Gentle reader,
I must confess I am confused; perhaps, as I approach my dotage, this is to expected, but I thought the idea of front office for a baseball team was to make decisions which are best for the team, not necessarily the bottom line. I know major league baseball is a business. It is a billion dollar industry in addition to being the “national pastime” for us die-hards. Rich guys own these teams. They made their money before they got into baseball, so their background is rooted in business, not fun. They need to have fun. It’s a game for God’s sake. They can make money at the same time, but have fun doing it. OK!
I think, from time to time, owners need to put on a pair of shorts and run the bases, to get on the field when the stands are full to feel the energy crackle and pop. Hear the low rumble of the crowd before the teams come out and then be washed in the wave of noise when the home team trots out to the field. Get out of your luxury box. Sit in the bleachers. Drink a beer. Get in an argument with another bleacher bum as to whether Curt Schilling was better than Pedro Martinez, or speculate as to what would have happened in Aaron Boone flied out.
In short, the owners and their minions, need to understand, to feel, to experience the passion the game generates. Learn that their investment is not the most important thing in the room. It’s the game-the most exciting, intricate human chess match ever conceived by man. The hot shots that sign the pay checks must realize that if you are going to acquire one of the storied sports franchises in history, it comes with the responsibility of stewardship.
Some owners have abused this responsibility horribly, from the sale of Babe Ruth so a Daddy could impress his selfish daughter to present day owners sell every good players they have, just for the money. That’s not why you buy a baseball team. You buy a baseball team because you love baseball and want to keep the team and the integrity of the game first.
All of this brings me to where we are today. In my last post, I foolishly alluded to the sun poking through the clouds because Ben Cherington got Andrew Bailey to anchor the back end of the pitching part of the lineup. The clouds are regathering and the sun is losing its prominence in the sky. Because the divine Theo left us with some pretty expensive under performers, a lose-lose situation with the luxury tax has been created. We are stuck with John Lackey with his barren $15,000,000. He can’t play, and even if he could, he’s a crap shoot with his attitude and spotty performance. Now Jacoby Ellsbury is surfacing as a money problem. Ellsbury will be a free agent at the end of this season, unless the Sox can sign him up for an extension.
Jacoby has Scott Boras, the antichrist, as his agent and that bodes ill for the home team. Boras does not like extensions but would rather deal with situations where his clients are free agents. Ellsbury, last year, had one of best years of any center fielder, when those around him faltered. That puts the Sox front office on a multihorned dilemma that has no easy solution. Jacoby is extremely popular with the fans, but questions arise about his relationship with some of the veteran players. Year before last, he sat out the whole season for all intents and purposes due to chest injuries received in a collision with with Adrian Beltre.
It is my understanding that the custom of players on the DL, is to sit on the bench with fellow team mates during rehab. Ellsbury disregarded this custom and did his rehab in Florida. This raised eyebrows and suspicions of fealty amongst his remaining team mates, which, from time to time, surfaced in heated discussions about and with him last year when he returned. I don’t thing his MVP year stats increased his likability or thawed the permafrost of his aloofness from his team mates. Word from the ever loquacious “street” was that his only friend was Jed Lowrie, who is gone and soon to be forgotten. These factors co-mingle creating a situation best solved by Solomon with his baby slicing sword. If those who must be obeyed want to keep Ellsbury, it’s going to take an obscene amount of legal tender of the Carl Crawford magnitude. It will also require a long term contract which the Red Sox don’t like.
Boras, praise be his name, does not usually let his premier players sign extentions. He wants them in the free market to jack the price up. The alternative to dealing with Boras, now, today is to trade Jacoby before he becomes a free agent and while his performance stats still boggle the eyes. (As an aside, how does one boggle). This would be extremely unpopular with the fans, dredging up memories of the Nomar Garciaparra trade in 2004. As it turned out, that trade was smart, but is still a testy subject amid the faithful.
This is all muddied by the competitive balance tax (CBT) also known as the luxury tax. The annual payroll is figured on an average of the contract which is a two edge sword, e.g. last year Dustin Pedroia was paid 5.5million, but he was listed as 6.75 million for CBT purposes. In 2014 he will make 10 million, but for CBT purposes, he counts for 6.75 million. Kevin Youkilis was paid 12 million last season but the CBT counted 10,3 billion. Funds unseen by us that pay for benefits also count against that player’s CBT salary. If the payroll exceeds 178 million, the team, this year, must pay 25% of the excess. This past season was fairly light as our CBT payroll was at 18o million.
