SoxSport

No one is untouchable except Pedroia. I read today they are looking for a Rhd bat. ? What about Lav? That other guy Gomez has some pop, too. I suspect they will do nothing. After all, the front office is the same bunch that made a lot of mistakes assembling this team--and they don't like to be shown up. So you won't see Salty or Beckett or Aviles or Crawford dealt. And you won't see Lav or Iglesias anytime soon. And they don't trade good prospects for salary. Those days ended with AdGon. Be happy with the status quo. PS. If I'm proven wrong, it means somebody twisted a few arms.

I don't believe in selling just because you're having a bad year. This is a $170 million dollar team. What they should do is get rid of players who are dragging them down. Beckett for one. Crawford for another. Lester is a reclamation project. Salty needs some competition from Lav. They need better defense at SS. There isn't much difference between the 7 or 8 teams vying for playoff positions. Even the Yankees could collapse. They just lost ARod. The important thing is for the Red Sox to identify what's wrong and correct it. I have my doubts they can do that. That's what will kill them.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/marlins-jeffrey-loria-david-samson-fire-sale-trade-hanley-ramirez-new-stadium-.html Yahoos sports never has anything good to say about the Red Sox, but I have to applaud them for going after those Miami Marlin owners in this story. The new stadium deal in Miami smelled like rotten fish--with payoffs to the politicians for concessions and tax priviledges--and Yahoo previously blew the whistle on how the taxpayers got fleeced. As a former condo owner there, I can tell you the place is in a state of depression from the collapsed real estate market, and it's pretty sickening to hear about all the big bucks being tossed around--not only by the Marlins but also the Heat. Fantasyland is in Miami --not in Orlando's Disneyworld. It's hard to see how the Marlin owners could have made that trade offer of Crawford for Ramirez and Bell. They can't afford Crawford. In fact, they are dumping salary. My guess is the Sox were the instigators of the deal--and their plan was to flip Ramirez to the Dodgers. Probably for prospects. That way, they figured to get away scott free from Crawford's contract. Very clever--but it didn't work. Miami decided to cut out the middleman and deal directly with the Dodgers-- a whole lot better than taking on Crawford's contract. Of course, they still have Bell to unload. Where are the Yankees when they're needed? LOL

The Globe consensus is to get rid of Crawford and Beckett. Crawford is one of the biggest, most expensive misfits in the history of the franchise. If the Red Sox management doesn't jump when some team proposes a trade for him, it is a sign the management is out of touch with reality--or doesn't want to admit they made a mistake. When Cherington, for example, shows no sense of urgency in a press conference, and says things will come around without major changes, he is whistling in the dark. Beckett seems to be one of the laissez faire ringleaders. He is on the downside of his career, and at this point they will hardly miss him. Trade him. There is a growing feeling in the media that the Red Sox need further purging before they can turn things around. And maybe not just players, Mr Henry.

.. And they'll take JJ's whole contract for prospects if the Marlins are dumping. But the Sox won't.

Keep in mind they have no extra dollars to spend. I can't see them adding somebody else's salary without giving salary back. The Cubs and the Marlins are trying to cut salary. I suspect the Marlins took the Dodger deal rather than taking Crawford--because of money. It probably wasn't the Red Sox that vetoed that proposed deal, though the Bell factor complicates the issue.

There's an interview printed in the Globe and Herald today with Roy Oswalt, in which he talks frankly about his dealings this year with teams as a free agent. He says the Red Sox looked at him, but never made him an offer. He also says he almost signed with the Dodgers, and that closeness to home was never a factor. He was open to signing anywhere. He wound up signing in Texas for $5M, 1 year. http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/20220725oswalt_offers_details_on_deal_rangers_deliver_after_sox_caught_looking/ The lesson in this is to take those "unnamed source" media rumors with a grain of salt. They are just filling space.

It's obvious the Red Sox can't do anything major to improve the team without trading salary. They can't take on more salary for prospects. That's why they have to deal one of their big salary tickets. Crawford, Papi, Beckett, even Ellsbury. In fact, salary has to go if they are even thinking of re-signing Ellsbury. They have themselves between a rock and a hard place.

Cherington is committed to mediocrity.

Yeah--we'll have to call him "Lillibridge" Cherington.

Why? Is he coming off shoulder surgery? Is he a rookie?

While the Red Sox ponder the question of which LHP should start in Yankee Stadium, the Dodgers just bought Hanley Ramirez. This guy, if nothing else, was an opportunity lost to unload Crawford. They may never get another. This team has sucked for 3 years now. There is no sense of urgency to do anything on the part of the ownership or the front office. They seem to be in a holding pattern. I wonder if Henry isn't getting ready to sell the team. You stop winning, the fans stop coming. P.S. You can argue both ways about Lester or Morales--I don't think it makes much difference. Last night, V finally got these guys to force a run --taking a couple of walks. He pretty much had to twist a few arms to do it. Not Crawford's.

They didn't want to spend a dime in the off-season. Everything they did was with that goal. Trades and all. They thought they were saving by moving Bard to starter, but they were too smart for their own good. It blew up in their faces. The logical move was to replace Pap with him. The Dodgers just bought Hanley for a prospect or 2. The new owners have to build up their payroll. The Sox missed an opportunity to unload Crawford they may never get again. Bold is not the word you want to use characterizing Cherington and the front office. Henry, neither, in my view.

Abraham says they should pass on Hanley. Well, they should pass even more on Crawford. This club needs a psychiatrist.

Lee has had a frustrating year. He loses when he pitches well, too. The killer is Halladay. He has not been the ace they need. But they have their hitters back, and if Lee and Halladay can get rolling, they will make up ground fast.

Who do you think has a better shot at Lee or Hamels--Nolan Ryan or Boy Ben? Hamels would be stupid not to re-sign in Philly. He should stay in the NL.

Bailey? The guy stuck his thumb somewhere it wasn't supposed to be --and was never seen again. Hilarious.

The thing is, Crawford is absolutely useless with the Red Sox. He needs a change of scenery even more than Hanley--he has a bigger contract.

Remember when Perez of the Braves used to hold his glove 6 inches off the plate--Glavine and Maddox would both hit it. And the ump would call it a strike.

The mentor bit with Papi is what Bowa and Mitch Williams were saying tonite. They think Hanley could rebound in Boston.

The pitching sucks. The team is down 4 runs before the 3rd inning game after game. It affects the morale of the hitters.