Cherington Out, Devitt In

cuhking · 05-11-2015, 07:22 PM

Saturday April 4th, 2015:

Due to increasing frustration between ownership and the general manager, Ben Cherington, John Henry has decided to part ways with Cherington and look for new options. Sources have said that the reasoning behind this is the refusal of Cherington to address the glaring need for a frontline starting pitcher. Earlier in the off-season, Cherington opted to let the Cubs sign Jon Lester and sign Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval instead. With a surplus of solid bats and a gaping hole in the rotation, Henry finally reached a breaking point and decided to give Cherington his walking papers. His new General Manager is 26 year old Truman Devitt, who has very little experience working in a front office, but who figures to give Henry a little more control. When asked about this, Devitt responded, "If [Henry] wants more control, and hiring me gives him that, fine by me... I'm still getting paid to run a professional baseball team." It seems as though the first thing Devitt should do is find an ace.

cuhking · 05-11-2015, 08:35 PM

Sunday April 5th, 2015:

As the Cubs and Cards get set to start off the season, I have decided to get settled in Boston, check out the roster, farm system, and what Mr. Henry expects from the team this year and in the future.

Goals:

1. Reach the playoffs this season. This one is pretty obvious. We are in a huge market coming off of a down year; we must make the playoffs to keep the fans with us.

2. Re-Sign Koji Uehara: I'm not sure how I feel about this one, as Koji will be 41 when his contract ends after next season. He is extremely popular, but by the end of the 2016 season, his days as a shutdown closer will be over.

3. Acquire a power hitter: Not sure why this is a goal, as we have Hanley, Papi, Pablo, and Napoli on our roster right now. I'll explore the markets, but I am more focused on shoring up the pitching staff right now.

4. Acquire a frontline starter: Although it comes fourth, this is incredibly important. After losing out on Jon Lester, the rotation was left with Clay Buchholz as the number one starter, who is coming off a season with a 5.34 ERA. Trading for Rick Porcello was a step in the right direction, but he isn't a number one starter on a World Series team.

5. Reach the World Series by 2019: This goal is an obvious one in our market size. Not much else to say.

Now, let's take a look at our hitters and pitchers.

Catchers: Ryan Hanigan and Sandy Leon: These two will be filling in until Blake Swihart is ready to be promoted. Unfortunately, Christian Vasquez tore his UCL last month and will be recovering all year. Definitely a position of weakness right now, but soon it will be a position of strength for the next decade.

First Basemen: Mike Napoli: I feel confident having Mike at first, but his contract is up after this season and I am unsure as to whether he is worth $20 million or so per year. This will likely be his last year in a Red Sock uniform.

Second Basemen: Dustin Pedroia and Brock Holt: Holt is obviously not only a second baseman; he can play anywhere other than catcher. Pedroia will be our starting second baseman for the next six or seven years, as he was recently signed to an extension, making him a Red Sock for life.

Third Basemen: Pablo Sandoval: Signed to a five year (possibly six), $87 million deal this off-season, Pablo figures to be a mainstay in the middle of our order for the next few seasons.

Shortstops: Xander Bogaerts: After showing his promise in the 2013 postseason, Bogaerts could never really get started last year, but no need to worry. He is an excellent ballplayer and, at the age of 22, will be our starting shortstop for a long time.

Left Fielders: Signed to a four year (possibly five), $85 million deal this offseason, Hanley will be converted from a third baseman to a left fielder, and will get used to the Monster for the next few years.

Center Fielders: Mookie Betts: Oh man, I just drool over this kid. 22 years old, speed, pop, oh man. Should be our leadoff hitter for the next decade, at least.

Right Fielders: Rusney Castillo, Allen Craig, and Shane Victorino: Here is where it gets interesting. Castillo is a candidate to be sent to Pawtucket if he doesn't win the starting job. Victorino is coming off of a season in which he could only play in 30 games. Craig was injured for a solid portion of last year, and struggled mightily at the dish. If this is the one position we have to say, whatever, it's just one sport in the order, so be it. We are hoping for Castillo to become a stud, but if he doesn't, hopefully Victorino can do just enough to not make it an automatic out in the order.

