Gom

LOL...I see the long term benefits of acquiring a young stud pitcher..but you gave up a potential young stud pitcher and young stud player. It's not like they gave up players who couldn't be that. Wait...Beckett is a LTP who is a future ace...and Sanchez isn't...and Ramirez isn't a future ROY...no wait, he just was...talk about hypocrisy. The young players the Sox receive are studs AND LTP, and the ones they give up are neither. Come on already. When you trade young players for young players, the LTP is minimized in the deal because both teams had it before the trade and after. Try to keep up, lol. I can't wait to see how you'll spin this one. Imagine the Yankees trading Cano for Ramirez or Sanchez. The LTP is about the same. It then becomes about need. I'm glad to see that you aren't insane though...at least you admitted it was a horrible deal so far. LOL!

Oh my God, ORS are you serious? You have to stop with that Sam Adams ale, buddy. Let me give you some insight. It's only a long term deal if it is compared to a short term deal. When you trade players that are basically the same age [and in the Sox's case, they got significantly OLDER after the Beckett trade], it's not really a long-term deal. It's all relative. Conversely, they made more of an immediate deal with the inclusion of Lowell as salary relief as well as the fact that he doesn't figure in the Sox's long-term plans. They acquired a 25 y/o fireballer who has logged a lot of innings and is injury-prone for two youngsters who are 23 and 22. The Yankees trading Sheffield for four minor league pitchers is a long-term deal fo r the Yankees. It doesn't make sense to trade for four minor leaguers who are in their thirties. Three players in the deal are LTP [not Lowell], so that evens itself out for the most part, with an edge to the Marlins. In fact, most people would agree that the returns the Marlins will get will be better than what the Sox will end up getting when the trade was made, let alone now. I am utterly shocked at your post. Even though I rarely agree with you, you usually make sense in your own way. You totally dropped the ball here. P.S. I can't help riling Red Sox fans sometimes..it's way too much fun.

If he's Japanese, sign him please! That should be the motto this season.

There is almost no way the Yankees get Carpenter or Zambrano at this point. I still think we should have got Zito instead of this Sushi. Do the Japanese employ geisha's as interpreters? I don't get this Japanese craze right now.

Bad signing. He is now our number four after Wang, Moose, and Johnson. He moves to five if Pavano [LOL!!!!] ever comes back. He fills a spot in the rotation, but all this money is thrown around these Japanese pitchers, with guys like Zito and Schmidt just sitting there. This is nuts. Oh well...I hope both him and Matsuzaka suck. Maybe then we will pay attention to what goes on here than over there.

True, a lot of you have acknowledged his shortcomings. I just don't think he's going to get that much better.

I think you guys are in love with this WMP too much. You are mesmerized by his power, and he has too many weaknesses as a hitter. I hope, for your team's sake, I'm wrong.

Who was the World Series MVP in 2004?

This is the kind of post that makes me want to start name calling. I am showing more restraint than I thought possible. Once again, this is a post about Theo, not Cashman. If you want to start one on Cashman, go ahead. This reminds me of when you point out someone's flaws, their response is to point out yours. Talk about childish. What does Cashman's performance have to do with Theo's? Very little, if any. They do compete with each other, but so does every other GM in baseball. Stick with the post, kid. Guys...the ones who have been following this thread...the quoted post is exactly all I hear from Sox fans in NY. I am glad you guys have painted a different picture for me. In that way, I have to thank this guy. He points out the blatantly obvious, with no comprehension of what has gone on since 2004. News flash to this guy: If Torre knew how to manage his team, the Yankees would have won the ALCS in 5 games and probably the World Series in 2004. Torre is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, reason your team won. This is not to take away from the Sox's accomplishment, which was phenomenal, but you guys would have won two World Series in a row if you didn't have the only manager in baseball more clueless than Torre in 2003, Grady Little, who blew it by keeping Pedro in the game. Back to the topic... I think if this guy trades Manny away, I'm throwing a keg party at my house, and Red Sox nation is invited. I'd love to see Myers [even though Papi got him once last year] come in with the tying run on first in the eighth with Papi and Drew to follow. Sure like our chances more than Manny backing him up. GO THEO! The fact that your front office is entertaining the idea of dumping Manny, now that his contract looks affordable, is insane. Top it off with what I am hearing that they won't get equal value, and how RSN is not in an uproar, I don't understand.

