The current value of a win exceeds 7 million and it's rising. 2.5 WAR right now should translate to nearly 18 million in value, possibly reaching that number next year. If the Sox overpaid Porcello's market value by around 3-4 million per in order to slice the contract by two full years relative to what the market is yielding for pitcher of his production and ability, that's great business considering the volatility of starting pitching. I don't understand why this concept is so difficult to grasp, especially considering this has been the Sox' M.O for a couple of years now, and with a good logical base behind it. What's not to like? You minimize risk by overpaying in a way that's going to minimize future contractual obligations while barely impacting a payroll of this magnitude.