Comments on: Making the grade

By: mike_b1

mike_b1 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:01:36 +0000

What you are saying is the Red Sox should have paid $2.75M for a player who is a below-average defensive player and one of the worst-hitting SS in the majors.

That kind of decision-making is exactly why the Blue Jays haven’t made the playoffs in 15 years.

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:23:55 +0000

Mike: Here’s where I agree with you. The Sox were right not to pick up Gonzalez’s option and get stuck with paying him $6 million. I would have liked to see him come back for less money. That he signed with Toronto for $2.75 million suggests that the Sox told him to take a hike, which doesn’t strike me as very smart. I agree that a healthy Lowrie would be a better option, but I’m not sure there is such a creature.

By: mike_b1

mike_b1 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:30:36 +0000

Again, what you think you saw and what the data overwhelming — and importantly, unemotionally — say are two different things. Gonzalez’ range factor, baselined against all major league SS, has been poor for years. He makes outs on the balls he gets to, but he just doesn’t get to many. Throw in the fact that he 1) can’t hit and 2) doesn’t walk and it was a slam-dunk decision.

Considering all the personnel moves Theo has made that have brought two WS wins and five playoff appearances on his watch, does it really make any sense to single out SS? Renteria was a solid choice; he had a crappy year here because Manny was fooling around with his wife. His track record screamed get him.

I didn’t like the Lugo move, but I can see why Theo coveted him. His track record in Boston was pretty good. They did win a WS with him as a starting SS, so I guess it didn’t hurt them that much.

There’s not much out there this year on the SS front. I’d rather he take his chances with Lowrie then spend millions on someone else’s garbage.

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:08 +0000

Not only do I like Ryan, but I was saying the same thing on Twitter yesterday. I thought Gonzalez’s range looked pretty good with the Red Sox, and that perhaps his knee problems were easing up by the time he got here.

Over a full season he might revert to being an out machine. But he wasn’t last year. Doesn’t matter — he’s gone now.

I also think Ryan was basing his opinion on a total lack of faith that Theo can fill the shortstop position. I share Ryan’s skepticism. Gee, is Renteria or Lugo available?

By: mike_b1

mike_b1 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:53:56 +0000

Dan, I know you like Ryan, but after today’s train wreck of a column, I again must ask: Why?

He proposes the Sox should have spent the $6M to keep Alex Gonzalez because, although he is an out machine at the plate, he is also an out machine with the glove.

Except, he’s not.

A-Gone ranked 19th in the majors in range factor — he simply doesn’t get to many balls anymore. That’s a big reason why he was actually just 3 runs above replacement level and was 3 runs below average for the 60-odd games as a Red Sock in ‘09.

Since Ryan hasn’t learned anything new about sports since he was 2, none of that matters. But you can be damn sure Theo knows it. The Red Sox made the right move in letting Gonzalez walk.

By: Patricia

Patricia — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:35:02 +0000

This may date me, but when I was a kid, “Black Friday” was used to refer to the day JFK was shot.

I think the Sox should hang on to its young pitchers.

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:56:56 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving, Steve. The league probably won’t let the Sox trade Masterson again. We got Victor Martinez for him.

By: Steve Stein

Steve Stein — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:52:24 +0000

And a Happy Thanksgiving back atcha, Dan, and to all the Media Nation commentariat.

Trading Buchholz and others (probably including Masterson and/or Bard) for Halladay means “win now!” For that, they need a big bat (probably a 1B to replace Lowell) and they need to keep Bay or replace him with similar offensive numbers.

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:03:26 +0000

O’R1on: If the Sox can get themselves in a position where they’re serious contenders for 2010, I’d do it, too. If they manage to pick up Adrian Gonzalez, then sure, go for Halladay.

But if they decide they’re in semi-rebuilding mode, keep Buchholz.

By: Al

Al — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:38:27 +0000

If I have to hear the term “black friday” one more time, I’m going to lose it. I heard someone on ‘BZ radio a couple of days ago use it 3 times in 1 sentence. Enough, already. I spent 11 years in retail management during the ’70s and ’80s, and never once heard the expression. Of course I knew the importance of the day, and the season to the profit (or loss) for a retail venture, but the term was never used. In fact, I never heard it until about 5 or 6 years ago when some enterprising reporter came up with a cool, hip way to name the shopping day after Thanksgiving. It caught on and spread like wildfire. Now, it’s use is as ubiquitous as “Curse of the Bambino” was after a Red Sox loss before the 2004 Championship, or “It’s a Wonderful Life” used to be on TV a few Christmas seasons ago. BTW, Happy Thanksgiving everyone.