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The Tigers pretty much collapsed at the end of the season. They had a pretty comfortable lead on the Twins and White Sox not long ago and now they're the wild card. They lucked out that the Red Sox and White Sox also collapsed. Like you said, the Yankees are hot. I hate to say this, and I hope to hell I'm wrong and the Tigers pull off an upset, but: Yankees in 4

2006 Season Honors MVP-- Ortiz Cy Young-- Papelbon Best Glove-- Gonzalez Best Catch-- Coco vs the Mets. Best Rookie callup standout-- If we disclude Papelbon, I say Lester. He faded a bit but he was pretty darn good for a while. Best Game-- Game where Papi hit the walkoff against the Rangers. I'm pretty sure it was Otsuka's first blown save. Insert any other Ortiz walkoff and it's pretty much the same though. I just wanted to be different. Best Moment-- See best game. Disappointment of a Position Player-- Nixon. I was hoping for a big time year from him in his walk year as a sort of last hurrah. Coco's a close second. Disappointment of a Pitcher-- Beckett. He started off hot but really sucked down the stretch. Season Comeback Position Player-- Lowell Season Comeback Pitcher-- Schilling Most Underrated Player- Lowell-- big time. I agree with BoSox34 that it's almost impossible to find an underrated player in Boston (same with NY) but I didn't think Lowell got the credit he deserves. He played gold glove defense, replaced a really popular player (Mueller), was coming off a horrendous season and all he did was hit 40+ doubles and 19 homers. He pretty quietly had a nice season with the bat and was awesome with the glove.

The Red Sox are essentially third place team right now. If Ramirez is traded the Sox have to get a boatload back, which is the problem: Nobody's willing to give the Sox anything of value for Manny-- which is why he's been on the block 3 straight offseasons. The Red Sox can win without Manny-- but they have to improve the pitching staff significantly.

I think what the Red Sox will do is what the Red Sox SHOULD do, and that's play the market. If they can pick up a reasonable closing option, do it, because a closer should be cheaper than a starter and Papelbon can start IMO. I agree that we can't count on Lester at all. If he comes back consider it a bonus at this point. I've been impressed with Snyder, probably because my expectations were so low. The bottom line is I think the Sox learned their lesson-- that even though you THINK you have too much pitching.... you don't. Gil Meche could be a bargain pickup as a back end of the rotation starter. I think the Sox right now have 3 #3's (Schilling, Wakefield, Beckett) and a bunch of 4/5 types (Gabbard, Lester when he comes back, Clement, Snyder). What they need to focus on is an ace. Jason Schmidt could fill that role better than anyone, but don't rule out a trade for an Oswalt type guy either. I have to disagree that the Red Sox went away from their youth movement with the Marlins trade last year. The centerpiece of that deal was a 26 year old pitcher who was not only effective NOW but also they thought could develop into an ace. It's not like they traded Hanley and Anibal for John Smoltz or something like that. I think the Sox understand (or they should) that guys like Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz historically have not aged well. They need to take advantage of having one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball and put a contending team around it. While I don't trust Matsuzaka until he does it in the major leagues, the Sox have to take a shot at him. He's 25 and obviously has good stuff. He MAY become Irabu, but even if they get a Nomo-esque production from him he'll be worth the money. I say get a veteran to mentor Craig Hansen in the closer's role and turn the job over to him mid-season. Then have that veteran set up for Hansen for the rest of the year. I'd say if you're in a predicting mood, put more money on them getting Meche or someone his caliber than Schmidt. I don't see the Sox outbidding the other teams needing an ace.

