10 Key Questions for Cherington–FA Parade
By Earl Nash
There will be a parade in Boston tomorrow to celebrate the World Series Champions, but another parade pre-empted it when Game 6 ended—the Free Agent Parade and marchers will include four key players on the 2013 team: OF Ellsbury, SS Drew, 1B Napoli, and C Saltalamacchia.
"How will GM Cherington deal, or not deal, with these four key cogs on the World Series winning roster?"
To protect his claim to compensation, Cherington will need to submit “qualifying offers” to any of his Red Sox FAs.
SEE RELATED POST: https://bosoxinjection.com/2013/11/01/red-sox-give-qualifying-offers-drew-ellsbury-napoli/
The Sox have exclusive negotiating right with Ellsbury, until midnight ET on Monday; then, Scott Boras can entertain offers from any other club in MLB.
Teams that sign free agents who turned down qualifying offers will surrender their first round picks. However, the forfeited picks don’t go to other MLB teams. Instead, the first round simply becomes condensed. [SEE Qualifying Offer explanation at the end of this article.]
Cherington will file a qualifying offer on Ellsbury and probably Drew and Napoli.
No doubt GM Cherington will be meeting with his brain-trust this week to answer these questions:
- Is Ellsbury worth $150 million for 6 years?
- Is much less expensive Jackie Bradley ready for “prime time” in CF as Ellsbury’s replacement?
- Do the Sox move Gold Glover Victorino to CF and sign a FA RF?
- Is Xander Bogaerts a SS or a 3b of the future?
- Is Middlebrooks still the Sox 3b of the future?
- Is Stephen Drew needed at SS, if Bogaerts moves to 3rd?
- Is Mike Napoli, with his high K-rate the best option at 1b?
- Will Salty ever develop his defense to be an adequate starter?
- Will Lavarnway ever develop his offense to be an adequate starter?
- Should the Sox sign FA Brian McCann?
Let’s put the first log on the fire for the Red Sox Hot Stove League and answer these 10 questions:
"Is Ellsbury worth $150 million for 6 years?"
NO. Let Seattle or the Rangers over-pay for Ellsbury, whose career is past peak. Spend the savings on “prudent,” second-tier FAs.
"Is much less expensive Jackie Bradley ready for “prime time” in CF as Ellsbury’s replacement?"
YES. He deserves a chance to prove he is ready for CF. Work him into the role gradually, allowing Victorino to be his platoon-mate in CF.
"Do the Sox move Gold Glover Victorino to CF and sign a FA RF?"
YES, but not on a full time basis. Use the Ellsbury savings to sign a Lefty hitting FA RF to a short contract; he plays RF when Victorino is in CF and Bradley is on the bench. When Bradley starts in CF and Victorino is in RF, the FA RF Lefty batter is a PH or a DH.
"Is Xander Bogaerts a SS or a 3b of the future?"
SS. Scouts and Sox Player Development staff say, although he will get taller and bulk up a bit, he will still have the agility to stick at SS. OK, put him there for his first few years, but sign Drew to a 2-year deal too
"Is Middlebrooks still the Sox 3b of the future?"
NO. He seems to be fading and it’s time to trade him before he wilts. A FA 3b, short contract fills the gap at 3b, or make a trade for a guy like Nick Castellanos or Mike Olt.
"Is Stephen Drew needed at SS, if Bogaerts moves to 3rd?"
YES. Stephen Drew can play D and is an insurance policy for SS, if Bogaerts needs to move to 3b.
"Is Mike Napoli, with his high K-rate the best option at 1b?"
YES. He brings a solid glove and some lightning power and the Sox have nobody in the minors.
"Will Salty ever develop his defense to be an adequate starter?"
NO. Trade him and give Lavarnway a chance.
"Will Lavarnway ever develop his offense to be an adequate starter?"
YES. He is very intelligent and coachable and will develop. Blake Swihart is 3 years away.
"Should the Sox sign FA Brian McCann?"
YES. He can catch and hit Lefty for power and average; He was 2.2 wins above replacement. Yes, he played in just 102 games, the third season in a row in which he played fewer than 130, but Ross is capable of starting 30-40 games. Caveat: no more than a 5-year contract.
What is your take?
If you we Cherington, how would you answer these crucial questions?
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From: Trade Rumors, Ben Nicholson-Smith [November 2, 2012 at 8:13am CST]
For the first time since baseball’s collective bargaining agreement was finalized, teams, agents and players will navigate a new system for determining free agent compensation: qualifying offers. The offers are due today, so there’s no better time for a refreshed primer. Here’s a look at draft pick compensation under the sport’s new CBA:
- Type A and Type B designations have been eliminated. Instead, teams will have to make players a qualifying offer to be eligible for draft pick compensation.
- The value of the qualifying offer, which is determined annually by averaging the top 125 player salaries from the previous year, will be worth $13.3MM this offseason. All qualifying offers are for the same duration (one year) and the same amount ($13.3MM for 2012-13).
- Teams have until five days after the World Series to make qualifying offers. At that point the players have seven days to accept.
- Once a team makes a qualifying offer, the player has two choices: he can accept the one-year deal or decline in search of other offers. If he declines the offer and signs elsewhere, his new team will have to surrender a top draft pick (the selection doesn’t go to the player’s former team).
- Teams that sign free agents who turned down qualifying offers will surrender their first round picks. However, the forfeited picks don’t go to other MLB teams. Instead, the first round simply becomes condensed.
- The first ten selections in the draft are protected. Teams with protected picks will surrender their second-highest selections. Some teams will have protected first round picks this offseason.
- The player’s former team will receive its compensatory selection at the end of the first round. Teams now obtain one compensatory selection, instead of two.
- If teams don’t make a qualifying offer, the player can sign uninhibited.