vjcsmoke

Looking forward to seeing him live! Hope he lives up to the hype! But remember the law of small sample size. :-)

It makes sense to shut Pedroia down. This also gives the youngsters a chance to prove themselves. I'd like to see Holt and Betts get regular playing time and see who wins that 2B position in the meantime.

A 31 year old Cano seeking a 10 year deal is different from a 25 year old Stanton who is in his young prime. Yankees paid top dollar for AROD's deal and for Teixeira. I wouldn't put it past the Yankees to ink Stanton to a huge deal if he made it to free agency. We're not going to win that bidding war. The only way Stanton realistically gets to the Red Sox would be via trade with the Marlins and we negotiate a long term deal that satisfies Stanton to stay. It's too bad we couldn't get him before he completely blew up statistically. Anyways here's an article that gives a different viewpoint - a skeptical one about whether the Marlins will actually give Stanton the big contract that he desires. Not to mention even if it is enough money, he probably won't get the No Trade Clause. http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2014/09/why_the_marlins_giving_giancarlo_stanton_the_largest_contract_in_team_history_is_a_load_of_crap.php

If Middlebrooks wants to salvage his career he better be on the darn bus or plane when Winter Ball starts. They might be able to give him some kind of regimen where he plays less so that he has more time in between to heal, but he better play ball if he wants to get better and show the brass that he WANTS to get better. And if the vision issues as rumored are true, he better darn well get Lasik surgery in the offseason if he can't wear contacts. PS In a trade for Giancarlo Stanton, I'd say there's really not a player who is off-limits right now. Assuming we extend him long-term, Stanton would solidify our lineup for the next generation of Red Sox teams.

Right now, JBJ is a gold glove CFer with no bat. You can afford to carry one of those types of players in the OF if the other two starters are well-above average to all-star level. However we have not seen that level of play from our LF/RFers this season. Therefore overall the OF offense was a disaster. With Rusney Castillo added to the mix, it appears to me that JBJ's days are numbered in Boston. Even if he turns into a Coco Crisp level player, I doubt he will get the chance to prove that with a 70m dollar centerfielder signed longterm with a starting role in mind by both Cherington and Farrell.

I think Holt will be a good player. Maybe not a starter but with his ability to play multiple positions, lead off, and hit, he's a good player to have on a very good contract. I feel we keep him unless we can get another piece that can help the team. As far as Middlebrooks, yes he has struggled. But I laugh at the idea that he won't even be invited to ST next year. The kid has the potential to hit at all-star levels for the 3b position, .800+ OPS and possibly .850+ if he can ever find his form again and grow from there. The people giving up on Bogaerts already make me laugh even harder. Yes our team struggled, and our young players have struggled. This doesn't mean they are unsalvageable. I'd only trade our talented youngsters in a package for proven talent that would upgrade our roster.

Does anyone else feel like Buccholz needs to be dealt? I feel like we've hold onto him too long and he has regressed. He has been named an all-star twice, so when he is good he is really good. But when he is bad, he is a worse than average starter. Only 2 good seasons out of 7 so far. [i'm not going to count his 22 ip in 2007 as a season.] http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buchhcl01.shtml?redir I say if we can get a decent return, we should flip him. I don't feel that he is consistent enough to ever be a #1 starter like Lester was for us.

Youkilis might not have been a 'homerun hitter' but he was a very, very good offensive player for his position, over his career he averaged > .850 OPS and he was famed for his ability to carry out long at bats that either tired out a pitcher or could get him on base with a walk if he didn't manage to get a hit. For me right now Middlebrooks projects to be a 3b with slightly better power but significantly worse OPB than Youkilis. Offensively I feel that a Youkilis type is more useful when you already have some sluggers in the lineup such as David Ortiz and Cespedes. If Rusney Castillo gives us speed at the top, the Red Sox have been missing that leadoff hitter type since Ellsbury left. My only concern is Castillo's relatively low walk rate. But if he can maintain a .360 or higher OBP in the Majors with decent hitting to go along with his speed he should be an asset for our lineup. Differing opinions on Castillo: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/boston-red-sox-rusney-castillo-future-of-cuban-free-agency/

I'll agree with that. Manny may have been a knucklehead but he was a genius hitter. And even genius hitters don't stay at such a high level unless they work at their game. Manny always struck fear when he stepped into the box. As a fan you held your breath because you knew at any time, with one swing he could change an entire ballgame. Ortiz+Ramirez were the 1-2 punch that formed the heart of the Red Sox lineup during their championship wins in 2004 and 2007.

