SchillingIsTheNatural

Same can be said for the Red Sox...in the race for the top farm system we are ahead of them and we need to continue that. In the end I want to see half the Red Sox team composed of farm talent and the rest built on smart proper signings..not having to overpay and paying close attention to hard working baseball players....get away from the big name signings. I dont care what a guy has done in the past...i want guys who, if put into the Red Sox organization, will flurish. Kinda like David Ortiz although that doesn't happen all the time.

First off you can say all you want about our payroll being the second largest in baseball....the New York Yankees spent $84,801,692 more than the Red Sox. 20 team....thats right 20 teams in baseball had less money invested in there MLB team than that extra $84 million. So don't attempt to defend the money the Yankees throw around cause its gotten to a rediculous level. If it was around $150 million then I would still make fun of you....but it wouldn't be that bad. This all goes back to money. Do you have any idea how awesome my baseball teams are in MVP 2005 for xbox. They are so good cause I don't have a budget. If I was the GM of the Yankees I could do almost anything I wanted and I certainly wouldn't have invested in old men like Randy Johnson, Tony Womack, Tino Martinez, Ruben Sierra, Gary Sheffield....then gone out and traded for a self centered "me first" attitude Alex Rodriguez. Are you aware a majority of the NY Yankees do not like him. They have developed a horrible club house where there top starting pitcher can't stand there top catcher. Instead of the Yankees siding with the guy who has been on the team durring there World Series victories...they side with Johnson...PUKE! ...has Brian Cashman made some good moves?? Sure...they only make about 50 transactions a season...how many starting pitchers and relievers did he have to go through to get it right this season??? Eventually...odds are...he will get one right...but WOW what a mess it makes

I agree. It does the Red Sox no good to trade a top prospect for another teams top prospect. Hanley has the ability to be a fantastic player, come up through the Sox system, and be comfortable with his surroundings that will allow him to produce more. Look at players such as Nomar Garciappara and Trot Nixon. I feel that players who stay with a team and feel a bond with the team will enhance there play and become better players in the end. One thing the Sox have not had in some time now.

Ok all I did was mention Furcal is a good lead-off hitter......apparently that spawned into us signing him which is silly. Edgar Renteria is our shortstop so get used to it. He is not getting traded and not moving positions anytime soon. But how about for some real controversy: David Ortiz mentioned the other day if you trade Manny you better get someone like Andrew Jones. I guarantee Ortiz was not implying the Red Sox were going after Jones but....it just got me thinking... With Kelly Johnson, Ryan Langerhans, and Jeff Francoeur maybe the Braves think its time for a change...they never seem to get far in the playoffs. If you wanna talk about a CF replacement for Damon then the best defensive CF in baseball sounds pretty good to me. Not to mention he is a nice righty power bat. He can't hit .300 and he strikes out as much as Manny but he would certainly make our pitchers a lot better. It wasn't too long ago that Jones was involved in trade rumors. The Braves may think that this is the time they can get the most for him.

But he always has to play the Red Sox at Fenway.

I think we are going to disagree here.... The best leadoff hitter in baseball is Ichiro Suzuki. I also like Brian Roberts, Scott Podsednik, Jimmy Rollins, Jose Reyes, and I really feel Rafael Furcal is underrated. I would put Damon in the second group but all those guys I mentioned are faster and younger. If you put any of those guys on the Red Sox they put up huge numbers too because of the protection they would have and the park they would hit in.

I was just thinking what team will offer Damon a 5 year deal? I like Johnny Damon but he is not THAT good. I don't know when he became such an all star. He made the all star game because of Boston....the most loyal fans in sports. The facts about Damon is that he plays hard and tracks down balls well....can't throw, doesn't hit for much power, doesn't steal a ton, and he wants a 5 year deal? Not only that but all those characteristics I mentioned will be dropping each year as he gets older. I can't believe teams in baseball would be that stupid. Hell I would be nervous about a 4 year deal. Three years with a team option I would do cause you have to expect by then Ellsbury is ready to jump up.

Wow....those are deffinitly some names but they can even be considered the year before in potential trades. Look at what almost happened to AJ Burnett. Out of that list I would take Roy Halladay over anyone. He has proved he can beat anyone in the AL East, can win a Cy Young, and would have won another this season had he not been injured.

