POSTED BY Sarah Green ON 3:22 pm, October 23, 2009 - POSTED IN News reel
It’s the post-postseason here in Boston, and Sox fans have been ruminating on what the team should do to produce a better outcome next year. And yet we haven’t heard too many actual, you know, ideas on how to make that happen. It’s just, um, like, try harder, I guess?
But I have two ideas, just for starters:
1. Sign Matt Holliday instead of Jason Bay. Both LFers will be expensive, so the Red Sox should pick the slightly younger one with more defensive ability. Boston can afford Holliday, and anyway, Papi and Lowell will both come off the books after 2010. Before you wave the “but he sucked in the AL!” bloody shirt at me, recall that Holliday’s “shitty” OBP with Oakland was .378 — 8 points better than Bay’s first half-season in the AL. And while his power numbers were down, Oakland is definitely on the pitcher’s park side of things. He wouldn’t have that problem in Fenway.
2. Shop Jonathan Papelbon. The Red Sox need some youth, and their best prospects are all 2-3 years out. They also need infield help. It could be the ideal time to shop Pap, who won’t stay with the Red Sox once he becomes a free agent after the 2011 season anyway. (Plus, his periphs alarm me.)
What are your thoughts, Umpbumpers? Is this crazy-talk? Are there other moves you think Boston should make?
Marc 
El Jefe 
Sarah, a few comments:
1. I have no problem with Holliday except we all know if we want him we’ll have to overpay due to a bidding war with the yanks, giants, likely the mets, and some darkhorse that inevitable emerges. And that’s not assuming the cards actually believe they can afford Holliday and the fact they’ll have to open up the wallet very shortly.
2. No love for Reddick, Tazawa, Kalish, Anderson, or Dubrount? All young, all potentially talented, and I bet all will see time in Boston next year. Sure Kelly and Westmoreland are 2-3 years away, but we have a decent pipeline until then.
3. If you look at Pap’s perifs you’ll see it’s all based around his walk rate going up. His k/9 rate stayed steady, opponent batting average stayed steady, etc. For a closer having a down year he was still one of the best in baseball. I honestly think if Paps saved that game there would be far less nay sayers. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Bard may not be ready to close. That said sure, quietly shop Paps, but unless it’s some kinda of three way deal with more prospects thrown in where we can land a great hitting shortstop like Hanley or an ace like King Felix, don’t bother.