Dodgers to Non-Tender Saito

[Chisoxfn]

Saito is refusing to accept the Dodgers' one year incentive laden deal and will likely be non-tendered

 

This is a guy who is a bit of smoke and mirrors but he has been very effective when healthy. The only issue is that if he isn't willing to take a one year incentive laden deal from the Dodgers than who would he be willing to take one from. Obviously there are health risks associated with him but it would be a nice depth pick-up for the Sox.

[Balta1701]

Problem is...I'm not sure we can offer him a major league contract without tossing someone else out of the pen. I'll bet that unless his arm is ready to fall off, some other team out there would offer him that.

[ThunderBolt]

Unless we plan on giving the Mets Jenks to go with Putz and K-Rod. We don't really have a place for the guy here.

[Chisoxfn]

Unless we plan on giving the Mets Jenks to go with Putz and K-Rod. We don't really have a place for the guy here.

Last I looked we couldn't get outs from the pen for an extended period. I believe the club actually has a current hole in the pen. Logan is gone and I would expect one of Richard/Poreda to replace him (with the other potentially being in the rotation). You than have Linebrink coming back from injury and Dotel but I think there is still a potential opening for another reliever (especially if Ozzie goes back to carrying an extra reliever and I'd anticipate such considering how young the rotation will be).

[fathom]

Doesn't he have a torn ligament in his elbow? When he pitched in the postseason, he was horrible.

[ThunderBolt]

Last I looked we couldn't get outs from the pen for an extended period. I believe the club actually has a current hole in the pen. Logan is gone and I would expect one of Richard/Poreda to replace him (with the other potentially being in the rotation). You than have Linebrink coming back from injury and Dotel but I think there is still a potential opening for another reliever (especially if Ozzie goes back to carrying an extra reliever and I'd anticipate such considering how young the rotation will be).

We're thinking a seven-man pen, right? Thorton, Linebrink, Dotel, Jenks, Carrasco are pretty much confirmed. Last Year, Ozzie came out and said he sees a place for Russel in the pen. So, we'll put that at six reasonably assured spots. And than i imagine the longman/lefty will be filled by CR/AP.

[Balta1701]

We're thinking a seven-man pen, right? Thorton, Linebrink, Dotel, Jenks, Carrasco are pretty much confirmed. Last Year, Ozzie came out and said he sees a place for Russel in the pen. So, we'll put that at six reasonably assured spots. And than i imagine the longman/lefty will be filled by CR/AP.

They may also be willing to give Link a shot if he has a solid ST, since they're already talking about him replacing Jenks.

[Chisoxfn]

They may also be willing to give Link a shot if he has a solid ST, since they're already talking about him replacing Jenks.

I'd go as far as say Link just has to show good big league stuff at spring training and he'll have a spot.

[Balta1701]

I'd go as far as say Link just has to show good big league stuff at spring training and he'll have a spot.

He pitched where, AA last year?

 

I dunno, I could see them go either way with him/Russell. There's certainly benefits for a reliever pitching at AAA in a hitter's park, not to mention the arbitration delay.

[Chisoxfn]

He pitched where, AA last year?

 

I dunno, I could see them go either way with him/Russell. There's certainly benefits for a reliever pitching at AAA in a hitter's park, not to mention the arbitration delay.

Russel failed to ever really dominate at the major league level last year. I kind of think they'll use him more as one of those guys that is in the minors and comes up when someone goes down (at least for the next year). I think he'll eventually stick in the pen but probably not with the Sox (it'll be when he goes to another team which is out of contention and he's allowed to work his way through the majors for a year or two).

 

Am I the only one who isn't overly excited about Carrasco. He was stellar for us given the situation last year but his stuff isn't that good. I like him a lot as a depth guy we have in the minors but not as a reliever on a playoff team.

 

Bottom line I'm comfortable with Jenks/Dotel/Linebrink/Thornton (when all are healthy) and I have faith in Richard because he flashed quite a bit at the major league level. Poreda has a freaking stud arm so I don't opposed him and than there is Link who the Sox seem to really rave about. Personally speaking, I wouldn't be opposed at all to the Sox picking up a reliever.

[ThunderBolt]

Am I the only one who isn't overly excited about Carrasco. He was stellar for us given the situation last year but his stuff isn't that good. I like him a lot as a depth guy we have in the minors but not as a reliever on a playoff team.

You're not. He's kind of like the Wise of the bullpen. He's serviceable, but i'd prefer he not be there.

[Balta1701]

Am I the only one who isn't overly excited about Carrasco. He was stellar for us given the situation last year but his stuff isn't that good. I like him a lot as a depth guy we have in the minors but not as a reliever on a playoff team.

 

Bottom line I'm comfortable with Jenks/Dotel/Linebrink/Thornton (when all are healthy) and I have faith in Richard because he flashed quite a bit at the major league level. Poreda has a freaking stud arm so I don't opposed him and than there is Link who the Sox seem to really rave about. Personally speaking, I wouldn't be opposed at all to the Sox picking up a reliever.

Carrasco is useful even if he puts up an ERA of 4.5 in that right now, he's our best long-man out of the bullpen. Assuming Richard/Poreda are treated as Ozzie's 2nd lefty, they're not going to be used very often to pitch 3+ innings. For a game where one of our youngish starters implodes or a game that goes extras, if all Carrasco does is go 5 innings and give up 2-3 runs, that's more than tolerable, because he gave you 5 innings.

[DBAHO]

My guess is Saito ends up with the M's now actually.

 

They like Japanese players over there, and they have a vacancy in the closer's spot, which would allow them to keep Morrow as a starter.

[Princess Dye]

"CR/AP" is easily my favorite thing about reading these boards these days.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Carrasco is useful even if he puts up an ERA of 4.5 in that right now, he's our best long-man out of the bullpen. Assuming Richard/Poreda are treated as Ozzie's 2nd lefty, they're not going to be used very often to pitch 3+ innings. For a game where one of our youngish starters implodes or a game that goes extras, if all Carrasco does is go 5 innings and give up 2-3 runs, that's more than tolerable, because he gave you 5 innings.

Agree with this. Carrasco was a key component of our pen last year and deserves to stick around. We need at least one guy like that, meaning someone who can throw the damn ball over the plate when all our upside projects are going 3-0 on everyone. Carrasco was out of place when he was briefly a setup man for us, but I'd feel confident going to him in blowout and late extra inning situations. Obviously in a perfect world I'd prefer someone with better stuff, but that's not happening given the price of even halfway decent bullpen arms.

[MO2005]

I'll toss almost anyone out of the pen for him. Pick him up please! We have had decent luck with pitchers coming off injury plagued seasons. Dotel was a big example of that last year. I think that was the first full season he pitched in like 4 years.

[caulfield12]

from mlbtraderumors/dierkes

 

Brandon Backe (fifth starter candidate?)

Erik Bedard (likely be to tendered now)

Matt Belisle

Angel Berroa

John Buck (back-up catching option)

Chris Burke (we already have too many infielders...only if he could play CF)

Daniel Cabrera (top prize?)

Chris Capuano (fifth starter candidate, was once a very serviceable pitcher)

Jason Davis

Randy Flores

Jason Frasor (was once a serviceable reliever)

Chad Gaudin (another fifth starter candidate to throw into the mix)

Jimmy Gobble (ditto)

Jonny Gomes (better than BA?, probably not)

Aaron Miles (see Berroa, Burke)

Brian Tallet

Willy Taveras (along with Cabrera, the most likely targets for KW)

 

[ThunderBolt]

Daniel Cabrera

Chad Gaudin

Bring it.