SoxSport

There may be steroid-related problems with Napoli, in which case they should just walk away. Amazing how GMs ignore the steroid factor when they are making big deals with players coming off spike years. We really don't know how steroids are viewed on the inside in baseball organizations. We do know they were tolerated for a long time, but the physical after-affects are just coming into play.

You look at Napoli's spike year a couple of years ago, his injury-plagued year last year, and now his medical records showing a possible hip problem, and you start to wonder about steroids. Steroid use can result in leg/hip problems. Look at ARod. You pay the penalty, ultimately. Maybe it's time to walk away from Napoli, and sign Swisher. He has more versatility, anyways, and is a feisty type of player they need. Trouble is he's going to cost more--in years and money. And they seem to have drawn a line in the sand at 3 years--which clearly won't do it. Maybe that's why they're talking about Ross. But Ross can't play 1B and there is really no room right now for him in the OF. Besides, they are close to the luxury cap right now, and have lost a lot of leverage unless they make some trades.

That's for free agents--who are overpriced. They are signing too many of these guys--the result is they are right back to where they started capwise. If you don't blend in enough younger players with upside potential who are "protected", the result is where they are. $160+ million, and not a lot of quality to put them into contention.

Lester has turn around or this team is dead this year. The starting pitching has to rebound. And the back end of the bullpen has to get back to where it was when Bard and Pap were there. Forget about the rest of it. It's about the pitching having to rebound.

The Sox aren't in a position to sign anybody else unless the Napoli deal falls through. They have spent their way back to where they were pre-season last year. And on paper, don't look as good. I guess that's the biggest concern a lot of people have.

They have a couple of guys, Sands and Gomez, that should get a shot at 1B, but won't because of Napoli. The team talks a good talk about prospects, and drafts well. But when it comes down to it, they go out and buy veterans--plugging opportunities for young players. That's their recent history. You need an injury for a kid to be brought up.

Napoli , Dempster and Victorino are examples of middling over 30 players that are being paid as though they were pretty high ticket. You add these salaries up, and you're right back to where you started last year--no more luxury cap room. That's a bad position to be in when you have a bunch of older guys with no upside. They spent a lot of money just to be respectable. I don't think that's enough for the fans. I think they would get a lot more slack from the fans if they just played some of the kids right now, and hope glass turns into diamond--like Middlebrooks. I still think the 3 year contract limit is more a selling the team window than a waiting for the prospects window. Those prospects should be ready long before 3 years. Even 2 years. They are a year or so away, if that. Guys like Sands and Gomez should be showing something right now. And DeLaRosa may be ready by mid season next year.

Incredible they've spent to within $9 mil of the luxury cap, and everybody is predicting a repeat of last place in AL East. I guess their spending has been very unconvincing. In their obsession for 3 year contracts, they've overpaid just about everybody--to the point where they no longer have any room to make more moves during the season. It's the same situation they were in last year when they had better players. Wow.

I'll say it a again. The kid comes up and plays 25 games on a dysfunctional team at the end of the year, when everybody has quit trying to win. And now everybody is quitting on him? Not quite. One year of Drew probably means a year in AAA for Iglesias. That will cost them another $2 million. They are paying $12 million for Drew. For a team that has little chance to make the playoffs. It makes no difference. They could have played Ciricao at SS for peanuts. He deserved it from his showing last year.

Their best way was to sign Hamilton. I guess they forgot Manny Ramirez was a big factor in them winning 2 championships. He and Ortiz were devastating in their prime in the middle of the lineup. Hamilton is the same type of hitter as Manny. Funny they haven't done a damn thing since Manny got traded to the Dodgers in '08. Bay gave them one good year--they lucked out with him. Hamilton would have filled the middle of the lineup. They might have had him for 5 years if they were aggressive early. Henry never liked that Manny contract. 10 years at $20 mil per. But Manny was a heckuva lot better sign than Crawford or AdGon who cost them dearly in prospects. Those deals plus Lackey have wrecked the team for years to come. Poor management has gotten them to where they are right now. The MLB TV guys have them staying in the cellar in the AL East. Nothing they have done so far has changed that--and they've managed to spend right back to near the cap again. Amazing. The other thing they need is a top flight starter. Like when they got Pedro or Schilling. But nobody of that level is available. Greinke isn't in that class. They need to develop one from within. Maybe DeLaRosa--could be a dominating pitcher.

