Spudboy

Ask the Sox!!! I just read on boston.com that Webster will start in Tampa tomorrow. Maybe Workman is not lined up for a start? I have no idea what they are thinking about Pawn Filix. Maybe they just want him for mid and long relief now?

What many of the younger posters on this site just do not understand is that the Boston market will not tolerate a team constructed ( to begin the new season ) the way San Diego, Houston, and other flailing bottom dwelling franchises are. This is a major league city and market. Without a team that looks to promise at least .500 ball all year long the gig will be up and much of the fan base will evaporate. The Sox brass know this and should be counted on to avoid such a situation.

I am totally against acquiring Cliff Lee. That ship sailed a while ago. The Sox don't need to spend that kind of money to get servicable MLB pitching good enough to suit their needs for two years. A deal for Lee would be just stupid even if he did not have an elbow about to blow up. If the Sox want an aging MLB arm to be near the front end of their rotation for the next two years then they should just extend Lackey. Then go out and get another proven but cost effective starter not named Hammils or Lee.

Webster sucks and we will all be reminded of this when he starts in Tampa Sunday. Swihart has never played above AA so to say that he will be with the big boys in 2015 is kind of a stretch. Maybe he makes an appearance after half a season in Pawtucket but probably no sooner. Marrero is still learning to hit in Pawtucket and there is no assurance that he will be ready for the bigs in 2015. Right now he is just another Iglasias in the waiting with outstanding D at SS and little else. Owens may make the leap but to count on him for 30/200 in 2015 is crazy. Ranaudo most likely will get a shot late this season and depending on what he shows, may be in the rotation next year. I don't swallow the hype koolaid on the Sox prospects. A700 is right, the Sox will acquire some MLB vets by next spring.

And this is THE reason to have hope for the Sox near term.

Travis Shaw????? We are expecting him to be a power bat for the Sox???? OYE!

What does that have to do with building a contending team in the near future??? I don't get this goodwill / honeymoon thing at all. The Sox should be competitive every year with the resources that they have at hand. Last year was nice and it was unexpected. But what is on the table for 2015, 2016, 2017 and further???????

Fred where did I mention Lester? I am on the record having said that I do not believe that the Sox want to pay him market value ( or near it ) or sign him to more than 4-5 years. And since you mentioned this subject, I do not agree that Lester is essential to the Sox in order to field a competitive team in 2015. His presence would certainly help. But this team has many issues to address before anyone with a brain could reasonably expect the Sox ( as currently comprised ) to come anywhere near a division tittle or World Series birth. I have also said that prospects are not a sure thing. Just look at the two that you mentioned. I'd rather have Lester back for 4-5 years than to have one compensatory pick in next years draft. But if the Sox could trade Lester for a top pick and one high level prospect that projects to be a power bat in MLB I would do it. I don't see this happening either. Still, the accumulation of draft picks and good prospects is not a bad thing. They become currency with which to deal for someone like Stanton or another impact player that is ready now.

He may not be what the Sox look for and need from a player. But the guy has been healthy for about 16 season in the bigs and is a MLB ready catcher. It was inevitable that someone would sign him. The Cards won't keep him for next year after they see what they get. But this move makes sense for them now with Molina down. And he is really cheap for this season.

Good point! Although they certainly botched this year big time. Ultimately, the Sox will do what is necessary to field a competitive team each day. The rich guys that own the team know that this crap won't fly for long and don't want to feel it in their pockets. You are right about Owens. He and Renaudo should be brought up by September at the latest barring injuries or massive decline by either.

So much for Spudboy mojo! The suck that the Sox brought tonight was just too much to overcome. Wow. Gomes looks just terrible in left. He had at least two more Olberman "gah" moments. Farrell must be blind not to see this. Enough of the "intangibles" that Gomes supposedly brings to the lineup. Sit this hack down and just start Nava every night against both rh and lh pitchers. At least Nava plays good defense in left. Boy. XB is really playing lousy. I certainly am not a qualified baseball talent evaluator. I just do not see what everyone was raving about. Superstar of the future? How was this determined? I know that he had a decent post season in 2013 and that is great. But his main attribute has been said to be his "poise". Someone please tell me how that translates to excellent play on the field? He seems incapable of making even some routine plays at third. When he was playing SS I said that his range to his left was not good and that his footwork was leading to bad throws to first. Now these deficiencies seem amplified when he is playing 3rd. He looks worse than WMB defensively. Maybe he should be sent down to AAA to work on his game. Although part of me says just throw him out there and let him work on his warts in the bigs. The Sox are not going anywhere this season and they made the decision to go with Bradley through all his offensive struggles. Yes, I know Bradley has brought stellar D to the mix. Still.... This is what a bad MLB team looks like. I do not see any end in sight. I might as well get used to it since the remedies are many and will take time to implement. I won't stop watching the Sox play because I am a Sox fan and this is my team. I'm too vested to give up entirely and likely will never do so. I'll just have to lower my expectations for each game and try to find new positives to fuel my hope for a better team. I hope that Holt snaps out of his three game slump. He is too good a batter to become an instant out. It's possible that opposing pitcher now have "the book" on Holt, I do not know. If so, I hope that he is able to make the appropriate adjustments and resume his usual 1-2 on base per game performances. I could go on bitching but what is the point? End of rant! Time for some BTR mojo!