I have to agree with jsinger-- this team doesn't look like a playoff team to me. I think as fans its expected and acceptable to have HOPE that they can rebound. Why not? If we didn't have hope why would we spend 3 hours a night listening (or watching for you more privelaged fans) or hundreds of dollars on tickets/hot dogs/sodas at the ballpark. From a fan's perspective, hope is all we've got. Theo and his team have to take a different perspective. They have to say "Do we have a REALISTIC chance to win the division/wild card?" If so, they can keep guys like Loretta and Wells in good conscience. What do we have left, 30 games? Let's say the Yankees win 20 of those 30 games, the Red Sox would have to win 25. Is this a team that can go 25-5? I don't think so. This team COULD go 20-10 with some luck and a few guys step up, but does anyone here expect the White Sox, Twins, AND the Yankees to all win only 15 games from here on out (basically .500 ball) while the Red Sox play .667 ball? Not bloody likely. If I'm Theo, I trade the likes of Loretta and Wells if I get a good offer. This is a flawed team (especially without Nixon and Tek) and even if the Red Sox got hot and won 20 of the next 30 games, the Yankees or Twins and White Sox would have to play .500 ball or worse. I just don't see that happening. This is different from the 2004 ALCS because it was 100% in the Sox' hands. If they won, their direct competitor also lost. That means that they could do it all by themselves, and they did. The Red Sox need to depend on the Royals and the Devil Rays of the world to beat up on the Twins/White Sox/Yankees AND they need to win. There are too many variables there. We as fans can hope. We have no control over what the team does/doesn't do. From a REALISTIC perspective though, we've got very little chance of making the playoffs this year.

Nobody can say they expected THIS from Jonathan Papelbon. 3-2, 30 saves, 0.92 ERA. Even if he has a normal closer season from here on out (2 ish ERA but converting most of his saves), he'll have one of the best closer seasons EVER. 40 saves and a mid 1's ERA is as good as it gets for closers. That having been said, this was considered a down season for the Sox by many outsiders, I don't think many picked them to win the division. That having been said, nobody expected Sheffield, and Matsui to lose this much time. That really made the Yankees vulnerable-- a vulnerability the Red Sox have failed to take advantage of. As far as I'm concerned the Red Sox are still in the race, and it WILL be a disappointment if they don't make the playoffs especially considering that they were in first place for most of the season and have a SOLID team. If the Phillies fade I wouldn't be surprised to see Jon Lieber out there on waivers, and the Sox might take a shot on him... but really I don't see many other arms out there worthy of picking up.

I agree that stats don't replace scouts. The only reason why I piped up is to differentiate the difference between the PHILOSOPHY of "Moneyball" and Beane's execution.

Now wait a minute. The only thing I said is that you were misunderstanding the moneyball THEORY, which I still think is true and you haven't refuted. I have not said that what it says is gospel and that the Red Sox should follow it to the letter. Billy Beane has been exceptionally lucky that Mulder/Hudson/Zito were all amazing in Oakland and he successfully sold high on Mulder and Hudson (who have both been dissapointments on their new teams). The Atlanta trade didn't work out very well but one could argue that Dan Haren (just one small piece of the Mulder trade) has been as good as Mulder alone since the deal. This obviously AGREES with you that he is good at evaluating talent and perhaps he got lucky with Haren or perhaps him or someone on his staff said : "It's time to sell on Mark Mulder, he's going downhill." Who knows. Anyway before you attack me and label me read what I wrote-- which was very simply that the Moneyball theory isn't exactly what you think it is. We can debate all day long whether or not OBP and the 3 run homer and the conservative offensive approach that oftentimes is associated with Moneyball is a successful strategy, but calling that strategy the "Moneyball" strategy is incorrect in my opinion. That's simply not what it was about.

It can't possibly help their confidence level when Javy Lopez has a hard time blocking balls. How many WPs for Beckett last night? 3 I think, + 1 passed ball. I haven't looked at his game log but I'd imagine that's season high for him. I was listening on the radio last night so it's hard to get a handle on whether or not Tek blocks those balls or not.

