Dojji

Tentative, slow to the plate, showins signs of being reluctant to face the hitter with runners on, having trouble making the crucial pitch... heck of a time for 2008 Buchholz to reappear.

The year Tek stopped catching Wakefield, his passed-ball rate dropped from around 18 a year to arond 5 a year. Having Tek catch Wakefield was never an option. He just can't do it. Some can, some can't. He can't.

, I'd try that one again given the chance. Smoltz was a great pitcher and it was worth seeing if he had something left. I'll give you that. Brad Penny doesn't belong in the American League. Was against the deal at the time, but there wasn't much in the way of better options, and lest we forget, he came up big in the playoffs in 2007. Any signing that proves instrumental in earning a ring isn't all bad. About the only thing I really regret about the Lugo signing is losing the highest #1 pick we've had in years to bring him here. Given my druthers I'd have told Theo to make a trade for Maicer Izturis. I think at the time, you could probably have gotten that done for Craig Hansen. With the benefit of hindsight that would probably have worked out better. Evidence that Teixeira was ever interested in coming to Boston? Plenty of time for that before the arbitration deadline after the playoffs. Drew has been worth every penny. Where the HECK would we have played him? At the time we had a healthy Ortiz, a healthy Lowell, and a healthy Youkilis occupying the positions he would have played. Even leaving aside the 20/20 hindsignt of his breakout year there's NWIH that he woul have gotten the playing time to become what he became in Tampa if he'd stayed here. This might be the most ridiculous thing you've said in a post full of ridiclouls things. His skill with young players is what makes everything work and look good.

Really? A trade that sent a relief pitcher to the National League for a backup catcher is #1 on your hate list? The significance of that trade to the Red Sox beyond the years Miravbelli actually played for us is virtually nil. Because Bronson Arroyo would have saved our season in 2006 right? Right? Given a similar player at a position we'll need in a couple years (say a third baseman) I'd make the same deal over again. So basically you're telling me that you've got your knickers in a twist over a two much rental of a middle reliever. And the offensive titan that is David Murphy is a player we desperately miss from our offense right now, right?

Not just the blueprint on the field either. You have to give them credit for keeping the financial underpinnings strong, the team popular, the stadium full, and the farm system deep, rich and diverse. We're contending on an annual basis without sacrificing our long-term future. That's the freaking Holy Grail people. That's the best possible scenario.

Agreed with Depre. When you take the bad with the good Theo is one of the best general managers in Red Sox history. Especially if you look past the product on the field to the team's overall financial health and minor league system for future trades, signings and roster moves, which is as strong as it's ever been even in the bad economy. This is as good as it gets, and it shouldn't get worse in the near future. Theo has done everything you could reasonably expect of him and more.

I can't really think of a truly disastrous trade Theo made. The closest one was the Gagne trade but frankly we didn't give up that much in that trade. The only player we gave up that has been worth anything to Texas so far is David Murphy, and he would have been at best a 4th OF for us. And we won the World Series despite that trade. I can't really feel too angry about it. His track record with free agency is far worth than his trade record IMHO.

Reyes is probably at least as good a #2 hitter as Pedroia. Better, since his performance isn't tied quite so much into batting average. Ellsbury singles, Reyes doubles or triples. that's probably at least 4 or 5 instant 1-0 leads over the course of a season. IMHO that would turn Pedroia into one heck of a #7 hitter.

The question is will the Jays ownership decide to let the inmates run the assylum.

OK, thanks guys.

Hmm OK. So realistically speaking, that lets Gathright off the playoff roster doesn't it? I'd have to go back through transactions to be sure I'm pretty confident we acquired him in September?

I'd agree if there weren't 9 games between us and the next wild card contender. That tells me that there probably isn't one reason.

with the loophole in the rules that allows you to replace playoff-qualified players with other roster players if you have someone on the 60-day DL, is there a codified rule that prevents someone from trading a top player to some other team, engaging the loophole to playoff-qualify them, and making a blatant end-run around the September 1 deadline in order to stack their playoff roster with the best rental players from other teams? Let's use Roy Halladay as an example. Is there any reason we couldn't finalize a deal, right now, for Halladay, stick him on the roster for one game, and use the DL loophole to put him on the playoff roster?

You can't stand there and tell me you're not at all worried about Sabathia in the postseason. Well, I suppose you can, but you'd be lying.

I'm sorry, I'm in a certain amount of fairly constant pain at the moment from a broken molar and so am borderline insane.

Well, looking good. Daisuke and Lester are in postseason form already, and so is Sabathia.

Yo really want him crawling into Varitek's hole?

Worth a shot I guess. I'd rather go after Bedard.

Does anyone actually think that $2M stopped the Sox from signing Teixeira? Do you really think that if we upped the ante, the Yankees wouldn't have gone right on ahead and followed suit until we were done? With Boras egging both teams on the whole way? Remember, they had zero at first base, they were gambling almost everything on getting Teixeira (I say almost everything because they did trade for Nick Swisher but it was clear they saw him as more of an OF)

Well, look at the difference between Beckett before Farrell got here and after. And then tell me it's all that ludicrous. There's not that much difference between a great pitching coach and an average one. There's a huge difference between an average one and a bad one.

So if they ever do revive him, he'll wake up with a headache. Agreed about the whole burial thing. I don't think resurrection will ever be a meaningful part of our medical arsenal.

Of course he won't. CC Sabathia is a true ace, AJ Burnett has some of the best stuff in the league and Andy Pettitte is a veteran playoff warrior after all.