iortiz

I don't want him as a Starter. I don't want another Bard case in our rotation. I want him as a closer. My nice to have is: Beckett Lester Buch 1. Garza/ 2. Jackson/ 3. Kuroda beyond the price vs years/trade implications Bard Madson Bailey Melancon Aceves Etc. I know, I know it's a pipe dream. But with this pitching staff, even pumpsie would be very confident about next season.

Sounds Crazy but Madson still available and Garza still a possibility.

Totally agree, I've been saying that, BUT we need that this happens, otherwise we will be in jeopardy.

Exactly.

Yes, Bard and Pap are better than Melancon and Bailey, regardless they will pitch in a tougher environment but they can fit well. We have 3 SPs who are prone to injuries. Bard is a mystery as a Starter. The #5 spot still a mystery as well. If Aceves takes that spot, our BP is a mystery too. Yes, This offseason hasn't been encouraging. Hopefully, all those question marks play in our favor.

1. He should be Salty's backup, by now. 2. He should be our next titular DH/catcher in the mid/long future. 3. I see a solid power batter with a respectable defense as a catcher. No a super star but above the average as a catcher. Unless... They use him as a key piece in order to bring a solid SP.

As long we don't give up Lav, Kal and Mid, It's ok for me.

what about trying with Iglesias at times this year.

Crawford better come back. Youk better be in shape. Buch better be healthy. Beckett better be solid. Bard better fit well. Our BP better be consistent, etc.

We can resume 2011 team like this. We have almost the same 2011 "TEAM" now. Somethings have to change around. Some have changed. Theo is gone. Tito is gone. Our coaching staff and medical staff has gone. I still believe that this team has an elite core. I'm confident about this team as long as you bring me the goddamn SP and the extra-baseball change (attitude, team-working, professionalism, etc.) otherwise we will be in jeopardy again. 2011 team in the paper arguably was more talented than 2004. I actually believe that. Some called 2011 team as the best RS team ever. But a completely different thing is saying that 2011 team was better than 2004 team.

Are you saying that 2004 team was lucky because didn't have injuries? Whata about saying that they worked better their physical conditioning/shape, not beer and chicken, discipline, professionalism, commitment, team-working, etc, etc. etc. I like stats but As I said, not everything is stats. 2004 team was a one pice engine in every aspect, reason why makes it a better team. 2011 wasn't. Unfortunately, you can't compare them in neutral environments, since they already had their particular environments. Which environment was more favorable? nobody knows. The only thing you can do is look at the BL. 2004 succeeded. 2011 didn't. I'm not sure why we want to compare a team which got a ring against another which didn't even made the POs.

That's a totally different discussion. If you want to compare a WS winner vs WS winner is tough since their environments were totally different. IMO that kind of comparison turns in the end of the day subjective. Still, you can see another kind of "results" (ex. advanced ultra stats) and emit an opinion, but again, in the end of the day the discussion turns subjective. Facts & Results 04 team succeed in its environment. 11 team failed in its environment.

I'm not sure why we want to compare 04 with 11. Forget the offense, pitching, health, advanced stats, etc, etc. The overall 04 team was a better one since they won the WS, period. That team was balanced, solid and was a one piece engine. I'm not sure why we want to reinvent the warm water. We tend to complicate the things. Did 11-team put better advanced-ultra-stats? who cares? They didn't even made the POs. Make all the analysis you want but 11 team F.A.I.L.E.D., and that is a fact. Results, gentlemen, results.... That's all that counts.

Our farm doesn't look good.

Fixed. If your points 1-3 true, Yes, We can win the AL East, otherwise Pumpsie is right, Next season won't look good. The thing is, I don't like a lot of "ifs", "?" and "good wishes". I assume Pumpsie is what is seeing as well, reason why he is not that confident about this team. Hopefully, BV can put this team in one piece.

This is true. Reason why my concern about our current pitching has been in the top of my mind since last season ended.

As I've been saying, IMO you don't need to have the best offense or the the best pitching in order to win the WS. You need a balanced team. You need a solid team. You need a healthy team. You need depth. You need discipline. You need compromise. You need professionalism. You need hungry. You need team-working. You need leadership. Could sound like a cliche, but those elements gentlement, gives you rings. Today, Do we have those elements? IMO This team needs to work a lot in so many areas if we really want to run as a serious WS contender team.

Yup, it's a 3 player deep and I'm not comfortable either. But again, IMO you would be more "balanced" with another solid SP than with another slugger. History has showed us that SPs somehow get injuries and/or underperform specially in our top 3. If someone can guarantee me that they will stay healthy, I'm with you, but again, you know our injury track record. Notice that all my argument rest on "they won't go over the cap" On the other hand, solid, healthy and young FA SPs like Buerhle, will/are making those amounts of money. Yes, he could cost us more, but IMO, not that more much. Yes, 2013 FA class will be a better one but guess who is comming off the books... Jenks and D-K. You can use that money in order to bring another solid SP and who knows... maybe and just maybe you won't need to do that if Bard fits well this season regardless you only would need a #5 SP, who can share the load with Lackey.

This team was unbalanced, reason why we collapsed. This team has been unbalanced, reason why we haven't won a single PO game in three years. Do you want to repeat the same error again? What about Lavernway as DH? I would've used Ortiz' money in a guy like Buerhle (see the thing year by year, of course). Yes, you surly wouldn't have had the same offensive production but the way I see the thing, Still you would have had a respectable offense and with a guy like Buerhle, you would've had solid rotation as well. Beckett-Lester-Buch-Buerhle (still available Kuroda/Oswalt)-Bard Ells Peddy Gonzo Youk Lav Crawford Kalish Scu Salty how does it sound? Of course, all this is based on "they won't go oven the CAP". Yes Pal, there's still options, but some of the candidates you mentioned will cost you +- Buerhle's money/year regardless I like 100 times more Buerhle than the current available. I've been saying that Buerhle's contract is a fair one. He is healthy, young and have put the numbers. On the other hand If you bring me Kuroda/Garza/Oswalt/Jackson, fine, I'll be very happy, just because we already have Ortiz, but please! do not put the words Saunders and Red Sox in the same sentence. :thumbdown

If we stay short (bring the SP) because Ortiz, Ben is officially the boob. There is no other way to see it. The SP was/is our #1 priority, instead they signed Ortiz +- 15M. As I said, I want to believe they have everything figure it out. For the record, I like Ortiz, but the SP is/was more important.

Bard (#4), Aceves (#5), and Wison as depth? No way. This is not a good idea. Bard or Aceves in the rotation is already a huge risk IMO. Bring the goddamn SP. I hope that the Ortiz thing, is not clogging our payroll in order to bring the SP. I want to believe that they have everything figure it out (which is to bring another SP)