dupree

Fenway Park changes the whole game on a pitcher's #s & in the matter of a 3 run lead can soon go to a No Decision quick with a bad half inning of relief. Pitching does allow you to go deep into the playoffs & win championships. Also i believe a fly ball out pitcher gets hurt more in a place like Fenway and ground ball out pitcher does better by all statistics in Fenway. That being said is why i think kyle lohse is being mentioned in boston. Im not big on signing NL pitchers coming into the AL i believe they get hammered far to often after making the switch. With boston's current staff & line-up both need help

I think you have to pencil Swisher in Left Field if they sign Swisher Vic is faster and could cover Right Field better than Swisher

General Expenses? Are you saying that the arb numbers is general expenses? Or general Expenses plus arb salaries being higher than the 130 number? Ok at 130 add Hamilton at 25 = 155million 189 minus 155 = 34 million to stay under the luxury tax Hamilton at 25 per year for 5 or Swisher at 18 per year for 5 Id take Hamilton anyday. 7million is spliting hairs but the 10+ hrs and 15+ RBIs could mean five or six more wins per year compared to Swisher. Also Hamilton will make Pedoria Nap and Ortiz #s better because pitchers are going to pitch around Hamilton than they would Swisher. In the competitive AL East it has come down to soo few games apart of the last couple of years and 2013 competition is even tougher the guy who is gonna help the most is who they should get.

Ok i understand the flexibility part & agree they need to be able to go out & get inseason pieces. Swisher is the 2nd best bat out on the market currently in FA. But with Swisher compared to Hamilton would you slot him in the 3rd spot in your line-up over a man of the caliber of Josh Hamilton who is gonna hit you 35 to 40hr and 100+ RBI while swisher will hit 20 - 25hr and 85RBIs, Hamilton is gonna cost more yes but swisher is gonna want a long term deal as well. The Red Sox current payroll is at around 120 million including arbitration players + Nap and Vic. Why not go after Hamilton give him the 25 million per year. The payroll will be at 145the million last year the payroll was at 175, still 30 million less committed this year, with room to still go out and get some arms on short term deals.

I couldnt agree more... hamilton or swisher instead of overpaid FA pitchers Give the kids a chance!!!

I do like those #s from Sanchez & i wished we were hearing some rumors of starting pitching being mentioned coming to bean town. Sanchez slotted in as the #1 or #2 would make people start talking that the red sox have a good rotation. But Sanchez on a 5/80 is too risky in my opinion. I would hope they would trade for a pitcher for this year and next year FA class go all in.

I agree with you. But i think with a full winter and healthy at the start of spring training and coming in and knowing the closing job is his we will see an Andrew Bailey of old. But i do think that another potential closer should be signed & brought to camp to just let Bailey understand that we are not blowing games this year. My pick is Brian Wilson. The FO wants good clubhouse guys what more could you ask than Wilson. Sign him on a two year deal. 1st year let him set up the 7th or 8th. Then if Bailey sucks it up hand the ball to Wison & let him use his beard magic & close out games for us.

Why do you say to forget about Hamilton? I agree with you we need two pitchers, but do you believe that the line-up is set & has enough hitting in it without going out & getting another big bat?

Peter Gammons just reported on Hot Stove this morning that the Red Sox believe prospect Steven Wright may very well slot into the rotation this year. That he is the next R.A. Dickey throws his knuckleball at 82mph. That he has pitched very well & that the Red Sox love a knuckleball thrower slotted into a rotation to break up hitter's getting locked in Maybe we all have been wrong & thinking they will go out & get free agent pitchers and just stay in house and bring kids up from the farm

Yes it is an assumption. Thats just the way i say the whole Carl Crawford deal. We all have assumptions to why moves are made when they dont make sense. Also i disagree with you that Larry's meddling is what drove him out. I believe his legacy had a part to lead Theo out. To bring a championship to chicago would put him in the history books as the man who if hired can give u championships Also the reports of a stalker in Boston messing around his home & his family may had a huge part in why he left.

Barnes or Xander would not go Other than that let them have their pick

Does anyone think the Red Sox have the trade chips to land Juston Upton? AZ wants a SS... send them IGGY + Felix Doubrant + 3 prospects = Justin Upton + Trevor Bauer or Cahill Sign Stephen Drew to play SS in Boston for 2 years Done Deal

Being the 2nd best pitcher he is more than 5/70 Any other year with a better crop of FA pitchers he would be in that range

Something that has been bothering me all off-season with all the talks of no more long term deals that the red sox will be handing out Personally i dont think because of the flops of A-thank god hes-Gon & a Carl Crawford who should of never been here in the first place, who i always thought was the replacement for Ells when boston got him... he wasnt a left fielder in Boston it was more like a move of Theo knowing he was moving on to another organization and having overpaid players to not allow one of the big market teams to go after players so he could spend in his new job and get big name guys That being said we should not take away the long term deal from certain players and take a chance... if we dont we will be missing out on guys who can change the face of the franchise ... if this ownership doesnt want to spend &a take a chance then sell it to an ownership group who wants to make moves keep fans interested and think every offseason we are a contender and will make moves to contend good clubhouse guys are fun to bethe fun to be around but they dont win championships

