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Scott Baker (31) - $9.25MM club option Joe Blanton (32) Matt Cain (28) Fausto Carmona (29) - $9MM club option Kevin Correia (32) John Danks (28) Jorge De La Rosa (32) - $11MM player option with a $1MM buyout Ryan Dempster (36) R.A. Dickey (38) - $5MM club option with a $300K buyout Scott Feldman (29) - $9.25MM club option with a $600K buyout Gavin Floyd (30) - $9.5MM club option Freddy Garcia (37) Zack Greinke (28) Jeremy Guthrie (34) Cole Hamels (29) Dan Haren (32) - $15.5MM club option with a $3.5MM buyout Tim Hudson (37) - $9MM club option with a $1MM buyout Colby Lewis (33) Francisco Liriano (29) Kyle Lohse (34) Derek Lowe (40) Shaun Marcum (31) Daisuke Matsuzaka (32) Brandon McCarthy (29) Brett Myers (32) - $10MM club option with a $3MM buyout Carl Pavano (37) Jake Peavy (31) - $22MM club option with a $4MM buyout Anibal Sanchez (29) Jonathan Sanchez (30) Ervin Santana (30) - $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout James Shields (31) - $9MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout Chien-Ming Wang (33) Jake Westbrook (35) - $8.5MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout if club declines Dontrelle Willis (31) Randy Wolf (36) - $10MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout Carlos Zambrano (32) - $19.25MM player option depending on Zambrano's Cy Young voting placement List of possible FA's after next season.

lolwut? This is baseball. In baseball, it's generally a bad business model to hand out 4-year deals to pitchers over 30. They fell into that trap with Lackey, but didn't with Buehrle, and they shouldn't have. That's the "business case" in this instance. The return on investment usually lowers on a year-to-year basis with a pitcher the age of Buerhle.

Gio's wildness is a cause for concern though.

Well what you would have expected from Buehrle was #4 starter production, specially on the latter two years of the deal. You can overpay, but you can't let it turn into an albatross, which may happen in the last year of the Buehrle contract.

You can't say, on one hand, that the Sox need to start evaluating the way they invest their money on FA's because they keep making stupid signings, then in the same breath, ask them to make a four-year, 54 million dollar commitment on Mark Buehrle. It's either one or the other. Logic please. And this is from someone who highly wanted Buehrle.

41. Still, last season he put up a 2.29 ERA in 51 IP with a 1.13 WHIP, and 7.8 K/9. In Texas. Even better, he managed to get both lefties and righties out last year, keeping them both to an OPS under .600.

Back to the Red Sox: Thoughts on old-as-dirt Darren Oliver?

You do know you're like, my favorite poster both here and at TalkPats right?

Ooooooh, buuuuuuuuurn.

There is no such thing as a consensus here. Everyone is antsy (me included) to see what they actually do with this team for 2012, however, the constant name calling and know-it-all attitude of some posters is unbearable. Btw, even though i argue with you i find your stances and overall knowledge of the game a lot more palatable than some of the negativity mongers, meaning i don't group you with them. What i mean is, that there can be a differing opinion that doesn't turn the site into a whine-fest. Just sayin'.

I feel ya bro.

I think i love you. Polyanna and all.

Reported where? Lucchino has said several times they are willing to go over the LT cap. Look it up.

A 180 million ballclub is operating on the cheap? Do you even see what you're saying? Also, is there a chance there is actually something in this universe Fred doesn't bitch about?

Jeter over Tulo? Really? Martin, a Canadian, at catcher? Apply some of that business knowledge here.

How does this make sense? What if the Cubs and Red Sox don't match up? Because Epstein knows the system, he may come to the conclusion that the Red Sox don't have the talent he wants for Garza, and how is that Ben's fault?

.862 career OPS against them in his career,

I like Roy Oswalt, Willingham, Madson, Ayala, Thornton. I think two bullpen pieces plus a closer would do it. There are so many ways they could go that i don't even really know.

Now that you mention the subject of addition by subtraction, Valentine is yet to announce a pitching coach. I think Bob Apodaca and Rick Peterson should both be strong candidates for the position, and i'm not a huge fan of either.

I would add the word "HARD" to that statement.