Palodios

Then who DHs?

Just look at the way this season has gone. During the month of April, this team slumped badly. Ortiz looked horrible, VMart, and Drew were in rough shape, and Beltre couldn't make it past 1st base. In July, everyone was hurt. Half the season, this team has been underperforming, yet its #2 in runs scored, this team built on pitching and defense. Replace Youk/McDonald/Hermida/ with Lowell/Ellsbury/Kalish, and I don't think you lose that much. Once Pedroia comes back, this team is back to being an elite offense.

Every Dice-k game is always entertaining.

In all fairness, the Twins only need to catch the White Sox, not the Rays.

Except that this team has enough offense to replace him. It hurts the team, obviously, but the lineup is still beastly.

This is usually the point in the night where I post in the "Can we talk about Dice-k" thread, but I'm not feeling it tonite.

They've been missing key offense pieces all year. But they're still the 2nd best offensive team in the majors. Losing Youk hurt, but 1st baseman are far more easily replaced than 2nd baseman and catchers.

How about them apples?

12 of this team's 25 man roster have been on the DL, and Scutaro and Drew have been fighting injuries all season. 3 of this team's starting 5 pitchers have been on the DL. 5 of their 9 starting players have been on the DL. The bullpen has underperformed exponentially. And yet their record is still very close to the 3rd best team in baseball. How can you just give up on them now?

Is it just me, or does it seem like this team still has a shot at it?

And people wanted Beltre's head at the beginning of the season...

In the last four years, only one pitcher has had more run support than Dice-k.

If Dice-k ever threw a no-hitter, he'd be on the DL the next day for throwing 170 pitches. But it would be easily the most entertaining game of the season. He'd probably lose it by walking five consecutive batters in the 1st.

Even so, it seems like you invest a lot more into appreciating prospects. Everyone sort of has their players that they like and don't like, but it seems like whenever a guy comes up from Pawtucket, its one of the guys you like.

If Nava can play 1st, he should play where they need him. It makes more sense for him to be up here than hitting .350 in Pawtucket.

Dojji, you're the resident minor league expert, right? Do you think Nava has the necessary skills for first base? If we're throwing Ortiz/Lowell out there, I figure its worth a shot.

Come on guys, Dice-k is pitching tonite, we've got nothing to worry about.

I distinctly recall saying over and over that the Finals depended solely on the health of Bynum. When he was in, the Lakers were killing us. When went down, the Lakers went down, but when Perkins followed, the Celtics fell apart. On the Shaq signing-- He costs this team nothing. A minimum contract doesn't affect cap space whatsoever. He can only do good for his money, and if he does poorly, its the equivalent of a AAA baseball player doing poorly. There is nothing negative you can say about him. If he creates problems for this team, --the closest team in the NBA-- so either he gets along, or its Shaq against the world, and at that point they could just drop him, but I'm sure he'll make his million dollars for the team in Celtics Green Shaqwear.

So, looking at the production of the Red Sox 4, 5, and 6 hitters, it makes me wonder, what should this team do with them. There seem to be a lot of people here that think all of them will be gone by the end of the season, but I have been looking at the stats and the numbers, and it might make sense to keep atleast two of them. Beltre .335 BA, .940 OPS, 19 HR Ortiz .261 BA, .909 OPS, 23 HR Let's compare them to the biggest three names suggested for corner infield. A-gon .289, .890 OPS, 21 HR Fielder .267, .892 OPS, 24 HR Dunn .277, .943 OPS, 28 HR It was a bit of a revelation to me that all these big names were performing at the same level as two guys the team already has. Adrian Gonzalez plays solid 1B, but any of those other guys are significant defensive dropoffs from Youkilis. Even so, moving Youk to 3B hurts the defense at 3rd. Beltre's stats won't stay that high for long, but his defense will be better, and he'll be cheaper. If they can get him for the right price, they need to bring him back. The difference of money between Beltre and A-gon will go a long way towards a new outfielder. Vmart .285 BA, .809 OPS, 9 HR We saw what happened to this offense without a high caliber bat from C. Any other catcher would hurt the team. Keep- Vmart Trade- Beltre Keep- Ortiz, short term only.

Lowell presents a lot of problems. They see Varitek as a better solution to the problem than Lowell.

Lowell is not going to be back next season. I would bet my savings on that. Its been such an emotional roller coaster for him that there really isn't any reason for him to.

It just seems illogical to me-- almost as if only guys with overpaid contracts can be traded. Why not dump salary in July like everyone else?