You are right about the leadoff situation. The Red Sox I'm sure will keep that in mind while adding players but also...if they really feel its time for Pedroia then I can see him leading off. I actually think both Baldelli and Patterson could lead off too (that is if they can get on base regularly). They both have enough power to hit one out of the park but more importantly they have speed. Patterson more than Baldelli but either way thats interesting. I wonder if the Devil Rays would actually move Huff and Baldelli to the Red Sox for something. Sounds like a tough move to me but ya never know. I would adventure into that Corey Patterson situation...I remember how everyone used to talk about him...hes still young and I can't imagine his career is a wash.

I'm not good with projecting trades because I don't know enough about the contracts, how the money works, players being able to veto a trade....blah... All I know is there are few, if any, players in baseball who would not be traded. I think everyone in baseball is available and if the Sox want one of these guys...they could make it happen.

Yeah that was my point with the signing of Burnett and trading for Zito. Those options will come along faster than three years down the road considering Burnett's future will be decided this winter. Houston probably has the money to lock up Roy Oswalt for a long time especially since they will be losing Roger Clemens and I don't know how long Pettite will stick around. On the other hand Rich Harden will be fun to watch since I'm sure he would command top money and if history shows anything...Oakland will trade him before that happens. That being said the situation with Zito will occur before that because I believe this is his last season under contract? I could be wrong though. My personal feelings about Burnett is that he would have the best stuff on our staff. Being able to pitch with Schilling, Wakefield, Varitek etc. can only help him. Not sure you can justify the cost but I would be real interested... Another point is our farm system reaches beyond the big three in Lester, Paps, and Sanchez. I really believe Hansen will be the Red Sox closer for a long time and thats fine by me. This time next year we may be talking about Clay Buccholz in the same sentence with the rest of the guys. I'm excited to see what he does and many of us discount Abe Alvarez. He is only 22 and was our top pitcher in Pawtucket. Give Alvarez two more years and bring him up the same time Paps was brought up. Michael Bowden has a ways to go but has the stuff to compete. Not everyone will work out which is why I would suggest leaving the #3/#4/#5 slots for Red Sox prospects...the top two spots for guys such as Schilling, Zito, Burnett, etc. whoever we could get.

Yes he did but then again Manny says a lot of things. Looking at his career I don't see why he wouldn't considering the hardware he has.

Suprisingly he is actually right around 30. I was shocked cause I only heard of Freel from last year. But he is still my choice to go after. I think he is a stronger player than most of the free agents out there. With the depth in Cincinnati why not make a run. I did notice, however, that Aurillia was playing 2B for them and the team declined his option....soooooo they may be counting on Freel to take over 2B...but who knows he was just an idea.

Lets include Ryan Shealy with the Ryan Howard vs. Chad Tracy battle. There is a chance we make a move for him cause with Todd Helton there he is CERTAINLY the odd man out. Between these three young 1B prospects I don't think we can do too wrong. Just gotta let the scouts make the call and I'm sure Theo has a good idea on what he could get.

One team that is pretty loaded with OFs is the Reds. Now I'm not real excited about Dunn, Pena, or Kearns cause I think they all hit the ball hard...thats about it. Ken Griffey would be interesting but amazingly expensive and a HUGE injury risk. So I'm not thrilled there either....who I would love to see though and might be tough to take is Ryan Freel. This guy is a true baseball player. He plays harder than everyone on the Red Sox. He has a good OBP and has plenty of speed. I think he would be a perfect fit for the Boston Red Sox and give the rest of the team energy they can feed off of. Not only that but he might be the most versatile player in baseball. I know the Cincinnati Reds love him and he is a fan favorite. They sure could use some pitching though.

Oh yeah I wasn't stating your wrong in any way...in fact I'm agreeing with you like always. If the right deal came across I would take advantage. I was simply showing the points where the Sox are still ok with keeping Manny. We have young talented players with speed in the minors. Its yet to be seen how they will end up and there is no such thing as having too many young prospects. Having a farm system capable of churning out tons of talent is deffinitly a great way to go. If we can't I think adding one more 30 HR bat behind Manny would be a great luxury to have. This basically depends which direction the team wishes to go. Adding the extra bat this season as opposed to removing one will give better immediate results. Adding young talent can certainly help the Sox down the road and give them more speed. In the end I don't think it matters unless the Sox get better pitching. We can have all the speed, talent, power in the world...if we can't pitch we aren't going to win anything. Having the power of the Yanks, the speed of the Devil Rays, or the talent of the Mets means nothing unless you can pitch like the White Sox or Astros.

