jacksonianmarch

Salty has been good this yr. If the plan is to bring up Lavs and start him at C, you need to deal Salty while his value is high

He's gotta be in AA. There isnt even a question.

Well, right now, he isnt going anywhere. He's anchoring the best team in the AL. I am just saying that if this team was bad, he'd have to be on the table. I doubt he'd accept a trade as a 10-5 guy, but I would absolutely deal him if our team was out of it

The guy is only 22 and fell off the map last yr due to injury. I like his eye and think he could really be a huge hitter in our lineup, in this stadium. I'd be open to dealing ANY prospect for him. He'd also be the perfect guy to add to the Yankee lineup. The kind of guy who won us championships in the late 90s. Good eye, good pop, not a star, but a guy who can just flat out play. I think he could be a hell of a player for us. I just dont think the Braves are ready to unload him yet.

And Cashman would be a fool not to look for it. You have to remember here, these guys shouldnt be fans. They need to keep in mind the best interests of the baseball team. Great players get released, get traded, get signed by other clubs. Nobody really remembers that Babe Ruth played with the Braves, Reggie with the Angels, Pettitte with the Astros, etc. These guys move on, and so should the fans. Papi could bring quite a haul, and if they dont plan on having him around next yr, which I do NOT think they do, then they should deal him

It isnt a dump if you get value for them. Once again, if the show was on the other foot, I would ABSOLUTELY deal Derek Jeter if the deal would help us in the future. Ortiz is probably in his last 3 seasons as a big leaguer. If the sox are going to blow it up, then he should be dealt. As is, I think Ortiz is a goner anyway since he had a rather contentious exchange with them in the offseason and I highly doubt the sox are willing to do the arb thing again. My guess is they offer him a 1 yr deal and decline arb and watch him latch on with someone else.

Another quality start. Hell, CC is at 69 pitches through 6. He might go all the way. And today we actually hit with RISP, with Martin and Jeter getting RBI hits. And CC really has been dealing. Bourn's hit is probably the only one hit well.

And right now, Ortiz is a rental player. If the shoe was on the other foot and the Yankees were 8 games out and looking flat, I'd absolutely be looking to deal Jeter.

He shutout the sox with a lat strain. He'd probably have perfected them if healthy

It would be hard for that to work seeing as the Yankees are the best team in the AL. Right now, there is no reason to shake anything up. It isnt a completely "out there" idea for the sox to rebuild. I don't think you are understanding how baseball works these days. Guys who are producing on non-playoff teams on short contracts get dealt in season. It's reality. Welcome to it

He was hurt in July, and the warning signs were there in August. 16 walks in 32IP was a problem, but he only allowed 22 hits. In September, he was similarly wild, but the hits corrected. This yr, he hasnt been crushed, but he hasnt been sharp effectively all yr. His stuff is still good, but the focus has been poor. He'll have games where he is just mediocre and then games where he dominates, then has a 3 batter stretch that he loses focus and struggles.

a700, they have the second highest payroll in baseball and have sucked it hard this yr. What the sox didnt get was that the Yankee payroll grew as their core players grew. And they had unquestioned leaders running the clubhouse. They made their big acquisitions, but they also had the core four. Now, they are down to two, with one of them out for the season. But they brought in some high character guys like Sabathia, Martin, Granderson, Swisher, etc. Guys who have taken on leadership roles with their club. The sox seemed to chase the numbers, but brought in guys who werent central figures in their clubhouses or were the best players on fractured/s***** teams. I think the sox might end up cutting costs as well and developing some of their players. If they do that, it might mean no October baseball in 2013, but it also might mean you have a team capable of winning the title in 2014. As is, this sox team is not capable of winning a world series title. And I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that the clubhouse sucks and the team appears to not care. Olney talked about it today, saying that the clubhouse was "toxic".

I am sure you would. I have a feeling, though, that humongous expenditures arent in your team's future unless they offload some other humongous expenditures. Hence why I think Beckett needs to be dealt, or else it aint happening

Yes, you do. But you also have Ellsbury going into his final season. If you tie up all that money long term, then Ellsbury walks. Assuming no blow up, which I dont think the sox are gonna do, the sox are gonna stick it out with the team they have, resign Ortiz to a 1 yr deal and then use the Ortiz money to sign Ellsbury long term.

There is no reason why the feds should be wasting money trying to prove a point. We are in a recession and they spend millions on this trial only to have their head handed to them.

I think Youk is cooked, and keeping him around could have a negative impact on the clubhouse. Eventually, you have to cut bait. DiceK could return to some semblance of form and be useful at the deadline. You arent offering either arbitration at season's end, so if you can get ANYTHING from either of them, then it is worth it

Bauer is a top 10 prospect in the game and is ready to start right now, which is why I think he'd headline. Otherwise, I am sure you can go after some other elite talent that is further away and maybe you can get 2 of them, but with Bauer, you could stick him in the rotation today as he has just abused the high minors. 104K's in 84IP is impressive, and he has the stuff to headline a rotation. But you get my drift, deal him for something seriously substantial. The reason why I think he needs to move is the fact that he has been very mediocre since the ASB last yr and his attitude has gone into the tank. He fits into my "change of scenery" category. And if he continues to flounder and pitch like a #3, then he is gonna eventually be worth a #3. His contract and track record to this point will get a haul akin to a #1 or #2. The question is, do you cash in your chips while the stock is still high, or do you risk that he continues to be a middle of the rotation starter and see his value drop? The other guys do have some worth, and I am sure you could flip them for some guys who could be helpful in the future.