The unsettling part of this is since we exceeded the cap this year, next year, if we exceed, we pay 40% on the excess and 50% the next year. Because of last season, because of the apparent ennui and/or apathy, because of hiring mistakes and a zillion other factors, if the Red Sox want to sit at the adult’s table this coming season, it’s going to cost. We have to exceed the luxury tax, maybe substantially, to erase the malaise of the last season. The logical thing to do is to look within the present line up and see if there is deadwood or malignancy still extant within the present roster and start cutting.
For CBT purposes, Crawford has 20.3 million, Josh Beckett-17 million, Lackey-16.5 (boy, that hurt), J. D. Drew-14 million, Paplebon-12.5, Jenks-6 million, Wakefield- 2.5 million and Varitek -2 million. These are the mega bucks players that need close scrutiny. By free agency we gained Drew’s 14 million and Papelbon’s 12.5 million; probably you can throw in Wake’s and Tek’s combined 4.5 million. That freed up 14 million. Now let’s look at what’s left on this list. Beckett is turning into a pain in the patoot. I know he has dazzled in the past, but when he is making that much money,and yet requires an apology from the new manager for past derogatory, but true, assessments, is he worth it? Again, listening to that street, (which sometimes goes by the name “they”) Beckett was a substantial ingredient in September’s implosion.
Crawford was abysmal last season, but the jury is still out on him. His snubbing of the new manager so far isn’t resume building, but if he has acclimated himself to Boston weather and intensity and has a Tampa Bay year this season, we will need him. If, by mid-season, he still flirts with the Mendoza line, put star by his name. Youkilis has been a steady producer but he is not singular in his attributes and his attitude really sucks, and we haven’t even gotten to his flop sweats. Bobby Jenks, bless his heart, is a drag on the team and the payroll and needs to be traded. The highlight of his career was in the 2006 World Series when Ozzie Guillen summoned him from the bullpen by flashing obvious hand signs indicating the tall, wide one.
I think, and remember I am omniscient, we should actively shop Beckett, Youklilis and Jenks, which would remove 33.3 million from the CBT list. I also think we should buy out Lackey’s contract. The buyout funds should not count against the CBT and we free up another 16.5 million, bringing the total to 49.3 million off the CBT roles. I am sure that lynch mobs are forming as you read this when I suggest trading Beckett, but Carnak the Magnificent as well as my own paranormal assets, predict a bad year for him coming up, with spotty pitching results and team disruption. If we had kept Justin Masterson and unloaded Beckett back in 2009, we wouldn’t be surrounded by all of this negativity. (Notice how easily I slip into to New Age lingo). In addition, get rid of Ellsbury while he is hot, to save big bucks for 2013.
With this much play in the budget, and disregarding the CBT liability, Ben Cherington could build a juggernaut. Would it be expensive-without a doubt. Would it be worth it-again, without a doubt. Would the suits make money-without a doubt. Get Matt Garza and Roy Oswalt. A good solid center fielder shouldn’t be hard to locate. He may not be as good as Ellsbury, but he would be a good producing team member and not a one man band. Youkilis is replaceable as well. The money is there to trade and buy. Those who must be obeyed may not want to spend it, but if you want to save money, why in the name of the deity, did you buy into NASCAR, a money pit if there ever was one.
In the opening , I spoke of fun, of taking the situation at face value and realize, yes-it’s a business- but it’s also supposed to be fun. Energy should not expended nor precious time stolen, dealing with unnecessary, soul draining clubhouse issues nor countering the hue and cry from the masses, who, by the way, are among the most knowledgeable, as you slowly and cheaply rebuild a team. Let’s face it. Last season will be remembered for the team’s monumental collapse, not the win streaks leading up to it. The fans will expect, no, demand the fielding of a team worthy of the Red Sox uniform, not some sorta good, middle of the road team which the suits guarantee to be great in three years.
The divine Theo left us with a mess. He reminded me of Pete Carroll leaving USC because of NCAA violations committed under his watch ruined the team for the foreseeable future. The Cubs have Garza and the Cubs owe us for Theo. Larry Lucchino and company need to get off and on and push the issue. Theo’s a bright guy, so is Cherington. It appears that Theo is using the capital he built up with the Sox to lull the Sox into thinking Theo is our friend. NOT SO!!!
Money, in this case, is a problem contrived by management. Management must be constantly reminded that the Red Sox are unique. They are a huge national l market but have the smallest population of any major league city-617,594. The Red Sox are neck and neck with the New York Yankees in popularity. New York has a population of 8,175,133. The Yankees are the most popular major league team, but Boston, 1/13 the size of New York, came in second. At any away game you will always find a large contingent of Sox fans and the home games are sellouts.
The point of all of this is to demonstrate to management what a national treasure it has and must protect; and to do this, John Henry and gang need to lighten up, go out and get the fan’s perspective, have some fun and get the Red Sox nation a new, vibrant team of winners. The fans deserve it. Management deserves it and the Yankees deserve and hate it.
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