Elktonnick

I am not your research assistant look it up yourself. It isn't hard. That is what I did.

If they are better with Betts but not good enough, Verdugo bad back and all certainly would be a major step in the wrong direction.

Sure there was. Cora is Alfred E Neuman who got caught!

Carson Smith et al

Nope same Medical Director

What makes you think it isn't

Funny thing it was the loss of Cora that made me more optimistic about their chances in 2020.

Yes the Red Sox medical staff has such an excellent track record. Let's take a chance, after all back injuries are so easy to evaluate and rehabilitate.

The risk in trading for draft picks prior to the penalties being announced is that you made a decision on the assumption that draft picks would be part of the sanctions. If they are not you have precluded other options that may have been preferable. I just think the most prudent approach is to wait until MLB concludes its investigation.

Why would you accept such a deal when you do not know whether the back has healed. It sounds like the situation with Verdugo's back is still quite up in the air. Back injuries can be quite tricky. It seems like an unnecessary risk.

Oh but the question is what do you ask for in return. If the penalties are a substantial lose in draft picks wouldn't it be prudent to accept draft picks as part of the compensation. Until you know the penalties I would argue it would be prudent to wait.

Misquote what Kennedy said was that he had concerns that it MAY be congenital. Judging by Verdugo own comments, he himself expressed concerns that it could be more serious. In any case given the facts presented by the Jan 3 article why would you trade Betts for a package including Verdugo?

Making deals based on incomplete information is not normally a prudent strategy.

I do not think that the Red Sox had any more advanced notice than did Houston. Both may have had at most 24 hrs notice before it was made public. Moreover I have seen no reporting to suggest that they did. Unlike Washington MLB seems to have a better record of preventing leaks concerning pending investigations.

Without knowing how the penalties will affect future draft picks, Bloom and the Red Sox should keep their powder dry until MLB makes its final decision on what if any penalties are forthcoming.

I believe the MLB investigation and possible new penalties changed the equation.

For those of you who discounted Kevin Kennedy's comments re Verdugo: By Ken Gurnick @kengurnick January 3, 2020 LOS ANGELES -- One of the subplots to this offseason for the Dodgers is what to make of Alex Verdugo. At the Children’s Holiday Party at Dodger Stadium last month, the outfielder said his “goal” is to be ready for Opening Day, certainly leaving open the possibility that he won’t. He suffered a back/oblique/core injury that cost him the final two months of the regular season and the Dodgers’ National League Division Series loss to the Nationals. Verdugo went on to say that as he continues to rehab, he has not resumed any baseball activities. Maybe that’s why the Dodgers haven’t dealt Verdugo or Joc Pederson from a position where the Dodgers have a surplus. Club officials say there is no concern with the 23-year-old’s health long term, but initially nobody thought his injury was this serious. “I think anybody that’s had something wrong with your back would understand,” Verdugo said. “Any activity you do, your back helps a lot. It’s a lot of frustration, but all I can do is stay positive. I’m going in the right direction. My goal is going to be starting Opening Day. We’ll just see how the days and weeks go and how I recover.” Those anxious to move Betts do you still think it would be prudent for Bloom to trade Betts for package including Verdugo?

No it isn't paralysis by analysis it is simply waiting until new unknown data becomes known.

Here is the fundamental problem. One shouldn't make any significant trades based on incomplete information. The great unknown is what penalties will MLB impose if any on the Red Sox. Will these penalties involve future draft picks? If so, how many? And, will such penalties involve one, two or more years? Until this is known one really can not develop a meaningful complete strategic plan on how to rebuild the farm. So I wouldn't be in any hurry to trade Betts unless some team makes an incredible offer that would allow me to reasonably achieve my goals regardless of the penalties imposed. I simply doubt any team will make such an offer. Moreover I think Kevin Kennedy's comments reveal reasonable concerns about Verdugo which I suspect Chaim is well aware of and may have caused him some pause.

Of course at all costs, after all the goal of every Major League team is not to win but to have the best farm system so every one can say, "Wait until next year!".

Caveat emptor

It means that the Sox need to be skeptical of "Greeks bearing gifts" in this case the Dodgers offering Verdugo that what it adds to the thread.

Colossians 3: 13

Kennedy clearly has more of a clue given both his baseball experience and years associated with the Dodgers. I find it amusing that so many posters here are incapable of accepting opinions of professional baseball commentators who are merely being skeptical.