ksushi

I think there will be a big deal. I have that feeling that something is brewing right now. There are the kinds of tidbits of information floating around like there are before a big deal. Its like getting snippets of a Cell phone conversation drifting in to your own. You hear bits and pieces but you don't know exactly what they're talking about. We know Lugo is on the move, we know just about every position player besides Manny and Youkilis are available and we know the game plan is to get pitching.

I just don't think Tejada is where the Sox are going right now.

Remember kids, huffing house hold cleaner is harmful for your brain. A couple low-a players will not get Tejada done. Tejada is not going to make this team win the division. Alex Gonzalez doing his wizardry in the field will help more than Tejada will. Our offense has been good to this point, our defense stellar, but our pitching has been suspect. Giving up a little of what we have to get the pitching might be what we need to raise that division flag on opening day next year. Give up crisp and loretta, get some pitching. Remember, Pedroia is ready now, Ellsbury will be ready a year from now. This is a Theo move all the way.

Here is my theory. After thinking about this for awhile I think that Lugo isn't going to be our 2B or SS or a Red Sox at all for that matter. Something is missing. The White Sox rejected Crisp for Beuhlre, but what if we sent acquired Lugo and shipped him to the White Sox along with Crisp maybe or along with some other player(s) then turned around and used Loretta in a deal to acquire a CF and bring Pedroia up to play 2nd for the stretch run. It is the kind of deal Theo would do. Its a total shake up though. Thoughts? Sox get Beurhle, Unknown CF, and Pedroia Give up: Crisp, Lugo, Loretta and whatever it would take to get Lugo. I think to get lugo it would take a combination of prospects perhaps Murphy, Edgar Martinez and Jed Lowrie.

Erm, this may be answered somewhere in this thread, but where is Mark Loretta going? I hope the answer to that question is not philly for Cormier. I don't want Cormier.

Got mine last night, Thanks a ton SfoC.

Title fixed. Lets hope to bounce back and get on Jered Weaver early. Last night was tough to watch. For most of the game lester was good then it just came unraveled.

Now, I am not really up on all this stuff, but I believe you are putting some guys on here who have signed extensions or who are under club control. I'm gonna make corrections, but I could be wrong too feel free to call me out. Terry Francona (obviously not a player- club option) (signed an extension for three years I thought? Curt Schilling (option) (had his option automatically picked up with 04 win) Trot Nixon Keith Fouke (option) Yim Wakefield (option)(signed an extension good through next year) Mark Loretta (option) Jason Johnson (option) Mike Timlin Alex Gonzalez David Wells Rudy Seanez Alex Cora Doug Mirabelli Hee Seop Choi Gabe Kapler All of the following are under club control until they have six full major league years of experience. Willy Mo Pena Kevin Youkilis Lenny DiNardo Jon Papelbon Adam Stern Abe Alvarez Craig Hansen ( I could have sworn he inked a four year deal for a mil per season after the draft) Jon Lester Of the guys who are reaching free agency I think Cora, Gonzo, Kapler and Belli return.

Jered Weaver, no hit through 4. edit - i lied the box score on MLB.tv says he did give up a hit, but the scoreboard box score said he didnt. weird.

I thought Youk had an OBP still over .400 but I could be wrong. Nixon isn't hitting very well right now, but its a slump. Slumps happen from time to time.

He is always ok for one inning, then in the second inning he gets lit up. He is getting used wrong.

Other way around, Schilling coming here had a lot to do with Francona being hired beforehand.

There is but it has 7 replies, who cares.

Felix Hernandez is an absolute beast. He barely played Minor league baseball because he was 19 when he came up. He has never had professional hitters make adjustments to him before since he wasn't in the minors too long, its a sophmore slump, if you've watched him pitch you would know his stuff is electric. He is gonna be a machine.

Where is Bard? I really want them to sign Bard.

Is it a bad thing if I would be totally willing to trade Mike Timlin for Freddy Garcia? They say they want impact relief pitching... he is that... and I love Freddy G.

RJ and Josh Beckett are two totally different stories. Josh Beckett is 26 and has his whole career in front of him... RJ is not 26 and should have probably retired a year ago. I don't know what they have to do with each other.

Yeah, I mean really, Josh Beckett doesn't worry me too much. I know he can pitch. He isn't going to be a 4.5 - 5 ERA guy for long.

I'm really happy about this start from snyder too. If he can bring us some stability in the back end of the rotation that could save us a lot of trouble and possibily keep someone like Hansen in a Sox uniform.

I personally think that unless it leads to us getting a young SP, trading Nixon is a bad idea, even for Abreu. If anyone thinks that SS still needs an upgrade, they're nuts. Gonzalez is the SS we have been looking for for years, signing him to an extension would put an end to the revolving door there and I Think he deserves it.

Wrong, if anything the Sox are built to succeed in the playoffs better than the regular season. Line up the pitching and we have depth of the bench to go with a stellar defense and a good run scoring offense. How are we built to lose in the first round? I'm counting on Beckett being his usual second half self and improving on a season that so far has been disappointment. I'm counting on less jams from Lester. I'd love to hear why we are built to lose in the first round.

You're pretty quick to write off Beckett and Lester who are both in their 20's with plent of upside, huh?

I'm assuming Beckett is going to begin to learn how to pitch off of his fastball instead of only with fastballs. So I expect better from him. Lester is learning, I'm not expecting him to be able to carry this team, but I'm expecting him to regularly give 6 solid more often. Less jams. This team is built for the playoffs right now, and I don't think that giving up Hansen is worth it if you're talking about fixing something that isn't broken. Sure, another arm would be nice, but you don't have to go out and get a veteran stopper that will cost an arm and a leg. A couple of losses after the all-star break and people seem more willing to fire off all the bullets the Sox have in the chamber at the deadline. I don't think that its dire straights for the sox right now. I think they have a bright couple years coming up and the fact that they can contend this year while reloading for next and beyond is really impressive. I'm still expecting Josh Beckett to pitch well, and Lester is learning on the job. Schilling Wake Beckett and Lester isn't anything to balk at in the post season. I don't know, for me, concern has yet to set in. We'll see. I hope we don't trade Hansen, he's my friends cousin, I talk to him online

Personally, I think the Sox are built for a 7 game series. They go through ups and downs, but when the rotation lines up, the ups are way way up. All you need in the playoffs is a good 1-4 in the rotation. You don't need that 5 spot that has been giving the Sox trouble, which is why I don't think moving youth for someone like schmidt is a great idea right now. You could move less important pieces and get a good enough # 5 in return. No one great, but someone who could bring stability to the table

Its not time for anything. Its two days into the second half. So what? Beckett is a second half pitcher, just wait, its going to come. Its not time to panic. I still think we're a much better team than the Yankees. Head and shoulders better. There are two guys on that team that really scare me though as a Red Sox fan, Jeter and Torre. If it weren't for Torre the Sox could hang the division champ banner up this afternoon. I'll panic when we are a couple games back, but not now.