seabeachfred

OTOH Sox Sport, we can ill afford to slam a brick wall on the chemistry of this year's team by letting all the FA walk and replacing them with types that don't fit into the Red Sox mold, and from some of the players I've heard mentioned they don't fit the Red Sox mold at all. We have to be very careful who we let walk and who se sign in their place. Good team spirit and chemistry is a very fragile commodity and you only have to look at 2011 and 2012, compare it with this season and see for yourself.

I read a blog today where Cano's agent had a big pow-wow with the Mets----who most certainly need at least another big bat in their lineup and now have the money to spend. If the Mets had guts enough they could run up the score to at least drive the Yankees price higher or outbid them and get Cano for themselves. It would really set that New York rivalry on its head. Alas, it's the Mets and when it comes to in fighting they have all the guts of a chocolate éclair.

BEL---I think when it comes to Ells hope springs eternal with the Jacoby Marching and Chowder Society. They not only want him back as most of the rest of us do but they honesty believe there's a decent chance of him returning. I hope they're right but I know in my bones they are not. Two teams will get in the bidding and it will go to the stratosphere and far enough out there that the Red Sox will just thrown in their cards.

The problem is getting some team to take over Dempster's contract for next season and it isn't going to be easy. I think we will have to eat some of that from the look of things and be grateful for any savings we can get as we try to send Ryan back to the NL.

And Obama sucks more. He's a total incompetent who has screwed up the whole medical system with his Obamacare---which is going to go down in flames along with a bunch of his fellow Democrats next year. And I like George W. a hell of a lot more than I do your guy Oby. And, yes, I am a Republican and a proud one. Now let's get back to baseball. I'm sure mvp didn't mean for this to get out of hand.

We must not be talking about the same Harvard. To me that was one of the elite universities in the country. When a classmate of mine Jack Shershow was accepted there and graduated from there I was envious as hell. He became a surgeon in New York. I became a teacher and coach but I would have given anything to have had the ability to get into Harvard. Why you hold it in such low esteem is beyond me.

Kudos to your granddad! HAAAVVIIIDDD is quite a place. Truth be told, I always wished I could have gone there.

And maybe the Phillies fans are no smarter than GM Amaro Jr. for signing Ruiz to that contract. What they should want is the reassembling of the 2008 team. That was the one that won it all.

So do the young men and women at Cal Tech. Can't help myself.....I'm very provincial

If I didn't know better Pal I really think there is a good chance Cano leaves the Yankees. Is that right? I can't for the life of me see that. To me the chances of the Braves moving back to Boston or the Dodgers back to Brooklyn seem more possible than that. The Yankees would be denuded of much of their hitting if Robby left. I just don't see it.

Well I'm glad that's over with. Frankly, I didn't want a 35 year old catcher alternating with another mid 30's catcher and both RH hitters doing the receiving for us next season, but I suppose we have to now keep our eyes on another grey beard who might make our front office tempted to sign him--Pierzynski. If it comes down to that, one year and a mutual option and no more. Do you think that now we might tender Salty a two year contract with an option third season?

That's your opinion of him as catcher. He has a better arm than Salty and calls a good game according to his minor league mentors. I say they're reluctant to give him a chance because they haven't up to now. Yes, his receiving could use some work but he is a hard worker and as an IVY League graduate as well as a fellow Californian, he is astute enough to learn well enough to be able to help the team. Then there is that power he possesses and certainly that could make up for all that lack of defense you keep harping on. Then, again, that's your opinion.

The Cano thing could put a crimp in their plans because they have to sign him--that's a fact!!!!! If they don't they lose their best player and there is no one out there that can replace him on the FA market. They would have to trade for a slugger, say like Stanton, but they don't have s*** to trade for him, their farm system being in the outhouse. Then there's A-Fraud. I can't see how he could wiggle away from a suspension when others got them and took them. But there's a good chance the sentence could be reduced. I think the Yankees want to get that problem resolved faster than anyone else while I would like to see it drag out so they don't have a clue which way to go. Still every time we win like 2004 and 2007 they go on a spending binge. I would still keep my eye on those creeps.

