seabeachfred

Keep the good thoughts coming from your small corner of he world and I'll do my job out here on the US' left coast. I want this signing to get done because it could answer an immediate problem (RH power, first base, catching depth) and long range goals like a trade for a pitcher or maybe even a blockbuster. Remember, we would then have four catchers when other teams are screaming for one decent one.

Stil wondering why Swisher is so inept in the Playoffs, but consider this: Except for 2009 when the Yankees got hot in the second, tore through the division and went all the way to another WS Title their playoff run hasn't been that impressive since they won the 2003 AL Title and went to the World Series (thanks Grady wherever the hell you are). What that's telling me is that many Yankees seem to be wilting in the post-season and maybe our pal Jackson can shed some light on these failures. Swisher does not impress me as a shrinking violet and that makes me think he could come to Boston if the price was right and become a popular player if he does his job. I mean, how many times have we stolen a player from the Yankees, especially not when word is out the Yankees will let him walk anyway. You're spot on with the payroll flexibility aspect. No way do we max ourselves out because a nice reserve of cash could come in handy if we suddenly find ourselves fighting for a playoff spot and someone who can help us suddenly comes on the market.

Hey Bell, that is no small sample size and personally I think it speaks volumes that Napoli might be worth even more to the Red Sox than many of us think. I'm hoping Cherington is well aware of these stats. You always try to get a player who hits well in your park, but when he does so in a few of rivals parks as well I think it about time to stand up and take notice.

A home run Ex1? Maybe not but certainly a solid extra base hit. I think the top six would make for a decent attack, and we might be able to carry Iglesias' weak bat until if and when he simply can't buy a hit and put in Ciriaco. That would leave Salty available for a trade, but it would seem to me a Bradley or Bogaerts might be needed to get us a solid pitcher for our rotation. I also hope our pitching coach works with our pitchers to hold runners on base in ST. Francona admitted when he was managing that he didn't stress this because it took away from pitchers concentrating on the batter, which I always thought was d umb. Keep the runners out of scoring position as much as you can.

Jack, you're our resident genius in all things Yankees and if you can't answer this no one can. What is it with Swisher? I've seen enough Yankees games on the tube to know that Nick is a pretty tough customer during the regular season but seems to disappear during the Playoffs. What's that all about? I've seen the guy get a lot of big hits for your team but very few in the post-season. I wonder if it is a mental block or the fact that pitching seems to toughen in the Playoffs. I've never figured that one out, and I have to admit I would love to see Swisher on the Red Sox.

You've been busy BSN. I like that rotation with Greinke and Haren, but seriously though, do you think the front office would expend the fund to make this happen? And if it did, we also know that Lester and Buchholz MUST rebound, stay healthy for a change and finally live up to their press clippings of their best efforts. Hamilton would be worth a shot except that he is one beer from another major meltdown and can you believe what RSN, the press, the media and fans in general would be acting like if this went down? I still don't know how much money Henry wants to spend this winter but I do know he better do a helluva lot better in that regard than his miserable penny pinching last winter. We all saw where that landed us. Not to rain on your solid suggestions, I don't think we're heading this way.

Palodios brought up a good point EX and I could kick myself for not thinking of it myself. Getting Napoli gives us four catchers and looking around baseball we can all see the scarcity of decent receivers with a little sock. One or two of our guys could be used in trade and , who knows, we could get a decent pitcher out of it if it results in a major trade. It looks like a win-win situation to me from whichever way I look at it.

Well done Palodios; surprised I and some others didn't pick up on that. I have been concentrating on what Napoli could give us in the power and versatility department; I must have been dozing not to have noticed your aspect of his hopeful signing. Hell, look around the AL and in baseball in general. Ever see so many teams hurting at catcher? With Mike in the fold we would have four and, who knows, one of them could be used to get us some pitching if we added a prospect to the mix. I hope this is in Cherington's thinking as well.

