seabeachfred

What posts are you reading anyway. I haven't read any such negative comments against Ben, nor have I heard any real derogative comments against the guy. Just comments that hint at maybe we could have done a little more now that the dominoes are starting to fall. And where is the "go after the expensive guys" from. I think you just need to hear yourself speak on this one User. That was a ridiculous comment by you.

Healthy Kemp is an awesome player. A five too guy who can carry a team much of the time. HOWEVER, he tends to loaf on the bases and in the field, he is injury prone, very much so, and he has been totally babied by the Dodgers. If we can get him it might be worth the risk but under no circumstances is Cecchini, Renaudo, Swihart or Owens a part of such an exchange. Truth is, I'd rather keep Ellsbury too, sign him and save the prospects.

Whoopty freaking do-----I'll bet that is making Himmler smile way down below.

Sorry Pal, but not this time. If we are thinking of signing Choo, I say just resign Ells if he is going to cost near the same money. First of all Jacoby is a helluva lot better CF than Choo is, he is certainly a hell of lot faster, and he is more of an offensive threat all things considered. Besides, we know he can handle the Boston pressure. Do we know this for a fact with Choo? We most certainly don't. He's played in Cleveland and Cincinnati, certainly not hotbeds of impatient and demanding fans, that is, when they can get enough fans from time to time to fill their respective stadiums.

Mark, there was an excellent missive on one of the Dugout Blogs today about the Red Sox mega trade of August, 2012, and the idea was that teams might be copying what the Sox did with the money they unloaded by spreading it out among signable and team players and not tie a boatload of money in four or five players, especially if they were mercenaries or complainers or malingerers like those we unloaded. It hit Crawford and Gonzales especially hard, calling the former a moaner and complainer who was proving his unfitness for the Red Sox by still complaining late THIS season about how hard and demanding playing in Boston was. What a fragile *******!!!! As for Gonzo, there is a reason he is now with his fifth team, so said the article, calling him a mercenary who thought only about is stats and showed absolutely no desire or inclination to take a leadership role in Boston. And the proof was in the pudding as he and Crawford were almost spectators leadership wise as their team went down the tubes in the NLCS. Cherington hit upon something very important last winter and if he keeps that model as his working theme he will be a very successful front office executive for a long time. As for those two other characters, they along with Josh Beckett, another dickweed, it's good riddance to bad rubbish, though truth be told, I still know how or why Josh soured so much as a player and teammate his last year or so in Boston.

Lackey helped the Red Sox win a World Series this season and his post-season performance was outstanding. Anytime a player comes to the Sox and helps them go all the way that acquisition is a success. Besides, John had some of the poorest run support for most of the regular season. If he had gotten some of the run production that Dempster or Buchholz got he most likely would have won six or seven more games. True, his first two years were disappointing but he helped us go all the way in 2013 and that evens the score in my opinion because the bottom line is winning---AND HE PLAYED A BIG PART IN OUR WS TITLE.

For a change---THANKS!!!!

Well then you have some idea about how others feel reading some of the nasty s*** you dispense. Turnabout is supposed to be fair play. At least now we all know you wouldn't dare to praise our signing of Beltran is such a thing happens.

Can't remember the guy's name right now but it wasn't the 1984 Tigers. They not only had a great closer, I think he got either the Cy Young Award or the AL MVP. Someone give me a name there. I know he had a Hispanic name.

iortiz---if we didn't have Koji closing for us we not only wouldn't have won the World Series this year, but we wouldn't have won the American League title either. In fact, we might not have even won the AL East. In fact we would have carried on our winless streak of winning zilch for six seasons in a row. He was the difference.

That's so typical of him iortiz. Some of us have gone round and round with him because he thinks he dispenses all wisdom and I'll bet he probably never played the f***ing game in his life. Our friend 700 has had tussles with him, so has Sox Sport and others. He finds what I write irritating but he isn't smart enough just to ignore it and save himself the "pain". I think he just looks to stir up s***. As you said earlier it's best not to engage him but sometimes you just have to react. He thinks Beltran shouldn't be signed with the Red Sox. We've all read those missives. Well I'll bet dollars to donuts that if we do sign him he'll be the first to agree it was a good signing.....and if he does he ought to hear it from all of us.

