Sox stuff: Dusty, Tazawa, Tek, Hall of Fame
Lotta action for the Sox in the past week or so. Let's get caught up on all the goodness:
First off, Pedrioa signed a much-deserved contract extension on the heels of being named the AL MVP for the first - and hopefully not last - time in his career. It's a 6-year deal worth $40.5 million with a club option for 2015, meaning that the Sox cover Dusty's last pre-arbitration year next season, all three arbitration years, and his first two - possibly three - years of free agency. MLB Trade Rumors has a solid list of comparables with some big names on it, and after Dusty's huge 2008 season (.326 BA, .376 OBP, .493 SLG, 118 R, 213 H, 54 2B, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 52 K, 20 SB), his name definitely belongs on it. I love this deal and hope it opens up the door for a potential Youk long-term signing in the near future. Others speculate that Papelbon could also be next on the list of players to get locked up long-term, but given the fact that he's been much more outspoken regarding his contract and has something of a history of shoulder and arm problems, I think they'll hold off on him for a while.
Next off, the Sox offered salary arbitration to Tek and Byrd. Tek's a Type A free agent, meaning that if he declines arbitration (which is looking more and more likely) and does not sign with the team, the Sox would stand to gain a pair of draft picks, a first rounder and a supplemental pick. Ditto for Byrd, except it would only be the single sandwich pick. Neither appear likely to accept arbitration, but it's a good way for the team to cover its collective ass and ensure themselves of getting something out of it if either or both bolt. This situation is especially important in regards to Tek as Boras apparently claims to be aiming to get him "Posada-like money." That won't happen, although it seems the Sox would be willing to bring him back on a 2-year deal at about the same annual figure he made over the term of his last deal ($10 million), which I can live with. It's not ideal, but it allows the team the opportunity to keep their beloved game-caller around for another couple years while searching for their catcher of the future. Whether he can get a better deal than what the Sox are prepared to offer is yet to be seen, but I sincerely hope the Sox don't go overboard here; although there aren't many good young catchers to replace Tek out there, it's not worth sufit to hang on to an aging backstop for his game-calling skills if he's gonna try to get the club by the balls, ya dig?
Third, the club agreed to a 3-year deal with Japanese prospect Junichi Tazawa. The 22-year old righty with no professional experience will earn an average of $500,000 annually in addition to getting a $1.8 million signing bonus. He's got four pitches headed up by a low-90s fastball and it appears that the Sox will put him in a starting role off the bat. As Tony Mazz points out in his top-notch breakdown, this is most certainly a move for the future, and could also possibly be geared toward making up for one of the picks the Sox would lose as a result of signing Teixeira as Tazawa is as close to a first round pick as you'll find on the open market, domestically and overseas. I like the move, although it might take some time to pan out as he's expected to start next season in Double A. I just hope people keep their expectations tempered as we may not see him make an impact for at least a year, maybe more.
Lastly, it's worth noting that this is the last year of Hall eligibility for Jim Rice. He's on the ballot with several other former Sox including Mo Vaughn, RIckey Henderson (with the Sox in 2002), David Cone, Lee Smith and Andre Dawson. It's not one of the best classes in recent memory, so it'll be tough for voters to screw Rice over this year.
First off, Pedrioa signed a much-deserved contract extension on the heels of being named the AL MVP for the first - and hopefully not last - time in his career. It's a 6-year deal worth $40.5 million with a club option for 2015, meaning that the Sox cover Dusty's last pre-arbitration year next season, all three arbitration years, and his first two - possibly three - years of free agency. MLB Trade Rumors has a solid list of comparables with some big names on it, and after Dusty's huge 2008 season (.326 BA, .376 OBP, .493 SLG, 118 R, 213 H, 54 2B, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 52 K, 20 SB), his name definitely belongs on it. I love this deal and hope it opens up the door for a potential Youk long-term signing in the near future. Others speculate that Papelbon could also be next on the list of players to get locked up long-term, but given the fact that he's been much more outspoken regarding his contract and has something of a history of shoulder and arm problems, I think they'll hold off on him for a while.
Next off, the Sox offered salary arbitration to Tek and Byrd. Tek's a Type A free agent, meaning that if he declines arbitration (which is looking more and more likely) and does not sign with the team, the Sox would stand to gain a pair of draft picks, a first rounder and a supplemental pick. Ditto for Byrd, except it would only be the single sandwich pick. Neither appear likely to accept arbitration, but it's a good way for the team to cover its collective ass and ensure themselves of getting something out of it if either or both bolt. This situation is especially important in regards to Tek as Boras apparently claims to be aiming to get him "Posada-like money." That won't happen, although it seems the Sox would be willing to bring him back on a 2-year deal at about the same annual figure he made over the term of his last deal ($10 million), which I can live with. It's not ideal, but it allows the team the opportunity to keep their beloved game-caller around for another couple years while searching for their catcher of the future. Whether he can get a better deal than what the Sox are prepared to offer is yet to be seen, but I sincerely hope the Sox don't go overboard here; although there aren't many good young catchers to replace Tek out there, it's not worth sufit to hang on to an aging backstop for his game-calling skills if he's gonna try to get the club by the balls, ya dig?
Third, the club agreed to a 3-year deal with Japanese prospect Junichi Tazawa. The 22-year old righty with no professional experience will earn an average of $500,000 annually in addition to getting a $1.8 million signing bonus. He's got four pitches headed up by a low-90s fastball and it appears that the Sox will put him in a starting role off the bat. As Tony Mazz points out in his top-notch breakdown, this is most certainly a move for the future, and could also possibly be geared toward making up for one of the picks the Sox would lose as a result of signing Teixeira as Tazawa is as close to a first round pick as you'll find on the open market, domestically and overseas. I like the move, although it might take some time to pan out as he's expected to start next season in Double A. I just hope people keep their expectations tempered as we may not see him make an impact for at least a year, maybe more.
Lastly, it's worth noting that this is the last year of Hall eligibility for Jim Rice. He's on the ballot with several other former Sox including Mo Vaughn, RIckey Henderson (with the Sox in 2002), David Cone, Lee Smith and Andre Dawson. It's not one of the best classes in recent memory, so it'll be tough for voters to screw Rice over this year.
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