Designated Hitters: David Ortiz: Obviously, Big Papi is our DH. Not much else to say here.

Now, here is where things get very interesting. The starting rotation and the bullpen.

Bullpen:

Closer: Koji Uehara: Out for two weeks to start the season, but after that he will assume his closing duties. Coming off three excellent seasons, we expect nothing less from him.

Setup Men: Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica: We'll see what happens from these two. Not ideal, but not awful either. Man, I wish I still had Andrew Miller...

Middle Relievers: Anthony Varvaro, Alexi Ogando, Craig Breslow, and Steven Wright: Wow, this is ugly. I don't feel comfortable asking any of these guys to preserve a one run lead in the sixth or seventh inning. This is towards the top of my to-do list, but shoring up our middle relief isn't incredibly important in the long run.

Starting Rotation:

1. Rick Porcello: Not a number one starter by any stretch, but a solid #2 or 3 guy in a rotation. Not a fan of the extension he was just signed to, but whatever, what's happened can't be changed.

2. Justin Masterson: Jeez, what a weak attempt at fixing the rotation. Instead of re-signing Jon Lester, we sign a guy coming off of a 5.51 ERA to a $10 million deal. And he's our #2.

3. Wade Miley: Another weak, weak attempt at fixing the rotation. Our scouts project him as nothing better than a fifth starter, or a long reliever, and he's our #3. This could be a long season.

4. Clay Buchholz: After a 1.74 ERA in 2013, Buchholz followed that up with a 5.34 ERA in 2014. Very tough guy to figure out, but we're hoping he can find his form from two years ago.

5. Joe Kelly: Will be out for two weeks at the start of the season and Robbie Ross will fill in. I like Kelly and I think he can be a solid fifth starter.

Overall, I like the roster. I definitely need a frontline starter and maybe a power reliever, but other than that we are looking pretty good. More to come soon.

cuhking · 05-11-2015, 08:42 PM

Sunday April 5th, 2015:

In an effort to continue to polish Rusney Castillo, we have sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket in order to get him some live action. Outfielder Bryce Brentz has taken his spot on the active roster.

cuhking · 05-11-2015, 08:51 PM

Monday April 6th, 2015:

In just two short days, I have made my first attempt to fix the rotation. As we are visiting Philadelphia for our first series, I got a chance to speak with Ruben Amaro Jr. in person. After lunch and some negotiating, we both walked away happy. Here are the details of the trade:

Boston Receives:

SP Cole Hamels
RP Ken Giles
$5,000,000 in cash

Philadelphia Receives:

18 y/o 1B/3B Rafael Devers
21 y/o SS Tzu-wei Lin
25 y/o RP Keith Couch
SP Justin Masterson
RP Steven Wright

Rafael Devers is one of our top prospects and it was difficult to part with him, but getting a bonafide ace is worth it. Lin is also a top prospect, but he is behind Xander Bogaerts and Devin Marrero at shortstop. We sent Justin Masterson back, and also received a reliever our scouts are high on in Ken Giles. In 45 innings at the big-league level last year, Giles posted a 1.18 ERA, and will slide into a set-up role right away. We will also inherit Hamels' $22.5 million for the next four seasons, which could be okay, and could be bad. Hamels will become our #1 starter, and Porcello is bumped back to #2. Hamels will pitch tonight against the Phillies, in Philadelphia, which should be interesting.

cuhking · 05-12-2015, 07:05 AM

Monday April 13th, 2015:

The first week of the season went alright, as we were swept by the Phillies, then swept the Yankees. Hamels was roughed up a little by his former club, but then threw 7.1 innings of scoreless ball against the Yankees.

In another note, Dustin Pedroia is out for another 10 days with an oblique strain, and in a huge blow, David Ortiz will be out for 3 months with a broken hand. Koji and Kelly will be back in 6 days.

To take Ortiz's roster spot, Garin Cecchini has been promoted from Triple-A, and we want to see what the 23 year old can do.

So far, we are okay. Being swept by the Phillies is unacceptable, but following that up with a sweep of our bitter rival is great. More to come soon.