For the first time in decades the Red Sox had the best closer in baseball and in the end HE WAS THE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!! Anytime anyone upstages Mariano Rivera it's a very unique experience and yet this season Koji did it.

I would normally go along with what you said Ski but I'm going by what Victorino, Gomes, Napoli and Ross said the beginning of Spring Training last March. To a man they all believed they had the makings of a solid team and believed they not only could win but would. Moreover, Shane said the players came together almost immediately. Perhaps things don't happen this way very often but we all have to admit this Red Sox team was very unusual in this regard. It was a very special team. You don't go from the bowels of the outhouse to the ceiling of the penthouse very often at all and yet this Red Sox team did it. Maybe we should just look at this team as something very unique. I know of no other team that ever dominated baseball as this year's Red Sox team did after a year when they looked like cow s*** and were as dysfunctional and toxic a team imaginable.

Right NC84--- we will have to wait. Still I wonder if Mike would have tested the market if the Red Sox had offered him a three contract from he get-go? I guess we won't know until this thing is played out. I think he is a better fit for us than any other team.

Detroit sent $30 million to the Rangers as part of that deal. Think maybe Texas might get into the Cano derby? I could see them trying to do just that.

Perhaps, but Hart hasn't played in over a year and we don't how Carp would perform as a regular since he has never seen regular action in the Major Leagues. I just firmly believe that Mike Napoli is the best fit for the Red Sox, and as I've said before, I can be patient with our other needs and let time take its course but I don't think that with Napoli. I personally feel that with a full season in Red Sox Red under his belt he could have even better years for us with a new contract. The guy ate up the Yankees this past season, was a terrific clutch hitter for us in the Playoffs and was a team leader in the clubhouse as well as a good defensive first baseman. I also don't know how Hart would want to be in a platoon situation when he has never been anything but a regular in his career and he is more of an outfielder than first baseman. Still, it looks like I will just have to wait and keep my fingers crossed.

I haven't had a chance today to ask Angels fans that I know what they thought of losing Vargas to the Royals. The Halos have two strong pitchers in Weaver and Wilson but the rest of their rotation is the shits, even worse now that they lost Vargas. Of course, I could have asked my wife Linda what she thought but she is so pissed off at her team I might have got a pair of daggers looking back at me instead of an answer. Looks to me they will have to trade one or two of their players to get the pitching they need. They cannot win on the cheap with piss poor pitching in the AL West. The one thing that division does have his pitching.

In that Texas heat Fielder is going to sweat a lot of those pounds off.....that could be good for him. Besides, the ball flies out of that ballpark and Prince could hit as many as 40-45 homers next season. As for Detroit they got a guy who can lead off, gives them so much needed speed and it enables them to drop Austin Jackson down to the nine hole where he can use his speed when he gets on base, which he didn't do all that well batting leadoff. Hitting ninth is better for him because of his poor OBA. Maybe less pressure down there will help him as well. I think this trade could work for both teams.

I take the position that our once great President Reagan said many times....TRUST BUT VERIFY. Cherington did a fabulous job putting our team together for this season and he deserves all the credit in the world and those of us who doubted him must admit it (as I have on numerous occasions) and stand down. However, thi board is for expressing our opinions and I'm giving mine whether you like them or not. You have one way of looking at things and I have another. I've said it over and over.....we must not dally with Mike Napoli. We need to sign him as soon as possible and s*** on this one year contract offer. If the front office want to be deliberate on some of our other needs, then fine. Napoli, however, must be resigned in my honest opinion and the sooner the better.

