a700hitter

That was unnecessary. I am of the opinion that when you put together a winner you keep the core together and do your maintenance on the periphery. You ride it out with the core for at least one or two years to see if they have another championship run or two in them. If you are going to replace parts of the core, you make sure that you upgrade at those positions. The Sox let Pedro and Lowe go and they didn't replace them with upgrades, and they let the pitching slip by trying to get by with low-cost high-risk choices like Matt Mantei and Wade Miller. This year they are going to take the field with a big downgrade in CF. If they were prepared to let him go, they should have had a contingency plan, which they clearly don't. When you have an all-time great like Pedro, you keep him. You don't make a foolish bet on whether he has 2, 3 or 4 years left in his arm. Even if he only has two good years left, how are you going to replace an all-time great for those two years. The moves since 2004 were an unneccessary dismantling of that team. You can contrast their actions with the actions of the White Sox front office that moved quickly to keep Konerko (who is overpaid) and Garland and they built on their weaknesses by bringing in Thome (with a high price tag and near the end of his career) and Vasquez. They were willing to sacrifice Rowand-- a good cheap, young player, but in his best hitting days he would be a mediocre compared to a stud hitter like Thome. The White Sox are doing it the right way if they want to repeat. Maybe the Red Sox made the smart business choices for their bottom line, but I don't care about their bottom line. I am a fan. I like to see the best team they can put out on the field. I am not their GM or Controller ( and neither are you), so I don't care about their financial statement.

DaVannon? Yuk!

You are not upset because you have youth on your side. After waiting 38 years, I am really irritated that they didn't play out their hand with Pedro and Damon. The Pedro situation really bothers me, because I think there is a very strong argument that he is the best pitcher to toe the rubber in ML History. I think the core of the 2004 team could have won 1 or 2 more championships.

You are entitled to your opinion, and maybe you are right, but the most distressing part of your post is the following statement: "the red sox are not a championship caliber club right now." With the rebuilt pitching, they would have been a championship caliber team if they had kept Damon. Letting him go was a major mistake, because championship caliber teams don't come along that often. The future holds no guarantees no matter how stocked you are with prospects. I am very upset that the FO let this opportunity go.

Give it up. Reed is a no one, and Griffey is a great of the game that had a pretty good year last year-- a year that Reed could only dream about. In a flat out foot race, Junior is probably still faster than Reed. Good teams go with talent. Also rans pin their hopes on potential.

They are cheaper salary-wise, but will cost more in prospects. If you want to preserve the future, Griffey is the way to go. We can probably get him for Clement and taking the remaider of Griffey's contract. In a year or two when the Minor League crop is ready Griffey can move to a corner after Ramirez is finally traded.

Tell me who, and please don't say Reed.

Y are you paying him?

and Reed is a gamble that he will never amount to being as good as Darren Lewis. I'll take my chances with Griffey. I'll always side with the talent.

He's better than what we've got now.

I'd take the year Griffey had last year.

I think you are right, but my brethren go crazy at the suggestion.

Have you seen him play in person or just on TV? He's still something to see -- a premier talent. It would be a thrill for Sox fans. Reed is a marginal talent.

I think Jr. has something left in the tank, and he is one the top talents in the history of the game. At 50% he is better than most players. Reed yet to prove that he belongs at the ML level. He could be out of baseball and forgotten in 3 or 4 years.

If the D-Rays carry two catchers, they only have room for 9 pitchers with their current roster. At least 2 guys have to go or be sent to the minors.

In the years that Griffey misses 130 games, he still hits more homers than Reed in a full year.

ARod is going to maintain his neutrality. I heard that he will be playing for Switzerland.

They might drop their price. They are loaded up with infielders and outfielders. They have to move someone to get some pitching. Infielders Sean Burroughs Jorge Cantu Nick Green Travis Lee Julio Lugo B.J. Upton Ty Wigginton Outfielders Rocco Baldelli Carl Crawford Joey Gathright Jonny Gomes Damon Hollins Aubrey Huff Delmon Young

I like Graffy. I think his versatility should allow him to get a fair amount of playing time, if they keep him. As for Lugo, I am not crazy about his D, but if they could get him cheap, I think they should go for it.

I think you are right.

Late inning infield defense is just not as high a priority as SS, CF or a 4th OF to platoon with Nixon. This move is just a yawn. If they get a SS, they have Cora for infield defense. Does this move mean that Cora will be the starting SS? I hope not.

I don't doubt that Damon would have left, but we can never know for sure. One thing we do know is that without Theo, the FO looked like keystone cops during the Damon episode. It was not confidence inspiring.

They still need a RH OF.

I'd rather have an old Griffey for 2 years than Reed for 4 years. Griffey is an all-time great, with more talent in his old body than Reed would have if he could clone himself.

I don't get this move. They need a RH hitter to sub for Nixon against tough lefties. All this move does is make it likely that Graffy will be moved or released.