Elktonnick

There is a way to disagree without accusing some one that he makes stuff up. That's being nasty and mean spirited needlessly.

You see why I and several others have him on ignore!

I've heard several analysts say prior to this trade that the Sox bullpen was actually weaker than their rotation. Ken Rosenthal gave as good an explanation as any for the move. He said that the Sox never saw Ranaudo as anything better than a nbr 5 starter. They were concerned that he has never developed a put away pitch. The Sox pen was weak in left handers having only Breslow. Given that analysis I think the move was a reasonable one.

There are those for some reason who insist on treating baseball Sabermetrics as sacred script. They become very defensive to virtually any critique about their utility. Economists and other social scientists don't have the same religious zeal over their metrics as a predictor of future performance as do some purported sabermetricians. I find that curiously amusing.

I presume you mean 2015 numbers.

Since the advent of the Major League package I have seen virtually every Red Sox game since 2003. I have read James's book and a few others as well. I've learned far more about Sox players by watching them play than by reading their stats, all their stats including the so called advanced statistics, The so called advanced statistics aren't really that advanced they are just a different way of describing what HAPPENED. I agree that the new models are great for comparing past performances of different players. However, as we have seen over and over again with Bill James projections they simply have their drawbacks. Otherwise we would have celebrated more World Series titles then we have had. Marveled at that great Red Sox Short stop Renteria; WMB would be starting at third, we would be toasting that great aging Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford, you get my point I've learned nothing beats watching guys play every day. Bradley Jr is one example, after seeing him play one sees his flaws which weren't reflected in his earlier minor league stats. Whenever you buy stocks or equities, your broker always reminds you that "past performances are no guarantee of future results" so to with Sabermetrics. Enjoy them for what they are. As for me give me a great scouting dept full of guys who played and taught the game. They aren't perfect either but they bring perspective which is often lacking in pure quantitative analysis.

I agree

The latest coming out of Boston is that the Sox aren't THAT interested in Shields because he isn't a ground ball pitcher whose style isn't suited to Fenway Park.

I agree Amaro is destroying the Phillies.

Assigning labels to posters is not helpful and is needlessly divisive. If a poster truly gets under one's skin then simply use the ignore function.

Do the Ulan Bator Yaks have a front line starter? I know they are the class of the Siberian Winter League.

The Scherzer signing does give Boston another option for a starter that they didn't have before. They never were in on Scherzer in the first place. If they can pry either Zimmermann or Strasburg out of Washington then their rotation will be nothing to sneeze at. If they don't we can always see how the division shakes out. The ALE is so mediocre that the Sox are clearly contenders in a very weak field and could wait until the ASB before retooling for a playoff run. What I fail to understand is why Washington signed Scherzer if they are only going to turn around and trade either Zimmermann or Strasburg. Of the three (Scherzer, Zim or Strasburg) I'd rather have Zimmermann in 2015 on my staff.

I certainly hope he learns from it. I am looking forward to see how he handles the adversity. Don't get me wrong, I love to see mature into a sold centerfielder. He has an up hill battle now. He simply has got to revamp his approach at the plate.

Bradley has the speed to steal bases but he isn't on base enough to learn the art of base stealing. If he doesn't have the patience to study pitchers as a hitter he certainly doesn't have the patience to learn stealing. One gets the feeling that he is pigheaded.

If Bradley can't or won't make adjustments at the plate. then he is making himself quite expendable. Look at the top centerfielders in baseball. They all hit. If Bradley fails he has no one to blame but himself

That's why they're called prospects because most don't work out. If they all were successful then they wouldn't be prospects they would be sure things.

I hadn't heard that bit of Bradley saying yjat he "relied on his instincts and isn't a student of the game" That cinches for me. He now succeeds WMB as the dumbest ballplayer on the Red Sox.

I for the life of me can't understand why the Nats are doing what they are doing vis a vis Scherzer and Zimmermann

A source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that the Nationals won't have the financial flexibility to sign Scherzer unless they have a trade in place to move starter Jordan Zimmermann and possibly shortstop Ian Desmond. As of Saturday, Stark reports, the Nationals did not have trades in place for either Zimmermann or Desmond. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reports that the Nationals have been discussing Jordan Zimmermann with multiple teams the past few weeks. With the Nationals perhaps closing in on a deal with Max Scherzer, it makes sense that they could potentially deal Zimmermann who is entering the final season of his contract. Jan 18 - 5:26 PM

If the Nats do sign Scherzer does that make it likely they'll deal Zimmerman? Let's see if that possibility is raised by the media.

It's not that Bradley "can't" hit. It is he won't hit unless he adjusts his hitting approach. By his own admission he believes he can be another Willie Mays. Well he won't hit like Willie Mays unless he adjusts his mechanics to swing like Willie Mays. Mays stepped into the ball. Bradley has does this funky toe tap thing and ends up swinging flat footed. Bradley loops his bat and has a long swing. I question whether he is really picking up the ball and can recognize what is being thrown. I am just guessing but I suspect that he thinks his quick feet in the field translates into a quick bat hence his reluctance to change.

That may be true, But there appears to be growing sentiment that Shields isn't a big game pitcher but a solid performer during the regular season. What ever the reason he isn't drawing the "love" from GMs that was previously expected.

Recently I heard Jim Bowden on MLB radio describe Shields as a solid "middle of the rotation starter". I think fewer baseball people are ready to put Shields in the so called ace category because of his recent playoff performance. Shields is valuable because he is durable and can save a bull pen over the course of a season. I do agree,however, that if Toronto were to land Shields they would be the odds on favorite to win the ALE. But the ALE is so weak that any team adding Shields with the exception of the Rays who have such a woeful lineup would in my view be divisional favorite.

If one takes the Detroit GM at his word (a very risking proposition as all GMs tend to shade the truth) it may appear that the Tigers realize they can't have both and prefer Price.

Crawford should never signed with Boston. He was a big big fish in a very small baseball market in Tampa St Pete. For most of his early career he could no wrong on a club where fan expectations were very low. Then he comes to Boston where, like Renteria before, he simply didn't have the emotional mettle to handle the spotlight. I can't understand his attitude today. I agree he should be grateful and thank his lucky star that he was paid so much for doing so little. A class act would know when to simply shut up. Crawford isn't a class act.