Brentz was drafted when he was 21 and it does take some time to make it to the Bigs, like three or so seasons in the minors. He also got injured one season and that might have set him back, and you don't ignore a person who has the capability of being a solid corner outfielder with a good arm and good power. But you can ignore him if you sign some 37 year old greybeard with weak knees who wants a three year pact. That also blocks Brentz. Apparently the Sox think he is worth the protection and we will need some good hitting outfielders within a year or two. A lot of options out there? For first base? Who? Loney, Morales, Hart, Beltran? Come on Ski, you know damn well Napoli is the best choice for us. He knows how to play in Boston, loves playing here and we need him in that lineup. I might also mention he hits the Yankees pretty damn well. Our team also is not going on a 5-19 stretch in my opinion unless we replace those players we lost with other types who can't come together as the newcomers did for us last Spring. I also insist that Napoli is best for our team and not of the other people mentioned. Yes, I am pretty adamant about that but I'm convinced we have to sign Mike before some other team does. This is the one player we must move fast on. The rest we can wait to see how the FA market goes, but not Napoli.

Tell you what User.....you keep taking the party line. Ever heard of the old saying he who hesitates is lost? Let me be clear on this. I laud Cherington for the tremendous job he did getting the Red Sox up to speed and think he actually outstripped Epstein's best in the personnel department, but there is no reason to dally on Napoli. A three year contract is not unreasonable for a clean-up man who is a good run producer, a terrific club house man, a very dependable first baseman and a guy who loves playing in Boston. I want him on the team; we need him on the team....not Beltran and not Hart, and if you don't like my take on things I can only say to you what they say in Russia....TOUGH SHITSKY!!!!!

Cut the s*** is right. The idea of putting Beltran at first only came about because some of our friends here had too much time on their hands. The idea is idiotic!!! He has never played first base in his life and the fact he is 37 with weak knees and we don't need another greybeard on our team. We have a couple as it is and that's enough. Now that the Rangers have traded for Prince Fielder they have no need for Napoli unless they want to make him their DH. User as usual is playing his routine game of taking the party line and disagreeing with everything anyone says that smacks of disagreement with the front office. Napoli we need; Beltran we don't and I'd rather have him than Hart as well since that guy is coming off a year on the sidelines. Just because things are moving slowly doesn't mean we have to follow suit. Besides, some signings and trades have already happened, and Napoli is still hanging around Boston. How much more does Cherington need to know that Mike wants to stay in Boston. He is 32 and has three or four more productive years ahead of him. Just sign him and then fix the other problems as they are needed, but Napoli is a must. T hat is my opinion and I don't give a s*** if USER finds that offensive or not. I don't follow the party line.

"KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THE YANKS"!!!!!!!! You know my friend, I really now hate hearing that phrase. It harks back to the time that we were always smelling the Yankees butt. Well s***, we have won three titles the last ten seasons, the Yankees one, and we are a lot better team than they are. The Curse is Dead, buried and screw the Yankees. We should let them worry about keeping players away from us. Is this still the mindset in RSN? I say f*** that !!!!!!! We should go get the players or resign the players who will help us win and not give a hoot in hell about who the Yankees sign. At long last SoxSport that mindset has to end and it's way overdue.

Due diligence my ass. Just sign Napoli and give him a three year contract before we lose him and replace him with a lesser player both on the field and in the clubhouse. Personally I think Cherington may be playing with fire here. There are other teams interested in Mike and if he is lost it means we have let all four of our FA flee Boston. What do we replace them with. You think we will as lucky this coming round putting he right mix together once again? Some of the names I've mentioned as possible replacements tell me that answer is HELL NO!!!!!!! Just resign Napoli.!!!!!

Not to mention whether he would be a positive addition in the clubhouse or not. Nothing I've read about the guy tells me he is a leader of that type or any type at all. Yes, he does have talent but so does Bryce Brentz down on the farm, a power hitter and a strong armed outfielder. I don't want him blocked. I also fear that if we let all our FA leave we may replace them with types that do not fit the Red Sox mold. We've come too far too fast to suddenly reverse course and get a bunch of Crawford and Gonzales and Beckett types in our clubhouse again.