, when you sign a free agent, you can't turn around and trade him for any value at all because you priced out the other teams by signing him. I know Trout didn't sign a free agent contract, it was an extension but it's at free agent prices so the concept should still be close the same principal. Trout by himself with that contract wouldn't require multiple highly rated players to acquire. Don't get me wrong, there are teams that will take on that contract... they just won't give up a lot for the privilege. The money on the deal zeroes out the value. Add Pujols to the deal and now we are talking negative value. Meaning, if we gave the Angels the squirrel carcass it would be an overpay. The Twins would be crazy... this would add 65 million to next years payroll and the year after that and we currently have a cannonball that has run through our pitching staff that is going to require resources to fix. .65 Million on more offense??? That money needs to be spent on pitching. The Twins say no without question and the Angels should say yes but they will also say no because they are crazy enough to think that they can spend their way out of the mess that spending caused.

Should be the goal that you work tirelessly toward.

I support the concept of a bullpen management overhaul. It is long overdue. But, it has some serious challenges from decades past. The first hurdle in producing the change necessary is going to be the salary structure. As long as traditional "Closers" get more money in Arbitration and get signed for more money in free agency. The top relief pitchers are going to insist on a "Closer" Role. The Twins can buck this trend (I'd really like them to) but it will cause issues in recruitment and retention. Because the paycheck is simply larger based on saves. The closer role needs to be de-valued. I've already de-valued it in my head but unfortunately, that isn't good enough, I'm gonna need some help from all 30 teams, the agents and arbitrators.

This is always the answer... even if we trade Buxton. Gonna need 4 quality regardless.

No idea... that is always possible. However, I think it is more plausible that teams will overcharge the stronger organizations... being less willing to settle for a lesser players knowing that we have better players in the system.

Those players have to be so special... teams are willing to let them become free agents before they reach the age of 27 because of the benefit today. If a 20 year old is going to struggle. There is no sense letting him burn service time struggling so he can figure it out right before he reaches free agency at age 26.

Exactly... Things don't have to be all or nothing. I don't know anything about Lewis defensively but I'm willing to lay down a bet with anyone that when he hits the major leagues. It will be close to a mid-season ... and... and... the odds are that he will debut at position other than SS so I will be comfortable taking that bet as well. If that's the case and it probably is... Let him play multiple positions, he can still play the majority of time at SS if you so desire. And who knows... maybe in the process of doing so. A different SS comes around who can REALLY pick it. A different SS that also starts figuring it out at the plate because he now gets the chance to figure it out at the plate because Lewis isn't playing every possible inning at SS. So, now you have given opportunity to multiple SS's and may the best man win . You increase your production by a 2 to 1 margin instead of locking into one and saying we will live or die with you and you alone. Production is increased, options are increased... these are good things.

You are describing past “Utility” definitions. Super Utility is alive and well in this day and age.