BEL-- what you say carried a lot of truth and I can't say that y ou are wrong on this. However, this off season is a little different since the number of desirable players available is a little modest to tell the truth. For a first baseman defense should not be undermined but personally I would rather have an offensive player there than a glove man since there are other positions for those types, including SS where we may be forced to play one of the weakest hitters ever conceived by man. Think of it this way, though. If we sign Napoli to a four year contract he will still be younger than Ortiz is right now. After two years we have our DH, a second catcher and another first baseman. He has a swing tailor made for Fenway and, face it, we need help pretty bad.

Lines---this is a free agent's year. The pickings are slim and moving on is just a recipe for disaster. I also hope by a strong glove at first base you're not hinting at resigning the pathetic and rotten James Loney because he sucks worse that just sucks. First base is a hitter's position and we don't have a first base prospect anywhere in our system. So if we don't want to look at another 69-93 season we have to stop with this moving on crap. Sign the players we need because we need a first baseman with power, and a righty to boot. We need an outfielder or maybe even two. We need a starting pitcher, one at least, and we might need a shortstop since the one we have can't hit his way out of a paper bag. You don't improve the team by moving on when the alternative are the likes of Repko, Carpenter, Stewart, Thomas, Valencia, Padilla and the rest of the trash Cherington stuck us with last season. We have the money now---use it wisely but use it.

I like to believe we are fine Ex1. I happen to have strong opinions and deliever them. A difference may be that you might, might I said, think that Cherington knows more about the game than you do and is a better judge of talent than you are. I do NOT happen to believe that in my case. As an old war horse who coached players from the sandlot to college and semi pro baseball, and did some scouting on the side (for payed scouts) I think I am better at judging talent than Cherington is. That to me anyway is just a fact of life. I don't say that to be cocky and conceited; it is just something I am totally convinced of. The test is right before Cherington. If you are Napoli where would you want to hit? Fenway or that Seattle airport? What seems to be the hold-up? One damn year---and consider this. We need this guy. After two more seasons Ortiz is gone, maybe Salty too. Nap can hit for power, play first base, catch, DH and is a great competitor. Why is Cherington playing hard ass when we don't a first baseman worthy of its name in our organization, when we badly in need of a first baseman who can help out in other areas? I have read posts on this thread that proclaim we are going to get Napoli, but I am not sure of that at all. The reason? Cherington!!!!!! By now you know I have absolutely no confidence that he has what it takes to pull the trigger on a big deal, but would be elated if somehow you and others could counter soon that "WE TOLD YOU SO". Cherington simply has to get this deal done.....PERIOD!!!!!!! Anyway, I do respect you and hope we will have good relations on this board. Like you I want the Red Sox to succeed in the worst way.

UN--that's the problem my friend. I don't know who is running the show over there and neither do you or 700 or BSN or anyone else. They say Ben is the GM so he should start acting like one. Make the offer and let Luchhino over-rule him. Believe me the press will pick up on it if you have it pegged right. It is time for Ben to show some balls and make the move. He would gain new respect from the fans and he might not do too badly with Henry either.

That sure didn't help BSN, but I was more concerned with his mental attitude. He seemed to be overwrought and combative with umpires every time he pitched. Remember that Saturday gem he threw against the Yankees in YS in late August? He looked like the old Jon but it didn't last. Look, we all want the guy to come around but after what we saw this season we should all be a little gunshy abo ut the pitcher.

Cherington is the hold-up UN. He is always the hold-up. The guy moves slower than a snail's pace and his so risk averse t hat he absol utely makes foam at the mouth. Get it done Ben. Stop from letting me be reinforced with the negative feelings I have towards you. Just get it done for once.

Good way to look at it UN. I think a lot of it depends on what's going on in Lester's head. You saw it this year; the guy was always bitching and complaining about calls and too often one bad call and he unraveled. I watched him in Chicago in June and he's shutting out the C ubs 4-0 in the seventh. One call goes against him and he comes apart and soon it is 4-3. We did hang on to win but the next morning Shaunessy and I are working out in the hotel fitness center and Dan is going off on Jon, predicting correctly that if he doesn't get his s*** together the season might be lost. It was and Lester was absolutely pathetic in his home park as you pointed out. I think the stff is still there too, but is the head? I think his mental otlook could play a big key next season. I am still a little skeptical about the guy.

