TheMino007

Bruins blow another 2 goal lead and lose in yet another shootout. If there is one thing Rask can't do, its win shootouts. This team can't score in shootouts and once the other teams scores we are screwed. 10 in a row.... wow

I'm a bit about nervous about Lackey too in all honestly. In the last two years he hasn't made more than 30 starts and has made stints on the DL. He hasn't surpased 180 inninngs in the last two years, and his ERA has gone up from his 3.01 mark in 2007 to 3.80 last year.

I'd be happy if we could just win a game. Realistically, if the Bruins want to go anywhere in the playoffs, they need to get the 6 seed, which they can still get. There is still time, but this stretch of play is terrible to watch.

I read on ESPN that Mauer is working out a 10 year extension with the Twins.

What guys? Cameron will make the team deeper, but he isn't the impact bat we needed. Scutaro, like I said, really a non-difference maker. The only guy that does better on the road is Beltre, but that is b/c he played in pitchers parks, LA and Safeco field. Outside of Fenway Park this team struggles offensively. We had V-Mart in the playoffs last year and how many games did we win with him catching? None. Over the course of a full season we will get more production out of the Catcher position thats for sure, but one guy can't do it all. V-Mart will put up .300/.380/25 homers/100 RBI but he isn't the middle order slugger we need. Agree, the pitching and defense has improved, but that bullpen is questionable and our starters have a lot of health concerns. Beckett gets hurt every year come playoff time, Lackey has been declining in innings the last two years and had some injury issues to start last year, Dice-K- who the hell knows. How will Clay pan out this year? Its the best rotation in baseball on paper, but through the course of the year problems and injuries could arise, and for a team built on pitching and defense, if you don't have the pitching, your screwed.

I'd try to trade Thomas now while he still has some value, he is only going to worse as that contract goes on.

Ben Watson sucks anyway. Maybe we should draft or add a TE via free agency and add some variety to this offense. For the guys that didn't play much or at all this year that were hurt last year- Tate and McKienze, will either make an impact this year? I think Tate will be serviceable, but this team needs a legit number three option or even better b/c Welker is gonna miss a lot of the year.

I agree with this mostly. I don't think the team has regressed/improved greatly in either direction, I think the Sox are really not that much better off than they were last year. Teams like the Angels have gotten worse, the NL Central still sucks, and teams like the Mariners and Rays have gotten better but aren't as good as the Red Sox. In a 7 game series you have a shot at the Yankees but over the course of a 162 game season they are 7+ games better than the Sox. The AL East race won't even be close really. The problem with the Sox last year was the offense and a iffy backend of the rotation. The pitching improved, but the offense hasn't. Its gotten worse. Throw all the metric BS you want, losing Bay and adding Cameron doesn't make this team better. Scutaro will make a minimal difference because the guy is just a mediocre player coming off a career year. Beltre is a push at best with Lowell.

Is Wideman a FA after this year? I know Ryder is around for years after this year, but your right, they have no trade value right now.

Feds made all four grand slam finals this year, could he do the same this year? If Nadal is hurt and misses the French this year or is rusty coming back, Federer could win it again. At Wimbledon last year, Roddick had the match of his life and couldn't beat Roger. Feds just doesn't lose on grass to other than anyone named Nadal. He lost in the U.S. Open Finals last year to Del Potro, I really don't see how Feds could win the Grand Slam this year, but I think he'll get at least another one this year.

Sigh. Its disappointing to see how far this team has fallen. Last or near the bottom in goals scored. Its terrible watching this team just lose every night for the last two weeks. A major shakeup has to be made to get this team out of the funk, we aren't doing it with the guys we got now. I don't really care if a move barely gets us in, it has to be made. If Wideman, Ryder, etc. suck this year then they will just be holding the B's down next year with their s*** play, so unload them now. I wouldn't trade for Kovy unless we can lock him up long term. I wouldn't mind trading Krecji so much now that Savard is locked up long term, Krecji has really regressed a lot this year. Even if we add a goal scorer, are we still fixed? We need to move up a lot to avoid playing the good teams in the first round, and there is still time to do that, but this team has a lot of problems. Too many turnovers in our own zone by defensmen, no one is playing as good as they did last year, no firepower, and the league has figured out Tim Thomas. He isn't as good as he used to be. I would try and shop him this offseason.

Sharks have the most points in the West every year and then get knocked out in the 1st round, what leads you to believe that is gonna change this year?

Oakland beat some pretty good teams last year and if they had a steady, mediocre QB they would have a lot better record. I think they could go 7-9, 8-8 next year and that 1st round pick won't be nearly as good as everyone thought it would be

Bruins are down to 8th, 8th friggin place and with a Islanders win we would be out of the playoff picture if the season ended today. But it doesn't. Savard and Bergeron need to come back healthy and this team needs to trade for a scorer and then hopefully we can go on a run and move up the Eastern Conference standings before the playoffs start.

Every year when we have a great year, instead of building off it, we regress it seems like. This team is just flat, stale, dull. Ryder has been slumping all year, Wideman has been terrible, we can't score when we need it. Nobody can stay healthy, Krejci has regressed. Its aweful right now.

He's right, if he throws the splitter again he'll be back to the Papelbon of the past, if he just sticks to what he did last year, he'll get rocked harder and pitch worse than last year

The Sox have constantly ran smear campaigns when a popular player isn't re-signed and the Sox FO think up any excuse they can why not to bring them back, I've seen it happen with Mo Vaughn, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez, Orlando Cabrera, and now Jason Bay. This knee MRI thing is all just part of their propaganda to make it all right why they didn't spend the $ to bring Bay back and went with Cameron instead.

Theo won't give Papelbon that kind of money. Out of all the young homegrown guys that have made it up to the major leagues-Lester, Pedroia, Youkilis are the only the ones that got offered long term deals. The closer position is a tricky one, and in a couple of years Papelbon could no longer be one of the best. Theo knows that so why risk giving Papelbon a huge contract?

What did u say was elite? Top 5? I'll concede that he is top 5, but I'd but Nathan, Bronxton, Mo ahead of him

Well, I'm excited to see what kind of shape Beckett and Dice-K come to camp in. I'll never forget that Spring Training Image a few years ago were Beckett came in out of shape and had his gut hanging out of his uni. I'm excited to see the new guys, and I'm curious to see how good a Spring Training Ortiz has. I'm waiting for the Mike Lowell trade talks to start up again during ST also.

I didn't say the Sox should get rid of Paps, Bard isn't ready to close yet this year but will hopefully get some save opps. on days that Papelbon needs rest. What I said was that Papelbon wasn't in my opinon an elite closer last year and that if he make some simple changes in pitch selection and location we can write off last year as a fluke and not a trend. He can easily reduce his walk totals and have more clean innings this year.

Sox signed Jorge Sosa to a minor league contract http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&filter_teams=BOS&id=3424

WHIP was insanely high for him, too many walks, not enough clean 1-2-3 innings. He didn't just slip a little, he slipped a lot last year from previous years. He was a heart attack closer last year, how is that good? Watch the guy from last year, he wasn't one of the elite. That can easily be fixed if he throws his splitter more and stops gunning fastball after fastball right down the middle of the plate.

Papelbon was far from dominate or elite last season

Screw him for screwing the Sox over and not bringing up his injury, and I the Sox shouldn't let him pitch in the WBC ever again. He can take his honor to his country and shove it, the Sox are the one's paying him millions and millions of dollars, he needs to obey by the Sox rules. As for this year, I think he'll be a fine option as the number 5 guy and will have a bounce back year. Numbers won't be as good as 08, but perhaps he'll be back to what he was in terms of ERA like 07.