Arroyo + Vinatieri gone
Let's start out with Adam Vinatieri. I think, deep down, I knew that the Patriots weren't going to be able to re-sign Adam. It sucks. This offseason has been abysmal for the Pats. I'm sick of that In Belichick/Pioli we trust bullshit-- I want some real moves, and I want them now. We're sitting around while other NFL teams are getting better. We just let the best kicker in the history of the NFL walk away to a team that is becoming our biggest rival (Colts). Losing Vinatieri sucks, and yes, I am a little bitter that he picked to sign with one of the NFL teams that I hate the most. AV never gave off that mercenary vibe that Johnny Damon, a Boras client, always did. So losing him is sort of a suckerpunch. Some guys are talking about replacing him with Olindo Mare, which scares the living crap out of me. I think that Adam is irreplaceable right now, but hopefully the Patriots have a plan for the future.
Right now, the team is sitting at 20 million dollars under the salary cap, with nobody to spend it on (unless you believe that Ray Lewis to the Pats rumor). I don't understand why this team didn't franchise Adam when they had the chance. I don't understand how they are letting all of the superstars who won us three Super Bowls in four years just walk away.
Still, Adam is an "indoor" kicker. He's always had more success indoors. Statistics don't lie-- he's never missed a PAT indoors (97.9% outdoors). In his career, he's only hit 7 of 16 from 50+ outdoors. He's made 94.4% of all of his indoor FGs. Compare that with only 80.4% outdoors (Mike Vanderjagt has nearly identical indoor/outdoor FG % made). Adam is in his waning years, but he will thrive in the RCA Dome. It's unfortunate that he will never win a Super Bowl with Manning QBing that team though.
They sky is not falling. Life will go on. I can't understand what the Patriots were thinking, but I've got to think that because we are indeed the Patriots, they have a plan.
_____________________________________
In other news, Bronson Arroyo was traded yesterday. Dealing Bronson was inevitable, and here's why. I cursed him. A month ago, I saw Bronson play a concert at Po' Boys, and I got his autograph and what not. You see, everytime I get a Sox player's autograph, they are traded within the year. Sometimes it only takes a week before they're gone. In 1998, I got Jim Leyrtiz' autograph at a Tampa Bay-Sox game, only to see him traded to San Diego the very next day. I cursed John "Way Back" Wasdin and Brian Daubach. A month after I got both of their autographs, they were traded. My biggest curse was Nomar Garciaparra. A year after I got his autograph for the second time, he was traded to the Cubs. There are several more, but I can't think of them right now. The bottom line is that it is my fault that Bronson was traded.
I think I like this deal. I'm pretty sure I do. My heart feels bad for Bronson. He took a hometown discount to stay in Boston. He loved the city, loved the fans, loved the music scene, loved working with Theo. He had some quotes that were pretty depressing today in the paper:
"Theo [Epstein] called me, as soon as I saw his name come up on my [cell phone] I figured he traded me. Yeah, definitely surprising. I always knew it was a possibility just because I'm a young guy who's got a pretty low salary, but I still didn't think he'd trade me, either.”
"“I said all along I'd rather pitch out of the pen here than start somewhere else. I still feel that way right now. But it's good knowing that I'll get 33-35 starts and not have to worry about being left out of the rotation. Still doesn't change the fact that I want to play in this uniform.”
On what was it about Boston and the team that made him want to sign that contract:
"Just, you know, going to Fenway Park 81 times a year, man. There's an excitement in that place I'm not going to get anywhere in the National League except maybe Wrigley. So that was the No. 1 thing. And then, just the group of guys we've had that a lot of 'em still here, pitching to Varitek. I felt like Boston was my second home and I hadn’t felt that way about any other place I've ever played. So, you know, stuff kind of being uprooted. You feel like you're being ripped out of your home. That's the way the game is.”
I'm glad that Arroyo appreciates that that that is the business of pro sports. I genuinely feel bad for the kid, but we've got enough pitching for two teams right now, and he was expendable. He came here after being designated for assignment, and now he has a 3-year contract and a World Series ring.
I welcome Wily Mo Peña into Boston with open arms. He's a guy who could replace Trot or Manny in a few years if he ever learns a thing or two about plate discipline. He's got major power, and he's probably now our best power prospect in the Sox organization. He hit 19 home runs in only 311 ABs last year. He's only 24, which means we can still mold him into the hitter that most organizations believe he has the potential to be. You also have to think that having two other Dominicans, Manny and David, can only help the kid mature into a great hitter. Next year, he can be Trot's platoon man. His career OPS against LHP is .881, which shows amazing production. Peña's got a good arm, but is sub-par defensively, which could be ugly in Fenway's huge right field. ESPN's scouting report says that Peña has the potential to hit 40 homers, which is exciting if it pans out.
Here's Baseball Primer's take on Wily Mo:
"Pena's pathetic OBP is tolerable if he continues to maintain a slugging percentage near .500 or higher. Against RHP last year, he only batted .234/.282/.468, which still is excellent power against them, but a sub-.300 OBP is concerning. He probably doesn't want to become part of a platoon at the age of 24, but given the lack of depth by the Reds, he doesn't need to worry about that.
He's a liability in the OF except for his arm, which means his power at the plate is all that he has right now. If he can maintain it, he should receive more respect from pitchers, and his walk rate might increase if he can accept keeping his bat on his shoulder when he doesn't have a good pitch to hit."