Since you bring it up again...lets see...I back it up with some documented source, and you state your OPINION and pass it off as fact. You make your statements, and I tell you to simply look around, the Sox have been one of the big spenders, and will actually become bigger spenders when they sign Drew and Matsuzaka. You can live in your fantasy world if it makes you feel better ORS. The Sox don't want to go over the LT threshold. Do you think that if the luxury tax was 180 million, the Sox would stay at 120 million? If you do, there is a bridge I can sell you in Brooklyn. They would end up at about 176-178 million. They choose not to go over the limit. CHOICE. Not means. Choice. If you want to re-open this again, I will, but everyone knows how that went, so you are just making yourself look foolish, eEspecially with all the money the Sox are throwing around. It's amazing you still can't see what's right in front of you. They choose not to, not because they can't. I just wish, and Schillingouttheks has pretty much been the only one, to say "Hey...maybe Epstein isn't what he is cracked up to be...just because he isn't Duquette, doesn't mean he's good". Here is an example from my own team. The best baseball person in the Yankees organization is Gene Michael. Bar none. Cashman and Epstein together on their best days don't match up to this guy [i'm not sure who the Sox guy is who's the man, maybe Bill James]. It's just that he isn't good at office politics. This guy was instrumental in putting the Yankees together in the mid-late 90's, changed the whole Yankee philosophy while Steinbrenner was banned, etc. Kept Williams instead of doing what George wanted [trading him for Harold Baines], it was pretty much on his watch that Mo, Pettite, Jeter, Posada came up, worked the O'Neill trade for Roberto Kelly...it's a shame he isn't the GM still of the Yankees. I said it then, I'll say it again now. When the Yankees had a chance at Pedro instead of Pavano, I said go for Pedro. True, Pedro may be done, but I think that the Yankees very much could have won another World Series with Pedro. Pavano has to be one of the worst signings in the last 20 years for any team. In the same duration, I give Cashman a C-. With the resources he had, he should have done better. Instead, the pitching staff has gotten older and more broken down, I disagree with the Mussina signing, since 2-3 million more you could get Zito who is younger, better, and will be something 5 years from now. Signing Wright and Pavano have been disasters, I thought he should have kept Lieber instead of letting him go and getting Wrignt, and should have signed Pedro instead of Crash Test Dummy Pavano. He gets saved by bringing up Cano and Melky an not trading them, and achieving the best record in baseball last season. The Yankees have cut payroll and not adressed any needs. If Cashman is really as good as some think he is, he will keep the payroll pretty much where it is, and start rebuilding his farm system, which will automatically cut payroll some more. However, putting an inferior team to last year's team, on paper, is not really acceptable.

What I'm trying to say is that your Front Office, and I am lumping them all together under the moniker Theo Epstein is full of s***. If you guys don't see that, the joke's on you. The fact that you defend him shows how little you know about your own team. I can't wait for you guys to trade Manny for spare parts, have Matsuzaka bomb out circa Irabu, and battle out with the Orioles for third place. That's what you guys are facing if you don't get rid of this guy. On second thought, as a Yankee fan, keep him. I'm not a huge advocate of Cashman, but at least I can rip on him and Torre [especially]. It's like if anyone rips on your front office who isn't a Red Sox fan is a troll. What a bunch of idiots. I can't wait to hear how the Yankees pick up a guy at the trade deadline, and then hear the Sox FO complain that they can't spend money. The hysterical thing is that you guys buy it. So let me see..if the Yankees spaced out their four World Series victories in the last 11 years instead of bunching them up, what would you guys say? The truth is, like you guys have seen the last time you were in the playoffs and got swept by the other Sox...the playoffs is a crapshoot. The whole trick is getting there and hoping for the best. Right...you all predicted a Cardinals victory over the Tigers. Sure you did. Now go take your meds. 200 million buys us a playoff spot. 125 million buys you third place. Who spent their money more wisely?

