cp176

All of your points are valid of course. You won't change my mind when it comes to building a starting rotation by using your best performing 5 starters though. Keeping someone in AAA because they are young or to be used as backup doesn't work out right for me if their performance is better than those ahead of them. Having two young starters in your rotation if they are good enough is not all bad. They could easily be supported by one or two top of the line starters. Counting on Porcello, Buccholtz, and Kelly looks like the same old recipe for disaster to me.

I hope that you are right. One thing known for sure is that many people who saw JBJ play in Portland and Pawtucket felt that way about him just a few years ago.

JBJ definitely looked ready to go. Secondary concern or not most people who had seen him play felt pretty much the same about him. Made watching Ellsbury walk a lot easier.

I think that the injury history was a legit concern.

Does Taz still have an arm hanging off his shoulder? He has been used and abused.

Aaron Wilkerson really - great start for him!

Not sure I would give up on Barnes just yet. No question that pitching is the biggest issue. I would consider Miley the only off season signing that was successful. For a #4 starter, which is what he is, 10 wins amounts to a sold year. Whether it is a good stat to use or not, if it was the only one that you had to use - 10 wins by a back of the rotation starter is good production. Next year - You know Porcello is going to be in there someplace - Miley - Rodriguez- you have to figure right now that Buccoholtz will get another shot sadly - Kelly, their reluctance to put him in the bullpen is sickening. By my count that is 5. I do expect them to go after the best power armed starter ( probably a righty) that they can get. I would like to see them trade for the next best available but I don't think it will happen. If Owens finishes his year positively, he deserves a shot, and by no means should he start the year in AAA. Johnson we don't know much about due to his injury and who knows what you can get out of Wright. I think that he deserves to be with them as well. They can't all start! This presents a real puzzle that will be interesting to see if they can solve or not. I hope that they make decisions based on who earns there jobs on the field. If that is the case, someone may have to be moved. The fact that they might have 3 lefties in their starting 5, doesn't bother me at all if they have earned it.

Most of the big money owners no exactly what they are going to get when they give out the huge 5-6-7 year contracts. If they get 3 or 4 years out of these so called super stars that translates into World Series games, everybody is happy. if not for JbJ, I would not have been in favor of letting Ellsbury walk. So what's it going to be - get 3 or 4 solid years out of a real star or throw a 4 year contract worth 20 or more at someone you hope can become a number 2 starter because he is 26, or hope that you can get some healthy years out of a guy who rarely has been healthy while at the same time hoping that he can become a decent fielder in position he has never played or hope that the third baseman can stay in shape for at least just a little while. The Red Sox in their attempt to play it smart and outthink the rest of the league have wasted a lot of money. Sandoval's contract may prove to be the best of these 3.

I agree. We needed a change. We got a change. Give him a chance. It probably won't be too long before we know what direction he will be heading in. Regardless of what anybody thinks or even knows about him, he has won. The obvious counter to that is so did Ben. That's good - i'm happy. I wish him well!

What you say makes sense for sure but when the $ start getting thrown around it is amazing how short memories become.

when you put Castillo and Ramirez in the same outfield together what do you get? This isn't a joke. He got lucky tonight that it didn't hurt us!

How many people here have heard of Bela Lugosi?

Looking forward to the pursuit of Price and the trade for the next best available arm.

Two good people here. Just not in agreement much of the time and that is ok.

Hopefully no one would question that the health of a solid franchise begins with the farm. Non-debatable for me. That being said, I also do not believe in stock piling players forever. I also am not as sure as some seem to be that the "farm" is all that healthy. Outside of Rodriguez and Bogaerts, if the moves actually looked like they might help us, I think that I would move just about anyone. I consider Ramirez's contract long term. I consider Sandoval's contract long term. I really think that a contract is long term when you might be blocking a better player from moving up. I would add Castillo's contract to that list. #3 - I really don't know much about this one. Only what I have read. I believe that you must use all available help when it comes to assembling a quality team. But - I will also add that the stats don't do a very good job of measuring the mental aspects of the game. I just looked over that 2013 roster again because I thought that I was confused. It didn't look that good to me. I believe that mental toughness, character, and chemistry played a great role in the success of that year. if Ben was responsible for that then heres to him. I really like these back and forths with you Kimmi but maybe you could tell sox and whatever that I don't dislike you and he doesn't need to support you by being nasty to me. I have some people that have my back to and I appreciate it but it is not necessary here. I like you.

He will be just fine I would think. Chicago bound maybe?

I'm fairly sure he knows something about the value of pitching for sure. You are saying that it was all Ben with respect to the Beckett deal?

That is how you interpreted what I wrote. That is not what I meant at all. Since you are the logical thinker, I guess I think it is logical to see that issue both ways.

That makes sense to me. The high school analogy works for me as well. Even though I do think you think you have to grab the good ones early, I still am partial to those that have either a PG year or some college experience.

Kimmi - Come on Ben Cherington 1. Large contracts given to free agents 2. Not trading prospects and reluctantly bringing them up to the big club 3. Too much reliance on analytics - not enough balance 4. Does not recognize the importance of solid pitching and solid defense Ben Cherington is an excellent person by all accounts. Good luck to him. Time for a change.

I don't think that anybody on this timothy maybe Ortiz should be buying property in the Boston area. How is Castillo's stock looking these days? 72 mil. is a hunk of $ but who is to say really that he is a safer bet than JBJ.

logical thinking - Ramirez is definitely the square peg in the circular hole here.

Should we be at all concerned that Moncada and Guerra might not be as good as we are led to believe they are due to the inferior quality of the competition?

That statement about the quality of competition faced at Greenville makes me worry a little bit about some of our our more highly touted prospects. They are at Greenville.