cp176

me too

so do I

You are right about one thing for sure notin - most of these comments about Red Sox budgetary constraints are based on assumptions. The Red Sox may indeed feel constrained by luxury tax ramifications and maybe they won't. They are likely to I think but no one here really knows. As for Swihart - i agree - I think that he will be gone. Either somehow traded or allowed to simply go free. A sad story but I doubt they bring back all 3 of their catchers next year. they don't need to.

You are making me try to be serious. Probably a good thing. I don't see second base as any issue at all. We have a number of guys right now who can play it adequately and others in the system who can if they can't. I'm just as nostalgic as anyone, but I just don't see Pedroia making much of a contribution on the field going forward. I think that we will sign Eovaldi, Pomerantz possibly, and maybe Kelly as well. I doubt very seriously that Swihart comes back, although he might I guess. It depends on how they address the catching situation or if they address it at all. I doubt seriously that they carry all three for another year. I also won't be at all surprised if we see some trade action taking place as well in an effort to strengthen a team that already looks pretty strong and well set up for another year.

time flies!!!

Peoria might make a comeback even against my loud protestations of "we don't need him". I don't think he lasts though. I really am just ashamed of myself but I can't get that Machado incident out of my mind. Maybe if he returns and gets in that batter's box against Barnes and lets him throw at him a few times, I would change my feelings about him. (excuse me for this - I'm just in a playful mood right now)

My goodness it seems like just yesterday that there were people on here saying that old Clay would be worth 13 million for a half year's work. I think that it was even after the "cliff concept" propelled itself to the forefront of discussion. Hey - now that I think about it, it was just yesterday. lol

Anything I guess is worth a shot at the right price I guess, even old Bucheroo. I don't think that he would be happy with the right price though. When he is healthy, he might be worth it. I sure wouldn't spend much money to sign him but by the same token I would have gotten rid of Wright a long time ago as well. I would have traded him during one of the those rare recent windows that he was actually able to pitch. Signing Eovaldi I'm thinking should take precedence over signing Buchholtz and the rest of the dumpster dives. Remember - We need to pinch those pennies for JH!

next up - Eovaldi

I think that Tyler Thornburg very likely will figure in to things somewhere in that bullpen for us this year.

Since I really am not particularly interested in what DD did before he came to Boston, I will say that it looks to me as though that bullpen was pretty good overall this year and barring injury it could have been even better. I think that yup DD will continue to add to an already pretty solid looking bullpen.

Mookie=FOTF

I think i already pretty much understand what you are talking about. For the record, I don't think that I would say Moreland has played well. Maybe I'm not your typical fan. I don't tend to be wishy washy with my feelings when it comes to an athletes apparent attitude.

I think that it is likely that JBJ prices himself out of Boston.

Hanley who?

I don't know Moreland personally. I am basing my comments soley on what I have observed. If he is an ass-hole, I guess he hides it pretty well. It is once again just an opinion but I think that I would bet that he is a pretty decent guy and a pretty decent teammate. There are things that represent something greater than talent especially at this level.

It really is going to boil right down to who they think they really need to keep. Which guys are replaceable to a certain extent and which guys aren't. It is going to get interesting when we folk at talksox start debating who we think should be kept and who we can live without.

I've watched Moreland now for 2 years. Who are these guys with the character and attitude of Moreland? I watch Red Sox baseball so I'm actually not trying to argue with you. Do you watch and follow these other guys well enough you think to make that statement?

It is going to be fun watching this franchise continue to find ways to be successful when the inevitable shroud of darkness falls upon us. I'm willing to still bet on the good guys.

Moreland has been and is a perfect fit for the Red Sox. There may be any number of players who put up better numbers but was their character which includes a heavy dose of no ego and team first attitude on a par with his. Dombrowski and Cora get it. They understand that there is a lot more to consider than individual numbers when putting a winning team together. To me, Moreland represents a great example of something that is really important to have.

Yes and I have been reading and posting here so much that I am convinced that "we can't sign them all" but that doesn't really alarm me all that much. Losing some of our "stars" does not necessarily mean that we all of a sudden are fighting it out for third or fourth in our division. I truly think that if the management team stays together, a good job will be done to keep us competitive. There will no 2020 cliff meaning that we just won't be able to compete. A lot of things can and will happen before then. The drum of despair continues to beat but I'm not listening. Got to say also that some of these guys that we love so much from a talent perspective might even be over rated.

hey notin - I think that we are on the same page. I would like to see Kelly signed but I would hate to have us jettison him to a closer's role. I think that he certainly has value though. I do think that we wind up signing Eovaldi. I'm on the 3 and an option with him. Another thing that I like about Dombrowski is that I don't think that he afraid to move on if he can't do business with someone.

We very well might reset. You are not the only person that has gone on about how much all of these things are going to cost. How many players we will or will not be able to sign. If I am being unrealistic in my thinking, that is just fine. I absolutely believe and have faith in the fact that the guys that are currently in charge know what they are doing and I don't think that their only thought is to get through next year. There will likely be many things that neither you nor anyone else has predicted that will occur before and during our doomsday year. I have mentioned this before also but when you mention JH spending like he has never spent before, we have over 70 million dollars tied up in players that did not help us this year. Take that out of that budget and things don't looks so bad. After 2020, yup our team may look very different. Actually it obviously will. I will also add that as much as I like this team, most of them are probably replaceable. Maybe not with the same level of competence but replaceable. Don't take this the wrong way because I certainly am no fan of Bill James, I actually think that he is a creep, but with respect to players being replaceable to a certain extent I think he has a point. I also think that we will get some help from our farm system.

If there is such a thing as a face of the franchise, Mookie is it but he is no dummy. He is going to watch this market so closely. He has every right to think that he is worth as much as any player in the game today. I would be pleasantly surprised if he negotiates anything soon. i would not give Joe Kelly a 4 year contract. I might go 4 for Eovaldi (3 with an option).

tongue and cheek