Supposedly Soriano moves to a corner OF spot where he is better suited, and Lugo takes over the infield when Felix Pie comes up. That's what I read.

As much as I would love to see the negotiations collapse, Matsuzaka will sign with the Red Sox for close to what Boras wants. He's got Drew, and has the Sox over the barrel. Once you see Drew signed or Ramirez traded, expect to see all of it fall into place.

Interesting, and highly impacts the Sox...don't know how really credible or feasible the scenario is, but here is the link: http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-0611220190nov22,1,3118156.story?coll=cs-baseball-print

I forgot about some of the minor deals, but since the end of 2005 until now, what would you give him as a total score, not just on two deals.

Bosoxwest...I said he had a miserable 2006...which is one year. Is that finite enough for you? Read your own quote bro, I said he had a miserable 2006, why do you guys love him? Realize that I am based in New York, and don't meet many Sox fans. We tend to burn them here. Seriously, literally everyone I meet here is a Theo supporter. So I was curious, but I am starting to see that my sample size was way too small. So be it. Like I said, I thought the majority of fans love Theo. ORS, of course the jury is out on nearly all the deals, but so far, none have really worked out. You would have been better off keeping Marte than dealing him for Crisp. Would you say your team would have been better last year with Rentaria or Crisp? How about for 2007. So far, as of today, 11/27/06, none of the deals that he has made from the end of the 2005 season until now have really panned out. So here is an off-shoot to the topic...since the end of 2005 until now, what has been a good deal Theo has orchestrated, and on a scale of 1-10, 10 being highest, in that time frame, what score would you give him, and why? Please, no flaming of anyone here. Let's play nice in this thread. I really am curious as to what you guys say.

Ummm...I thought this thread was about Petitte leaving the Astros...sorry, I just had to throw that in there.

Come on, it's one thing to have signed Giambi, Bonds, etc., before the steriod scandal erupted than it is now. I mean, do you think anyone would go after Sosa or Palmeiro now? I for one, hope Bonds just goes away. Leave the game. I think if you get caught using steriods, you're banned. Period. Two year ban minimum. Personally, I'd like to see it for life. You'll see baseball cleaned up pretty damn quick. Another thing..if you guys did sign Bonds, he will make Manny look like a Gold Glover...he is absolutely atrocious in the field...it's either that or Papi playing first. Pick one.

Right now...Lowell. If you sign Drew, then Drew. Trading this guy is a mistake, which is why I hope you do.

Manny could go, and Clement would only go in a salary dump. No one is taking that salary period. If went up on irrevocable waivers, he would clear them. I think letting Manny go is a mistake. It will definitely haunt you guys. For that reason, as a Yankee fan, I hope you trade him.

No he wouldn't. If he did, I would personally shoot him. This is not a thread on Cashman, although I knew someone would bring him up. It's a thread on Theo. I will be more than happy to critique Cashman in another thread. He has made some good moves and some bad ones. Let's try to keep it on Theo, ok? The reason I started on Theo is the perception we have in New York that Theo is some sort of God to you guys. To us, Cashman is just a GM. So I was curious. First of all, this isn't meant as a knock on you, but it's difficult to follow your post. Try using punctuation a bit more. Anyways, the above statement is irrelevant. The trade was Beckett and Lowell, who was a salary dump, in exchange for Sanchez and Ramirez. How can you ask me to ask about only one player in the deal when both were instrumental to the Marlins. Also, you took away the better player of the two. Irrelevant. Thank you. Another reason why I think Theo did a bad job. If he is anything but a stud pitcher, he goofed here. Jury still out on this one, although I think you guys compete, if not make the playoffs with Abreu, simply cause I don't think you would have tanked the five game set, Ramirez would have played seriously, Papelbon would have played period...etc, etc. I don't think baseball finances have changed that drastically in one year, and especially since July 31st. Isn't that what a GM is paid to do? To determine who is going to be good and who isn't? What is he being paid for if he can't evaluate talent? Come on kid, you haven't made much sense here. Since the end of 2005 until now, the Red Sox would have been a better team today had he done absolutely nothing. With this, you have to agree.