No, they dont. They signed Buttrey for $1.4 million, which is nearly a million over slot recommendation. They also went over on all their other picks from 1-5. Johnson better sign for a miniscule amount or else they wont be signing anyone past round 10 for anything more than $100K

This would leave you with a lineup as such for 2013: 1. Ellsbury- CF 2. Crawford- LF 3. Pedroia- 2B 4. Gonzalez- 1B 5. Middlebrooks- 3B 6. Kalish- RF 7. Lavarnway- DH 8. Mesoraco- C 9. Iglesias- SS Staff 1. Buchholz 2. Doubront 3. Bauer 4. Lackey 5. ??? You'd probably start 2013 with Barnes in AAA and Taillon in AA while also saving $25 million or so of cap space to chase after Cole Hamels in free agency. That'd be a way to get younger, more interesting, more defensively sound and also show more consistency. They may not be a 95 win team, but you'd see progress day to day

Starting Staff 1. Josh Beckett- signed on through 2014, Beckett is probably the most interesting trade chip on the sox. The problem is, he is also on the DL. Let's say for a moment, that he is only on the DL for 15 days and comes back throwing well. If you can hang your hat on his ace potential and ace like performance aside from 2 horrible outings this season, then he should net you a fair amount. But his contract, his fragility and his attitude leave a lot to be desired. If you were blowing it up, part of it has to be getting rid of the ******* malcontents and he'd be one I'd move. The other interesting thing is that there are a few good teams out there looking for pitching and if Beckett was motivated, he could lead them into the postseason. And to a certain team, you could package Beckett and Ortiz and probably get something big in return. That team is the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the player in return is Jameson Taillon. The #2 pick from the 2010 draft has hit some speed bumps in the minors, but he possesses knockout stuff and good peripherals in the FSL as a 20 yr old. A deal centered around Taillon would certainly be enough for the sox to move on from Beckett while allowing the sox to take some secondary prospects from the Buccos for Ortiz as well. Jon Lester- talk about an enigma. His stuff is still sharp, but the once stricken happy go lucky kid has turned into a bitching, egomaniac who would probably do very well with a change of scenery. He has been warped by Beckett's mood and a breakup for them both might be best for the team. He's signed for a couple more seasons on a team friendly deal, and he is young and close enough to his recent streaks of dominance to bring a good haul back. I think a good move of Lester is to the DBacks for hot shot rookie Trevor Bauer. The DBacks get a guy with a proven track record and ace stuff who could use some time away from the Boston media scrutiny. The sox would get back a guy with ace potential who is in AAA and ready to produce. The Backs would have to move a few more players, but that would work for both teams, IMO. Clay Buchholz- I think Clay has shown that he knows how to pitch and is showing the stuff that led him to be the ERA champ a couple seasons ago. If you rid the clubhouse of the malcontents, then this kid becomes the ace and can actually stop being a follower and see if he can be a leader. He then takes over your revamped rotation as your ace Felix Doubront- Doubie becomes your #2 and you dont deal him unless you think this season in an aberration. For a rookie, he seems to be very knowledgable of the game and has the stuff to stick DiceK Dice would stay in the rotation long enough to see if he is worth anything to you. If he sucks, he gets DFA'd, if he doesnt, you deal him for something of use in the future. Too early to tell, but by July, you might have an idea Bard- You have to see if he can regain his form. If he doesnt, he's useless. If he does, he's a shutdown reliever. Aceves- Aceves must be kept. He is the glue to that pen and something I said about him in 2009 when he was a Yankee. Keep him, if the rotation is thin in 2013, he can step in, if not, he can fill any role in the pen. Bailey- I'd play hot potato with this kid. As soon as he shows he is healthy, I'd move him. He is an elite talent, but cannot stay on the field. Get what you can for him and hope you can rape someone as well as you were when Reddick was moved to Oak.

