cp176

This is a really thoughtful response. Thanks for that. I do bring up that "rich man's budget thing" - it is likely that there are some here who know why I do it. Out of respect for the posters here who actually sound as though they are capable of being wrong from time to time, I will stop. Yes, you are correct in saying that I was one of those posters who wants to be competitive year in and year out. It has always been about the hunt for me. I'm a regular season kind of guy. Don't get me wrong - i've enjoyed the championships as much as anyone but i guess it is what happens along the way that has the most meaning for me. I do think that the game I loved and grew up with is slipping away. I can accept that and still be a fan. I just feel sorry for my grandson who loves nothing more than to hit, catch, and throw a ball more than anything else. Thanks again for the response.

There is a lot of truth to what you say like it or not. It is just a business I guess. It sucks too but oh well. JH is gambling on the fact that most fans of our cherished Red Sox will accept this premise as well. Maybe this trade will enhance ticket sales - likely not. or maybe the fan base will buy into the fact that overall this trade will be good for the franchise. We shall see. My only question - Where the hell is the pitcher that we so desperately need? By the way if I appear queasy over this it is only because of the jersey that my 8 year old grandson wears on his back that has 0 meaning for him now. I actually find it obnoxious that there so many adults here who pretend to know anything about a billionaire's budget. Lots of rich folk I guess.

You little soothsayer you. As long as I'm not being stuck with needles and you are still communicating with me, I'm ok with it. Oh well - I don't pay a penny more in taxes than I have to either.

This is the piece of the puzzle that I think that many of the posters here look right over the top of when discussing this particular trade. In my opinion, this is the most important piece. The kids - the heart of the game now and in the future - really could care less about the luxury tax.

oh i still believe that the current ownership team is far and away the best I have seen surely in Boston. I'm very appreciative. I'm just willing to accept the reality that it really is about the dollars being made here. I have no problem with billionaires showing the love but in this case I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling. But - hey with me baseball has never been a business.

It will be very interesting to watch the drama unfold. The deal is done whether it is liked or not. Time to move on. It just seems odd to me with respect to the package of players coming to Boston. I have yapped away long enough about the billionaire budget but in all reality it did seem inevitable that a deal was in the works. Nothing against the three youngsters coming to boston but I truly felt that a young potentially excellent arm would be part of the deal. It wasn't and that tends to sour me with respect to the information we have been fed from the front office.

So if you understand a billionaire and his budget then you must be one. I'm not and I don't pretend to have a clue about a multi billionaire and his budget but I'm guessing that to a very large majority of the population John Henry's budget is meaningless. I truly do not think that he has any concern other than making more money. I don't consider that a bad thing necessarily although today most billionaires are vilified and have to take a ration of s***. You think JH gets a free pass because we have won some titles?

And so very accurate. It is about the $ almost entirely and that sucks for us. Now I realize the common retort - a billionaire didn't get his money by throwing it away - uhuh. I can afford to visit Fenway too when I wish but I will not.

Interesting post. I agree with you for sure. The things that you don't care about, I also don't care about. I'm just a simple fan - as most people likely are. i have no interest in playing General Manager. I'm not a multi billionaire, so I'm not going to pretend to know how best JH should be spending his money. I'm pretty sure that he could have signed Betts for the next decade and not skipped a beat. Once again, I think that probably Bloom did about as well as he could have done but after reading up on the players coming to Boston, I don't see one can't miss prospect there. There is some obvious ability amongst them but how it manifests itself as they mature in all ways, really still is up for grabs. If I wasn't one of those guys who has been a fan since the 50's, I really do not think that this current game would hold much interest for me. I have also been offered the chance to change hats by one of my friends and as tempting as it is, I guess I just have too much New England and Red Sox in me to do that.

There is no question that in terns of a deal, this was a much better get than the original. Having a hard time with the euphoria being shown here as well as the tremendous concern for the imaginary billionaire budget. It's done. i hope that Mookie Betts continues to thrive and put up the numbers that we have all become accustomed to as he continue his journey toward the Hall. Thanks for the wonderful memories. It is quite possible that I will not see a player as talented in Red Sox uniform again. Have to live with the deal and hope for the best but it certainly doesn't make me happy.

Jh is a torn man and regardless of how much discussion there is here about the financial ramifications and obligations of the billion dollar franchise budget, most of the people - the actual people - who love and follow the game could likely give one sweet s*** about going over the luxury tax and all that comes with it. It does not make them less educated either. Ultimately it is about who is going to be playing in the Red Sox uniform. Letting Mookie Betts go for anything less than a haul of bluechip prospects is ridiculous. He is a generational talent - the franchise can afford to pay him. I would also say that if they allow him to walk with expectations of signing him during the next off season - I don't think so. Once he is gone, he'll be gone for good. Like it or not, our ownership has to be concerned about the effect this putrid deal will have on its fan base.

me too

I think that it is obviously safe to say that for anyone who sees regression as being positive there likely will be just as many who see it as a simple step backwards regardless of the spin attached.