Exactly....so I don't want these guys. Whats the point of throwing money at just another average pitcher to add to our collection. Its money spent that doesn't need to be. I would just assume sit with a rotation involving Arroyo, Clement, Wake, Papelbon and Schilling rather than get more pitching like Washburn, Morris, and Millwood who would not distinguish themselves from the current group. It gives us a stupid amount of starters so whats the point? Unless an ace was available or could be aquired from a trade then why bother? There will be better pitchers available later in the season when certain guys can't get signed to an extension and there is a good chance the market will be better for starting pitching in a year anyways. Filling a hole with a 30 year old veteran who had a decent season against weak competition and his career is defined should not be the route the Red Sox go.....let the Yankees make those moves.

First and most important....Welcome to the site. Excellent first post! I've mentioned Ryan Howard's name in the rumor section and agree the Sox should make a move for this kid. I know everyone thinks he is a young stud and the Phillies won't trade him. But we need to consider the Phillies were real close to making it to the playoffs this year and came short. Do they have a problem hitting the ball?? Absolutly not with Abreu, Burrell, Utley, Rollins.....so you see where I am going with this. They need pitching and in the worst way. If they had ANY kind of starting pitching they would be in the playoffs. You are also right about Jim Thome....nobody will want him. So what do the Phillies do?? Platoon the guys OR trade Howard (although they would hate it) to improve there need for pitching. You need to weigh your options and they could really improve themselves by moving Howard. It would cost a fair amount for us to get him. How about Sanchez, Clement (pick up his money) and David Wells. Something along those lines...then we can make a huge move in free agency for Burnett and BJ Ryan. The ultimate goal is to make the playoffs and win...thats all owners care about it...and the Phillies might be one prospect trade away from making it happen.

You do need to take a look at how the Red Sox have changed in the past couple years though. The farm system is easily the best the Sox have had in many years. You need to give some guys more time such as Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury. Luis Soto and Brandon Moss are both very young. We could have answers on our team. I wouldn't mind trading Manny but I want top youthful talent which is close to the majors and guys who can make a real impact. The nice thing about this situation is I'm sure Theo has an idea of who the right prospects are. He has done wonders with our farm system after showing up here with nothing. If the Sox cannot find a deal like that which can help them I say keep Manny. As poor as those positions were that you mentioned you should consider.....the only real area the Sox struggled was the #5 hitter. If the Red Sox were to aquire someone like Aubrey Huff...you are talking about a middle lineup composed of Renteria, Ortiz, Manny, Huff....yikes...followed by Varitek and Nixon....and adding a couple young guys in Pedroia and Youkilis. There is nothing wrong if the team keeps Manny. In the end I could see Ellsbury leading off with Pedroia batting behind him...talk about speed. My biggest concern is the pitching and where we will be when our fat, slow, old pitchers move on. I know we have some guys coming up and thats what the Sox need to focus on. I wouldn't mind moving Manny for a top quality pitcher. I want a rotation looking like Burnett, Zito, Papelbon, Lester, and (Sanchez once Schill retires)....with Craig Hansen to close it out.

Not much in the ace category this year via free agency. I've always been an AJ Burnett fan though and still think he could be great. He is in his prime and given some decent coaching and surround him with smart veterans he could blossom. I don't like his comments against his coach cause that shows a character flaw. It could mean, however, he really wanted to win and his frustration got the best of him...I don't mind that too much. He does have some of the best stuff in baseball. Those who want to compare him to Pavano need to take a step back and watch the two of them pitch. There is no comparison...AJ Burnett is a much stronger pitcher than Pavano. Injuries would be a real problem though. It is possible Manny Ramirez gets moved for an ace quality pitcher but I'm not sure who. After what I saw last year though I got a good look at Jonathan Papelbon. It's not just his stuff (although electric) its his build as a player. Big, strong, emotional....everything you want. I think he will really intimidate hitters as he gets better and more experienced but we deffinitly saw he can handle the big games in Boston. I do remember John Henry saying somewhere he would love to have a young rotation with a Burnett, Lester, and Papelbon at the top. Then there is a chance we could make a move for Barry Zito...hows that rotation for you.