Ha!!!!!!! Well he could pretend he is still wearing an Angels or Rangers uniform when he comes to the plate at Fenway. Face it, the Fens is still there and I can see the guy drooling when he sees that Monster. Now if Cherington can only pull the trigger insteading of crapping out again.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

You know Ted, I wondered when I read his reply to me whether he watched many of our games this past season, especially the ones Lester threw. It is no fun tearing Jon down but just a brief look into his season blares loudly just how lousy he was. I counted four games that he pitched worthy of an "ace"---Phillies, White Sox, Yankees and Rays. Aside from that he was terrible. However, I was attacking Lester and not Ex1. The guy takes a lot of things personal and he can count on being attacked right back if he keeps this up. The proof is positive....Lester stunk this past season. If he and Buchholz had pitched like Nos. 1 and 2 we sure as hell wouldn't have gone 69-93. And we still need pitching.

Fenway is much better for Napoli than Seattle's park is and we have the money to sign him, and we need him. He gives us real versatiity---batter, lB, Catcher, DH-----and the prices for good free agents is going up. We ARE going to have to overpay some, just as other teams will have to, because this is a player's market this year. We better understand that if we want to compete we may have to pay above what we want to, unless, that is, we are satisfied by loading up on the Gomeses. Think another 69-93 if we do that? Likely.

Lester stunk this past year. Not only was he racked around the park by the hitters but his dog-face attitude of always bitching and complaining to umpires every damn game he pitched wore pretty thin. In fact, he started coming apart late in the 2011 season when he started falling apart with the team. When they needed an ace to stem the tide of collpase, he game them an ass instead. The guy was a total bum on the mound and for you to think that he is going to come back strong is ridiculous. He is no better than a No. 4 pitcher, maybe three when he has his declining stuff working for him and his head is not mentally up his ass. I would much rather have a Haren or Sanchez than that piece of crap who was supposed to be our "ace" this season. Could he turn it around and come back strong? He could but I'm not holding my breath that he will---and neither should you.

Those 4 are better than what we have if we are looking for pitchers who could slide into a No.1 or 2 slot if necessary. Haren could and so could Sanchez. Jackson and McCarthy are still better than our Nos 3 and 4. Look let's all face some bald facts and shove pollyannism somewhere the sun doesn't shine, at least for a moment------Last year proved conclsively that Lester and Buchholz are not physically and especially mentally equipped to handle the top two jobs, and if some of you don't want to accept it then it is your problem. We need pitching; the ones out there are better than what we have; Lester and Buck are not of the stuff to lead a staff, and Cherington has to rise to the occasion and get them. We have the money.....we need to spend it and get the team up to speed.

True, but only if they do bring in a good 1B and another decent outfielder---and their names cannot be Loney and Victorino. They are both fading badly and Loney is an absol ute bum.

If I could do it I would.....I am still only 35% computer literate. I think I will wait for the new keyboard. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Except that Gomes is a brtal fielder and can Kalish stay in one piece for a change. The guy has become a tin man the past two seasons and this may be his last chance. I hope he is working his ass out and is ready this Spring for a change. I would rather have a healthy Kalish-Gomes platoon than one with Nava. Nice yong man bt he fades badly after a cople of months. Now where the hell do we get that other otfielder? Will they finally sign Ross? He is mch better than either Gomes or Kalish at the moment.

Preface----The u is prqctically gone from my keyboard so please bear with me till I can get a new keyboard. If we are comparing Cody Ross with Johnny Gomes, the cheap shot artist, it's Ross by a mile IMO. We may still sign Cody yet or he is asking more than our sddenly cheap skate ownership wants to pay---or maybe he is asking for too mch. The point is we got a replacement for a possible departing Red Sox player bt we didn't get a better one, we got a lesser one. You can't bild a winning team that way. And where are the pitchers we need?

Thanks for the suggestion MVP, but I just hope he does the job for us that Ross did, and it is there I have a doubt or two. Finally a move to add a player to a place where we need help. Tr uth be told, though, I would much rather have had Ross, who may have priced himself out of town.