cp176

Kimmi _ you are one of my favorites. What I hear is that it was a good idea. I agree- but I am also guilty of really not knowing much about Sandoval. His playoff production was certainly no driving factor to sign him. I was opposed to the Ramirez signing. At this point the Ramirez signing looks better to me than Sandoval's.

Ouch - hurts when you look at it that way doesn't it. As for Devers, he looks like a good young prospect. Single A is a long way away in Red Sox years though .. We have to be very careful with our young prospects. I'm a little sick of that crap too.

I'm sure that plays a part. But we do seem to keep adding these types of players to our rosters. There is some young talent in the org. Not enough but some. Much of the talk about them seems to be just that - a lot of talk. Once again, the guys who are performing the best aren't the household names and performance does count. Need to stay optimistic for sure but I'm not buying the big picture that everything is going to be wonderful in a short period of time because our farm system is so healthy. we are quite a ways away.

Should have added- Salem = 8 games below .500 and in last place. Greenville = 4 games below .500 Travis and Moncada were at Salem and of course were both promoted. I realize that I am applying logic to an illogical situation. Maybe there is another primary franchise or two that I don't know much about but none of those 4 minor league teams can even smell .500 baseball at this point. Brilliant minds who spend their lives evaluating talent are telling us that we have one of the top farm systems in all of baseball. I realize that once again this is just my opinion but I think that the product on the field just isn't getting it done. Maybe it is about trying to sell tickets. If they continue to sit still, the Red Sox are a long ways as in years away from being good again.

Sk - We are a long ways away. Is there a bright side to this?

The Pawtucket Red Sox are currently 20 games below .500. The Portland Sea Dogs are currently 27 games below .500. Everyone knows that the farm systems are there to produce players not titles but in this case I know that I have been inclined to think that our farm system is in a lot better shape than it actually is. Without major moves, the Red Sox are a long ways away.

Another good start for Owens last night.

Since they suck and aren't going anywhere anytime soon, maybe he was actually trying to send him a message that fitness still counts in some sports.

Based on their performance alone, Hernandez and Travis are two of our best prospects. I say trade them now while they are still worth something. Oh wait, not exactly common names? i am a bitter man.

Not to me. It means a lot more when the spending has reached a point where it is no holds barred and you can go out and get what you want and this is the best that we could do. If you have every available means at your disposal, you ought not to continue to languish in that bottom of the basement.

I should not have hit the reply with quote button. I really wasn't responding to your comment. I will say though that once again, I do not think that there is a "plan". Abandon fing ship would be a good one for Cherington right now. Outside of the players whom we have already seen debut, nothing makes me that the talent that we have in our double A and or triple A programs is much better than anyone elses. Probably everybody else just sucks too I guess.

Hey - a good note - a common refrain from the 60's = wait till next year! It is over.

Come on - I see no plan. Keep all prospects and sign mid rotation (at best pitchers) and players that will bolster your minor league rosters. What is the plan? Does anybody truly have a clue?

I was just kind of hoping that we might have seen just one peasant's worth of a hint that he might be a player that could possibly be this good. Hope he gets it done - but so far he gets a 0. At any level - just a hint. wouldn't you think that maybe he might have put up some numbers by now in the minors if he was that good.

Plan?

He was a throwback pitcher of the finest variety. Possibly the greatest changeup that I ever saw. Watching him took me back to a time when all I wanted to do was play ball. If you weren't playing, you were watching. He owned the plate- the whole plate. In his absolute prime, he was as good as I ever saw. I would put him into a very special class - Koufax, Gibson, Martinez . I also go back to Warren Spahn - not bad. To those who never saw Koufax and Gibson, youtube away and watch 2 of the best 3 that ever picked up a baseball.

We are all frustrated by the way things are going. I would feel better about the franchise in general if they told Kelly he was going to the pen where he can actually do us some good. Actually I still think Masterson has a limited chance if he is used exclusively in a bullpen role. How about just telling Ramirez that he is going to be playing first base for the rest of the season just to see if he actually can. What the hell? I just see these as being logical moves. Regardless of what anybody thinks about JBJ, bring him up and stick him in the outfield and leave him there for the rest of this season. It is going to take a little different approach and maybe even some nuts to get them back on track. They may not be too far away and that is what is particularly frustrating. Grab 2 good arms - a few interior moves - might be enough and certainly would be better.

Everyone is aware of how much time he missed. It is just sad to see. A player with actual talent who could help going to a decent team with a chance . In return, we pay most of his salary and get someone who might help Pawtucket. If this is the direction they are going, I would prefer to see them make more of them as opposed to fewer. I feel just as badly about Napoli but kind of looks like his time has come. I also can't say that my excitement meter jumped to 10 when I saw Nava replace him last night. While we are at, maybe somebody would be willing to pay a little of Kelly's contract so we don't have to watch him any more as well. to address your first statement - once again, I thought that we might see some sort of package created to try to get something back in return. Maybe that is not realistic enough but letting them go the way they let Victorino go isn't doing any good for us. I realize that in this case Castillo gets his chance. I hope that he is better than we have seen so far. As for Victorino - He might be a little sad right now but if he is able to play at all I think that he will be a lot happier than he would be in Boston this year.

It was a sad ending for him for sure but i agree that the purpose he served just wasn't there for him anymore. Actually I don't care what they do with their money either but if it was a move to cut payroll, didn't really help out to much. If he could have been packaged in a trade maybe it would have made a little more sense but Rutledge coming to boston or wherever really means next to nothing. The philosophy of stockpiling players of marginal talent hasn't worked and isn't likely to .

I agree with you about Rodriguez for sure SK. He is just 22. Long term if he stays healthy and matures mentally, I don't think that it will be a stretch for him to be a number 1 at the least a solid number 2. His name should be eliminated from any trade discussion. His rawness and the occasional one bad inning have not kept him from being atop our food chain of starting pitchers.

Good to know - I was concerned about who was going to be replacing Weeks. When you have one of the top ranked farm systems in the game, can't afford to let things slip.

No one said that that was hard to figure out. A fairly obvious move. Like I said - thanks go out to Victorino for the years he gave us.

Heres to Victorino - He was great for us and we were great for him. Sorry to see him leave but it was inevitable. Now -, if it was a "salary dump", it looks like we got screwed again. As for what we got in return, we would have been just as well off letting him finish his contract year on the bench or playing every third day. We have lots of guys who are already filling the role of utility player. We don't need anymore.

No doubt about that. The only but would be that things would look one helluva lot more depressing than they do right now if people's expectations for these kids wasn't what it was. If you look how they are currently performing and have performed this year, JBJ should be called up right now and based on overall performance this year, Hernandez would be getting a look as well. Margot is showing some good signs of life at Portland but other than those 3 guys (travis would be 4) there isn't a whole bunch happening to make me very excited.

The majority of professional athletes take it as a matter of personal pride to work on their physical fitness. He doesn't seem to. that bothers me as much as anything. That's is not saying that he might be better than he is now. It is just troubling. A lot of money should lead to a little more in return.