SoxFanForsyth

I think they're in a situation where they are flush with cash and have literally nowhere else to spend it other than SP. Perhaps they go after Tulo and take on his salary, but if they do that, I don't think they trade for a SP because they don't want to completely empty their farm, and they still have $60mm to spend (Tulo amazingly only has an AAV of $15.775mm). Then again, I'm curious about the package it would take to get Hamels. You could feasibly throw Middlebrooks, Ranaudo, and maybe JBJ at the Phillies and take on his full salary and be in good shape. I don't know, it's easy to get carried away because there are literally so many options out there. But I do think we come down with Lester plus 1 very, very good pitcher (Hamels, Shields).

Pablo Sandoval is a FA, or you could see if you can trade for Troy Tulo and slide Bogaerts to 3B.

Good job Xander. That bunt went farther than you hit it in your first two AB's!

It's certainly surprising, but you just have to chalk it up to what it is - a bad year. If they can stay with the bottom 9 records, they get a protected draft pick, and can sign a player who has draft pick compensation attached without having to give up their #1 pick.

Vazquez sure does put together good at bats. Controls the strike zone well, makes very good contact. May never be a great hitter, but he doesn't K a lot, walks enough, and is elite elite defensively.

Well you have to absorb the growing pains if you're going to see the good side. The offense won't change much, but the pitching will be very different. Two acquisitions followed by Kelley, Buch, and RDLR, I would guess. My guess will be Lester and Hamels. The Sox FO has way too much money and is too aggressive after losing seasons to not go all in for 2015.

what are you talking about?? where is cherrington trying to sell this as the 2015 team?? You just make stuff up and get yourself all riled up for no reason. Chill out man. 2014 is over. Accept that. Then try to enjoy watching some of the young kids play and develop. There is an entire offseason for the moves before we can even sniff 2015.

You can quote me now. He's going to get back on track. Give him about a week at SS to get his feet back underneath him and his confidence back up. And then he'll start raking again.

I would be very very interested to see if the Sox put in a claim on Hamels if the Phillies put him on waivers. I can't imagine they wouldn't. Then they'd be able to negotiate w the Phillies without competition.

Yeah his struggles are becoming infuriating.

Wow this is just horrific by Bogaerts and Nava.

Bogaerts gonna make SBF eat crow here!

Teams seem to be sitting on RDLR's change up. Needs to throw more FB/SL.

That article was phenomenal.

Sox are getting killed by 3B defense lately. I've seen a ton of doubles taken away in the past 3-4 games.

You also have WMB for 5 years at league min/arbitration.

From what I understand, his wrist is fully healed and he's on track to have his first fully healthy offseason in a few years. There has been some speculation that his power outage has related to his limited offseason, which I can see happening, but I'll believe it when I see it.

If you can get Hamels for 4/98 or Lester at 5/130 and keep your prospects, you get Lester, 10 times out of 10. The thing the Sox are going to do is assess the FA market and the trade market. They're swimming in both dollars and prospects. The FA market is absolutely flush this year in SP, but bats are nearly impossible to come by on the FA market. So, I would imagine they will attempt to fill the SP needs via dollars and fill any positional needs via trade. That would make sense. Why would you trade for a Cueto when you can sign a Shields? Cueto is younger, but you get him for 1 year then you're faced with the same delimma as you had w Lester. If they want to sign Lester AND go after Hamels, I guess I could see that. I would love for them to stand pat on their offense, give Lester 5/25, trade for Hamels (WMB, JBJ, Ranaudo, and absorb the contract should get close - see: Price, David), then fill up the bullpen with Miller, Koji, Taz, Hochevar, Webster, Badenhop, and 1 more. That would eat up most of that $75mm if they gave Koji a QO ($15mm), and gave Lester and Hamels $25mm each (or an average of that between them). Give Miller $7mm, Hochevar $5mm, and there is $77mm right there. Perfect. Now go win a WS.

I just remember seeing him in short stints during ST in 2013, when the hype machine exploded on this guy. I actually went to ST that year and was there during a game when he came in after Buchholz (it was against the Twins). I was sitting right behind some scouts and, oddly enough, Hazen and Cherrington and that whole crew. They all had guns on Webster and he was pumping 97-99 and it was just absolute filth. His control issues were virtually non-existent. Given, it was spring training, but he was still pounding the zone with 97-99 gas and a bugs bunny change up.

Why aren't they going to get 2 of those pitchers again? They've got loads of money. And they've only got a few places to spend it. I can see them working around Allen Craig to have Cespedes and Stanton in the lineup. Either trading Craig in the deal for Stanton, or potentially trading Napoli, since his deal is up in 2015 and a team can't offer a QO if they don't have him all year. Just some ideas. Not saying these are better than other ideas, but if you told me I was going into 2015 with a rotation of Lester Shields Kelly Buch RDLR, and this lineup with Stanton in it? I'm good with that.

Jon Heyman is reporting that the Sox are going to make a very strong, aggressive push for Stanton this winter. Can you imagine Stanton and Cespedes as your corner outfielders? My goodness.

I'm not saying he's going to bring back a top 15 prospect. But it's going to be a hell of a lot better than some middle reliever or meddling prospect. Think about it. The best RH bat on the market right now is Marlon Byrd. Middlebrooks would have excellent trade value at a time when RH power is as rare as it gets.

Marlins DFA'd Jacob Turner today. I'll be pissed if the Sox don't pick him up. 4.01 FIP, 3.93 xFIP this year. .368 BABIP & 64% strand rate = unlucky. Was a top 25 prospect just a couple years ago. Could be a great change of scenery guy, or at the very least a really nice bullpen arm.

Look what Mark Trumbo brought back. Very similar players. Angels got Skaggs, who was the #12 overall prospect pre-2013 (not rookie eligible in 2014). He's a 22 year old who has posted a 4.30 ERA this year, which is very solid for a 22 year old particularly in the AL West this year. His value could also be as side piece in a blockbuster deal, not in a straight up deal. Amaro loves him, he could be the extra piece in a deal for Hamels, just as an example. Marlins love him, too. I think your estimation is extremely light on his trade value. Extremely light.

He can still be Bard #1 if the Sox stick him in the pen. Control issues tend to resolve themselves when you go in shorter stints (See: Bard, Daniel; Miller, Andrew; Betances, Dellin). It may take a little more work than just throwing him in the pen for him to find himself there, but if he can, he can be an absolute shut down guy.