Red Sox/MLB Red Sox Hot Stove: Sign Michael Wacha

[Smitty93]

I know it's fun to talk about how cheap ownership is and how they won't have any money to spend on the Red Sox after buying the Penguins, but they literally just spent $13M just to buy two prospects. That's not something a poor team does.

*Correction*: Think it might be more like $10M. Bradley's contract is difficult to figure out, but the point still stands.

 

[McGarnagle]

Binelas seems like a decent prospect.

This does clear space for Schwarbs, hopefully they can go to Waltham and sign him back up. Still, Hunter hit 30 dongs last year. As much as he sucked in the ALCS, JBJ was like historically bad. Could still play defense and pinch run, and sometimes goes on his hot streaks as we know.

 

[McGarnagle]

 

[BostonBob]

Insiders say Sox got 2 of Milwaukee’s top 30 prospects

Baseball America had them both in Milwaukee's top 20.

from cbssports.com:

Hamilton, primarily a shortstop, was picked in the eighth round of the 2019 draft. He split last season between High- and Double-A, batting .258/.341/.419 with eight home runs and 52 stolen bases on 61 tries. (The latter can be credited to rule changes implemented at the level.) Baseball America ranked Hamilton as the 15th-best prospect in Milwaukee's system midseason, noting that he "has a sound lefthanded stroke, uses his hands well at the plate and consistently barrels balls while showing a good eye for the strike zone."

Binelas, for his part, was drafted in the third round over the summer. He hit .309/.390/.583 with nine home runs after failing to make good on a first-round projection entering the spring. He's considered to be a limited defender who will have to hit in order to have a big-league career. Baseball America had Binelas ranked as the 20th-best prospect in Milwaukee's system at the midseason mark.

 

[EvilDead]

I know it's fun to talk about how cheap ownership is and how they won't have any money to spend on the Red Sox after buying the Penguins, but they literally just spent $13M just to buy two prospects. That's not something a poor team does.

I don't criticizing them swallowing JBJ's contract to get two prospects. That I can understand especially since you are trying to sell as high as you can on Hunter Renfroe. The thing that irks me is spending $17 million combined on a hurt James Paxton and a Michael Wacha who looks like a borderline starter now when you could have held on to E-Rod for that money if you added more term onto that contract or signed Kevin Gausman for less who only signed for $11 million per over 4 years. I don't like how it seems the front office is trying to pass off 4 quarters as a dollar when they don't have to. Now if Paxton's healthy that's fine. I just feel like the Red Sox are always over correcting on philosophy with how they build their roster and go from one extreme to the next rather than a well rounded plan. Under Epstein the Sox were the most well rounded organization in the majors. Spent wisely on free agents with big name splashes here and there if necessary, developed prospects to become part of the roster, or used those prospects in trades to get better pieces. That's what I wish this team would go back to. Not vacillating from one radical extreme to the next. It feels like it has been that way since 2010.

 

[CDJ]

I don't criticizing them swallowing JBJ's contract to get two prospects. That I can understand especially since you are trying to sell as high as you can on Hunter Renfroe. The thing that irks me is spending $17 million combined on a hurt James Paxton and a Michael Wacha who looks like a borderline starter now when you could have held on to E-Rod for that money if you added more term onto that contract or signed Kevin Gausman for less who only signed for $11 million per over 4 years. I don't like how it seems the front office is trying to pass off 4 quarters as a dollar when they don't have to. Now if Paxton's healthy that's fine. I just feel like the Red Sox are always over correcting on philosophy with how they build their roster and go from one extreme to the next rather than a well rounded plan. Under Epstein the Sox were the most well rounded organization in the majors. Spent wisely on free agents with big name splashes here and there if necessary, developed prospects to become part of the roster, or used those prospects in trades to get better pieces. That's what I wish this team would go back to. Not vacillating from one radical extreme to the next. It feels like it has been that way since 2010.

Gausman got 5/110.

The whole “term” thing is the entire point by the way, that’s why they made these moves instead of investing 5 years into somebody they didn’t feel great about

 

[smithformeragent]

Red Sox/MLB - Hot Stove Part 2: Lockout Edition