BSN07

I think Lester ends up in Boston on a team friendly deal or in Chicago playing for the Cubs on a monster contract. Shields innings totals scare me a bit. Signing him for his mid 30's seasons is a crap shoot. If you can get him for 2-3 guaranteed years ok. But if he's getting 4-5 year offers you have to pass imo. Back on top, I really see no reason not to enter 2015 with Vasquez as the starting C. Be nice to get a LHH partner for him but the options are limited. Only FA LH is AJ and well no chance there. So it have to be a trade or someone who gets non tendered.

oops my bad Maddon lol

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11754873/tampa-bay-rays-manager-joe-maddon-exercises-opt-clause-leaving-team Wow didn't see that coming

Vasquez should get a shot next season. If only too try and increase his trade value when Swihart is deemed ready. The only need a back up for next season. Preferably LHH.

F the O's lol. I think it's awesome that KC is in the WS. Hope they win it all!

Yes yes yes. He's worth the risk. It come down to what LAD wants for him. His price tag has dropped but it will still take a good package to get him. 2-4 top 25 guys or take on a big contract to lower the prospect cost. Puig and Ethier(All of his contract goes to Boston, 3 yrs 55.5M) for Cepedes(or Vic), Craig, WMB(they need a 3B) and a prospect or 2 from the top 15 not named Betts, Swihart or Owens. That gives LAD some ML talent for 2015 and financial flexibility. Yes I know Puig is a big talent but he is not Trout. Puig still has ?. I don't see any team emptying the farm for him. Ethier doesn't hit LHP well and is over paid but would be useful in Boston's RHH heavy line up.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/mariners/2014/10/09/the-mariners-and-michael-saunders-a-relationship-gone-awry/ Might be someone that shouldn't cost a ton to get. He's LHH and has got some pop it seems. Sox could look to swap one of their many RH OF's for him.

Swihart shouldn't stop them from pursuing a LHH C for 2015 tho. They should be able to find someone on a 1 maybe 2 year deal.

Kinda, but they need a LHH C. lol

Lowrie stated money is his #1 driving force in FA. I don't see the Sox being the top bidder. Sox gotta get a LH hitter at 3B. Whether it's Cecchini or a FA.

This off season is gonna be really interesting. The Sox have a good amount of chips and $ to play with. The Yanks have missed the playoffs 2 years in a row. The Rays will be trading like always. Toronto could see a last ditch effort from their FO to save their jobs if they haven't cleaned house by then. And Baltimore who will need to reload after a Division title and PO appearance. I believe Lester will sign with Boston. That's just my gut feeling now. But I understand how crazy FA can be. I think even with Lester on board they go after another proven SP. I could see Shields on a 2-3 year deal(Not saying he won't get better offers, but if he signs with the Sox that's what I think it would be) in the 15M per range. Or they go the trade route and package up something for SP X(too early to tell who is gonna be available). If WMB is traded I think it would mean they have signed either Headley or Sandoval already to play 3B. A LHB is important this off season. But that could come from elsewhere and Betts could be the starting 3B. I think they will a LHH catcher to back up Vasquez. I think he gets the job for at least 2015. I know Swihart isn't far off but he still needs time in the minors. I think Boagerts will get a full season at SS next year with no yo yoing. Holt will be Super Utility man and with Vic always a ? and Pedroia(even if he crys about it) needing more time off to keep him on the field, he should get plenty of AB. The BP is always a hard guess. I'm not sold on Papelbon. If he's free and part of a deal for Hamels and Philly is eating some of that salary too I guess I wouldn't be overly upset. Miller could be back but if he starts getting crazy offers no chance the Sox splurge there imo. I have no idea what they do with Craig lol Out of RF moves: These moves are very unlikely but would make noise and possibly melt the internet. Sox sign Hanley to play 3B. Be surprising. Sox trade for Tulo to play 3B. Yes I said 3B. He's got injury issues and it be a move to keep him on the field all season. This would rock the baseball landscape and crash talksox hahaha Regardless here's to an off season full of rumors, surprises, pages of bickering and jokes, the Holiday seasons, endless January days and the count down to ST

C'mon Jacko you know there's no way the Yanks actually get a chance to use that pick lol.

I lol'd

No I would not and the Sox aren't going to either imo. Stanton is just gonna end up costing more $ then what they are going to be willing to go on extension wise(can anyone honestly see them giving out a 10yr/200M+ deal?). Stanton has also missed significant time the last couple years. That's a pretty big ? too when considering his price tag. Bogaerts is just one of those guys at this point in time I don't feel comfortable trading really for anyone other then maybe Trout. Maybe Harper but idk how many years of control he has left. His ceiling is just too high to risk it. But that's just me. If they wanted Stanton I think they could get a deal done with out Bogaerts anyways. Especially f the sell off this TDL.

Dude had a lot of miles for his age and is use to longer periods off. It's a risk with all Japanese P. I'm always worried with the "rehab" attempt with a damaged when it comes to the elbow. It seems to not work more then it does. But I may be having selective memory lol I'd rather the P just get the surgery out of the way. Least then he'd have a chance to pitch next year. But from a competitor stand point I can understand also why he would want to try to rehab first and be out there for his team. 4/5 SP on the DL wow, I thought the Yanks rotation had ? going into the season, but even I didn't think it blow up like this. Gonna be interesting to see what they do cause I have a hard time believing they would throw in the towel in Jeter's last year.

It's what they should do, but more likely they open throw some $ and scrap the prospect bin and try to patch together a winner. When was the last time they sold off players?

Big guy like CC and Microfracture knee surgery? It's gonna be hard for the Yanks to count on him for anything in the last 2 years of his deal. Work horses in their mid 30's are absolute crap shoots imo in today's game. It's one of the reasons I don't want the Sox to go more then 5 years on any Lester offer.

Ya the A's picked a great time to make this kind of move. If the Sox are out of it, as a baseball fan it be great to see the A's run the table.

Who cares if he becomes a Yank? They like any other team signing him are probably getting 2 good years and ?'s anything after that. CC fell off a cliff. Could happen to Lester. I would find a useless CC and a declining Lester clogging up the Yanks rotation funny. Ya maybe he goes there and is aces for 6 or 7 years, in today's game I don't see it happening. If the Sox signed him to 6 or 7 years I would not be excited at all. If they decide to see everyone not named Pedey, Papi, Xander, and Napoli on the ML roster should be available imo. Lester, Lackey, Koji, AJ, Ross, and Drew could net a huge overall haul of prospects. The Sox farm system would be absolutely bursting with top 100 talent. They could make a big trade in the off season or use that talent in a Sox uniform. I think watching a young group come up around Pedey, Ortiz, Xander, and Napoli.

Xander is a good athlete and it's not impossible to be good at multiple positions. Him moving around is not the end of the world. Go stir some other pot.

If Holt can pick up the OF that would be great. He could turn out to be a very valuable super utility man. Every team needs a guy like that. He seems like he has the right attitude to take in that role as well. Not everyone can handle that type of role.

I still believe Buchholz DL stint is a phantom one but I guess we will see how long it takes hi to get back. I am excited to see RDLR tho.

I have my doubts he's actually injured. This gives them a couple weeks to try and sort his mechanics out without having to do it in a game imo. Same with Doubront.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140527&content_id=77061820&notebook_id=77062196&vkey=notebook_bos&c_id=bos Knee. Looks like this could be the story before the phantom DL stint lol

They only had a 1.7% chance or something like that. I would rather have seen the Lakers get the 1st pick, seriously. I dislike the Cavs based only on they have gotten so many 1st picks while the Celtics get into the top 5 ever.