I really don't see Troy Glaus as a fit to our team. Unless he is playing 1B or our DH. I don't think I see the Red Sox involving any of there big prospects. I read this rumor too and it sounds stupid...no sense. They did mention some interesting names like Brian Giles and Torri Hunter...that makes more sense to me.

The Red Sox should package David Wells with Manny to make a trade. Considering Wells age I don't believe we could get much in return. Well my goodness the Angels are going to lose Washburn most likely and need a lefty to help there rotation. They could use one more bat as well which I'm sure they would love to pair Manny with Vlad...I admit that would be a nice 1-2 punch. We should deffinitly be moving these guys for young talent. All those prospects you mentioned are perfect for a deal. I would love to discuss Brandon Wood in that deal and maybe we could steal someone from there bullpen. There is deffinitly a deal to be made here and could help us in the present and future. Then if the Sox improve there pitching we are set for the future and have a very young talented team on hand to win many ballgames this year. Anaheim is deffinitly the team to talk to.

There are so few games in the playoffs anything can happen. You only have a possible 5 games to beat a team so its just a matter of getting there and rolling the dice. You hope everyone is hot and gets on a fast roll. Clearly the White Sox were on a roll going into the playoffs sweeping the Guardians and the Red Sox just had the AL East Division lead ripped away. Thats what happens but the trick is to get there every year and see what happens. I wonder if there is a way Theo could construct some crazy deal to sneak Brandon Webb away from the Diamondbacks.

I'll be the first to admit I thought Bellhorn would be incredible as our #9 hitter. With the amount of walks he got and his OBP it seemed perfect. But not every plan works and most of the Red Sox plans did not work this year. Millar, Bellhorn, Mantei, Neal, Foulke, Schilling, Remlinger, Renteria.....just about 80% of the team didn't do what most of us thought they would do. Leaves lots of room for improvement though.

This is what I was saying.... If you look back at the season you will notice our production was way down position by position for the most part. Whoever was playing at 1B was not killing the ball by any means. Trot Nixon deffinitly had an offseason. Throughout the course of the year our 2B numbers were horrendous until Graffanino got here which was toward the end of the season. Edgar Renteria had the most amazing streak of hot/cold this year. Lets not even talk about the pitching...and this team won over 90 games?? That is simply incredible. There are quite a few holes to fill and the best way to fill them is by trading. I've noticed David Wells wants to go back to San Diego so that might help somewhere but not likely. We have some other starters we could consider in a possible deal so this really brings us back to Manny. I saw Cleveland and Anaheim on the list of potential teams.....I also saw names like Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Coco Crisp....Cleveland would be very stupid to move these guys for a $20 million player in his 30s. The Guardians impressed me more this season than the Chicago White Sox...look how young they are and how awesome they will be for years if they can lock these guys up. Johnny Peralta, Belliard, Sizemore, Hafner, Martinez....thats a fantastic core group of players and I would love to get my hands on any of them by giving up Manny. If you talk about Anaheim and mention names Jared Weaver, Casey Kotchman, Dallas McPherson, Brandon Wood....im drooling cause they are going to be awesome players....just so everyone knows Bobby Jenks was previously owned by the Angels and was just outside of there top 5 prospects not long ago.... THAT is the way to go....I want players like that over a player like Carlos Beltran. I know I know everyone wants someone protecting Ortiz. I think we put too much emphasis on that though. Ortiz will still put up huge numbers cause no matter how good he is....he will still hit 3/10 so pitchers want that out. There isn't a lot covering Derek Lee, Miguel Tejada, Pujols and who was covering Manny this year? The top hitters in the league will continue to hit so David Ortiz is the least of my worries on the Boston Red Sox. Fill the holes on this team with true "gamers" I like to call them and have top pitching. We will hit the ball just fine like we always do...we need to stop others from hitting the ball and we need to play with passion like we did last season.