I don't think he'd accept that either Doj. He has no incentive to share any risk whatsoever. In his position it is a seller's market and from other team's it's a buyer's one as long as the buyer is willing to fork over a lot of money for his services. If the Red Sox were the only team interested it might work but not with a few other teams willing to throw money at him. BTW, any rumors out there of any particular team willing to take the lead and sign him?

Dupree, it is good to see you and a couple of others like my pal Ted see the Yankees for what they are.....a pack of slithering lying bastards laying in wait and then like the snakes they are leap up and snag another one of our players. They did it with Damon after lying through their friggin' teeth that they had no interest, then three years later waiting in the weeds for us to keep offering Teixeira more money and more money and then leaping in with a bigger offer of their own. Again, before than they hadn't said they had any interest in Mark. Just keep your eyes on the Yankees. This is their typical sneaky MO, and I don't give a rat's ass about what the threshold is on the team salary cap because the Yankees want to win and will gladly pay the millions in penalties to get themselves back in contention. Remember, their team in old, crippled and their farm system isn't worth a pitcher of spit. Don't take your eyes off those bastards at all.

No!!!! No seven year contract!!! But I would try for a five year one to keep him in Red Sox RED. I happen to be in the minority on one thing on this board and that happens to be what goes with JBjr. I still have some reservations about his being able to hit Major League pitching consistently. Those who come to me with that "small sample" business might have a point but his hitting was weak to the max while here. If he tanks next season there might be some real recriminations about losing Ellsbury. Besides, Ells is a better all around player than Bradley, has more speed and more power. He also knows how to play and thrive in Boston and most of us know that many players (CC for a glaring example) cannot handle the Boston fan and media pressure. Having said that I have also said that one or two teams are going to offer Jacoby a CC type contract because teams seem to be loaded with money nowadays. That most likely means we have to root like hell for Jackie and I have to hope my fears about his hitting or lack of same is completely wrong.

Still I'd like to get him signed and sealed so our infield is settled right away. Then we can worry about catcher and relief pitching and whether we need another outfielder.

This off season is flying by Ted but so far there has been little action on the free agent front. My guess is that players are parrying around with their agents trying to ascertain just how sincere some of the offers they have received or will receive are. I take it you're heading down to Fort Myers again. I was there in 2006 and 2007 and even met VA Fan down there the latter year. I might make such trip again some year hopefully but right now I am aiming at the Opening Home Series next April. I go to that one quite often, and. besides, I love when they bring that WS Title flag down on the Green Monster. It really gets my blood roiling. I'm with you on Lavarnway. I just don't understand why Farrell is reluctant to give that guy a chance. He had power and a good arm and while his defense is only average he has gotten better the past two seasons in that regard. I mean Salty wasn't a whiz defensively either and yet he got better and kept his job. I do not want to go outside and get someone for two years who may block a good young catcher-hitter like Blake Swihart, nor any other young player who may be ready to play for us.

Mark, please tell me why the Red Sox would even be interested in getting in the bidding for this guy. I know he was 24-0 in the Japanese League but that league isn't the Major Leagues and his high pitch count makes me wonder if a red flag shouldn't be flying. Besides, hasn't the front office made it clear that they are not going to go through this bidding nonsense again, nor these humongous long term contracts? I would have thought the Crawford caper ended that for at least a few years. In fact, I really don't think the Red Sox have to do nearly as much as last year to get up to snuff for 2014. Sign Napoli, get Salty back if we can and perhaps a couple of relievers. The AL East will be wide open again but if we play our cards right we should be right in the heart of it. What say you?

After a miserable season in Double AA, Travis Shaw has had a knockout season in the tough Arizona Fall League. Maybe he is on his way to finally living up to what he was signed for. However, I still think it comes back to signing Napoli. I think once we resign him our team will set enough to make a run for a title of some kind next season. As for catcher, I'm still holding out that Jarrod comes back. I think that his meltdown in the 3rd game of the WS shadowed the defensive progress he has made the past couple of seasons defensively---and I still think Lavarnway is worth a serious look if we lose Salty.

