dupree

Agreed on the Red Sox medical staff and their lack of credibility. Also as in my previous experience with any hand injury, the doctors usually wait until the swelling goes down. But that being said its December 17th, it is far too long after the season to be making the decision on having surgery or not. The swelling would of went down as much as it was going to weeks ago. Just another example of the medical staff dropping the ball.

I seen where the Yankees may be in on Drew now. If Infante goes to the Royals the Yankees will be all in on him. They dont care about draft picks they will only be giving up a later round selection anyway. I think if Boras could work out a deal with the Red Sox to have him sign a 1 year deal with the promise that they wont give him a qualifying offer next year is the only way hes back here. X and WMB with a utility LHH infielder is probably what is the out look of the FO for next season to play the left side of the infield.

Didnt know they broke up. But now i do. Thank you mvp

I dont know if he broke up with her or not. She was a Cowboys cheerleader tho.

Mark i agree with you on a lot of things and enjoy reading your post. But I think most posters on this site would love to have Kemp in this lineup. But most are scared about his health and losing high ranking prospects. I think it is a good move to wait to see how healthy he is. But then more teams will be in on him when he is moved. Thats why I said to get him now and not wait until ST to save maybe on a prospect only being 4 players instead of 5 going to LA. As far as Tanaka goes i have to disagree with you. Im not a fan of signing him. He has proved nothing in MLB and he is gonna cost a ton so may teams want him he is gonna be too pricey. We have kids in the minors that we have put time and effort in to develop and i would rather have them on the mound than have Tanaka but thats just me. As far as making a splash after losing Ellsbury for an impact player. I agree we need an impact player to play LF and if he is a high cost guy we need a person that can move to 1B in the future. But just to make a splash because Ells left is not the right thinking. Only way Ells was gonna stay is if the Red Sox matched an offer from another team. I think its hilarious that the NYY signed him and they havent addressed any of the needs that win championships. The pitching staff is their biggest hole. And as always in NY they rely on the long ball. The sox will have a lot of guys who can hit the long ball too but be good at defense and have a deep pitching staff. I see them finishing 4th in the AL east as it stands now in front of the Jays. Also i hope Dempster is moved but he will probably be here as much as i hate it. And i say no on letting Gomes go. He is $ in the playoffs, keeps the guys loose all year and is worth everybit of the 5mil they are paying him this year.

WMB will be better this year. I do agree he needs to stand closer to the plate and further up in the box towards the pitcher so to hit the outside breaking ball. He stayed in Boston after the season to work with the training staff to work on his overall game. He realizes this is his year to sink or swim and he is gonna put in the work to swim. He coulda of easily went back to texas and been home with his cheerleader girlfriend and not focused on baseball but he stayed in beantown to show the FO and his teammates hes committed to being the 3rd baseman for 2014. I hope he makes all the critics eat their words.

Agreed 20 - 30 hr power for 6 players and 15 - 20 hr power for the other 3 bats is ridiculous. That would be the scariest lineup in baseball. Pitchers would be asking for a day off or skipped in the rotation so they would miss the Sox series.

Thank you... but you have to buy the beers too.

After listening to Ned today, id say Kemp is still in play but he wont be moved until Spring Training so teams can get a look at how his health is. But if he isnt moved in ST id say he is good as gone by the trade deadline. The Dodgers want a healthy return and their asking price now is probably too high and too much of a salary to bet that much $ on, so id say teams will get a look at him in ST and he will be moved. Atleast i hope if he is 80% by ST and the dodgers put him back out there i hope the Sox jump on him. Matt Kemp at just 80% is better than a platoon of Nava and Gomes. Imagine still buying a little low on him and then letting him get healthy by mid season. I like the thought of 3,4,5,6,and 7 hitters having 30+ hr potential in this day of the pitcher. That lineup would be insane.

If thats all the wins we get next year then i dont see an 89-91 team making the playoffs.

No, on Choo. No, on Tanaka. Both will be too overpriced. I agree with User that Tanaka has proved nothing here. When a guy has never thrown a pitch to the MLB caliber of hitters in line-ups top to bottom with players that drive the ball instead of a lot of slap type hitting like they do alot of in Asia Ball. I seen where Farrell said that he and the FO believe that JBJ is the caliber of player that doesnt need a platoon partner in CF. That the team already has a platoon in LF and that the OF doesnt need to be platoon players. To me that says a lot about JBJ and i hope like hell that it dont bite us in the ass not going after a big bat. Ive said it once and i'll say it again, what if Ortiz goes down at some point with injury?, ok lets say that does happen then there goes one of our 4 power bats. Not to say that i dont think we cant withstand a short DL stint for Ortiz but i think we need to look at a power bat to place into LF that can hit infront of Ortiz in the order. Im just suprised to say the least that Farrell believes that much in JBJ. I hope they are just slow playing the market and act like they are not interested in a big bat and then behind closed doors they come out and announce a trade for a bat that shocks all the sports writers and fans alike.

I seen that the Twins have offered him a multi year deal. So i say he is going there instead.

I agree with you as well User. I dont think it would be too far of a stretch for him too as far as athletic ability but i like him better at 3rd than any other position. I just hope the FO dont sign Drew and trade WMB away.

What if Boston stays in LA for a trade partner but instead of the Dodgers they make a trade with the Angels? Lets say that Ben and Company go after Mark Trumbo instead of Matt Kemp. Trumbo could play LF, be a power bat from the right side, younger, healthier, and after Napoli's deal is up move Trumbo to 1B that will be after the 2015 season they can make a run for Stanton. LAA save stated that they will move Trumbo. And they need and want young pitching prospects and deal could get done there if the market is right.

