SoxSport

Ok. Why does a security guard "use" steroids? Ballplayers use steroids, not security guards. Who is kidding who?

I'll give him a B because he got VMart without giving up much. But he didn't get the no.3 starter they need. Lee was the guy they need, and he missed the boat. Buchholz is getting shelled again today. Lee just threw a CG win.

Buchholz leads a charmed life. He should pitch his way out the bullpen before he starts again. His numbers aren't there to be starting.

Epstein's best deal is the Bay deal. They managed to unload Manny along with $8 mil and got Bay in return without losing any of that young unproven pitching Theo holds close to his heart. Said in jest. After all, others are involved in these decisions, as well. Anyway, the Bay deal was a great one. They were in a real pickle at the deadline with Ramirez. His other deals have fizzled. Gagne cost them 4 straight games against the Yankees in September with four blown saves in a row. Fortunately they were 6 games ahead of NY. Pineiro is pitching pretty well in St Louis where Duncan is the pitching coach--one of the best. The best deal the Sox have made lately is the one for Lowell and Beckett, which Theo did not make. They won the 07 Series with that deal. They gave up an MVP SS in Hanley R., but he wouldn't have gotten them that 07 Championship. And wasn't he in AA at the time? He got his chance because he went to the Marlins. In Boston, he spends another year in AAA. Some say they would not have made the Beckett deal if Epstein had been calling the shots. If they hadn't won in 07 without Beckett, he might be viewed in a different perspective now. I suspect if he doesn't get Halladay or VMart by tommorrow, he might be on the hotseat in the media. Oh yes, forgot about the Cabrera deal. Great deal, too. Cabrera was an obvious fit. But then they didn't re-sign him after winning with him. Big mistake.

Tito has his hands full with Dice-K, for sure. His interpersonal skills are being challenged. I don't think players should be given free bases in save situations. Disagree with him on that. Papi is a real problem for the Sox. Looks like his batting skills are diminishing. Not a great July after a solid June.Maybe he should be batting 6th again, as he did in June. May have helped. He doesn't do it at 3 or 4.

Lee was a more tenable option than Halladay. Philly will tell you that. Epstein has a habit of aiming too high at the trade deadline--and getting nothing. They need a reliable no.3 starter right now, or they may fall out of the race. Lee could have filled that for less than Halladay. I don't like the Halladay situation because he might not be traded, or they might deal him away from the AL East. Nobody in the media has mentioned the disturbing trend lately of shipping star AL pitchers to the NL. Santana, Haren and now Lee. Maybe Halladay next to the Dodgers. Theo didn't play his cards pre-season to correct the weaknesses. He has to play his cards now, though the needs have changed somewhat.

Epstein's pre-season deals aren't looking so good. Rehab pitchers are risky. What really screwed them was Dice-K. They did not expect he would leave his stuff in Japan.

[quote=Mr Crunchy;442356;Halliday almost guarantees 2 straight trips to Octobers tourney and probably another parade. This guy is the best pitcher in the game, will throw 375 innings for us in the next 1.5 years and can be counted on day in and day out.. /QUOTE] Heck, they know that. That's why they are going to get him whatever the cost. Ricciardi will cave in in the end, because the owners have told him to cut salary. The Yankees apparently are quite content with this--from what I've read. Then, there's the two LA teams--they could get him, too. But the Sox probably have the best potential package, if they want to deal. The one guy they need to keep is Bard.

I heard some talk he isn't throwing his splitter. That could make a difference. Last night, the fielder's indifference hurt. That should not be in a save situation. It shows too much hubris. And then the defensive breakdown at SS. Where was Lowrie?-- in the late innings? And why wasn't LaRoche, a hot hitter, playing against the RHP? That's why they traded for him! Tito's response was he wanted to see Lowell play 3 straight games. Wonder what the FO thought about that. I've never thought game managing was Tito's strong suit--for all his other qualities. Pap may be showing some wear and tear--natural for any top closer. He needs some help--from Bard. If you are going to throw 4 relievers out there every game for 1 inning each, you need at least 12 pitchers. Maybe 13.

I suspect the Jays are just sounding out what they can get for Halladay, and have used the media to create a frenzy. They know the consequences for any contending team to get him, so they are trolling with him to see if they can land a whale. If they can't, they won't deal him. Looks like a shark won't be enough. I think they'll push his value to the limit--and then deal him to the NL--or keep him. The Sox would be better off going after Lee. Cleveland will deal him to the AL. For all the talk about Buchholz, he really hasn't shown very much at the major league level except for his no-hitter. I remember they shut him down after that. I still think he should have earned a spot in the rotation vis the bullpen instead of throwing him directly on the fire--which he hasn't handled very well. I don't know how all this affects his trade value, but I think he might be overvalued a bit. I would trade him for Lee in a minute. The deal Cleveland wants.

