a700hitter

Hopefully, this week's Winter Meetings will provide some interesting moves for us to discuss. So far this off season has been a major downer. When the biggest highlight is hiring a new manager, it's a sucky off season.

Hopefully he can't clear customs and re-enter the U.S.

I should take up golf this baseball season.

Damn!! That is some scary stuff. I remember when it happened, but I don't know if we got all those details. What were you doing there? Were you serving in the military?

I don't think that I will enjoy fighting Toronto for third place.

Totally agree. If Papelbon had stayed, we would still have benefited from Bard's great numbers in a role that he was comfortable in.

Good luck. I'm not saying it is impossible, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Like we have to live with no papelbon, I think we will have to live with Beckett reporting to Ft. Myers in or out of shape.

Yes the ship has sailed, but we need a new ship, either in the 8th inning or the 9th inning. I'm not seeing anything that is available that isn't going to make me pine for Bard/Papelbon in the 8th and 9th. Edit: Moving on from a player with some plan to regain what has been lost or to get better is something I like to see, but I am not seeing the possibility for improvement as a result here, not even the possibility for being as good as we were before.

Nothing involving tourists on East Baltimore Street. Like I said, I wouldn't walk around the neighborhood or hang on the street corners. I get in a cab that drives me to E. Baltimore Street and I take a cab back to my hotel. I don't hang with the homies on the corners and I don't wander off E. Baltimore street. I go there a couple of times every year. Do you?

I am okay with everything up to this point, with the exception of being able to get anything of any value for Lars. He should have been traded 3 years ago when he had value. It's the next quote where you lose me: What would you want to get for Beckett that you think would improve the 2012 team?

Tell me who is a FA who is better than Papelbon. Give me any name on any roster that is better than Papelbon who can be obtained without giving up a king's ransom in prospects. People who view Bard as Papelbon's replacement are making a huge mistake. Bard may be a great closer, and I think will be very good, maybe even as good or better than Papelbon. He is not Papelbon's replacement, because we already had Bard. Moving Bard to closer doesn't fill the closer's spot. It opens up a huge hole in the 7th/8th inning spot.

What could they want to get that would make them better in 2012. You haven't said. I am not asking you what is available. I hate that question, because none of us could possibly know the answer. What do you think they would want to get in return for Beckett that would improve the team in 2012? I really don't see the possibility. Losing Papelbon is not irrelelvant, because it is much harder to replace multiple major pieces than 1 major piece without delving into the FA market.

Going into Spring Training 2011, many thought that the Sox were the team to beat. They are essentially the same team without Lackey and Dice K, which I view as addition by subtraction. Going into this off season, it could be argued that the Sox were 1 or 2 moves from returning to prominence. Losing Papelbon was a big step back in that regard. Obviously, the huge financial mess left by Theo's spending left the Sox in a position where they couldn't re-sign Papelbon and make those 1 or 2 moves to get back on top.

No, I don't think I am mistaking anything. Even if the Sox swap Beckett for a young veteran RF to fill the RF spot for the next 4 or 5 seasons, it would leave the Sox with 3 starting rotation spots to fill and a bullpen to rebuild. That's a 4th place team. If instead they get a premium bullpen arm and a 5th starter for Beckett, they are still short 2 starters (1 being a top of rotation guy) and they still need to significantly rebuild the bullpen. Again IMO, that equates to a 4th place team. We are not going to get a better starter than Beckett in a trade for Beckett, so in every scenario we need to replace a top of rotation guy. Unless the Sox are prepared to go hog wild in the FA market, IMO if you lose Beckett and Papelbon in the same season, you will be fighting for 3rd place at best. What scenario can you envision where Beckett gets traded and Papelbon leaves and we are a playoff caliber team?

If that is the case and they do get rid of Beckett in the same year that they lose Papelbon and they need a 4th and 5th starter too, we are looking at a 4th place finish in 2012. I don't think they would bring Valentine into losing circumstances like that.

The only factor the Sox were considering was $. They knew what he could and did get, an they weren't willing to pay it.

:lol:I see that you are familiar with the area. A close friend of mine is familiar with the cops there. I don't doubt that some drug pushers, club owners and strippers don't show up dead every once in a while, but no tourists get hurt. The precinct is at the end of the block. If tourists started becoming victims of anything other than STD's they would shut the place down. I have heard from very reliable sources that the cops get freebies when they are off duty. The cops have contained the sleaze, but they are not going to let tourists get victimized. When the Yankees are in town, those places are full of Yankee fans and Red Sox fans fill the places when the Sox are in town. The sleazy establishment owners know that hurting tourist would be bad for business and their survival. BTW: I've been going there before Flyntt opened his club. I won't go in there. It is too commercial, too upscale and not seedy enough for my tastes. East Baltimore Street is not for the feint of heart, but it you go there wearing a Red Sox hat when the Sox are in town, nothing bad will happen to you unless you request it and pay for it.

I agree. There is an excellent chance that he never throws another pitch for the Sox.

The area around the race track is not something that I would like to stroll through.