Fred, i was just wondering if you had thought about the possibility of the local paper doing just like any other local paper when one of their star players is being mentioned about being traded away and to show that the player wants to stay and wishes to be apart of that team to save face with the community of the town he has known for the last few years before being traded away? I see it as a good PR move on any players part to do that before an impending trade.

I wonder what Micheal Young would cost?

Johnny Gomes, Jason Bay, and Manny played LF for us and i see WMB developing into a player like Jason Bay. But WMB is a better pure athlete than all the previous men that manned the monster. I dont think it is a far stretch to think he would rather well out there. All i was trying to say User is i wouldnt package a deal around WMB to get an outfield bat. If the FO resigns Drew and creates a jog jam and WMB developes as the odd man out in the infield I would move him to the OF instead of trading him away. But i dont see Drew coming back so WMB will be at 3rd so no worries.

25 Man Roster Opening Day Line - Up #1 Peedy - 2B - R #2 Vic - CF - B #3 Kemp - RF - R #4 Ortiz - DH - L #5 Napoli - 1B - R #6 Nava / Gomes - LF - L / R #7 Boggey - SS - R #8 A.J. / Ross - C - L / R #9 WMB - 3B - R Bench: JBJ Gomes Ross Holt Rotation: Lester Buch Lackey Peavy Doubrant Bullpen: Workman Breslow Mucija Miller Britton Taz Closer: Koji I know Peedy dont like leading off but with Ells gone i think he is the best option. I like the fact that when Vic walks into the box his first time up the score could be 1 - 0, Peedy goes up there swinging for the fences every swing and we know he is gonna be there 162 games a year. A lot of HR potential in the lineup. Vic starts the year in CF with Nava in LF and Kemp in the spacious RF. LF for Kemp is too much of an injury risk for me and Nava dont have the arm for RF at Fenway. JBJ gets days to play CF when facing RHP. I think Drake Britton breaks Big League camp in the bullpen this year.

Tell the Dodgers that WMB, JBJ, and Boggey are no longer options they are not prospects the the FO considers them MLB players. Henry Ownes and Garin Cecchini are nonnegotiable they are here to stay. so if they want to make a deal Ben tells Ned... ok Ned you can have one of between Barnes, Ranuado, Swihart, and Vazquez... and pick two of anyone else in the Sox minors system. If the Dodgers agree to eat 6-8 million per of Kemp's Contract. Thats just if its only the Sox and Dodgers dealing with eachother only. Ben is in the drivers seat with team's that are wanting to make a deal. I could see a three team trade get done with the Dodgers Padres and Red Sox. Red Sox get Kemp Dodgers get Headley Padres get Pitching prospects and maybe we could throw Dempster there *these are the main pieces along with prospects going to the Dodgers and Padres from the Sox* so all and all a win win for all clubs involved. I think if the Sox could get a 3rd team inlvoved they can send less prospects and the deal will get done easier.

I think it would come back to bite us in the ass if we were to trade WMB. I would play him in LF before i would include him in a package to aquire an OF bat. If getting a big bat at the expense of WMB is what it takes, then no thanks i would rather have him here hitting HRs and doubles off the Monster.

Fred i think your 3rd fear is going to come to light. I dont see this FO going to the winter meetings and just picking up a utility infielder and a RHH OF and calling it a winter. The Sox are set now if the season were to begin tomorrow but the season is months away. So that beginning said Ben has already said that the heavy lifting was done now it would be time to look at "Opportunistic" ways to add to the club. So they are in the drivers seat. If the right deal comes along i think Ben & Company make a splash this winter. They held the course and didnt overpay too badly on players as of yet and i dont foresee them making any rash moves either. If Kemp Stanton or Bautista are out there on the trade market i could see them pulling the trigger. The farm is deep and not all the boys are gonna make it here and contribute so why not move them for a piece that can be a horse for us in the middle of the lineup for years to come.

As bad as i hate to say it, i think Brock Holt will be used as the Utility Infielder next year. He can play 3rd and 2B, Boggey can play 3rd and SS, Peedy can play 2B and SS, WMB 3B, 2B, and 1B, and Nava and Carp can back up at 1B, which i still think Carp is the odd man out in Boston. So that being said they have a fairly cheap infield with great versatility so I think Brock Holt is on the 25man roster next year come opening day. The Winter Meetings will be interesting because as Ben has stated all the heavy lifting is done and now they can sit back and look at options to add to the roster as a luxury instead of looking at players as an option of need. Davis is an intersting name because of his speed but i think Ben only goes that route if the trade market for a big bat is too pricey. I like where we are at now and would be happy if opening day were tomorrow but id be even more excited if Matt Kemp were in the lineup hitting 3rd as I think most of here would too. In Ben We Trust.

What about Peavy and Carp for Kemp? Id rather it be Dempster but i think the Dodgers wont give Kemp up for Demp.

I think and hope he doesnt come back to Boston. If Drew comes back it will be too much of a log jam. The Yankees will probably sign him too. But as i said in an earlier post. What if the FO does bring Drew back and moves Boggy to 3rd and WMB to LF. I would rather have WMB at 3rd, Boggy at SS, let Drew walk, and make a trade for an impact bat to go in the OF.

Im soo relieved that Nap is back. Now this up coming week at the winter meetings Ben can explore the trade markets and add to the roster so his choosing. Great move.