If looks had anything to do with baseball ability, I'd actually be worried. Glad we didn't cut that Pedroia guy cos he didn't 'look the part'. The main thing I take out of this move is that the Red Sox scouts love Cuban defectors. And so far they have been very successful in MLB, whether it be Yasiel Puig, Jose Abreu, or our own Yoenis Cespedes. Hopefully this is more of a good thing for us. Considering we only gave up $$ to acquire Castillo, I don't see much downside. As long as he plays average to above average he will have been worth his salary of ~10m per year.

Well yes, if you assume that EVERY SINGLE outfielder WON'T PAN OUT. Of course it would be a mess. We could bring in Giancarlo Stanton and it's possible a truck could run over his foot and he never plays a meaningful inning with the Red Sox. So the Red Sox should throw in the towel because any move they make could backfire or the player won't adjust to the limelight of Boston, right? I also find it ironic that out of all the Red Sox outfielders, you have the most confidence in Daniel Nava who as you put it, is a platoon player at best. The one thing that I do know - last to first can happen. And so can first to last. Just because we've experienced both extremes doesn't mean that I'm giving up on the Red Sox before the next season even starts. A LOT of moves can still be made at the Winter meetings, in the offseason, in free agency, and even during the preseason.

With these new additions here is how I see the red sox defensively: LF Cespedes CF Bradley Jr RF Victorino/Nava 3B Middlebrooks SS Bogaerts 2B Pedroia 1B Allen Craig/Napoli C Ross/Vazquez Supersub -- Brock Holt DH - David Ortiz That's actually not a bad team for 2015.

There's a number of teams rumored to be asking for Lester, in particular the Orioles and Mariners. But I think we need a star outfielder as a principal in return or a few high quality prospects who might be ready to contribute at the MlB level as soon as next year to pull the trigger on a lester trade. http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2014/7/28/5946547/red-sox-trade-rumors-jon-lester-deal-looking-more-likely-with-orioles-mariners-interested

I like him. Cheap talent in a down year for the Sox. Feed him some more experience and let him ride in a top 5 rotation role. I would sell high on Peavy and maybe one of our top 2 closers to either restock the farm or get a much needed veteran OF bat.

It might take a couple of prospects added on the Red Sox side, but the main principals in the trade would be Bogaerts and Stanton. The Red Sox have a desperate need for an elite outfielder who hits with power. Stanton is a 30/100 player. Bogaerts however plays a more valuable position at SS (which he is not playing now atm), and potentially could be a better player than Stanton 3-5 years down the road. But Stanton is already that star player right now. So put yourself in Ben Cherington's shoes, do you do the trade? http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/04dbaf05a3df879bc89226d2511bf2c11533a2d5/c=0-249-1926-1699&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/09/03/1378257172000-XanderBogaertsMiLB.jpg vs http://lownaway.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/gio-stanton.jpg Red Sox Bogaerts-Stanton speculation: http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/buckley-i-would-give-bogaerts-stanton

Sell high on Peavy. The Red Sox need a 1st baseman and the Cardinals need a starting pitcher. Now is the time for the Red Sox to cash in some assets as the trade deadline approaches. We might have to exchange some prospects as well, but I feel the main pieces in a Peavy-Craig deal would benefit both teams.

Would you like to recant your position on Stephen Drew now? Official Stats: Stephen Drew 2014 .136 BA .167 OBP .247 SLG .414 OPS Official Stats: Brock Holt 2014 .311 BA .359 OBP .425 SLG .784 OPS I don't see a pumpkin here. And 250 at bats is a significant enough sample size to say that Brock Holt has earned himself a regular spot in the starting lineup until he shows otherwise.

Again they have NOTHING to do with each other. Different franchises. Different sports. Even Different countries. I sure hope that I have the good fortune of being INSULTED by a 20m dollar per year offer someday. That statement is pure hyperbole.

