Sox Sign Jose Contreras to 3 Year Deal

[Punch and Judy Garland]

I'm gonna get pissy if we trade Mac for Lidge in May after Clemens decides not to be an Astro.

[3E8]

Why would we trade anyone?  Every team must have a 6th starter, either in the pen or AA/AAA.  If any of our 6 sp gets dealt, who's our emergency plan?  Cotts?  Broadway?  Haeger?  Do we even need to discuss why those are all horrible options?

 

We have 6 good sp but virtually no depth.  The Sox were killed for years in having an abysmal 5th starter.  Do we want to be one injury away from that situation?

Because you don't keep a sixth starter that could be a number 2 or 3 in other rotations. Just not how things work. At this rate McCarthy will hit arb without ever being used as a starter for a full season. That's why you trade one of the pitchers making $10M, stick McCarthy in the rotation, spend ~$1-2M on your 6th starter backup plan, use the rest of the money to address greater needs.

[Guest JimH]

McCarthy is going nowhere, he's a key insurance policy, not to mention a big part of the bullpen.

[Balta1701]

So...I like this move especially for 1 reason: I hated the thought of losing Jose @ the end of this season and not getting anything for him because of that stupid clause in his contract.

 

So...if I'm in KW's chair...next offseason I have to consider moving one of my pitchers. Not Mark because he's a god and should be resigned at any and all cost, not Jon because he's young, not Brandon because he's ungodly cheap for his skills...one of Jose, Javier, and Freddy would be traded next season. Probably IMO Freddy, because he's closest to having his contract up, and that would free up $$ to give to Mark.

 

I know the organization loves every pitcher they have and some are reaally close to Ozzie, but I don't like the idea of BMac spending more than 1 season in the bullpen. I want that kid starting. I understand if he's not starting this year, but next year, if he has a good 06 season, he'll have earned a starting spot.

 

Anywho...we're set up like a M.F. to make a huge deal next offseason now, and we're set up to beat the Hell out of the American League until the end of this decade.

[Balta1701]

Why would we trade anyone?  Every team must have a 6th starter, either in the pen or AA/AAA.  If any of our 6 sp gets dealt, who's our emergency plan?  Cotts?  Broadway?  Haeger?  Do we even need to discuss why those are all horrible options?

 

We have 6 good sp but virtually no depth.  The Sox were killed for years in having an abysmal 5th starter.  Do we want to be one injury away from that situation?

Matt Thornton and Neal Cotts both were originally starters and could serve as emergency backups. But that isn't a concern this year. That's a concern next year once we see what happens. For all we know Broadway or Haeger could continue to develop and make it an easier decision next winter, or we could have a good draft and find someone else.

 

Hell, if we moved someone next offseason, I think you assume that KW tries to get a pitcher back in the exchange, someone who could sit at AA-AAA for a year or two and be that insurance guy.

[Balta1701]

I'm gonna get pissy if we trade Mac for Lidge in May after Clemens decides not to be an Astro.

I'll get pissy if McCarthy gets traded, period.

[Balta1701]

I have a hunch Garland gets moved next off-season, followed up by Mark getting an extension.

I would probably accept any starter not named Buehrle or McCarthy being moved, in the right deal. Garland's probably the lowest on my list other than those 2 because of JG's age compared with Vazquez and Freddy and Jose (I'd prefer to keep the younger guy, and having him may help us resign Mark), but I'd tolerate it if the deal was right.

[jackie hayes]

Because you don't keep a sixth starter that could be a number 2 or 3 in other rotations.  Just not how things work.  At this rate McCarthy will hit arb without ever being used as a starter for a full season.  That's why you trade one of the pitchers making $10M, stick McCarthy in the rotation, spend ~$1-2M on your 6th starter backup plan, use the rest of the money to address greater needs.

In the next offseason, it makes sense. But we can't get a half-decent backup plan now. I don't think anything happens until the deadline, at the earliest, and then only if it's an emergency or someone in the minors emerges as a backup plan.

 

This is just a good value signing. If we need to shunt around monies for 2007, I'm sure we'll be able to do that (at least, if all our pitchers come through this season unscathed), but it's a little funny to talk about trades that far away when we have no idea what needs the Sox will show or our minors will fill in 2006.

[Balta1701]

In the next offseason, it makes sense.  But we can't get a half-decent backup plan now.  I don't think anything happens until the deadline, at the earliest, and then only if it's an emergency or someone in the minors emerges as a backup plan.

 

This is just a good value signing.  If we need to shunt around monies for 2007, I'm sure we'll be able to do that (at least, if all our pitchers come through this season unscathed), but it's a little funny to talk about trades that far away when we have no idea what needs the Sox will show or our minors will fill in 2006.

The best part about this deal is it gives us total freedom to look ahead to the winter of 06-07 and start thinking about that...because we will clearly have extra pieces to play with then. We don't have any idea what might show up in the minors...but the only way the Sox will have any major needs is if there is a major injury.