One appearance NEVER makes a season in my book. He has an uphill battle to winning ROY just because he's up against Liriano and Verlander to begin with whose contributions are so much greater than Papelbon's because they pitch a lot more innings. In the end, people should realize that the difference between a .47 ERA and a .98 (whatever his numbers are right now) is ONE outing where he gave up 2 runs. If I had to vote a week ago for ROY it would be a battle between Verlander and Liriano anyway because closers just aren't as important IMO as starters. I don't think he blew his chance at winning the award having one bad outing though. Anyone who favored Papelbon still sees his SICK

You really should read moneyball before you bash its theories-- which you've misunderstood completely. Moneyball is about finding VALUE. At the time, high OBP guys were undervalued and the Oakland A's went after those guys. Sure, in the book sluggers were valued more than defensive players, but take a look at the A's these days-- they've made moves that specifically beef up their defense (Mark Kotsay for example). It isn't called MONEYball because Billy Beane loves Kevin Youkilis and players like him. It's about how 1 team played the market to get undervalued players (Bradford, Hatteberg, etc) because it had no choice.

I agree this team needs a spark, but I'm not sure Loretta should be the scapegoat. At least Loretta has a hollow .300 batting average... what's Crisp been doing lately? I'm not saying DFA Crisp that's just silly-- and since Ortiz and Manny are the only offensive threats right now, the the same can be said for Lowell, Youkilis, Lopez, and Gonzalez. Pena's had power surges, but seems to stink with RISP. I'm trying my ass off to put a positive spin on things, but here goes: Didn't the Yankees get swept by the Royals last year and still win the division? Don't the Red Sox have a tough stretch like this every year, and have at least recovered the last 3 to make the playoffs? The bottom line is that we need to make the playoffs. It'd be GREAT to beat the Yankees for the division but we've all seen what can happen in the playoffs (anything) so the goal should be to get there any way you can. On that note, we're only half a game out, and the Twins just lost their second best pitcher for who knows how long.

The Brewers' foursome. Lester is a #3 maybe a #2 eventually, but Capuano is that RIGHT NOW and not old. Sheets is younger and when healthy better than Schilling-- right now. Fielder is a nice power hitter and probably will have a short career like his old man but Youkilis is already 27, so he's not exactly young. He's an on base machine but doesn't have the offensive prowess of Fielder. Weeks is probably going to be an outfielder in a few years if he can't improve his defense. This diminishes his offensive value but he's still a significant threat. Loretta's a 1 year rental.

I think the only way I'd cheer for the Yankees would be if we were mathematically eliminated from the division and they were playing the team we needed to beat in order to make the WC. Granted, the Yankees ARE playing the team closest to us in the Wild Card standings, but with the division well within reach, I'm rooting for a White Sox sweep of the bombers. The BRIGHT side is that even if the Yankees do win we gain ground on someone assuming we can beat up on the Royals (which we better).

I personally really like Stern, but he really has no place in this organization. He's not ready to be a contributer this season and the Red Sox have Dave Murphy and Jacoby Ellsbury who are just as good defensively and both have stronger bats-- and I'm pretty sure both are younger. I wish him the best of luck in Baltimore.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2539544 For what it's worth, apparently somebody claimed Andruw Jones off of waivers but ESPN doesn't know who. If this guy gets traded to ANY contender he's a difference maker, plain and simple. Worth keeping an eye on at least.

Seems like the Sox are doing a PTBNL so they can get Lopez in uniform ASAP and also so they can trade someone who won't necessarily pass through waivers. IMO, Stern, Machado, or Alvarez... any one of that trio is worth 2 months of Lopez. The Sox need to smooth things over with the Rays. Pissing off other teams is not a great way to do business.

Has anyone heard any official announcements letting us know how soon we might see Javy on the field? I'd offer the O's that list of players in the following order: Alvarez, Machado, Stern, Moss, Van Buren, Gabbard, Pauley. I think Van Buren, Gabbard, and Pauley are the only guys who actually have a shot at being Major League ballplayers, and Van Buren only as a middle reliever. With this organization's depth at outfield, they wouldn't miss Stern or Moss. Machado's a solid ballplayer, but he's a utility guy at best IMO.

