cp176

those GMs who acquired all of those good guys must have been real special. who were they? maybe once we get rid of this old guy we can call one of them up and offer them a job. i hate it when someone like dd can sale through a career and get credit for the hard work of so many other people. it's just not fair don't you think?

You know what Fisk, guys like you and I would be better off just admitting that this guy we have as GM just truly sucks. He is clearly just a stubborn old fart who is unwilling to accept new ways that clearly lead to winning. lol lol lol I want to note it publicly that my previous statement has absolutely nothing to do in any way with Ben Cherington or any of those other guys who came before him.

Fact remains that he has built a farm system. Judging him pretty much by what you want to see in hindsight glasses is what his detractors here always resort to when trying to find things to criticize him for. In the process of "decimating" - which is a pathetic word to use here since so far the return on this alleged "decimation" has been a helluva lot more substantial that was traded away - results have been produced that most people would see as being pretty good.

And here's to the Black Bears from U-Maine. Best of luck next weekend in your semi-final championship game next weekend.

The fact that when the cameras focused on him he did quite often have an unusual look in his eyes doesn't mean that he had an attitude problem. He just looked like his light bulb was of the low voltage variety. After learning a little more about him, i grew to like him. I would not be opposed to giving him another shot at all. I agree with you - I never felt the he was guilty of having a bad attitude.

I think that would be a logical response from any team that had a Clay Buchholz playing for them. The name of the city means nothing it is just the way people in general see things. If he costs a dollar to sign to a minor league contract, what to heck not much risk there.

Oh I think that you get plenty of support with sentiment about Pedroia here. Regardless of all the "don't ever count Pedroia out" talk, I think that he probably tries to comeback but that it won't amount to much. Age coupled with injury have caught up with him I'm afraid. it would be a great story if he came back and did something that perhaps no one has ever done before - win a battle with Father Time - but I doubt he gives us much and what he gives us I don't think is going to better than anything Holt, Nunez, etc. can give us.

Just curious to know how you know or obviously think you know so much about the development group that the Red Sox have? Obviously you get a huge shout out from the hindsighters still dreaming of the days of TE and BC. They will love you for this of course but I'm guessing that they don't know anymore than you do about the actual job doers in the trenches.

I love loyalty. And I guess I understand the unwavering dedication that some posters here have for past General Managers. I'll bet some of you can even remember their names. I'm a fan of the one that is doing the job. I actually think that they all play a significant role in team development just not as large a role as some think. They don't hit the ball - throw the ball- catch the ball - run the bases. I happen to like how dd does business. I've been told on numerous occasions that I have some unexplainable adoring respect for him. That offends me for sure but oh well. Normally I get accused of this when i disagree with someone about something baseball related. I can live with it. Liking the way Dave Dombrowski does his job, does not mean that someone is directly criticizing any past GM what ever their names might be. I have forgotten them. They do not work for the Red Sox and they do not play the game.

I haven't heard one word about Buchholtz this off season. Has anyone shown any interest in him at all? I would be very surprised that he would consider signing an extremely cheap minor league contract that he would not sign it. If that were the case, I would think that teams would be falling all over themselves to sign him. Maybe I have missed something but the fact that he hasn't already signed by somebody makes me wonder why not? If he is willing to play for a dollar in an effort to show that he can still play, I say sure give him a shot.

I absolutely liked the deal on day one but I think that you likely know how I feel about silly money being paid to anyone in the entertainment industry. Our society just tends to be hugely hypocritical. I'm that guy who just keeps laughing when so many keep trying to imagine what these rich owners are going to keep spending on contracts as we go forward. Many of us go nuts over Steve Pierce's one year deal because it is only going to cost 6 million dollars. To me that is a ridiculous amount of money to pay anyone to play baseball for a living but I fully realize where priorities seem to lie these days and believe me I'm not complaining one bit.

Of course it was worth it to sign him. I think that you know perfectly well where that answer leads too. It clearly opens the door to that old old debate about the length and cost of his contract. So with all of that - of course it was worth it to sign him but it would have been better if the contract had not been for 7 years and for 30+ million per year.

I think that most people who follow the Sox saw how important David Price was to the team coming down the stretch. Even the most notorious haters out there begrudgingly gave him some credit.

hmmm - I might like that

I think that kelly is apt to be back as well. As for the closer's position, I don't know about that one.

...And there you have it.

Keuchel for the same money and number of years would make some sense but not for what he is looking for. That would still be a tough one for me I think though. I like the right hander to go with the lefties that we have. We still have to get past the Yankees. I love what Kimbrel has given us but his asking price in terms of years and money don't make much sense. Hey we will wait and see what JH's ultimate decision will be. I get the fact that it is a hypothetical question because we all know that it is likely that there is no way that either Keuchel or Kimbrel would have taken the Eovaldi deal.

I'm very grateful to be alive to experience the greatest Red Sox run to date.

I think that you are right on with this one. Plus whatever would have happened to us if A-Rod and Varitek etc. etc. hadn't gotten it on on the fateful day? As much as I really didn't like him when he played, if he could have played clean I would have taken him over 2 Machados.

I have grown accustomed to Porcello. High end mid- rotation kind of guy if you ask me. Tough to find pitchers these days who are as durable and when he is on he is a good one. We make a lot of educated guesses here as to what the future might bring. And by future I don't mean next year. I don't do it for a couple of reasons one of which is that I am not knowledgeable enough about the whole process to add much but the more important one is that I tend to focus on the next season and I like what I see heading toward spring training. I also don't think that DD is done either. As for the future, as sure as some people think the landscape looks, a part of me just thinks that a lot of things can change. I'm not naive enough to think that something this good lasts forever but I absolutely feel that as long as ownership and our front office as well as current coaching staff for the most part stays in tact we likely will continue to compete for the American League East. Unless someone has a true crystal ball, a prediction of what this team is going to look like beyond next year is pure speculation. Maybe educated speculation but still speculation. If there is an honest attempt to sign Betts, does anybody really think that our ownership will be content to just accept a down year or two? I don't.

lol

hey now stop that - I'm not about to follow down your path of breadcrumbs that always has me saying something I might regret. I have expressed my feelings pretty well I think when it comes to our minor leaguers. It makes 0 difference to me what anyone says or thinks I still feel that we have some potentially very good young talent and I'm anxious to watch them play.

I know what you are saying what I don't much sense in is anyone assuming that you can replace two relief pitches by strengthening the catching position offensively. I guess I am resolved to the fact that Kimbrel is likely gone as for Kelly - I don't know and that doesn't concern. I don't think that DD is going to go into this season without a clear plan for who is at least likely to be our closer though. I expect that the dealing isn't done.

It is probably safe to say that i value an athletes character and the intangible things that I don't think can be measured a great deal. Maybe even too much some times. Nathan Eovaldi is a character guy. He fits so very much into the type of team that has been quietly constructed here in Boston. I just want this good older kid to stay healthy and start but I bet if he was asked to go to the pen he would be a guy that would do what is best for his team. It is a signing that I have to say- I really like.

The way this team is constructed I don't think that it matters much if either of these guys help a great deal offensively. They are solid, tough catchers who sort of seem like they have learned to share a position. I like both for what they give us behind the plate and I get all excited when they actually do something on the other end. I think that it is safe to say that everyone who posts here realizes and understands that to have a good defensive catcher in all respects is extremely valuable. We are pretty fortunate that we have two. What is even better - they both look like catchers too!