05-11-2015, 08:51 PM	#4
cuhking Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 32	Blockbuster Deal Made; Hamels Coming to Boston Monday April 6th, 2015: In just two short days, I have made my first attempt to fix the rotation. As we are visiting Philadelphia for our first series, I got a chance to speak with Ruben Amaro Jr. in person. After lunch and some negotiating, we both walked away happy. Here are the details of the trade: Boston Receives: SP Cole Hamels RP Ken Giles $5,000,000 in cash Philadelphia Receives: 18 y/o 1B/3B Rafael Devers 21 y/o SS Tzu-wei Lin 25 y/o RP Keith Couch SP Justin Masterson RP Steven Wright Rafael Devers is one of our top prospects and it was difficult to part with him, but getting a bonafide ace is worth it. Lin is also a top prospect, but he is behind Xander Bogaerts and Devin Marrero at shortstop. We sent Justin Masterson back, and also received a reliever our scouts are high on in Ken Giles. In 45 innings at the big-league level last year, Giles posted a 1.18 ERA, and will slide into a set-up role right away. We will also inherit Hamels' $22.5 million for the next four seasons, which could be okay, and could be bad. Hamels will become our #1 starter, and Porcello is bumped back to #2. Hamels will pitch tonight against the Phillies, in Philadelphia, which should be interesting.

05-12-2015, 07:05 AM	#5
cuhking Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 32	Injuries Pile Up as First Week Comes to a Close Monday April 13th, 2015: The first week of the season went alright, as we were swept by the Phillies, then swept the Yankees. Hamels was roughed up a little by his former club, but then threw 7.1 innings of scoreless ball against the Yankees. In another note, Dustin Pedroia is out for another 10 days with an oblique strain, and in a huge blow, David Ortiz will be out for 3 months with a broken hand. Koji and Kelly will be back in 6 days. To take Ortiz's roster spot, Garin Cecchini has been promoted from Triple-A, and we want to see what the 23 year old can do. So far, we are okay. Being swept by the Phillies is unacceptable, but following that up with a sweep of our bitter rival is great. More to come soon.

05-11-2015, 07:22 PM	#1
cuhking Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 32	Cherington Out, Devitt In Saturday April 4th, 2015: Due to increasing frustration between ownership and the general manager, Ben Cherington, John Henry has decided to part ways with Cherington and look for new options. Sources have said that the reasoning behind this is the refusal of Cherington to address the glaring need for a frontline starting pitcher. Earlier in the off-season, Cherington opted to let the Cubs sign Jon Lester and sign Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval instead. With a surplus of solid bats and a gaping hole in the rotation, Henry finally reached a breaking point and decided to give Cherington his walking papers. His new General Manager is 26 year old Truman Devitt, who has very little experience working in a front office, but who figures to give Henry a little more control. When asked about this, Devitt responded, "If [Henry] wants more control, and hiring me gives him that, fine by me... I'm still getting paid to run a professional baseball team." It seems as though the first thing Devitt should do is find an ace.

