seabeachfred

Well until we won our first WS in eons we didn't exactly wow baseball with our deep farm system but I will give full credit to Epstein for building it up and giving us some good talent in the years going forward until for some reason things started to dry up around 2009. That 2004 team had only one home grown player in the lineup (Nixon) and the 2007 team had Pedroia and Youk but no one else and that included most of the pitchers. We can twist and turn these facts around to make either one of us look good, but that's no longer an interest to me. Suffice to say that looking at it from circa 2013 I want to see people like Bradley and Bogaerts get their chances next year and Cecchini, Brentz, Swihart, Renaudo, Owens and others get their when they're ready. s*** on those big free agent signings. I think we are going to make some changes this off season and we should but we must try to keep as many of the key players from this season in our livery. This year's team was not only good but they were a real team and that is what worries me a little....we may be hasty in kissing a lot of them off. Napoli, for instance, and maybe even Satalamacchia, though you may disagree with the latter. Let's now move on.

We're on the same page with that jung. Beltran wants a three or four year contract and for us to go along with that would be nuts, especially since his speed is practically gone and his range along with it. He still can hit but we need a first baseman, not another outfielder. I'm not completely sold on Bradley but the Red Sox say they are and they know more about him than I do. If so give the kid the shot. Besides, don't we have Brentz close to being ready down in Triple AAA?

Your memory is a little mushy. That first month Alex Cora was getting a lot of play at second base, and Ellsbury WAS ready. He was hitting 352 down on the farm but both Epstein and Francona wanted to give Crisp more time to come around, which he didn't. And only when Ramirez got hurt with his oblique did they then bring Jacoby up. Timeshare in 2008? What kind of ******** are you dispensing User. He was coming off a terrific September and World Series and the problem was Epstein wouldn't trade Crisp because he thought he could get more for him than what was offered. You had better get off your ass and start researching 2008 a little more carefully before coming out with this timeshare crap. As it was, Crisp didn't do much in 2008 either. It was only when Jacoby faltered in the 2008 ALDS after a great first game that Crisp got back in the lineup---and by then Epstein was determined to get whatever he could from Coco, who went to Kansas City, sucked and lost his job to Mitch Maier. As for that plethora of home grown players you keep harping on, it was your own words that said they came up in 2007 when only Buchholz and Ellsbury. The rest came up earlier, some as early as 2005. Get your facts straight and stop acting like a God damn know it all.

And personally I think that would be a major mistake. First of all Napoli is a great fit for Boston, has produced here and wants to stay here. He is also a good defensive first baseman. Beltran is an outfielder with declining speed and range and is almost six year older than Napoli. We would become weaker in two positions...right field and first base. I think the Red Sox had better think very hard on this one. Beltran is a talented ballplayer but he wants a three or four year contract and being 38 next season that is insane. There is no reason to think that he would be a positive influence in the clubhouse as Mike has been since he's been a gun slinger for hire the past few seasons going from one team to the other. Cherington should know by now that we need Napoli and he deserves a nice new three year contract.

Do you really believe that BSN? I wish it were true and we had a chance to get Jacoby back wearing Red Sox RED, but he has given no indication that I know of that he wants to stay in Boston. Hell, he stiffed the writers after the ceremony when he told them to wait for him to come back out when he went into the clubhouse for something. He went into the clubhouse to take another exit out of the place and before long he was on a plane out of town. Doesn't sound like someone who is going to be back even though I wish he was.

Correct me if I'm wrong Pal but he doesn't seem a perfect fit for us.

Massive amount? You mean Pedroia, who many people wanted sent down again and a trade made for Ronnie Belliard? Remember that? I do. Or Jacoby Ellsbury who wasn't brought up until the summer and still was on the bench for the weak hitting Crisp until Manny got hurt and he got his chance? That guy? Where's the rest of the massive bunch who came up. Wasn't Tek, or Mikey or Lugo or Youk. It wasn't Manny or JD or Beckett or Lester. It wasn't Wakefield or Schilling or our reserve catcher whose name escapes me. And certainly you aren't suggesting that Dice K was "home grown" are you? OK. There was Clay Buchholz brought up late that season but three players doesn't translate into "massive" and both Clay and Jacoby was on the bench until one player got hurt and an emergency pitcher was needed. The 2007 team was my favorite Red Sox club so as you can see I know that team pretty damn well. My main theme was that we need to make room for players who are ready to take over and we didn't do that for the years after 2007.

Webster maybe; RDLR? I don't think so. But we will have to see on that. I will say this out loud. I hope I'm wrong about those two and if I am I will admit it.

Fair enough User but add me to the droners. I want Napoli back and very badly.

