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Beckett has been worth that contract in 4 of the last 5 years I believe.

I just don't think the Sox are that worried about a RH OF. They ought to pay attention for one but pitching is the name of the game right now.

I guess I was thinking it would be Bard staying in the pen and Madson starting. However, I have a hard time seeing Boras signing up for that risk at the contract noted above. If it is true that he developed his changeup as a reliever then he and Bard are remarkably similar. That's interesting. Having watched the Phillies and Madson highlights, I actually like his stuff and makeup. He comes across as having an appropriate personality to close in a tough city. I think that quality is overvalued but insofar as it is needed, I think he's got it.

Any chance Madson could be reconverted to a SP? Either way, I suspect that Madsons price will come down or (more likely) he signs elsewhere. I like him at two years, slightly less at three, and think four is absurd territory. I actually like Madsons stuff a lot but he's a reliever and relievers who aren't cost controlled are simply too risky. Ben will probably prefer to go into the season without an established closer than burden the team with another long and sizable contract. If the market really is poor, why not pay him Papelbon money for ONE season, throw on a mutual option, and let Madson and Boras do FA again next year when the market isn't saturated with closers. Madson would clearly be the Sox best play here, but I won't fault them if the Angels or someone else goes three or four years at Papelbon-esque salary. One year, 11.5m with a mutual option at similar salary, or an automatic vesting option based on saves or all-star appearance or something, and wait them out.

Okay. Happy Holiday to you too. I'm sure I'm the one he thought was obnoxious, but that might not have been relevant. Anyway, back to tending the roast beast.

I didn't mean to start this back and forth between you guys ORS and a700. I also don't think I said a700 doesn't know anything about the system. I just remember very clearly (because we have had this discussion every single season) that a700 has said he doesn't follow the farm system. In his years of baseball experience so few prospects make it to star status that it isn't worth following. Furthermore, he has said that the FO perpetually hypes its prospects. In my years on this board, a700 has been consistently down on the value of any young player. That's understandable given his perspective. I just think it colors his optimism about the future of the farm.

Agreed Palodios. I like User Name's take on the game, just hope he doesn't get banned. We've seen plenty to of people come and go over time. Stick around User Name.

I just can't believe that so many of you are spouting a story of huge insubordination based on half-reports and one sided non-comments by Bobby valentine, who claims to have invented the wrap and told the three envelopes tale in the face of a befuddled Francona. Suddenly Carl Crawford is a huge ******* and Beckett is the worst character on the team. It is nonsensical to me. If you want these entitled *******s to just do it on the field then consider your sources (not the players in any of these stories) and wait for the games start before judging what they have to say.

Don't you realize that Crawford and Beckett pouting and underperforming is NOT an acceptable option for this team, and that immediately creating a situation where that is an option is at least risky and at worst suicidal for a new manager? You wish the team would just sit Beckett and Crawford? With 3 and 6 years left on their deals and more than a fifth of the teams salary between them? What?

No normal employee gets paid 9 times the salary that their "boss" gets either. Do you think Valentine is too stupid to realize he isn't working in cubicle city? of course he isn't. Furthermore, Valentine would garner a lot more respect if he kept these conversations quiet. That's what a good leader should do. He shouldn't be dropping tidbits of conversations just to make the fickle fanbase immediately run to his defense. That, too, is a tactic, but the intent of the tactic is to align fans with the new manager rather than with the teams highest paid and--last year--best pitcher. You are right that it could be interesting to see how this plays out but it shouldn't be interesting due to valentine.

Wow. More virtually unreadable catastrophizing and the season hasn't started yet. HELL the calendar year of the season hasn't started yet. Crawford and Bobby V haven't become best friends yet? Oh my! Beckett didn't start off by congratulating Bobby V for the new job. Oh no! Things are utterly terrible right now! I heard that Beckett was pissed because he was intentionally pitching extra slow against the Yankees due to comments from a Yankee bench coach complaining about it while Beckett was mowing them down. Valentines connents backed up the yankees and completely ignored the fact that what Beckett was doing was effective against a very good team. Beckett figured he should keep pissing off the Yankees. I hope Bobby V will support the approach if it leads to beating the Yankees, rather than forcing Beckett to speed up with worse results.

