Interesting question. First of all, getting in a bidding war with the Mets or Yankees will more than likely result in a grotesque overpay.
But if the owners are all in, yes I believe he would do it.
If Barnes had pitched this well at the start of the year, the "no closer" thing wouldn't been the issue that it became.
Sure it's frustrating, but such is life.
W-L records for relievers have pretty much always been irrelevant.
And W-L records for starters are becoming less relevant all the time, with the reductions in starter innings.
Enough about the RH outfielder. It's been way overblown.
Bloom DID sign Refsnyder.
And he liked Arroyo's bat, and lately Arroyo has been one of our best hitters.
And now we have Pham.
I don't know if it was the best thing for the Red Sox, but it was probably the best thing for Tito's physical and mental health. 8 years managing the Red Sox is a long time. And even though he won 2 titles, he endured a lot of abuse. It's a tough gig.
So what is the definition of sustained excellence in MLB?
Under the current playoff structure, I would guess it's something like this: making the playoffs 80-90% of the time, and winning it all at least once a decade.
How about some love for Kutter Crawford? He's one guy who has been better than expected and has helped keep the pitching staff from completely imploding.
Kike gets the Shane Victorino award for this year. Reserved for players who become fan favorites their first season, come down with an apparently minor injury early in their second season, and are never seen again.
Yes, he's having a subpar season and probably has lost some bat speed, and probably will be elsewhere next year. A very good signing by DD nonetheless.