Spudboy

Trade Cespedes for Porcello, not Latos and I'm on board. Although i doubt that it will play out this way.

XB just needs time to hone his craft. I say give him all the rope that he needs at SS in 2015. I still think he is a 1st baseman, ultimately.

Maybe the money will be competitive and he will have a good vibe when he visits. The point is that he can choose whatever team he wants to choose now. It's his turn to choose his path. Is Chicago that bad? I've heard many really good things about that city.

It's spilled milk now but there is no ignoring the fact that the Sox screwed this deal up long before Lester was a free agent. They should have given him a sweet deal after the 2013 ended. But it's their business!!

Xander is an average SS? Since when? I'm not sure what your WAR, etc. figure tell you and I really do not care. Anyone who wattches all of the Sox games and has watched hundreds of SS play the position before knows that "Xander" blows goats defensively. It's so obvious that I can not believe anyone would actually challenge it and make an issue of it. He sucks at shortsop. Sandoval is okay from what I have seen. Which is admittedly limited. The left side D is going to be terrible this year unless "Xander" has made significant progress over this winter. Even then his range to the left will always be inadequate because he is slow footed, big, and gangly. I wonder where Alex Gonzalez is?

To play what position Fred?

Yes, I read that too. I'm curious because I've always liked Markakis and I want to know what division rivals are up to. The Sox are not the only team that needs to make moves.

I'm glad Cruz is off to Seattle. Let him rot there for 4 years. I wonder what the O's are going to do? Markakis is not a sure thing to resign.

I saw Marrero play three games in 2014 on tv. He is far superior to XB defensively. He has range, footwork, and makes good throws to first. I'd say that he is 'slick fielding' although I have not seen him attempt the kind of spectacular plays that Eglesias made.

How can anyone question this? Even though he is a one year rental, he is a top arm in MLB. And the Sox have both the ability to trade chips for him now and to sign him to an extension. Have to wonder if the reds would actually move him now. Most of their rotation is going to be free agents after 2015 and the Reds may be in the hunt for the playoffs. They will need pitching in 2015 and afterwards.

Miller was traded for a pretty good pitching prospect. And that was for only a 2 month rental.

They are still top Sox pitching prospects. Hopefully the sox can come out of this with Owens still in Pawtucket. He needs more work and then a chance in the bigs to either perform well or crap the bed.

I stated earlier that I like Porcello and would like him to be on the Sox as a mid-rotation pitcher. In thinking it over, I've decided that trading Cespedes straight up would not be the way to go. I'd prefer to use Cespedes as the center piece in a deal for an upper tier, top of the rotation guy like Cueto. I really wish Lester would end his tour of greed so the Sox could go ahead and make such trades. Once that shoe falls I can see the Sox going after what they need weather it be a #1 like Cueto or a number 3-4 like Porcello. And it will be great to see the Sox jettison the excess pieces that crowd the 25 man roster and possibly some suspects or prospects that are useless for anything other than trade chips ( WMB , etc. ) or blocked / redundant.

Yup. That and I don't really get the whole right/left thing anyway. I never have! But then I don't understand little things like the infield fly rule either!!!

I just looked at Porcello's stats. His past two years have been his best, I believe. He makes 30+ starts each year which is good. His ERA and WHIP have declined the past two seasons but neither is outstanding. His K rate is down for some reason. At least he does not walk too many. Porcello is by no means someone who could be considered a top of the rotation guy but certainly must be viewed as an upgrade over everyone currently on the staff. The Sox need a mid rotation guy regardless of what gets done with the number 1 spot anyway. One could argue that Cespedes could be better used in a multi-player trade to acquire a guy like Cueto. That I would like to see! I'm all for getting rid of this guy since he does not care to be in Boston and will want at least what the Sox paid to get Sandoval. That would be yet another over-pay in my eyes since he brings little to the table other than 20 HR pop ( which is admittedly in short supply ). I just wish these types of moves could be made after Lester signs one way or another. In this way the Sox would be going after their biggest need which is top of the rotation arms. Still, I would like this move better than the two deals from earlier this week. One more thing. Porcello would probably be okay in the clubhouse now that Youk is long gone. Oh. And he is only 25.

