After missing the boat on Yasmany Tomas by not even making him an offer, and doing the same with Rusney Castillo, the Phillies have check-swung and missed on yet another Cuban defector: Yoan Moncada.
Though the players have come with varying levels of hype, Moncada had the “phenom” tag draped over him, and he will join Castillo as a member of the Boston Red Sox as they once again turn their roster over just in time to win another World Series in, like, three years.
Moncada comes with some baggage, however, as signing him would have seen the Phillies incur penalties for going over their “annual international bonus allotment.” But the Red Sox, ready to make deals and actually go for something, also surpassed their bonus allotment in signing Moncada and will just deal with it. Moncada’s contract is believed to be around $30 million, but it will cost the Red Sox $60 million, though they have some time to pay all of that.
It’s not like the goal here is collecting Cuban players (or maybe it is for the Red Sox). But, say, the Red Sox stockpiling Cubans shows that certain organizations — everyone but the Phillies, seemingly — are willing to take risks on youth and talent. While down at Citizens Bank Park, the strategy seems more wait and wait and wait and wait and see now it’s too late.
16 Responses
Red Sox have won 3 championships with 3 completely different rosters from 2003-20013. They know how to build, win, and rebuild. Dustin Pedroia is coming to the end of his productive career and the Sox go out and get on of the best 2B prospects to replace him. Phillies on the other hand pray that Utley can still get it done for 140 games.
hey kevin, tread lightly. that post by you dangerously flirts with being critical of chase utley and you don’t want the chase utley cult coming at you with their usual retort of “he plays the game the right way!”
20013… That’s a hell of a run.
don’t worry, the phillies will be contenders in 2018.
Oh, did Ruben finally find that magic lamp he’s been looking for?
You mean 2028
ok you two clowns are obviously just trolling us now with this “ostensibly” shit
Well on the bright side of things at least we’ll finally have Freddy “Cooperstown” Galvis manning shortstop everyday.
This comment made me truly sad.
Thoughts?
jonjohnsonwip 10:49am via Twitter for iPhone
Red Sox signing Moncada is great news for a possible Cole Hamels trade.
My thoughts are that I’d rather listen to Jon Johnson from 10 – 1 than Mike and Ike. Shit, I’d rather Cataldi and the morning zoo do another 3 hours.
“Dear Phillies fans–I have no fucking idea what I’m doing”–RAJ
Fuck off Rube
when you are run by senile old fools you get…..NOTHING……
now go buy tickets all you phillies fanboys.
Attendance has been plummeting for the last 2 years. No one is buying tickets you dickhole.
That’s too much money for an unproven player. This was a swing for the fences kind of move.
Jim is ostensibly a sportswriter, but his real job is trying to sound exactly like Kyle