Will the Red Sox be a buyer or seller team?

[iortiz]

What would you do? sell or buy? Would you sell guys like Ross, Ortiz, Ells and even Lester for good prospects? Or would you push for guys like Hammels or King Felix to reinforce our pitching? or simply, you would do nothing...

 

7.5 behind NYY and they are our next opponent.

3.0 behind LAA and 2.5 behind BAL

Thus far...

[FredLynn]

I voted "sell" (big surprise, eh?) because I think thats the best strategy going forward. What they WILL do is anyone's guess.

[Palodios]

The very first thing I would explore is to see if a Manny/ Bay type trade, using Josh Beckett is at all possible. Beckett is under contract for a few years, so maybe with a few mid level prospects, they can pull in a end-of-contract guy like Hamels or Greinke with a three team trade. Then, try to see if Ellsbury can land the team an ace. If not, get some elite pitching prospects or a #3 type pitcher to replace Beckett's spot, and sell sell sell.

 

 

Beckett/Ortiz have been absolute malcontents this year. Sell high. Shop Ellsbury for elite pitching talent, and see what turns up-- if nothing, it may make sense to wait till the offseason.

 

Besides those, they need to hold onto their core, and trade the excess baggage. Guys like Ross/Sweeney/Shoppach/Salty/Albers who have high value for desperate teams but aren't necessarily going to be allstar caliber players and/or see their contracts end soon. I'd be very much in favor of selling high on Saltalamacchia.

 

You could potentially trade all the guys above and leave yourself with a top 5 farm system, and the following core pieces in 2013, and a ton of money to spare:

 

Kalish

Pedroia

Agon

Middlebrooks

Lavarnway

Aviles

Crawford

Nava

 

Lester

Buchholz

Doubront

 

Bailey

Aceves

Bard

Melancon

Miller

[FredLynn]

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