Well you probably have a point there. I certainly have not looked at his stats. I have always like Porcello because he throws hard and pitches well against the Sox. He could be a solid upgrade over Buch and Kelly as a #4 or even #3 type. How much do you believe Cespedes is worth? Who do you see the Sox getting straight up? Do they need to add other players to a deal to upgrade?

I don't know much about the prospects in this trade. It just seems to me as this being a "nothing" trade. Lawrie is inconstant but talented and sometime unable to play. I don't see Donaldson as a superstar. His recent performance is pretty good, though. This trade did nothing to put the Jays over the edge or make them that much closer to taking the division or landing a wild card. So I'm happy about that. I see the Jays as perpetual also rans. They do play exciting ball with all of their pop. Donaldson does make their left side defense stronger.

Betts Pedroia Ortiz Hanley Panda Napoli Bogaerts Castillo Vasquez I did not try to go right/left

As I see it the Donaldson trade did little if anything to make the Jays a strong contender. They just exchanged parts with another team. Although his power is bound to play well in that dome.

How about a combination of value and need. But if he were to be traded to the A's I'd love to see a deal for Scott Kashmere or however you spell it. I don't know what his contract status is. Seems the A's took a flier on him and scored a bargain. I bet he would pitch great in Boston. And while I'm posting ideas that will not happen, I'd like to see Marcus Strohman or Rick Porcello traded for!!!!

I can't even figure out what is being said. And I'm not drunk. Whatever.

The free agent pickin's are slim this year. Thankfully the Sox don't need a shortstop!!!

I believe that we all feel this way. There are some that are skeptical. Not me. I know that the Sox have the ability to turn the ship around in one off-season. I've seen it before. The Sox need to get not only a #1 and #2 , they probably need a real #3 or at worst #4 type and they need a catcher to back up Vasquez AND they need to round out the pen. While the Sox seem to be in a holding pattern in building the pitching staff until Lester makes his decision, I wonder why they have not made some low leverage decisions /signings concerning the pen? It would seem to be a no-brainier to resign Badenhop, at least. Of course I'd love to see Miller back. Could the Sox sway his decision by offering 2/24 or 3/32 even though he is said to be in line for a 4 year deal? I don't know. But if so, can spending that amount on a reliever with one outstanding year to his credit be justified? Salary constraints be damned. In any case, Thanksgiving is now gone and I look for many moves in the near future. GO SOX!!1!!!

I applaud the Sox for being proactive this off season. Although I do not see signing both Sandoval and Hanley as a best foot forward move. Yes, the Sox now have a legitimate 3rd baseman. Even if they decided to pay way too much for him. I'm not concerned about Sandoval's projected injuries related to being fat. I want him to produce in 2015 and 2016. Beyond that I do not really care about him. The Sox can eat his contract if needed or they can trade him away. It would be nice to see him continue to play at the level of his MLB career to date throughout his contact. But if not then I say "next". The Sox have endured many years with mediocre or poor play at short. Hopefully XB changes that at least with his bat since he is not likely to become a defensive stalwart at that position. I see him as a 1st baseman down the line. Now the Sox have been suffering a similar void at 3rd. With Sandoval at the position one area of need appears to be fixed. At least on paper. I have no idea what the Sox are thinking by signing Hanley for 4 years ( or 5 ). He just does not fit the team's needs at the moment. Sure, his bat is one just about any team would want. But he is no longer a complete player on the field from all of the negative crap I have read about his injuries and play at short. Can he be a serviceable left fielder? I believe that is entirely up to him. He has to work at developing news skills and knowledge of the game. The guy has been viewed as an immature punk for so long it's hard to see him making the effort without hiccups. I really hope that the Sox can move players like Cespedes, Craig , Middlebrooks along with some prospects to secure viable mid rotation arms and of course sign Lester or the equivalent. This would send the signal that the Sox are going for it again in 2015 and maybe 2016. Beyond that, who knows what can happen.

Was the 2011 collapse Francona's fault?