They are only about $9mil below the cap with Napoli. Subtract him, and that leaves room for one signing.Swisher or LaRoche. I doubt they will sign either. Napoli will get signed eventually, maybe for 2 years or 3years with some conditional clauses about his hip. JD Drew took 52 days to sign because of his shoulder, which was never a problem 5 years with the Red Sox.

I doubt Drew has the same range he had a few years ago, before he broke his ankle. He'll be servicaeble for one year, but he has to hit his career norm to be worth $10 million.

They have no spots for any of their 3 top pitching prospects. Kalish or Nava are out. Salty has to get moved for Lav to see any PT. The one kid they need to deal is Iggy--to a team that values good field/no hit SSs. My guess is their prospects will be ready long before those 3 year contracts expire. If they are going to be ready. Maybe the team will be sold by then.

You got it. good field, no-hit. The Giants are better than the Dodgers because they are smarter. And still have better pitching. The Red Sox? They have nowhere to go but up.

Every player needs some time in the minors. But it's true that there is a point of diminishing returns, where you are just obstructing a guy's major league career. Kalish is an example of that. He was blocked a couple of years ago, went back to AAA and got seriously hurt. Hasn't been the same since.

That's not what his manager, Arnie Beyeler, said. The kid is only 22, and he has yet to get a fair chance at becoming a decent hitter. The discussion about his hitting has been way overdone in the media. As I've said, it's best that he go to another team--trade him. Quick. Name the World Champion Giants' SS. And it's not Scutaro. He plays 2B.

There are a number of good field no hit SSs on good teams in the majors. The trouble with the Red Sox is they prefer the good hit, no field type. That's one of the reasons why they suck.

I hear a lot of talk about a "youth movement", but all I see is a bunch of expensive retreads blocking any opportunity for prospects. What happens when a prospect starts tearing up AAA? He has to wait for an injury, just like Middlebrooks had to. They have a veteran core. All they've done is supplement their core with more veterans. That sucks. They should be mixing in the prospects. They aren't going anywhere no matter what they do anyways. Their only hope is to have the prospects realize their upside.

The whole team sucked last year, in case you didn't notice. They quit after the Dodger deal. Iglesias was hitting well in Pawtucket when they brought him up on advice of the Pawsox manager. He came into a pretty negative environment, and didn't show much as a hitter. But way too much was expected, which might be his problem. The kid should be traded to a team that values defense at SS. He's only 22 and has already been written off by many fans because of the emphasis on offense in this one dimensional organization. Let him go elsewhere to a team that handles prospects better.

Another waste of $10 million. They have Iggy, Ciriaco and Bogaerts. That's enough for a team that stands little chance of making the playoffs next year. They keep signing retreads, and blocking playing time for younger players. The retreads are not going to get them anywhere.

At $165 million? now with Drew, Uehara and Dempster. They are one of the most expensive teams in baseball, and still don't look like they can make the playoffs. Their approach seems to make no sense. They stockpile prospects, and then block them with expensive free agents. Drew, Napoli, Victorino and Dempster are a complete waste of money. They are better off gambling with the prospects, like the Rays do.

Either Melancon. One will go with the other.

It's about time they got Ells out of the leadoff. He can't force a walk to save his life. And his speed isn't of much use on this team. Put him in the 3-hole and light a fire under him. He has plenty of incentive to perform in his contract year. I just left that Patriots game. A ridiculous game in weather that isn't fit for polar bears. The next guy that says Iglesias can't hit has to sit in the end zone seats the 2nd half of the Patriots game--without an umbrella.

Ells is harder to deal because Boras is his agent, and not all teams will deal with him. They'll find a taker by mid-season next year if Ells comes back close to form.

Epstein's weakness was his love affairs with certain players like AdGon. What he didn't bargain for was that AdGon's shoulder would cost him some power. There was nothing in his contract to protect them from that. Henry was lucky to get rid of his contract. Their current love affair is with Mike Napoli, but they are a little more careful with his contract.