We'll have to wait on that one mvp. In a short try with the Red Sox this season he hit close to 300 and his defense was not bad at all. If he washes out I'll be the first to let you know and give you kudos, but if he succeeds elsewhere which I think he will you will also hear from me. Fair enough?

It is not retarded and it is well said. Stupid contracts do block young players. It kept Kalish in the minors for an over-the-hill injury prone JD Drew and it cost us a good young player. Crisp held back Ellsbury in 2008 despite Jacoby's stellar 2007 season when he was called up. That matter wasn't resolved until Coco was traded to KC after the 2008 season, so Jacoby was also temporarily blocked. And right now a couple of young pitchers might be blocked because of people like Dempster and Bailey are still around. Stupid contracts do lead to players being blocked and I would like to see both items become a thing of the past from here on in.

Typing error mvp. I meant Repko. Thanks for the correction.

I know you enjoy getting on Sox Sports case but don't get ridiculous about Dempster. He is excess filling and we need to send him packing if for no other reason is that he is meat to the American League hitters, not to mention that he IS blocking a younger pitcher from getting a chance with the Red Sox.

As I said Mark, I have some real doubts about Webster but he does has an upside and to see him succeed would be nice if for no other reason but to rub the Dodgers' noses in the dirt. I hope those other guys are right about him though.

Well said SoxSport. We don't need any more greybeards. We've never had much success with those types. Give these kids a chance to play and it will pay off big IMHO over the next decade. No good young player for us should be blocked any more.

So would I Ted. I've predicted all along that these two aren't going to make much of an impact. Both throw straight fast balls and both get hit hard. That won't change in my opinion. Besides, they came from the Dodgers, overhyped as all their "prospect suspects" are. Now Owens and Renaudo are a different kettle of fish.

I wouldn't worry about Beckett. I think he is still looking for that rat he said turned him in for the crud he was.

Right Mark----and stay away from the greybeards and hanger-ons. We went through that the past few years with Casey, Cameron, Hermida, Jenks, Gathright and Valencia just to name a few. We can get younger and better and it is time to start putting some of our talented youth in the lineup and letting them play. If they are a good as the Red Sox front office thinks they are we should be in very good shape. And we still have our leaders as you say so long as Napoli is resigned as well.

Don't think that will happen Spitball. I believe the Red Sox have learned their lesson in that regard, and since our farm system is booming we could get a lot of home grown players in the next year or two......Brentz, Cecchini, Swihart, Owens, Renaudo, Bradley, Barnes and so on. I would take a chance with Ellsbury but I don't think the Red Sox will.

You should have heard me then. Of course both of them were released and both were after they were pasted by the Yankees in the opener of two successive series in August of that year. Maybe you remember; we lost seven of those eight games and in each opener we had Josh Beckett (having a good year) and Jon Lester (also having a good year) ready at full rest to pitch in those openers instead. BTW, we scored seven in that first game and nine in the next opener. With our best pitchers in there we would have won those games. Might have made a difference in the AL East race. I still get a little mad thinking of those series.

Well that duet of Smelltz and Pennyless of 2009 were sure fire whizzes, weren't they?

If the Red Sox are convinced that Jackie Bradley is ready to take over CF then put him there and don't sign any Chris Young or any other CF who will put undue pressure on JBjr. If he doesn't work out we can move Victorino to CF and still have Gomes and Nava to fill our outfield spots. It worked very well this season and will work well next. Bradley must be given free reign if they are handing over CF to him. If the Sox are leery of him it's another matter and maybe they will have expend some serious cash to keep Ellsbury in Red Sox crimson.

It would have to be a really strange set of circumstances if Ellsbury returned to Boston. I wish Pedroia all the luck in the world trying to talk some common sense to Jacoby, but with Boras as an agent and the fact that Ells has already tasted total victory twice in his career his tunnel vision is geared toward the biggest payday he can get. I'd love to have him back. I will not get my wish.

It's a matter of ego and stubbornness BEL. You asked it yourself---why would NL fans want to see a pitcher strike out 90% of the time, and I know from visual experience how a pitcher running the bases.......San Francisco, June, 2010, Clay Buchholz trying to break up a double play, hurts his leg, taken out of game in the second inning and lost for a month. No thanks. The NL should get with the program. No one goes to a game to see a manager in action; they go to watch some exciting baseball and pitchers hitting ain't it---if you'll pardon the slang.

Hey Jung, it might be enlightening to find out just how much money the Red Sox have available or will make available for team improvements for 2014. How much money is coming off the books; how close are we to the luxury tax threshold. To me it's fun talking who we can get and how they would look on our team but if reality will set in for just a spell we also have to ask where is the money coming from for those who want McCann or Tanaka or some other high prized FA. That is something none of us know right now so all we can do is speculate. I think we are not going to go after either Tanaka nor McCann.