The Halladay push looks real. It's still 50/50 they'll deal him to the NL for less.

Twitter to Tito: No more "fielder's indifference" in a save situation.

Giving a guy a free base has never made any sense to me.

A note about Mazz. He said in a column he thought their priority was a hitter at the trade deadline. I think he may have been part of that smokescreen, because it looks like they are going after an ace pitcher.

The Pirates are a possible 3rd team. Though I would think the Sox would be interested in Scutaro. I don't think the Sox have made their final offer for Halladay. They are still holding cards.

I wonder if the Jays will have the guts to trade him in the division. Imagine saying the Yankees and the Red Sox will have to pay more. Santana got shuffled out of the AL for less than what the Yankees or Red Sox were offering. Did Selig have a hand in that? You never know. But I wouldn't buy a used car from him.

Edes link above confirms my suspicion the Sox are after ace pitching--for their young pitching. That means Halladay or Lee. Hopefully, they will land one of them. I would like to see them keep Bard. He is Papelbon insurance. While a lot of posters favor A. Gonzalez, I think that's just a smokescreen. My guess is they will try to land Halladay for whatever it takes. It won't be like Santana. Not after Sabathia and Burnett and Teixeira.

I think their priority may be pitching, not hitting. Maybe they're trying to throw their competition a curve on this. It makes sense to trade pitching for pitching, if you can upgrade with a top-line pitcher who is a salary dump. Then you're not losing pitching. If you trade pitching for hitting, you are losing pitching, and they have a few ??? in their pitching right now. Having said that, I'm sure they're still concerned about Papi. He isn't the same hitter he was a few years ago, and Tito continues to bat him 4th--which doesn't help their run production. LaRoche looks like their hottest hitter right now, and he's batting 7th. I think Tito needs to adjust his lineup more quickly. He finally got Ellsbury back to leadoff.

I think what Lucchino said makes sense. It's about pitching. Always has been vs the Yankees. The latest scuttle is Lee/VMart. Maybe an easier hill to climb than Halladay. Though they have to make sure the Yankees don't get Halladay. That just negates anything they do in pitching.

The talk now is VMart/Lee. That should satisfy most everybody in the poll. LOL.

The talk is about A. Gonzo, Lee/VMart and Halladay. I think they recognize the need for another prime starter, so that's Lee or Halladay. They also need a catcher who can play 1B. That's VMart. So VMart/Lee satisfies all of their needs. If they deal, it will be VMart/Lee. So long, Bard and Buchholz. And maybe LaRoche, who is looking good so far.

Johnson is a good one as well. He's up for a big contract soon, so Miami might want to move him. If the Sox are going to move any of their premium young pitching talent, it makes sense to move them for premium established pitching. That way, they don't weaken their pitching--hopefully strengthen it. The biggest impact guy is still Halladay, and they could move a couple of their young pitchers for him without weakening their pitching. Giving up their pitching for a position player is more risky. They must know that Beckett, Halladay and Lester would make them the team to beat--no matter who they give up in terms of young pitching.

Well, I agree with the poll result. They need that #3 starter they are missing right now if they are going anywhere this year. That means Halladay, Lee or maybe Haren. LaRoche really helps the IF the 2nd half if he hits. Gonzalez disrupts things because it puts Lowell and LaRoche on the bench. Hard to see that this year. Maybe next. VMart. isn't bad--Tek needs some help. Getting stolen on too often. If they don't get that no. 3 starter, I think they're dead. The caveat is the sudden emergence of Buchholz, Smoltz or Dice-K. That's a gamble right now. If the Phillies, Dodgers or Yankees get Halladay, the Red Sox will have to get Lee or Haren, or they are out. It really goes back to Dice-K missing the season.

Buchholz' trade value may have declined off his last start. That's the chance you take starting him a week before the trade deadline. Risky business. One way or the other. He's good--you don't want to trade him. He's bad--his trade value diminishes. A lot of people are talking about hitting as their main problem. Well, they don't hit on the road--slump or no slump. I think part of the problem is no solid #3 starter. The other part is they don't play smallball--so they lose a lot of low scoring games. You have to have strong starting pitching to win on the road. And they aren't there yet.Not without Dice-K. That's why I think Halladay is the guy to get. He would have the most near-term impact. They have enough farm system talent to absorb a trade. Epstein has to get off the pot if they are to beat NY this year. After all, some of that talent may never pan out. No sense in playing mother hen protecting all of your chicks.

The Cardinals just traded their best minor leaguer for Holliday, so I assume they intend to extend him. But you wonder about that cozy relationship Boras has with the Yankees. I doubt Bay is going anywhere--the Red Sox don't have anybody to replace him. And Bay likes Boston. His dad was a Sox fan.