Some Sox fans I know are being incredibly critical of this move. On paper, Wily Mo seems like a one-dimensional hitter. And there's that, "You can never have too much pitching" cliché. Yes, I'd rather Clement have been traded instead of Arroyo, but you have to take what you can get. This should work out well for the Red Sox, but I'm only cautiously optimistic that Peña will ever be a great hitter.
We'll miss you, Bronson. Anytime "one of the 25" leave Boston, you have to feel a little sad.
Right now, the team is sitting at 20 million dollars under the salary cap, with nobody to spend it on (unless you believe that Ray Lewis to the Pats rumor). I don't understand why this team didn't franchise Adam when they had the chance. I don't understand how they are letting all of the superstars who won us three Super Bowls in four years just walk away.
Still, Adam is an "indoor" kicker. He's always had more success indoors. Statistics don't lie-- he's never missed a PAT indoors (97.9% outdoors). In his career, he's only hit 7 of 16 from 50+ outdoors. He's made 94.4% of all of his indoor FGs. Compare that with only 80.4% outdoors (Mike Vanderjagt has nearly identical indoor/outdoor FG % made). Adam is in his waning years, but he will thrive in the RCA Dome. It's unfortunate that he will never win a Super Bowl with Manning QBing that team though.
They sky is not falling. Life will go on. I can't understand what the Patriots were thinking, but I've got to think that because we are indeed the Patriots, they have a plan.
_____________________________________
In other news, Bronson Arroyo was traded yesterday. Dealing Bronson was inevitable, and here's why. I cursed him. A month ago, I saw Bronson play a concert at Po' Boys, and I got his autograph and what not. You see, everytime I get a Sox player's autograph, they are traded within the year. Sometimes it only takes a week before they're gone. In 1998, I got Jim Leyrtiz' autograph at a Tampa Bay-Sox game, only to see him traded to San Diego the very next day. I cursed John "Way Back" Wasdin and Brian Daubach. A month after I got both of their autographs, they were traded. My biggest curse was Nomar Garciaparra. A year after I got his autograph for the second time, he was traded to the Cubs. There are several more, but I can't think of them right now. The bottom line is that it is my fault that Bronson was traded.
I think I like this deal. I'm pretty sure I do. My heart feels bad for Bronson. He took a hometown discount to stay in Boston. He loved the city, loved the fans, loved the music scene, loved working with Theo. He had some quotes that were pretty depressing today in the paper:
"Theo [Epstein] called me, as soon as I saw his name come up on my [cell phone] I figured he traded me. Yeah, definitely surprising. I always knew it was a possibility just because I'm a young guy who's got a pretty low salary, but I still didn't think he'd trade me, either.”
"“I said all along I'd rather pitch out of the pen here than start somewhere else. I still feel that way right now. But it's good knowing that I'll get 33-35 starts and not have to worry about being left out of the rotation. Still doesn't change the fact that I want to play in this uniform.”
On what was it about Boston and the team that made him want to sign that contract:
"Just, you know, going to Fenway Park 81 times a year, man. There's an excitement in that place I'm not going to get anywhere in the National League except maybe Wrigley. So that was the No. 1 thing. And then, just the group of guys we've had that a lot of 'em still here, pitching to Varitek. I felt like Boston was my second home and I hadn’t felt that way about any other place I've ever played. So, you know, stuff kind of being uprooted. You feel like you're being ripped out of your home. That's the way the game is.”
I'm glad that Arroyo appreciates that that that is the business of pro sports. I genuinely feel bad for the kid, but we've got enough pitching for two teams right now, and he was expendable. He came here after being designated for assignment, and now he has a 3-year contract and a World Series ring.
I welcome Wily Mo Peña into Boston with open arms. He's a guy who could replace Trot or Manny in a few years if he ever learns a thing or two about plate discipline. He's got major power, and he's probably now our best power prospect in the Sox organization. He hit 19 home runs in only 311 ABs last year. He's only 24, which means we can still mold him into the hitter that most organizations believe he has the potential to be. You also have to think that having two other Dominicans, Manny and David, can only help the kid mature into a great hitter. Next year, he can be Trot's platoon man. His career OPS against LHP is .881, which shows amazing production. Peña's got a good arm, but is sub-par defensively, which could be ugly in Fenway's huge right field. ESPN's scouting report says that Peña has the potential to hit 40 homers, which is exciting if it pans out.
Here's Baseball Primer's take on Wily Mo:
"Pena's pathetic OBP is tolerable if he continues to maintain a slugging percentage near .500 or higher. Against RHP last year, he only batted .234/.282/.468, which still is excellent power against them, but a sub-.300 OBP is concerning. He probably doesn't want to become part of a platoon at the age of 24, but given the lack of depth by the Reds, he doesn't need to worry about that.
He's a liability in the OF except for his arm, which means his power at the plate is all that he has right now. If he can maintain it, he should receive more respect from pitchers, and his walk rate might increase if he can accept keeping his bat on his shoulder when he doesn't have a good pitch to hit."
Some Sox fans I know are being incredibly critical of this move. On paper, Wily Mo seems like a one-dimensional hitter. And there's that, "You can never have too much pitching" cliché. Yes, I'd rather Clement have been traded instead of Arroyo, but you have to take what you can get. This should work out well for the Red Sox, but I'm only cautiously optimistic that Peña will ever be a great hitter.
We'll miss you, Bronson. Anytime "one of the 25" leave Boston, you have to feel a little sad.
posted by Jennifer at 6:20 PM
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