Dojji

Lowrie is a second baseman trying to play a role that requires a SS/3B. He always did his best work at second base. If we hadn't had Pedroia, or if Pedroia could play SS or 3B, Lowrie would have been healthier and more effective here. I held out hope that Lowrie could at least be Michael Young bad at shortstop, but I guess it isn't to be. He can play up to that level for awhile but his body can't sustain it and it gets him hurt. The best thing for Lowrie is to get him to a team that allows him to play second base. I like Melancon, IIRC he's succeeded in the AL East too so that's a plus. Good trade IMHO.. In a word, Punto is Alex Cora, with the ability to switch hit. That isn't a terrible thing to have on your bench. Punto has some nice bench speed as well, not worldbreaking, but useful. I can see why the Sox went after him, especially considering his OBP over the last few seasons is very steady and respectable for an MI. In short, not a superstar, but we aren't paying superstar dollars, and what he does do he does pretty well. The big thing is the combination of a decent OBP, speed, and good defense down the middle. Punto is kind of a prototypical bench MI who can get his job done, no one needs to scoff at the signing. Just don't bat him 4th.

You can stop being a whiny little bitch at any time. No seriously, you have my permission. Since when did anyone bring in utility infielders for the sake of their hitting?

I've been braced for this since they won the championship. It was clear since then that they wouldn't have the parts to reload when the crash came. In fact that was the whole point, otherwise the young high ceiling assets they lost in that deal would hurt more. These Celtics were always a one-run-and-done operation. Ainge made that move because he had no problem with that.

Trade for Joakim Soria?

You'd have gotten this reaction with any new manager. There's a large cadre of players who absolutely loved Tito. I know Pedroi was one of them.

Doesn't matter in the end IMHO. It won't be 1 year, and managers get fired all the time.

He's what you want to have in a utility man.

It doesn't look exactly the same, but something of the style reminds me of the 80's style Expos. Probably the large, highly stylized M.

Bard isn't half the closer Papelbon was. There's a reason Bard never got much of a look in the ninth, even while Papelbon was struggling.

98.5 just plated shippin' up to Boston and I felt empty. We just lost a good player.

That sound end Bard-to-the-rotation.

Pending a physical. That'll be the shoulder.

Per 98.5 ... Well that sucks.

Drew really shoulda been a top of the lineup hitter for most of his career. He might not have been comfortable doing it but with his high OBP and middling power it was a better place for him.

You are a fraud. You've already had it demonstrated to you exactly why these points are erroneous. come back with new material or don't come back.

Those postseason numbers are pretty solid, even if they are weighted down by a no-show in 09.

No we can't. Because too many people have bought into the idea that he sucks, and want arguments that demonstrate that he wasn't what the stats say he was. So they accentuate the negative and try to drown out inconvenient facts with minutae because that's more comfortable than thinking.

I think they're holding on to him for two reasons right now. 1: Because it would be terrible PR to release him right now, I believe as it is right now the team is handling his recovery, and if they released him, he'd be more or less on his own. It would be seen as austerity at the cost of humanity. 2: Because it actually probably helps their outreach to other signable prospects to know that the team will not operate like a machine. That may be a tiebreaker for a few high school kids who have to decide between the Red Sox and college. Of course I do think they actually think there's at least a chance he can get back on the field, but the odds are so steep against that that it can't be the sole reason anymore.

That is utterly incorrect. Average ballplayers aren't among the best at their position at any point in their contracts. Drew was the best RF in the American League in 2009. It's OK to say "he wasn't a bad player and he probably helped us but I just found it hard to like him." Drew-bashers would be making Aspirin manufacturers less money if they'd just say that and stop trying to dress it up in meaningless fluff arguments to try and sound smarter. You'd be surprised by who might agree with you if you framed the debate that way rather than overselling the argument and forcing those who are a little more objective to say "whoa now, hold on there."

I think the Royals came out better in that trade. Giants are gambling that a very inconsistent player becomes consistent. Royals are taking a high risk, high reward move trading up for a power lefty starter, and if it pays off it gets them a lot closer to where they want to be. I know Sanchez had a down year this year and Melky had a career campaign but I'm really surpsized that Sanchez would only cost Cabrera. The Giants may know something the rest of us don't.

Or you could say I've learned my lesson. Besides, anyone who wants to bag on my Lowrie crush, had better be consistent when it comes to Kalish. The injury bug hit him very hard this year and he needs to prove he's on the other side of it. Until he proves he's healthy again, expecting him to be more advanced than he was when he got hurt is asking a lot. He'll take time to get up to speed, and we might see him in Boston in the second half if he puts up a good campaign, but the first half he'll spend getting back up to speed at the AAA level -- if he can in fact accomplish such a thing (no reason he can't, but injuries are fickle beasts, as Lowrie found out)