If you're in the wild Card hunt at the end of the year with a true chance to make the playoffs, you are a contender. If you don't, then you're not. You're the one who's clearly wrong here.
I'm saying there is not something as a team that "resembles" a contender, a team either is or isn't. You really need to work on your reading comprehension.
Hey Brennan, over at that other forum Fred and company visit, Elktonnick made a prediction that the Sox would be lucky to win 83 games. That was mid-August. Seeing as they'll begin September with 81, what do you think of that prediction?
I don't get the issue with the expanding roster. It's the same for every team, so there's no unfair advantage. Besides, most of those roster add-ons are minor league kids getting their feet wet at the ML level.
Except that it's almost a certainty that Ellsbury won't repeat 2011 or even come close to it, and the criticism is warranted. Some of you on the Ellsbury bandwagon need to join the rest of us in reality.
But not 6/120 good with JBJ waiting in the wings, which is the only topic of contention. And the supposed impact of his SB's would be much higher if he wasn't hitting for mediocre power.