RedSoxNC84

There are cheaper options there that would still be good options: McClouth, Morse who can also fill in at 1b, Delmon Young even though he's not that great an option, Grady Sizemore might benefit from a change of scenery, etc. One of the most intriguing options to me is Brennan Boesch. He's only 28, and the Yankees are unlikely to resign him given their potential outfield depth now. Not to mention he could be very cheap.

I know you want them to sign Nap pretty bad and I'm not trying to be a dick, but this is literally the same thing you've posted every day since the world series ended.

Especially if that AB ends in a short popout to shallow left center.

That all depends. I could totally see some cheap FA moves to serve as stopgaps until various prospects are ready. The signing of Pierzynski says a lot about the FO's opinion on Swihart and Vasquez. The non-signing of Ellsbury may say a lot about JBJ. I still think they sign a cheap outfielder with a somewhat similar skillset to what they're missing now. I think that also means no Granderson.

haha!

That's the same thing I'm thinking, except I think they still sign Napoli.

The Twins are unloading money on SP. I think they're actually trying to compete.. I don't see them letting go of Mauer short of a move that would decimate a team's farm system and they'd still have to take the bulk of Mauer's contract.

Granderson isn't the worst option, he would definitely provide a ton of power in the lineup. He's a career .261 hitter with a career OPS of .828. Definitely not terrible. I'd still like to see them go after a cheap option like McClouth. McClouth isn't a power hitter like Granderson but he has good defense and could replace some of the speed in the lineup we're losing with Ellsbury gone.

No. I would like to see the Sox bring back Napoli and Drew. Napoli for the chemistry and his occasional contribution to the offense, he's not so much a question mark as before. Drew for his defense of course. I think the moves that Ben makes the rest of the season are going to be fairly quiet, non splashy moves. We'll probably see a veteran outfielder for JBJ insurance, a relief pitcher of course, Napoli, and maybe a utility infielder. I don't see much else happening besides that. I'm sure most of you already know this by now though. As far as some of the moves, here's what I see possibly happening: Sox trade Dempster and another SP to Angels for Howie Kendrick. Kendrick slots in at 1B and 3B. Sox sign Nate McClouth Sox resign Napoli Given that, here would be my lineup predictions 1. McClouth 2. Vic 3. Pedroia 4. Ortiz/Napoli 5. Napoli/Kendrick/Carp 6. Pierzynski/Gomes/Nava 7. Bogaerts/Pierzynski 8. WMB/Bogaerts 9. WMB/JBJ/Ross If JBJ turns into the s*** then McClouth could be a trade chip, or spend more time in LF. If JBJ turns into s***, then you'll at least have a cheap outfielder that's a little above replacement level, and Vic could slot in at center.

Which one is older?

Patience my friend. Ben knows the way.

One of the funniest things I've seen on here in awhile

I'd be trying to get shipped to the team the farthest away after that!

Also, does this mean the Yankees are giving up on Cano? How much payroll flexibility do they have exactly?

When is Jackso gonna be here to let us know that this is the signing of the decade?

Thing is Napoli is the one who came out and said he wanted to test the market. The sox didn't say "oh we want to look at other options." The Sox FO is going to do their due dilligence on any and all possibilities for a replacement for Napoli in case he gets an offer from another team that the Sox just can't match. It's simple really. Both sides expressed interest, but Napoli wants to see what kind of payday he can get. We'll just have to see what happens.

Choo is going to command a pretty high payout, similar to the one Ellsbury is looking for. This probably isn't the answer.

Damn! I was too late!

In before all the "wake up Ben" comments

It's really hard to say, considering these guys may not be ready for it. I honestly doubt that we will see them until maybe september. If the sox do not sign anyone or make trades at all, I think we'll be seeing JBJ and Lavarnway instead of Brentz and Vasquez.

The only thing that would suggest a decline at that age is injury.

I don't get this sometimes.. People on here talk about guys that are 31 and 32 as if they are in their 40s and 50s. 32 is not old, by any means. Guys 29-33 are more or less in their peak as far as being an all around type player.

That is actually a pretty good idea. Span has had success in the AL. His isolated power is a little lacking, BB% is down, but he does have a low K%, and his BABIP has always been around .300. He's been an average of a 3 WAR player for years. His uzr in center field is pretty decent too.

Wouldn't it be a better idea to put Vic in center? After all he is going to be the superior defender to any of those guys, but his CF uzr is nothing compared to his RF uzr. What about Kalish? Whatever happened to that guy? I still think if they can land Beltran at 1/2 years for a decent salary, it would be a smart play. His bat would make up for his defense. He could play center, his uzr in center is not that terrible career-wise.

Maybe starting pitching isn't something they are really looking at. Aside from MLBTR that said they "really want" Hudson, there is no other evidence of them really making moves for SP. The rotation isn't perfect, but it has far fewer holes in it than it did before. Even Dempster pitched well enough to win us games most of the time, sometimes the offense carried him to wins even when he was bad. He's a solid #5 though. Peavy is an excellent #4 and could easily fill the 3 slot if (when) Buchholz gets injured (again.) The pitching staff doesn't really need any tweaking. I'm starting to think that maybe their focus is going to be on Napoli/Beltran/Salty/McCann/Hanigan for most of the offseason.