[2] Yes, and their pitching staff remains a giant question mark.
Not sure I really understand these deals. Sandoval can't hit lefties, third is his only position; Hanley is always hurt, really can't play SS well anymore . . . If these two are playing the left side of the infield, what about Boegarts? I guess Panda could play first? What happened to sticking with the kids and not spending big bucks on older free agents? Wil Middlebrooks and Garin Cecchini, Boston hardly knew ye!
Well, they had money to spend, I am just surprised this is how they spent it.
Doesn't this seem like Carl Crawford/Adrian Gonzalez all over again? There is speculation that Hanley might play in the outfield, but that seems like a bigger injury risk. Don't really know what they're doing here either except cut-block the Yanks perhaps, but why would they need to do that now?
[4] Crawford and A-Gon were 300 million for 14 years a long time ago. If this turns out to be 200 million for 10 years right now, those deals are not close.
As for the talent I have no idea except I like them both just fine. Pablo Sandoval is like El Duque to me. I watched El Duque pitch in October and I couldn't believe he wasn't an All-Star every year. How does Sandoval not even hit .280 given that he hits a line drive regardless of the pitch type or location?
You get an appreciation for hard those levels are to sustain when you follow them all year.
I, for one, am delighted that the Yanks didn't get Sandoval. I think he's going be out-of-shape, a player with much diminished abilities, and be someone that the Sox regret haven't spent the money on.
Perhaps Sandoval and Big Papi could spend the off-season as a WWE tag team.
These are the type of deals that get the fans to buy the season tickets. Fenway is almost always sold out though.
Glad the Yanks weren't in on these deals as they already have their own over the hill gang.
This will make it easier to get Headley as they won't have to outbid the Sox, but then again, maybe the Giants blow Chase out of the water with a big deal?
We need offense but we also need youth. Panda will be a DH when Papi retires. Ramirez isn't going to be in the infield. The Yanks already have lots of candidates for DH for years to come unless they shed Rodriguez, Tex and Beltran.
The Yanks also have a crowded outfield, and the only tradeable piece is Gardner, and he is one of the most consistent Yanks.
Shaun [3], those are the questions that all of RSN is asking. It's a very Yankeean kind of move, isn't it? A favorite bit of sportstalk guys now is to play a clip from a year and a half ago of John Henry explaining how the Sox are not the Yankees, they aren't going to sign players to expensive contracts into their thirties, going to play their own system guys, etc.
It's a kind of mini-Gonzo/Craw signing. On the one hand, it commits a lot less money; on the other hand, neither HanRam nor Panda has the kind of box office appeal of Gonzalez or Crawford, and (as Shaun noted) instead of filling needs these players appear to be overloading positions the Red Sox supposedly thought of as their strengths. So it's kind of mysterious. Maybe Ben has a master plan to trade Bogaerts and Cespides...
Buster only reports they're getting Pablo too.
Makes the Sox better. But they aren't the kinds of deals that make you cower, either.
[2] Yes, and their pitching staff remains a giant question mark.
Not sure I really understand these deals. Sandoval can't hit lefties, third is his only position; Hanley is always hurt, really can't play SS well anymore . . . If these two are playing the left side of the infield, what about Boegarts? I guess Panda could play first? What happened to sticking with the kids and not spending big bucks on older free agents? Wil Middlebrooks and Garin Cecchini, Boston hardly knew ye!
Well, they had money to spend, I am just surprised this is how they spent it.
Doesn't this seem like Carl Crawford/Adrian Gonzalez all over again? There is speculation that Hanley might play in the outfield, but that seems like a bigger injury risk. Don't really know what they're doing here either except cut-block the Yanks perhaps, but why would they need to do that now?
[4] Crawford and A-Gon were 300 million for 14 years a long time ago. If this turns out to be 200 million for 10 years right now, those deals are not close.
As for the talent I have no idea except I like them both just fine. Pablo Sandoval is like El Duque to me. I watched El Duque pitch in October and I couldn't believe he wasn't an All-Star every year. How does Sandoval not even hit .280 given that he hits a line drive regardless of the pitch type or location?
You get an appreciation for hard those levels are to sustain when you follow them all year.
I'm mainly concerned with the idea that our offense is any good. We need some hitters ourselves.
I, for one, am delighted that the Yanks didn't get Sandoval. I think he's going be out-of-shape, a player with much diminished abilities, and be someone that the Sox regret haven't spent the money on.
Perhaps Sandoval and Big Papi could spend the off-season as a WWE tag team.
These are the type of deals that get the fans to buy the season tickets. Fenway is almost always sold out though.
Glad the Yanks weren't in on these deals as they already have their own over the hill gang.
This will make it easier to get Headley as they won't have to outbid the Sox, but then again, maybe the Giants blow Chase out of the water with a big deal?
We need offense but we also need youth. Panda will be a DH when Papi retires. Ramirez isn't going to be in the infield. The Yanks already have lots of candidates for DH for years to come unless they shed Rodriguez, Tex and Beltran.
The Yanks also have a crowded outfield, and the only tradeable piece is Gardner, and he is one of the most consistent Yanks.
[5] Great point on the contract sizes, Jon. Dollar-wise and length-wise, these make more sense.
"How does Sandoval not even hit .280 given that he hits a line drive regardless of the pitch type or location?"
Despite his bad hitting against lefties, he is a career .294 hitter. :)
Shaun [3], those are the questions that all of RSN is asking. It's a very Yankeean kind of move, isn't it? A favorite bit of sportstalk guys now is to play a clip from a year and a half ago of John Henry explaining how the Sox are not the Yankees, they aren't going to sign players to expensive contracts into their thirties, going to play their own system guys, etc.
It's a kind of mini-Gonzo/Craw signing. On the one hand, it commits a lot less money; on the other hand, neither HanRam nor Panda has the kind of box office appeal of Gonzalez or Crawford, and (as Shaun noted) instead of filling needs these players appear to be overloading positions the Red Sox supposedly thought of as their strengths. So it's kind of mysterious. Maybe Ben has a master plan to trade Bogaerts and Cespides...