cp176

I submit this respectfully for sure- not interested in ruffling feathers. Just another opinion. Hope you are right and that I am wrong- The offense could be very good- defensively we are suspect at short- who knows what will happen in the outfield - and sadly said but with great hope - I truly do hope our second baseman can stay healthy No one truly leaps off the page in the "upper Minors" - all prospects - could be good but might not be Bullpen probably will be respectable. I am more interested in our starting pitchers earned run averages as opposed to their ages- I too hope that they pick up the big arm they need.

What am I missing here? We have a glut of talent somewhat mediocre at best I will admit. Some prospects - key word prospects. All the money you could ever want. Don't you folks see something coming for an arm that might at least cause an opponent to at least think that their chances of winning are limited? My concern isn't about what other teams have. What do we have? If I am not mistaken, and I hope I am not, the key point isn't really what other teams have. I would like to see the best that we can have. I really don't care about the rest of the East. Maybe we are done and maybe we aren't. Hope we are not.

add Pat Dobson to that bunch and you have your 4 20 game winners. He is the one I always forget.

Palmer, Cuellar, McNally - I remember them well. I think there have been some very good moves made but one pitcher with the ability of any one of those 3, I would feel just great. Championship teams ordinarily need a stopper. If you have the ace, you don't need all that much else. They have a lot of everything else right now and I don't think that they are done.

Couldn't agree with you more. In a perfect scenario, you would earn your keep, give some back, or hit the highway. Don't see it happening.

I wouldn't be real happy to see him go but if we were able to keep Betts somehow and it was a move that brought the right player in I would be ok with it. I am really not trying to be a bit negative here, but when you bring in some good fairly young arms from the outside, I do think that it is fairly clear what the current thinking is about the young arms that are currently in our system. Renaudo, Workman, Barnes, maybe even Owens vs Porcello, Miley, and Masterson. My guess is that if they thought a combination of that first 4 could truly get the job done the deals would not have made.

I bet that you would have a great time. If I could be there, I would buy the drinks.

Just out of curiosity, don't you really think that it has to do with what a person's definition of what smart is? Some of the most highly educated people I have ever known, were also the biggest numbskulls I have ever seen. Tough to judge someone until you have actually sat in their seat. I think that you two need to put a little more than just a drink on the line - come on. It's a slow baseball day isn't it. With respect to our beloved Sox and their owners, our opinions are fun to read but ultimately they will spend their money the way they want to. On a baseball note - If you amass a pitching staff that encourages a great deal of ground balls then you better have a ss than can make the plays.

There is no question about that. Wealthy people allow their money to work for them for as long as they can. Borrow at 3% while you are making 8. Makes sense to me. Like I said before, they are all rich. For most of these guys, our talk about over paying someone is just a bunch of babble. The Red Sox can do what they want to do. It is really just a matter of how they want to do it.

I would like to see a team that is competitive every year. There are various ways to do it obviously. I am thinking that the current makeup of this year's team does give us a little better chance than we had last year. In order to do it, you do need strong healthy arms. I do not need a World Series winner every year but I don't want to be hanging my head by the first of July.

I would be curious to know some actual stats. How many of the current owners of Major League franchises need to worry about cash flow? I think that I am on safe ground by saying that the majority don't worry about it too much. Most probably made their money doing something else. You don't make it by giving it away but we are pretty convinced that not overspending by billionaires is an important issue. I don't think that it is.

Ah - Looks to me like a whole new thread.

All good stuff. I still liked what I saw from Kelly last year. Another fairly young guy. I think he will battle for one of those spots in the starting rotation.

I am a full blooded (Scottish) capitalist. We live in a beautiful country. I don't begrudge anyone what they are able to make for a living. I am pretty sure that I couldn't nor would I want to try to run a company that talks in terms of billions. I am also positive that I could not hit a major league fastball. Go Sox - Come on - one more big move!

You are right. It is all about the entertainment industry and what the market can afford. A whole new discussion could be had as to whether what they do is actually worth what they are paid. But, certainly not here.

Very good points. I do think that he will hit. I am still concerned about his ability to field his position based on the sample that we have seen. If he sticks around as our everyday ss, I am ok with that as well. But, if he was the centerpiece around a trade that brought a player in that helped us, that would be fine with me as well. Right now he plays a position in the field that you can't place enough importance upon. Once again - he is worth keeping - I think he will hit. I just don't want him to hurt his team in the field anymore than he wants to.

Blunt? I guess that it is just a tone thing. You won't get it from me. Here is a question for you. It is legit. I really am interested in what you think. You mentioned in an earlier post something that I wholeheartedly believe in - You have to maintain a solid farm system that produces quality players year in and year out to remain competitive. I am very pleased that we have become World Series winners but I guess selfishly Ii would like to think that if we were producing young talent of high quality that we would at least be able to compete each year. Last to first to last has me doubting some of the quality that we seem to have. I would prefer others to Hamels but I don't see trading some this "talent" as being prohibitive. What are your thoughts? You can be blunt if you like. I just want a team that I can be excited about each season.

In addition, I hope that I am wrong about XB. But you see I am and have been a fan of the Red Sox for a while. I'll offer my opinion well knowing what any opinion is worth. In the end, I won't be jumping ship. For that matter, I still hope Jackie Bradley can realize all of the potential that all of the scouts said he had. If he could hit, there would be no better option in cf. You don't need a power bat in center field. Hit just a little bit.

I agree 100%.

Yea - Kind of like this. I think that a good deal of our latest young talent has in fact been grossly overrated. I do believe XB will hit but adequate at ss just doesn't make it for me. If he can be dealt for a top quality arm, I would make that move in a heartbeat. If he remains in Boston, I will support him for as long as he is there. Discussion, not always anger based critiques of other opinions that you don't like, is in fact what forums are for.

Most of the long termers are certainly receiving guaranteed money with possibly some incentive clauses thrown in. I am going to take a shot at this and say the majority of the team owners know pretty much what they are getting for their 5,6, or 7 year contracts. A couple of years maybe 3 in a few cases maybe but unlikely 4. They know perfectly well what they are over paying for. I'm ok with it now. Rules aren't the same for everyone. I'm glad I am a New Englander. I think that it is time to go big and win.

The Red sox can do anything they want to do. They have as much money at at their disposal as a team could have. They have plenty of tradeable options to better themselves. Question is - do they do anything more than they already have? The game has changed and we all know it. It is just so nice when good players come through your farm system but most of us have it figured out that it is all about the money these days. I say why not win. Zimmerman or Hamels in a trade and sign Shields. I like our chances then. The only thing I liked about King George was that he said it like he believed it was. It is time to play a power game. Management needs to stop pretending that we exist in a different era. And while I am on a little rant no one will ever convince me that XB will be anything more than what we call a plus minus ss at this level. He may become adequate but I don't think he ever becomes a good big league ss. It is a pivotal position and it makes no difference who is playing beside him. He may although become a very good hitter. Would not trouble me at all to see him traded. To get - you might have to give. Hang on to Betts though!

I guess it is just a judgement call with me. I would take him don't get me wrong. I do think that any pitcher who is a true ace probably should be a candidate for the Hall at some point though. Maybe not in but a candidate none the less.

I really never saw Shields as an "ace" but with him and what they have done already - Maybe that is enough. I don't know.

I have no problem with that at all if he is the right one to get the job done. I'm not sure he is but it doesn't make sense to me not to either make a deal or pay the price for what you want. Betts would be off the table in my estimation.