a700hitter

I like the idea too, but the market for Madson would have to almost evaporate for it to come to the point where he takes a 1 year deal. As for the notion of him converting to a starter, I have been wondering about his ability to be a starter. I think he did some spot starting for the Phillies in past years. However, the Sox can't have 3 relievers stretching out preparing to be starters at Spring Training... can they?

I have never said that I know nothing about the Sox farm system or that I don't follow the development of our prospects. I do follow them, and I have been doing it for longer than you have. It was much more difficult in the pre-internet days. You said that I intended to be obnoxious. :thumbdown Your rationalization is as you would say weak sauce. You meant it as an insult, and I took it as you intended. You think you are clever and you try to go right up to the line without going over it. That is your usual MO. You are very good at it, but this time you went over the line. I called foul and you are whining. Keep whining. I'm going to the foul line for my free throws.

I have never said that I don't follow the Sox farm system. I may not follow it as close as some like Doji. I don't crunch their numbers, but I have always known when we have hot prospects in the system and I know who they are. I just put little stock in "hot prospects", because through 45 years of fandom, more of the "hot prospects" have turned out to be luke warm.

Quoting one poster's post that states that i know nothing about the Sox system and then your adding that my contributions to the thread were "intended to be obnoxious" is an offensive personal attack. If you didn't mean it to be insulting and I am mistaken about that, please enlighten me as to the intent of your comment. Was it meant to be instructive for me? What useful purpose were you aiming for with that commentary? If it wasn't meant to be insulting, then please explain.

As the post season passes, the options become less and less and it makes people nervous. These FA players and trade targets that are coming off the board might never have been in the Sox plan, but as fans, we have considered them to be options. As they go to other teams, the anxiety level of the fans rises. They may do something that none of us had thought about. I do think that there is the danger of passing on too many of the available options and being left with inadequate options. They can't expect that any of the solutions will be cheap. If that is what they are aiming for, they are mistaken. The market is very high for pitching this off season. What is the old saying, don't make the perfect the enemy of the good. They might not be able to get the value acquisitions they were hoping to get. They may have to pay market price to fill their holes. I think the goal of getting good players below value is either naive or arrogant. Everyone likes to get a good value. If there is an undervalued player available, there are 29 other GMs that would be interested. The other 29 teams have smart people too. In the end, we have to be hopeful and wait to see what happens. This team doesn't need a lot, but they do need to make a few moves. Right now, our minds are all racing with possibilities both good and bad. I like to discuss these possibilities, but others get bent out of shape about it.

If he called out players in September, but he did it in house and not in the media, then how would we know about it?:dunno:

You have always provided perspective.

No, you derailed the thread into the tangent about the Johan Santana non-trade. My remark to E1 characterizing something in his post as "obnoxious" was between he and I. We addressed it and moved on. If it had bothered you, you could have responded directly to my post, but instead you chose to tag your comments onto a post by Dutchy where he disparages my knowledge, and you went onto say that my contributions to the thread were intended to be obnoxious. I'm not playing any victim here. You are just plain wrong. I made a comment in this thread about the state of our farm system which is the subject matter of the thread. That's not sniping. Saying that someone's contributions to a thread are intended to be obnoxious is sniping and petty. But feel free to rationalize further. Your benign intentions are clear to all.:rolleyes:

I don't always agree with you, but you never confuse me.

There many times when this is not true. Some teams that make the playoffs are not very close to the caliber needed to champions. I'm not saying that will be the case with the Red Sox in 2012. If the few holes get plugged, they could be very good.

I agree with you that this team is a few tweaks from a very good club. I've been saying it all along. There are a few holes that need tending to, but nothing major. But do we need to call people "f***ING CRAZY". You are always talking about the FO takes a measured and considerate approach to making moves and you talk about subtleties, but you call someone who disagrees with you f***ING CRAZY? We can just debate the issues without this. Let me reiterate, I agree with you on this issue. I disagree with Pumpsie, but come on.

My biggest concern for the 2012 team that could knock the Sox out of contention very quickly is whether Buchholz has any recurrence of his back issues.

He had good command of his pitches, but no major pitches. If he had continued his development without the interruption for injury, he probably would have been a back of the rotation guy for some team by this point. He is a depth option for 2012.

I think the 2012 team is only a couple of moves from being a highly competitive team. They need one solid #4 starter so they can put Bard in the closer role. They need to get a good RH OF with good splits against lefties-- maybe Cody Ross. Plus get one more bullpen pitcher-- possibly Wheeler. That would be a very strong team. I wouldn't write them off.

What is the ETA at the MLB level for the Betances and Banuelos?

The difference being that the discussion about Hazelbaker was a discussion about a baseball player and his ability. Your discussion with a formerly banned poster was about me. It had nothing to do with baseball. :thumbdown Unfortunately, through other posters quotes, I get to see that the formerly banned poster keeps taking potshots at me despite the fact that he knows I have him on ignore and I will not engage him. He is a cowardly internet bully.

Who would you prefer to target with Youkilis? I wouldn't limit the Youk for Santana trade as an even up trade. maybe we could get a pretty good prospect in the deal along with Santana.

I could see a possibility of getting David Wright from the Mets for a hefty package of prospects and then swapping Youk for Santana (an even salary swap). Wright and Santana are both only 28 years old.