Agree x3. Kuroda could be the guy. Consistent, veteran, low drama, healthier than Oswalt. I like it.

Beckett may be stubborn, but he has cajones. Those massive balls were on display when he single handedly pitched the Marlins into a WS victory and in 2007 when he did it again for the Sox. Talk s*** about him if you want but what he lacks on consistency he makes up in guts and big game ability. Pumps, most of the reasons you cited don't hold water for me. If the team is good enough to make the playoffs then they are very very close to being a WS team. Look at the teams that make runs in the playoffs. They are rarely the best team on paper. As for not being better than the last 3 years I don't get that. One could argue that the 2011 team was better with healthy pitching and papelbon, but team that add Adrian Gonzalez and Crawford get better. The 09 and 10 Sox weren't as good IMO.

And you wonder why people respond strongly to you?

Sorry Pumpsie.

What are your reasons for believing it? What makes this team so much worse than the 2003, 2004, 2007 or 2008 teams that "competed" deep into the playoffs? I don't think that winning 90 games next year represents contending. I think that 90 wins is a disappointment for this much talent. The 2011 team could have started 4-8 (rather than 2-10) and would have won 92 games. The 2011 team could have finished 10-17 (rather than 7-20) and would have won 93 games. If the team repeats last year's production, but starts out 4-8 and finishes 10-17 (not out of the question for a team that led the AL East for much of the season) they are suddenly a 95 win team. If they play at .500 during those stretches (6-6 and, say, 13-14) they win 100 games. We're talking about a difference of 5 wins over 162 games here. Teams don't rebuild when they are that close on paper. If they are 20 games out at the All-Star break then they will do some retooling, but this isn't a rebuilding offseason.

Anyone saying they aren't good enough to be in contention this year are f***ING CRAZY. Seriously. This is a rebuilding year? Are you serious? They are about to sign Ortiz to an overpay one year contract. You don't do that if you're rebuilding. They have two players who will be getting an AAV over 20m and that pay essentially starts this year and goes for another 6 or 7 years. Rebuilding? Seriously? They have three pitchers in their primes, all of whom have been All Stars in the past two years. They have a few holes in their pitching staff, but will be addressing those before the season starts. They have the best offense in baseball, have gold glovers all over the field and multiple silver sluggers. They have three players who finished in the top 10 in MVP voting, and were the 3rd, 5th and 6th most valuable players in the AL according to WAR. You would have to assume that this FO is not just incompetent, but is all-time great incompetent to do some rebuilding project for future years. All those years they didn't trade Buchholz, Lester, Ellsbury, Pedroia were for these seasons. Pumpsie, to theorize that a rebuilding season is the only sensible thing they can do is absurd. Laughable. You are joking, right? You really think Cherington is going to undertake a rebuilding this year?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111223&content_id=26230796&vkey=news_t533&fext=.jsp&sid=t533 Nice little piece about Tazawa. He's another guy we will likely see from the system this year. I like that he gets the Ks.

If Felix becomes available it won't be an under the radar thing. All teams will be invited and it will be an auction. Sox are unlikely to prevail at this time.

I like the idea of Wright, but I don't like trading Youkilis for Santana.

I don't like the idea of dealing for the Angels castaways, unless the price isn't that significant. The Sox are in a weird situation. They don't need a #4 starter who is as good as a #2, but they can't rely on their unproven pieces (Doubront, Aceves, Miller) to take those slots. They really need someone who is a notch or two above Doubront, who can throw innings consistently and keep them in games. Gio was a unique case, with his age and cost-controlledness, but Ervin Santana for good prospects and $$ doesn't seem great. I don't hate the idea of Kuroda for nothing but money, Saunders for nothing but less money, or a trade for someone who has some years left for the team. Too bad Matsuzaka isn't healthy. He is the type of pitcher they are looking for right about now.