1. I don't see how Luis Suarez has anything to do with the Red Sox. 2. 20m for a #3/4 pitcher is blatantly and egregiously OVERPAID. 3. And Henry Owens would not be and won't expected to carry a heavy load in his rookie season, so this argument is moot. The Red Sox are in the business of winning and have better options than trying out an untested pitcher for a lot of innings. You're the only one I'm seeing who thinks that Henry Owens would be our only alternative to Lester if he walked. Honestly, I expected to see a Lester extension done sooner, but if his agent is asking for crazy money I could see them letting him walk. Lester is certainly above average, but has he proven himself to deserve Ace money? No, not yet. This season will be a big indicator to see if he can be that Ace, franchise pitcher.

Official according to who? And what has Tampa Bay done to prove they should be frontrunners to win the division? I just want to see two things - Red Sox win the division and get into the playoffs. Everything after that is gravy... Yankees miss the playoffs, and watch their fanbase implode! ;-)

Except that Carp can backup 1st base legitimately and Nava can't... We held onto Carp for a reason. Unless he is looking horrible in ST I think he makes the team. The only real question is what to do with JBJ. I don't mind if he starts out in the minors. I don't mind if he stays with the team to start. I trust in our manager to make the right call. And it's not just the stats. It's the player's approach at the plate. How he sees pitches, whether he remains disciplined and focused and knows what he is doing each at bat. A player can put up some good cuts and just be unlucky, striking the ball hard directly to fielders, etc. But I think our manager and scouts just don't think Bradley is ready yet to handle pitching at the ML level. It doesn't hurt to give him more seasoning at the AAA level where he also gets to play on a regular basis.

Tell us how you REALLY feel!! LOL. Seriously, is it that much more fun to bury these kids before giving them a chance to work it through? Youngsters always have growing pains. Particularly for the pitching position, it usually takes a while before the 'light switch' goes on at the big league level. Anyways how are XB, Middlebrooks, and JBJ looking guys who are personally observing the ST?

I think it will be Victorino. You can't clog the bases with the leadoff spot.

I think this 'veteran respect' thing is overrated in terms of ordering your lineup. You set your lineup as best as possible to WIN GAMES. Not to stroke anybody's ego. That being said, I think JBJ is too unproven to start at anywhere but the 9 hole, IF he makes the starting lineup. I think that XB starts batting in the #6 hole, but I think he easily has the talent to eventually take over the #3 position if he plays up to his immense superstar potential. To me, XB is like another Hanley or Nomar just waiting to happen. If that best case scenario happens we are probably looking at-- 1. Victorino 2. Pedroia 3. XB 4. Ortiz 5. Napoli 6. WMB 7. Gomes or Nava 8. AJ Pierzynski or Ross 9. JBJ or Grady Sizemore

Yup, Cherington is clearly despicable. How dare he can Valentine, bring in Farrell, and win us a World Series Championship all within a couple of years of being hired? Yes we should all be Cubs fans instead. How dare Cherington overachieve like that and win the WS before Epstein did at his new gig!!? Good for you. I'm not throwing away a chance at the postseason just to watch some kids grow though. The rebuilding project already happened and we won a championship. You have to make another playoff push and just take your chances at glory. You don't pass up playoffs to watch youngsters grow. As for JBJ, I think he's not quite ready yet. If Grady can play at his former level, he is a starting caliber CF. I would hope for the latter to happen. That way we can bring JBJ on at a natural pace instead of forcing him into the starting lineup when he's not ready. If GS starts, then I see JBJ as backup CF/4th OF for us. The main guys I see ready to step up are XB first and foremost. That guy is a starter for us period. I am cautiously optimistic about Middlebrooks though. Still not convinced he can ever learn to hit a breaking ball. At the very least he has to learn to lay off them or he'll never amount to anything more than a .300 obp at the ML level. And that's not acceptable for a projected starter. I'm not excited about paying Drew a lot of money to be a 'utility infielder'. I mean how many UIFs will bank 6m+? That just doesn't make sense to me. We'll know a lot more by spring training where this team is heading. I hope we hear about a Lester extension soon and for 'not too crazy' money.