Tim Beckham signed

[Krs1]

https://mobile.twitter.com/BNighteng...53455401545732

Minor league deal. $1.35 if he makes the big club. Not a terrible potential utility man.

[ChiTownTrojan]

You could have had so much more fun with the threat title. "Sox sign Beckham as utility option".

[Krs1]

You could have had so much more fun with the threat title. "Sox sign Beckham as utility option".

[HomeFish]

I don't get it. Backup infielder is an area of depth for the team. Surely they can do better than a 30 year old minus defender to play 2B in AAA?

[ChiTownTrojan]

I don't get it. Backup infielder is an area of depth for the team. Surely they can do better than a 30 year old minus defender to play 2B in AAA?

What backup infielders constitute "depth" other than Mendick? And I don't think they trust Mendick to cover SS, which is Beckham's primary position. Hopefully they make another addition for the big league club to keep Beckham in Charlotte (assuming they don't pick up Leury's option).

[Krs1]

I don't get it. Backup infielder is an area of depth for the team. Surely they can do better than a 30 year old minus defender to play 2B in AAA?

I mean, it's a minor league deal for a guy who has played some decent years as ~ average SS. I mean, even his 2019 season would be a pretty good get from a utility IF.

There's some upside to this on a no-risk deal.

[voodoochile]

I mean, it's a minor league deal for a guy who has played some decent years as ~ average SS. I mean, even his 2019 season would be a pretty good get from a utility IF.

There's some upside to this on a no-risk deal.

Never hurts to have depth. I expect Leury to be back for the amount of positions he can play while not being a total black hole offensively and bringing speed too all for $3.5M seems a no brainer. Mendick might make the team too unless they decide to bring back Yolmer at a really cheap rate. This might be a message to Yolmer that if he wants to return it's going to be cheap because we've got another guy can do what you do.

[ChiTownTrojan]

Never hurts to have depth. I expect Leury to be back for the amount of positions he can play while not being a total black hole offensively and bringing speed too all for $3.5M seems a no brainer. Mendick might make the team too unless they decide to bring back Yolmer at a really cheap rate. This might be a message to Yolmer that if he wants to return it's going to be cheap because we've got another guy can do what you do.

In a normal year I think Leury is worth $3.5M, but I think salaries are going to be suppressed in the pandemic offseason and the Sox could probably replicate or upgrade his skillset for cheaper. Or they can decline the option and try to re-sign him for half of that. I guess we still have no idea what the offseason is going to look like, but I imagine the top guys will get paid but the lower/middle tiers are going to struggle.

[Tragg]

This is strange. The picked up Leury's option and Mendick was fine last season, so why this at not exactly at a bargain rate either.

[voodoochile]

This is strange. The picked up Leury's option and Mendick was fine last season, so why this at not exactly at a bargain rate either.

So they are both on the team and they need a guy at AAA who can be called up in an emergency. Can anyone name the starting SS and 2B for Charlotte?

[A. Cavatica]

So they are both on the team and they need a guy at AAA who can be called up in an emergency. Can anyone name the starting SS and 2B for Charlotte?

One of them is Tim Beckham.

[berwyn]

Never enough utility infielders. Remember the line from "A Christmas Story?" "Got a whole goddamn team of utility infielders."

[TDog]

Tim Beckham was the first overall pick in the 2008 draft, by the Rays, the year the Sox picked Gordon Beckham with the eighth overall pick. Yonder Alonso, who played for the Sox in 2019 before he was released in July, was the seventh pick in 2008. As much as Alonso coming to the Sox surprised me, I can't believe anyone still has any interest in Tim Beckham.