There is truth to this and it breaks my heart. I am definitely losing interest in a game that I grew up loving because of the players on the field. The more I hear about how times are changing and you either need to go along with the changes or get out of the madness I tend to lean more toward doing the latter. Also, as ticket prices go up, and the guy who lives in the rural town that I live in cannot afford to take his family to a game in Boston, we can keep on comforting him by saying that it is ok - bright future right on the horizon. The truth of the matter is for me that if this trade goes through, I would have much preferred to have one more year to watch Betts in Boston as opposed to trading him for what we got not to mention the fact that Price can still pitch.

You miserable ... (I'm actually kind of glad that you do this. You would fit quite nicely down here with the rest of my knucleheaded friends.)

Did they by any chance send out a flyer suggesting that even though ticket prices are going up, it's all good because in reality people spending the money to attend games today will have a much brighter future to look forward to? Doesn't sound like the type of speculative investment any sound billionaire would make. lol

I'm glad that you brought this up seriously. It is a confusing time that we live in. I'm not a billionaire so in all honesty I do not care how John henry spends his money. I think that it would be a little silly to suggest that I know anything about his budget or how he should spend his money. Society tends to bitch profusely about people with great wealth but the entertainment industry seems to get a free pass. I wonder how many people here know from experience how a billionaire or for that matter a multi millionaire views their budget? Henry has been an excellent owner for our franchise but I think that pretending to know what his Red Sox budget might be is silly. i will miss Mookie Betts fro sure. What we got for him in trade is a joke.

You are so right about those ticket prices and the fans. I'm a disturbed disgruntled fan right now. it is the players on the field that matter to me. Giving away a future Hall of Famer for likely very little in return, does it for me. I would be curious to know if there are any others seeing things as I do. I have no interest in paying the price to visit Fenway again. This is usually where someone says that I'm whining or not looking at things correctly. Possibly true I guess but there you go.

I am glad that you and others feel that the right moves have been made and that you continue to be positive. I believe absolutely that it is an embarrassment for one of the wealthiest franchises and enterprises in general in the sports world today to make a move like this. I don't know what they should or could have done but but this particular deal is sickeningly one sided and a kick in the ass to Sox fans who pony up the money doing their part to support our billionaire owner and add to his coffers at their expense. Bloom did what he was instructed to do. He did his job.

This trade if you want to call it that is an absolute embarrassment for this franchise. I really have nothing else. It has become too much about money for me. I hope they continue to fill those cramped nasty little seats. Normally the expression you get what you pay for applies fairly well - not in this case.

Makes me want to get all pumped up to watch them - NOT. I have no interest in watching them if what you are professing is actually going to happen. Every year that I have watched them since 1955, regardless of how bad they have been, I have always been led to believe that there in fact is a chance. I have believed it too. It is that belief that is important to me. Our ownership team has stated that their number one goal is to put a team out on the field this year that will be competitive. This in no way sounds to me that they have raised the white flag and are going all in on the future rebuild that many of you here have emphasized has to happen for so long now. Guess we get to see what happens.

Just read henry's comments myself. I'm not surprised at all. There is no way in hell that he would let this team flounder for a season hoping that it will provide a brighter future. He is the owner and I think he gets it. Chaim wasn't brought in to do what most of our prolific posters here felt was the inevitable. I feel better than I have in months about this years team.

Harper = Betts - hm

Letting a player like Betts go, would clearly be a money move. Moving Price, the same whether you like him or not. Having a competitive team under those conditions would be very unlikely and very costly. if the team lets a potential generational talent go and replaces him with prospects who don't immediately produce, I would bet that the seats at Fenway would become a lot cheaper. The concept of resetting, restocking, or whatever, while appealing to some obviously, will not fly with many. it might be the right thing to do but it will be a very tough sell to the people paying to go to the games.

He has been fairly successful where he has been so I'm going with the fact that he knew exactly what he was getting into when he signed on the bottom line. Pretty sure that he understands that real success is dealing positively with the challenges that you face. Been a lot of doom and gloom projected here by some who know more about the current financial situation of this team than i do for sure but this guy has bought in to what is a dream job for most. I'm not the least bit concerned at present. That feeling could change for sure but I don't think that his primary focus is on where we are apt to be in 5 years as opposed to where we will be in 5 months.