Hot Stove Thread 2014-15

Cherington's creative way to save 150 million.

 

They may have only had 2 months of Lester left.

 

Understood. But at least they got Cespedes in return, and he's under contract for $10.5 million this year (pretty good for a guy who could hit 30 HRs with half his games at Fenway). Rick Porcello was the best they could get for him? Why bother to trade him for a No. 4 starter?

 

The game plan is apparently to amass a flock of number four starters and win with the bullpen. As to who's gonna be in the bullpen, remains an open question.

 

I think they don't think Porcello is a #4. Not every rotation has Verlander, Scherzer & Sanchez.

 

Porcello is only 25 and has a pretty big upside. He's not a max effort guy, so he could be around for a while, too. Good pickup.

 

Marlins working on a deal for Mat Latos, according to Morosi.

 

Fair enough. Behind Bucholz, I suppose it's probably Miley, then Porcello (I guess they could flip), then Joe Kelly. But make no mistake, Porcello is a No. 4-level pitcher. Five years into his big league career with a 4.30 ERA, he is what he is.

I don't think he has that much upside. Cespedes would have been more valuable, particularly since he's not making much more than Porcello.

 

They have an outfielder surplus, and Cespedes didn't really fit into right or left at Fenway. I'm not surprised he was traded. Sandoval and Ramirez are supposed to provide the punch he gave them.

 

Why makes you think that? I see a former first-round pick with an excellent sinker and great command coming off a breakthrough season. He led the league with three shutouts. He hasn't been injured. He's 25.

 

He's better than Nava or Victorino, I wouldn't resign Gomes. I don't know what Bradley, Betts or Castillo will become, but are they going to be better than Cespedes next year? Probably not. Shipping off a guy who can hit 30 HRs next year for a guy who's going to pitch to a middling ERA and 12 or 13 wins doesn't seem like a great move to me.

I mean, Billy Beane got two months of Jon Lester for Cespedes. Cherington can't do better than Porcello? If Porcello is all Cherington could get for Cespedes right now, I think he would have been better off standing pat.

 

Just checked his numbers and perhaps I'm being unfair. Didn't realize the steady improvement he's made in ERA during his five seasons. That said, I don't ever see him becoming a star, and I think "big upside" indicates a belief he'll be a star. I understand that baseball talent takes longer to develop than other sports, but I can't think of many pitchers who pitched to a 4.30 ERA during their first five seasons and went on to become stars.

I may end up being wrong, but I'd wager his career ERA ends up closer to his current 4.30 than than the 3.40 he posted last season.