 

If no one winds up hurt badly...then this puts us in the awesome position of having way too damn much pitching in a market that is starved for pitching. That's why we can start looking around and seeing teams who might have a few big parts they'd move for a front line starter.

[nitetrain8601]

Again, I see McCarthy being a 2 year pen guy unless a deal that we can't refuse comes up. I don't see any starters getting traded.

[Punch and Judy Garland]

I thought all along barring a total failure as a team last year that we'd probably be best served keeping all 6 guys. I wanted to keep Jose more than Garland and now we have both. I tend to think that moving a Garland for a Blalock or someone of that ilk 8 months from now is the way to go. I swear to god if they don't keep Buehrle around past 07 then I'm taking a year off from spending any money on the Sox though

[3E8]

In the next offseason, it makes sense.

Ok I thought you were talking about keeping this group of 6 around past this season. None of them are getting traded in the near future.

[jackie hayes]

No, I mostly meant the 'trading one of our sp for a closer' type ideas. That would be an enormous waste, imo.

 

P&J -- Blalock? Why??? He just wasn't good last year, and isn't good outside Arlington.

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 12:45 PM)

NO that is right.  His original deal which runs out after this year was 4 years at $8 mil per.  that is just the end of his old contract.  2007-2009 is the new deal.

 

EDIT NEVERMIND, I just caught the typo.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's what you get for not changing your name.

 

Aboz, you mention Vazquez being signed through 2007, but he is also under control through 2008 because he demanded a trade.

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Organization has too much going on for them right now to let that happen. He better be a lifer....

 

Agreed 100% MB is just as much the heart/face of this team as PK. Perhaps more so.

[ISF]

I like Blalock, I'd take him over Crede, but I'd question why we'd go after him when we have Joe's replacement in-house.

 

Josh Fields will be our next 3B. Book it.

 

Love Joe C., but I think we all know how it ends between Bor-Ass clients and the Sox.

[Balta1701]

No, I mostly meant the 'trading one of our sp for a closer' type ideas.  That would be an enormous waste, imo.

 

P&J -- Blalock?  Why???  He just wasn't good last year, and isn't good outside Arlington.

Blalock may not be the best example...especially since we have Fields waiting in the winds. But who knows what we might be able to do next year. Say Florida decides they want a veteran on their young pitching staff, and makes an offer involving Cabrera for a pitcher and Crede? Or the Yankees decide they finally need to fill in that hole that is their starting pitching, and offer us up one of their big guys. Or the Red Sox figure out that they need to replace Wells and Schilling next offseason and offer us a bat, cash, and some of their young guys? Or the Angels realize that they need another starting pitcher, and finally decide that they don't have a place to play Brandon Wood for 2 more seasons?

 

God, the possibilites are endless. We'd seriously be talking about being able to trade for a top level player here, because that's the value of a monster pitcher, and that's what we have 6 of.

[Dick Allen]

Everyone is assuming all 5 starters will always be heathy.  It's very unusual if 5 starters to be heathy year after year.  I'd be surprised if BMac not starting sooner rather than later.

This is a great point. The odds of the 5 guys in the rotation all making it through this season and next without any DL appearances are very slim. If somehow they do, its still great news. BMac is going to get his innings and will get starts. I wonder if the tendonitis gave Jose enough of a scare to sign right away, because if he continues what he did the last half of last season, he is an absolute steal. If all the Sox starters remain healthy, I still think Garland is the top candidate to get traded next off season.

[Dick Allen]

That's what you get for not changing your name. 

 

Aboz, you mention Vazquez being signed through 2007, but he is also under control through 2008 because he demanded a trade.

But his 2008 season would be an arbitration year which, if he pitches well enough that the Sox would still want him then, will be very expensive. Probably $14 million+.

[southsideirish71]

Out of the group now, the only one I would like to see moved is Freddy G.

 

 

He has a lot of value, big game pitcher. Kind of pitches to his competition. When he faces a great team he pitches great, when he faces the KC Royals he gets lit up.

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Out of the group now, the only one I would like to see moved is Freddy G.

He has a lot of value, big game pitcher.  Kind of pitches to his competition.  When he faces a great team he pitches great, when he faces the KC Royals he gets lit up.

 

 

If somebody had to go, I too would pick Freddy for exactly the reason you stated. He also does not pitch well at the Cell. That being said, I still don't think he gets traded.

[iWiN4PreP]

Isn't freddy like ozzies brother-in-law or something

if so, why wud he trade him?

[LosMediasBlancas]

THREE more years for a 47, er I mean 32 (wink-wink) year old guy? We shall see.

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(Punch and Judy Garland @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 01:49 PM)

I thought all along barring a total failure as a team last year that we'd probably be best served keeping all 6 guys. I wanted to keep Jose more than Garland and now we have both. I tend to think that moving a Garland for a Blalock or someone of that ilk 8 months from now is the way to go. I swear to god if they don't keep Buehrle around past 07 then I'm taking a year off from spending any money on the Sox though

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought we established this a long time ago; Blalock sucks.

[Baines3]

We got Contreras in place for a few more years. I figured that KW wasn't about to let him go.