cp176

I am a surprised that no one is commenting on the fact that 3 of our top ten prospects are now pitchers.

Common sense - there is still a place in the world for it.

I agree and I would bet on the fact that there is virtually no chance that it will happen.

If they are really looking for a 4th outfielder, he would seem to be a real good one. Makes me wonder if they really aren't all that confident in the fact that JBJ and Castillo will get it done at the plate. Great fielding for sure but you still have to hit. Some of the names being thrown around by our local writers don't strike me as being 4th outfielders.

I think that we can agree that they could do it if they wanted to. It would seem like a very unusual and unnecessary move for them to make. He was the best they had over the second half of the season. I guess that I would tend to think that sending him back could possibly hurt him a great deal more than it would be worth.

Where do you think E-Rod will be? Who will they trade him to? Unless they add at a minimum of two top of the rotation guys, they won't give even a passing thought to sending him back to the minors. Other than just to create conversation, I don't know why anyone would even suggest this one. Conversation is good.

I would bet on them being a game or two over .500 for sure. Outside of Kimbrel, I think there still are a ton of questions that will have to be dealt with with respect to the bullpen. i hope that Tarawa and Koji come back and are affective. I would bet nothing on the others. If Price is the only addition you see them making to our rotation, I really don't share your enthusiasm. I enjoyed watching the young guys play shortly after the season ended for us (after the All-Star break). I hope they all step up and play well when the games have some meaning. All of that sounds a little negative.

In order for this team to look truly competitive for 2016, a lot still needs to be done. DD has started the process. I'm sure that he will be able to live with both the positive and the negative criticism that he gets from the dealing. He needs to add quite a bit more pitching. More than than just one top quality arm. I also share your feelings about the hitting of our corner outfielders. Sandoval, Ramirez? I don't know- maybe those issues just have to play themselves out. Free agency or trade - I don't care really which direction he goes. I don't want us to get screwed and I don't think that we will. He has been involved in to many huge deals to let that happen. He needs to make changes and not everyone will like what he does. As a side note- people have been screaming for a long time that our pitching prospects are poor, now 3 of our top ten prospects are pitchers.

Through the process of elimination we now have 3 pitching prospects listed in our top ten. What does it really mean? I only know what I have read like most of the rest of us about Espinoza and Kopech. We saw a little sample of Brian Johnson last year. How far away from playing in the majors are any or all of these 3? If you could trade all three of them for young ace, would you do it? Would that constitute gutting the farm? I sure and hell don't know. What I do know is that I like the Kimbrel trade. We traded some commodities that may or may not become established professionals. We got an established pitcher - closer- call him what you like in return. He could get injured of course but he comes with an established reputation. I like these types of trades as opposed to the ones where we sign someone and then hope like hell that they will become better than they have ever been. Everybody here seems to like Kimbrel but a few people think we gave too much for him. Based on everything that I have read about Margot and Guerra in particular, I really don't mind this trade very much at all. My long term isn't as long as some others. 3 years works for me. In all honesty, I think that the few who don't like the trade see or saw Margot and Guerra as being bigger trade chips than I did for sure.

This one would be tough but would work for me. Of this group, I'm betting on Devers being the one whose loss would hurt the most. I think that it would take a package of both Swihart and Moncada plus others though. I would go the free agency route.

I really think that it is a stretch to suggest that what has been done so far represents a win now at all cost philosophy. Maybe it will look like that in a while but not yet.

This makes sense to me. I expect and hope for more to come. I expect most of it to come via free agency but would not be surprised nor would I be upset particularly if it came via trade. The great debate seems to center around the value of what we gave up as opposed to what we got. Everything is relative to an individual point of view. I see the players traded to be replaceable by players that may even be better. That approach works for me.

And I am just guessing that Swihart, Margot, and Guerra would not have gotten it done either. Maybe but I really doubt it.

So True! - Can you say goodbye to Betts, Moncada, and anybody else? (We may still have to)

I'm just deeply disturbed that I won't get to watch Margot in Portland. Obviously another losing season for us fans of the minor leagues. Just kidding - I don't care who gets the credit for it but if yo pay attention to what we have in our system, you can easily see that the youngsters we gave up are clearing space for a few players who might be even better.

Simply taking comments at face value, I think that it is quite possible that Kimbrel will be much more likely to help us win games next year and in the future than any of the 4 traded prospects. We will just have to see how the statistical data works out this year as opposed to last year.

Just my guess - I don't think that the dealing is quite done yet.

What this move tells me is that DD doesn't just want to try to win next year. I think that when he is done he will expect to win based on the moves he makes. Arguing that he could have gotten more with a package of Margot, Guerra and someone else is that the someone else probably would have had to be someone very special. There certainly are no guarantees that any successful package would have even included Margot or Guerra. If the front office felt this strongly about trading for one of the top closers in baseball, I'm assuming that they truly believe that we won't be a 500 or sub 500 team next year. To get the top of the rotation starter that we need in a trade it would have taken a hell of a lot more than this one took.

I think that you are right in saying that we will get our #1 through free agency but I also think that it would still be very possible to do the same via the trade route. I might not like to see it happen but a package built around a trade of Swihart could still bring us what we want. Note - I said I would not like to see it happen.

I agree with this post very much. I would even add a few other young names to your list. People can and will shout and holler about this being an overpay or maybe we should have gone in a different direction via the trade. Doesn't matter. We just got better. I'm happy. The only reason to keep Margot and Guerra for sure was to use them in a trade. Once again as most of us realize, they were not going to be playing in Boston. The Red Sox whole concept of building up the farm system has been great. We have a general manager who obviously intends to move some of those players who have some talent but are clearly blocked. We might not always appreciate the direct moves that he makes but personally I like to see some action taken. Hopefully there is more to come via either free agency or the trade. Trading these 4 does not look like any damage to our future was done.

Hope you are right.

Bottom line - Sam Travis can hit. If Swihart is not catching - if someone wants to reposition him, I would say that he is replacable by better hitters. I like Swihart but if he isn't catching he becomes like a bunch of other prospects - no better no worse.

I like it - they need two - that would look good.

Don't stick your finger down your throat just yet. I'm betting they would have to be offered one helluva deal to pry one of those guys loose. Something our side isn't used to. Everybody wants to hijack the Sox. I don't think that will happen.

I meant Betts or Bogaerts not Buchholtz ( not sure I care what they do with him)