The thing to keep in mind is that a TON of players get put on waivers at this time of year. My guess is that there is being too much read into this. Andruw Jones is amazing and I'd take him in Boston, but IF a deal like this happens my guess is it's after the season. I could see the Sox taking him on for his final season, but at the cost of Coco, Hansen +? It's a steep price. It's too bad that the waiver list isn't public knowledge-- the writers would have a field day with all the names that cleared. The bright side is that the Sox are behind the Yankees right now-- and they can't block the Sox from anyone. That having been said why wouldn't Chicago put in a claim on Andruw? They've got Brian Anderson struggling, have supposedly been looking for a centerfielder, and he's one of the best.

This is going to sound weird, but I woke up this morning with thoughts of Javy Lopez. The Sox needed an offensive catcher, one who will clear waivers. Lopez is the perfect man to fill the void. On his desire to be a starter-- 6 weeks is pretty much the rest of the season, and he could be VERY useful after that. He'd be much happier I imagine as a bench player on a contender than on the Orioles.... plus he gets 4-6 weeks of regular playing time and he's a free agent after the season. IF this happens-- A perfect move in my opinion.

I think it's hilarious when people command trades and pretend they understand what it's like to be a GM. Trust me, Theo understands better than ANY OF US the importance of pitching and what it takes to build a winning team. All he's done since he's taken over is put together a playoff team every year, not to mention a championship caliber team. Did it ever occur to you, Redmond, that because pitching is so VALUABLE that people were asking for the moon for the likes of Oswalt, Schmidt, and other available pitchers? We all knew Bronson Arroyo would improve moving away from the AL East (the toughest division in baseball) to the NL Central (one of the weakest). He doesn't have to face the Yankees/Orioles/Blue Jays all the time and he's got an easy out every 3rd inning. Not to mention the fact that when pitchers face hitters for the first time the pitcher's got the advantage. I was very fond of Bronson Arroyo and thought he was a very good back end of the rotation starter. But that's exactly what he is-- a back end of the rotation starter. If you get the chance to trade that for 24 year old outfielder with AWESOME power potential (especially considering the fragility of our current right fielder) you do it. 10 times out of 10 you make that trade. Also, of the pitching that changed hands this deadline, who the heck was even worth moving a prospect? Kip Wells, Kyle Lohse? These 2 have been about as good as Jason Johnson this year. Lidle is the best pitcher to be traded, and that's saying something. He's a #3 at best. Just look at what your boy Krivsky had to give up for 2 MIDDLE RELIEVERS..... Kearns AND Lopez. If that's the price of mediocre pitchers, I'll keep Hansen, Lester, and Pedroia. 10 times out of 10, I'll hang up the telephone if they ask for such a price. I think Theo and his team are doing a fine job.

Roy is right. When a player goes on waivers priority is given in REVERSE order of the standings. So if the Royals and Red Sox (by way of examply ONLY) both claim him, the Royals would have priority. $2.5 million for the Sox is nothing. Lopez is a stronger bat than Craig Wilson (recently picked up by the Yankees. He could catch full time until Varitek comes back, and then play PLENTY as catcher/1B/DH for the final 2 weeks of the season.

If he clears waivers, Javy Lopez is the perfect choice IMO. He's a very solid hitter (especially for a catcher), and his relatively high price tag (2.5 mill) will probably allow him to pass through waivers. He is of no use to the Orioles since I'm pretty sure he's a free agent after this season and they've got Hernandez. Lopez, if my memory serves me correctly, was a big time clutch hitter with the Braves down during their postseason runs. Regardless, he's the best reasonable bat at catcher, and the fact that he's only caught 20 games means he might not be as worn down as most catchers tend to be at this point in the season.