Whether you know anything or not is beside the point, but I don't have to pretend to be a scout. I'm not one; I have done scouting as I've reiterated to you many times. Besides I was GIVING MY OPINION of what I thought of the catching situation and in my opinion we don't need to go out and sign someone when we have in-house candidates like Lavarnway. I know you and others like mvp don't think all that much of him and that's fine, but I happen to and think he is worth a shot. Guys with that kind of power potential should be given a look, and, besides, I hear he has worked a little at first base as well. Who knows about whether he could work out there for us or not. As for the World Series win I am still floating on air and finished my 2013 ensemble of players and news headlines in my room. I am totally and completely out of my head for what our team did despite what you may think. As for the upcoming flesh market I want to make sure we sign those players who fit in and can help us but by no means are signed to contracts that will block any of our young prospects---Bradley, Cecchini, Brentz, Swihart, Vasquez, or any of the young pitchers like Renaudo or Owens. Now back to baseball if you please.

Some team will offer Ellsbury the moon and he will be a far gone as barf in a breeze. He wants the money, Boras wants the money, and whoever is willing to sign him has the money. We have it too but we're not going to fork over that kind of cash for him when apparently the Red Sox have decided to go with Jackie Bradley Jr. in CF next season. I have an old straw hat in the garage that's made out of saltine cookies, and it is now very crumbly looking and stale; have had it for five years. I promise I will try eating it if Ells signs with us. Won't happen.

Speak for yourself User!!!!! I take it you haven't much in the way of baseball playing experience and you sure as hell don 't have any in scouting whatsoever. I do!!!!! I scouted for scouts!!!!! So I know a little about judging talent and for your damn record ( I think for the third time) I had three chance to become a full time scout which I rejected because I didn't want to travel all the hell around my section of the state seeing parts of three or four games a day and then writing long and tedious reports and I don't give a s*** if you believe that or not. Point is, I consider myself a fair judge of talent and IT IS MY OPINION that Lavarnway would be more than adequate as a catcher for us, as good as Salty if we don't sign him, and, what's more, he would be a threat to hit between 25-30 homers for us. As for this statistical analysis you keep harping on, it doesn't come from that at all. One of the sticking points of conflict between Lucchino and Epstein when he was with us was the difference each had over how ready a player was for the Red Sox, and let me remind you (again) was that in both Pedroia's and Ellsbury's cases it was Theo who said they were ready and Lucchino who said "more seasoning" and not any damn statistical analysis. And for the further record, I know two Red Sox scouts where I live very well and both corroborated what I've just told you (probably for the third or fourth time). You seem very ready to criticize what others say as if you're some damn know it all and if you want to say the scouts know more than you do that's fine but don't tell that to me because I've done that kind of work. You might also know that it gets tedious hearing you pan iortiz, Dojii and Sox Sport like you're the dispenser of all worldy knowledge. You're not.

I agree with that Dojii. There must be no blocking of our young talented prospects. If we've guessed wrong with some of them we will be guessing right with some as well. If our minor league system is as good as reported there is no reason to keep people like Lavarnway, Vazquez and Butler chained down in either Pawtucket or Portland-----and there must be a clear path for Blake Swihart to take over as our regular catcher as soon as he is ready instead of this more "damn seasoning" that we always hear Lucchino muttering about. I've said if before, if we lose Salty I would like to see Ryan get a shot. He is capable of hitting 25-30 homers and his defense has improved over the past couple of years and could favorably compare with that of Jarrod. It's only my opinion but if we let this guy go he will go elsewhere and become a very solid player and strong power hitter. Give the guy a chance. We don't need any 35 year old greybeard holding up the progress of any of our "kids". Besides, the Phillies no longer want him. Isn't that some type of hint or red flag right there?