Yes Ross is Lester's binkie. I have no problem with Ross playing 1/5 of the games.

Gomes had one of those Olberman "gah" moments. He got some latitude from me last year because of how things went overall. This year I am willing to agree with most everyone on this site. Gomes is a hack in the outfield.

Douqette never gets enough credit for building that team. Few people have many good things to say about him. Maybe because he seemed to be a smug puke while here? In any case, the guy loves the game of baseball and does some good things for the game and certainly for the team that he works for. And I agree. Larry is a meddlesome dufe.

Good pitches by Price got the K on Holt.

I think that the umps mishandled that entire situation. They tried to get ahead of the situation and maintain control of the game and they just did the opposite by not giving price the boot. Both Ortiz and Price should just shut up and play ball.

Time to kick some but in that hell hole with the lousy food and those stupid cowbells. Lester vs. Price. Papi is in the lineup. I doubt that there will be any fireworks! Holt is at SS. He has been hitless in the past two games. Although he did draw two walks. GO SOX! Boston Red Sox Player AB R H RBI TB BB K AVG OBP SLG B. Holt, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .318 .365 .445 D. Pedroia, 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 .337 .363 D. Ortiz, DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .251 .346 .501 M. Napoli, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .276 .391 .452 J. Gomes, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .239 .335 .365 S. Victorino, RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273 .305 .373 X. Bogaerts, 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .237 .310 .354 J. Bradley Jr., CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .229 .307 .315 D. Ross, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .195 .258 .398 - - - Tampa Bay Rays Player AB R H RBI TB BB K AVG OBP SLG D. Jennings, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248 .336 .390 B. Zobrist, RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .257 .346 .393 B. Guyer, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .277 .329 .365 E. Longoria, 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259 .332 .396 S. Rodriguez, DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .238 .287 .517 Y. Escobar, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .254 .328 .340 J. Loney, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .284 .344 .379 J. Molina, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .200 .246 .213 L. Forsythe, 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .246 .296 .344

In theory. But what is Stanton worth in sales and revenue to the Marlins now? That must be taken into account as well.

Lol. I think that I remember that! I think that Stanton won't be moved by the Marlins until at soonest the trade deadline in 2015. I don't see why the Marlins would do so until then. I see no reason to dump Koji in any case. Yes, he is old and he will be a free agent at the end of the season. Weather the Sox are in the playoff hunt in the 2015 season or not, they will need a closer and until he completely loses his effectiveness, the Sox might as well keep him. I don't see anyone paying him a ton of money elsewhere and certainly not more than the Sox can afford to pay him. I don't know what amount of dough he may want to stay in Boston but it can't be so much as to not make it worthwhile when you look at what money the Sox have spent and even wasted on relievers in recent years. I say sign him for a one year extension with an option for another year or possibly sign him for two years if necessary. Again, he may not be effective two years from now but the risk is minimal compared to the 3/39 deals ( an example ) that the Sox were so liberal in doling out two years ago. I do think that trading Lester makes sense if the Sox can get a decent haul back. I say the price starts at a 1st round pick with a top tier prospect. No sense in keeping Lester around if the brass have no intention of signing him at close to what he wants. Some playoff hopeful team will want him bad enough. And while I am on my soapbox, I say that the Sox should try to keep Miller too. Relievers are a crap shoot and Miller has developed into a good one. For largely the same reasons that I have stated above, sign him.

A NO-NO THROUGH 6!!! Holt has k'ed 3 times.

I want Lester back too. But I don't see the Sox season being an "organizational disaster" next year if he is not resigned. 2015 may well be a disaster ( much like this year ). The loss of one player who sees action only 30 games in a season is not that significant. The Sox will plug someone else in his place and baseball will continue. If the Sox were close to a playoff spot near the end of the season and Lester went down with an injury, that would be close to a disaster. On a team with many young players ( including young pitchers ) that will loose about 70-90 games, Lester leaving will be just one of many problems. I'm sure the Sox brass know this too.

I call bull feces!!!!! We all know that you will continue to subject yourself to torture like this until they plant you 6 feet under!!! You are a true Red Sox fan. This is your duty!

7-0 nothing and I think these two last runs scored represent the final nail in the coffin for the 2014 Red Sox season.

Yup. This game is gone. 5-0 Jays.

It's not popular to criticize the Sox FO for some reason. I do not know why. However, it is clear that the Sox chose to stand pat in the off season ( the acquisition of two stellar RP not withstanding! ). Baseball is a business. In business you have to keep moving forward to sustain profit and growth. Standing still is the same as going backwards. This is, ultimately, what the Sox have done this year. And make no mistake of it, marketing is huge to the Sox brass. To ignore this fact is naive.