05-11-2015, 08:35 PM	#2
cuhking Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 32	Goals, Roster Evaluations, and Such Sunday April 5th, 2015: As the Cubs and Cards get set to start off the season, I have decided to get settled in Boston, check out the roster, farm system, and what Mr. Henry expects from the team this year and in the future. Goals: 1. Reach the playoffs this season. This one is pretty obvious. We are in a huge market coming off of a down year; we must make the playoffs to keep the fans with us. 2. Re-Sign Koji Uehara: I'm not sure how I feel about this one, as Koji will be 41 when his contract ends after next season. He is extremely popular, but by the end of the 2016 season, his days as a shutdown closer will be over. 3. Acquire a power hitter: Not sure why this is a goal, as we have Hanley, Papi, Pablo, and Napoli on our roster right now. I'll explore the markets, but I am more focused on shoring up the pitching staff right now. 4. Acquire a frontline starter: Although it comes fourth, this is incredibly important. After losing out on Jon Lester, the rotation was left with Clay Buchholz as the number one starter, who is coming off a season with a 5.34 ERA. Trading for Rick Porcello was a step in the right direction, but he isn't a number one starter on a World Series team. 5. Reach the World Series by 2019: This goal is an obvious one in our market size. Not much else to say. Now, let's take a look at our hitters and pitchers. Catchers: Ryan Hanigan and Sandy Leon: These two will be filling in until Blake Swihart is ready to be promoted. Unfortunately, Christian Vasquez tore his UCL last month and will be recovering all year. Definitely a position of weakness right now, but soon it will be a position of strength for the next decade. First Basemen: Mike Napoli: I feel confident having Mike at first, but his contract is up after this season and I am unsure as to whether he is worth $20 million or so per year. This will likely be his last year in a Red Sock uniform. Second Basemen: Dustin Pedroia and Brock Holt: Holt is obviously not only a second baseman; he can play anywhere other than catcher. Pedroia will be our starting second baseman for the next six or seven years, as he was recently signed to an extension, making him a Red Sock for life. Third Basemen: Pablo Sandoval: Signed to a five year (possibly six), $87 million deal this off-season, Pablo figures to be a mainstay in the middle of our order for the next few seasons. Shortstops: Xander Bogaerts: After showing his promise in the 2013 postseason, Bogaerts could never really get started last year, but no need to worry. He is an excellent ballplayer and, at the age of 22, will be our starting shortstop for a long time. Left Fielders: Signed to a four year (possibly five), $85 million deal this offseason, Hanley will be converted from a third baseman to a left fielder, and will get used to the Monster for the next few years. Center Fielders: Mookie Betts: Oh man, I just drool over this kid. 22 years old, speed, pop, oh man. Should be our leadoff hitter for the next decade, at least. Right Fielders: Rusney Castillo, Allen Craig, and Shane Victorino: Here is where it gets interesting. Castillo is a candidate to be sent to Pawtucket if he doesn't win the starting job. Victorino is coming off of a season in which he could only play in 30 games. Craig was injured for a solid portion of last year, and struggled mightily at the dish. If this is the one position we have to say, whatever, it's just one sport in the order, so be it. We are hoping for Castillo to become a stud, but if he doesn't, hopefully Victorino can do just enough to not make it an automatic out in the order. Designated Hitters: David Ortiz: Obviously, Big Papi is our DH. Not much else to say here. Now, here is where things get very interesting. The starting rotation and the bullpen. Bullpen: Closer: Koji Uehara: Out for two weeks to start the season, but after that he will assume his closing duties. Coming off three excellent seasons, we expect nothing less from him. Setup Men: Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica: We'll see what happens from these two. Not ideal, but not awful either. Man, I wish I still had Andrew Miller... Middle Relievers: Anthony Varvaro, Alexi Ogando, Craig Breslow, and Steven Wright: Wow, this is ugly. I don't feel comfortable asking any of these guys to preserve a one run lead in the sixth or seventh inning. This is towards the top of my to-do list, but shoring up our middle relief isn't incredibly important in the long run. Starting Rotation: 1. Rick Porcello: Not a number one starter by any stretch, but a solid #2 or 3 guy in a rotation. Not a fan of the extension he was just signed to, but whatever, what's happened can't be changed. 2. Justin Masterson: Jeez, what a weak attempt at fixing the rotation. Instead of re-signing Jon Lester, we sign a guy coming off of a 5.51 ERA to a $10 million deal. And he's our #2. 3. Wade Miley: Another weak, weak attempt at fixing the rotation. Our scouts project him as nothing better than a fifth starter, or a long reliever, and he's our #3. This could be a long season. 4. Clay Buchholz: After a 1.74 ERA in 2013, Buchholz followed that up with a 5.34 ERA in 2014. Very tough guy to figure out, but we're hoping he can find his form from two years ago. 5. Joe Kelly: Will be out for two weeks at the start of the season and Robbie Ross will fill in. I like Kelly and I think he can be a solid fifth starter. Overall, I like the roster. I definitely need a frontline starter and maybe a power reliever, but other than that we are looking pretty good. More to come soon.

05-11-2015, 08:42 PM	#3
cuhking Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 32	Victorino Wins Job, Castillo Sent to Pawtucket Sunday April 5th, 2015: In an effort to continue to polish Rusney Castillo, we have sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket in order to get him some live action. Outfielder Bryce Brentz has taken his spot on the active roster. Last edited by cuhking; 05-11-2015 at 08:51 PM.