I know, I know, Yankee fan here on a sox board talking about blowing it all up. This isnt actually a thread telling you that the sox should blow it up. This is a thread about who the sox should jettison and what they should get IF they decided to blow it up. And obviously, let's keep this somewhat realistic. You arent getting Josh Hamilton for Daniel Nava and Jose Iglesias. And you have to also operate under the caveat that Crawford and AdGon are not dealable, you're stuck with them. To start, lets look at the offense Catcher- Jarrod Saltalamacchia- A catcher who is having a career yr in the power department. His average suffers and his defense sucks, but so be it. He's young, under command for another few seasons and seems to be improving upon his career yr last season Potential Replacement- Ryan Lavarnway- a 25 yr old C with big power who also is a defensive liability and has taken a step back this season in his minor league performance. First Base- Adrian Gonzalez- don't even bother, he's your 1b for years to come Second Base- if the sox trade Pedroia, there might be a bonfire on Landsdown street with a lot of green turning into soot. Shortstop- Mike Aviles- A shortstop with okay range, a good arm and stone hands who can drive in runs but cannot do much else. He's under control for a few more yrs but really isnt all that great Potential Replacement- Jose Iglesias- an all glove no bat SS who is injured in AAA. He's the future at the position Third Base- Will Middlebrooks- the guy can hit, plays good enough defense and has proven to be rather athletic. He is going to outdo Youkilis this season Left Field Carl Crawford- He's hurt, coming off his worst season, and looked slow at the dish and on the basepaths compared to prior. You can question his signing till the cows come home, but he's your LFer, so leave it at that Centerfield Jacoby Ellsbury- He's made of glass, but when the glass stays intact, he is an elite level performer. His deal expires after 2013, so the sox might look to cash in on him Right Field Cody Ross- righty outfielder capable of mashing lefties and has a flair for the dramatic. He's slightly above replacement value on his career, but had been good for the sox prior to breaking his foot Potential Replacement Ryan Kalish- the kid has come back from some serious injuries and has dominated AAA enough to be back in the bigs. The kid is the future in RF DH David Ortiz- absolutely mashing, but on a 1 yr deal, he's a great trade chip Detritus- Kevin Youkilis. He's trash right now and doesnt have a spot on the sox in the future Darnell McDonald- the guy sucks, lets be honest Scott Podsednik- the guy has had a hot start, but he isnt a big league caliber regular anymore. And his defensive problems make him a poor play in CF and RF. He'll be a goner by season's end Mish-Mash Daniel Nava- career minor leaguer who has a good approach, but lacks the skills to be an every day player in a big market. Ryan Sweeney- also made of glass and better suited to be a 4th OFer than a starter Where to blow it up So, if you are gonna blow this up, and I am NOT saying you have to, but if you really wanted to just scrap it and start over with the pieces you are stuck with, how do you go from here? Trade Saltalamacchia- If you decide to deal Salty, you do it either with the hope of acquiring another big time catching prospect or the knowledge that Lavs is good enough to man the plate full time in the bigs. I actually have a feeling you deal Salty for another catching prospect. And the deal to make is a trade to Cincinnatti. Cincy has a top catching prospect currently sucking balls in Devin Mesoraco, and their team is in first place mostly based on the unilateral bashing of Joey Votto. Salty's power intrigue in their park would make him an enticing trade piece for the kid who hasnt delivered on his promise to this point. The good part about Mesoraco is that he projects to remain a catcher long term, even if the bat doesnt reach the heights it is expected to reach. I'd also think that'd be enough to do 1 for 1. What it also does is allow Mesoraco one more full season at AAA, which is what he needs to get his bat moving. This then allows you the rest of the yr to see how Lavarnway responds to being in the big leagues Trade David Ortiz- You'd be surprised how little a full time DH will offer you, but David did show enough in his interleague performance to warrant some NL interest especially when you look at what his offense gives you. The perfect fit for Ortiz is within the AL East either in Tampa or Baltimore. I think a desperate O's franchise would jump at an offer that doesnt involve Machado or Bundy (the younger). I do think they could work out a deal centered around Jon Schoop, a 20 yr old infielder currently struggling a bit at AA, but raked last yr in A and A+ ball. The O's would have to give more, maybe Bundy's older brother or Dan Klein, a pitcher with big upside but some shoulder troubles. He could also be in play for the Rays, although I dont think the Rays would be willing to see one of their better prospects reach the bigs in Boston. Trade Ross- I think the sox can get some value out of Sweeney, especially if he continues to hit in the .800+OPS range with good power. There is a serious lack of power in the bigs these days, and a guy with his playoff chops and season could bring back a deal a la Xavier Nady when the Yankees dealt Tabata to the Pirates. DFA Youkilis and Punto- This isnt brain surgery, just let them go Demote Aviles to backup IF Promote Iglesias when healthy to SS Pending- I think Jacoby Ellsbury would have been a humongous trade chip, especially if the sox go the retool route. Unfortunately, his injury makes him less likely to be dealt with his value low. We can retry this theory in the offseason That's the offensive side, I'll look at the pitching side in a bit

Wow, so they think Garza would require Barnes, too? Imagine that. Dempster OBVIOUSLY commands less and might even be the better play for this season. The other good thing about Dempster is that the guy will be a Type A FA and the acquiring team gets 2 picks if he walks in FA to a team overpaying him for likely a last gasp season in an otherwise underrated career. I think a deal for Dempster is obviously a short term one, where a deal for Garza probably has the acquiring team negotiating a window to extend him past 2013. I think Henry Owens is the logical centerpiece for a deal for Dempster. A guy with humongous upside as well as a long way from current to potential. Add in 2 more players with less upside but safer projection and you probably have him

He was very good. He faced a terrible lineup and he had his command. Remember when the sox faced the Rox in the WS, Morales was a fixture in their rotation at the time and was very solid. The problem was, his control betrayed him and he fell apart. It's just a matter of time before he starts walking the park, but he definitely did you guys solid last night