Must have. But why is Clay only at 190 inning & Lackey is over 200 The #2 should have better numbers than the #4 I dont see Doubrant & Lackey pitching to those standards but what do i know Bill James is paid to analysis & im not I hope hes right & if the FO is seeing those same #s we are only a middle rotation away from being right back at the top of the talks of being a contender on a day to day basis

Ellsbury isnt going anwhere until midseason at the earliest cuz the FO will think they are losing quality replacement prospect pieces if they let him go now.. Hamilton is a definite need in my eyes... good or bad opinions on him he has shwon he can hit & carry a line up... get him in an organization that has other hitters in fron and behind to protect him from being walked all game & watch a laser show... peddy then hamilton would be epic... also get him just a lil more disciplined with waiting on his pich will help him as well but i love the fact that when u pitch to this guy u have to worry about him swinging no matter what the pitch count hes done it for years dont fix what doesnt need fixing Also on the pitching front a trade for a guy like trevor cahill instead of Bauer would be a good sign... slot Cahill into the #4 slot will take the pressure off & is a great addition down year last year but we saw what he done in Oakland i like options like thta instead of pitchers from the NL coming to the AL & thinking they can pitch when a pitchers has to worry bout all 9the hitters

I think Ross does play a lot but I think he splits time with someone I didnt think when the off season started that we would be talking soo much about trading Salty but the pitching staff has been horrible with him but i think John Farrell can change it all around & if Salty stays he will get the majority of the time looking to the dugout getting pitch calls from Farrell or the PC with Farrell telling him what to call Lav and Iggy both could be bigger trade market pieces than Ells & Salty because of peoples view of their low cost & high ceilings... i know they didnt show much last year but still most clubs like on the verge prospects than players only under control for a year like Ells and Salty had good power #s for the position but is too streaky for me he should only hit from the left side & Ross hit from the right.. platoon set

Agreed. But soo many pitchers & starting rotations are completly refaced because of injuries i like the fact the farm system has guys who we r actually talking about and not just waiting on a trade or a FA signing

We all know we need pitching & could talk about it until our fingers have blisters & start to skab over before the FO actually gets an arm... Current line-up Ellsbury Victorino Peddy Ortiz Nap Middlebrooks Salty Gomes Iggy We need atleast 1 more big bat... I think a left handed bat to slot in there at the 3 spot and move Vic to the bottom of the order and peedy back in the 2 spot is a move for this year and into the future... Bring in Hamilton on a 5 year 125 contract and let the media and all the adoring fans say how bad of move for him and the FO it was... But come midseason and the redsox are 7-10 games ahead in 1st place all the nay sayers will not be saying a word and talking about how good of job this offseason was Winning changing everything... at current time we are still a 70 win team

I had never thought of that trade but with the Yankees having around 170million already committed & still needing pitching a 3rd baseman Personally i love seeing them in a financial crunch & i hate the organization with everything in me but as far as a baseball move to free up payroll they are going to have to do something or only have 15 players on the major league roster

Its looking more & more like Ellsbury is staying until atleast midseason hoping he has a good first half & then if talks between Boras & the FO are outrageously far apart then they will roll him Another question is does anyone think that Hamilton will leave Texas now with Grienke signing with the Dodgers? Texas has said they would only go 3 but i think they will go more. Also if the run at Grienke & if Texas would have landed him then it would of left Hamilton out in the cold with the organization has pissed him off any? Also the talks about landing Upton in a trade has shown some inside knowledge that Hamilton is wanting more years than what the Rangers are willing to go & are letting Hamilton walk without coming right out and saying we are not in. Ultimately i think Hamilton goes back & the Upton doesnt happen and he stays in AZ But still i think the red sox needs another big bat in the middle of the order or last place here we come plus no pitching has been added

I remember reading an article a year or two back talking about yound players coming into the league about their impact on the game & the change that they have to make both mentally & physically. But their was Qoute in there from Billy Beane about young pitching prospects & it said "No matter how good or bad a kid does in the minors, the difference in a future ace & regular rotation guy is not time its preparation, & a true ace or regular rotation guy will be that no matter what the competition." & I think that is why you see Beane moving new prospects into the big league rosters every year... given he does trade away talent when they are about to get paid & recieve pitching prospects in return I think the red sox should let the young guys have a chance rather than spend money on these 30+ year old pitchers they are gonna stranglehold the organization with their overpaid contracts

Moves backwards is right Guaranteeing any $$$ to Dempster & Loshe is a step in the wrong direction Rather see the prospects be slotted in the rotation than 2 NL pitchers who will get hammered in the AL East

At those numbers i say sign um... But 2013 is the year of the overpay I would rather overpay for Hamilton on a 3-5 contract than over pay for Jackson & Sanchez Sign 1 of the two & then just hope u can get a guy to be sub 5.00 ERA and just out slug them every 4th or 5th day with a line-up of hamilton nap & ortiz it could be done I think this year is set up for more smarter trades than has b Mid season make athe trade for the post season runeen reported