dupree

1/10 would be awesome if he would take a pillow contract to rebuild his value. I still see some club giving him a 3 year deal tho.

The Sandoval camp is said to be requesting that all final offers be submitted and he could sign as early as next week. Even with the Padres being the highest bidder I think Panda sees that he finishes his career like Papi has done as a DH. Plus that may be the only thing his body will allow him to do. So I see an AL team having the upper hand in signing him. Also with Napoli contract off the books and with a dismal production season in 2015 Napoli can be gone with either Sandoval, Craig (if he's here), or one of the young guns WMB or Travis Shaw manning 1st in 2016 or a resign of Nap if he produces. Either way the Sox have options with him other than leaving him at the hot corner and I don't think he will finish out this contract in that position. I was hoping Lester would be the first piece to fall, but beggers can't be chosers. And now the Sox are begging for production at 3rd. It's just a await and see but I think Panda is more likely to come here or Toronto than go to the Padres or the Giants.

Reports say that the Sox are very serious about Andrew Miller and that has received mutiple 3 year offers... I just wonder if it is 3 yr 39 million? That seems to be the Sox normal 3 year offer.

Hopefully the Sox offer a mutual option for the 7th year to get this deal done. Once this gets done the other pieces of Sandoval and Miller will fall. Then a trade for Jordan Zimmerman using Mookie Betts as the centerpiece then call it an offseason. Washington needs a 2nd baseman and Zimmerman would be a solid #2.

f*** price... extend Cespedes.

Zimmerman would be great but staying with the Nationals Doug Fister wouldn't be a bad #3.

^Agreed to all this. With Hamels seeming to but out of the picture since Amaro's asking price is Retarded... who do you think they look to now? Billy Bean is said to not trade Sonny Gray or Jeff Samardzija and the Padres are planning on keeping Cashner & Ross. So I wonder who the Sox will go after?

I wonder if Boston is one of the 3 teams in on Dioner Navarro to fill the left handed bat at cather. His contract is 5mil foe next year and then is a FA which would clear the way for Blake Swihart. I hope they make this minor move to fill the LHH void and be a good platoon for Vazquez. 10+ hr power and decent defense I see it as a win. With Russell Martin in Toronto he may be able to be had since he is wanted traded for a low - mid level prospect

Would be smarter to sign James Shields anyways as our #2 starter. Amaro will never move Hamels if the price is that high for a pitcher who has proved nothing outside the NL. Would did you see that report Pal?

Now the Giants deny this report and say they are still very much in the mix for Sandoval. Who knows what to believe.

The Cubs are the club that worries me the most. When Theo knows what the price is he usually gets his man. Most pitchers like going to the NL to in prove their numbers and get into the Hall. I hope Lester is coming back here. Report say that the Sox are also preparing a offer for Sandoval. I just wonder if he is still in boston. Report says that Sandoval's agent will make a call to the Giants this evening. I'm just wondering if this is a sign things will move quickly with Pablo and the deal gets done soon.

I don't like the way they went about this either. Putting an offer out there just so other teams can trump it. I hope Lester does take a small hometown discount but I think with this many teams in on him it may get into a bidding war and it always seems that the red sox lose those battles. Im glad to hear the offer is in the 6 year 120 -130 range and also that they didn't make another offer that offended him. That's a plus just within itself.

I agree. It would make more sense to just sign two free agents and leave an unproven pitcher in the AL of Hamels and just sign to free agents. Either way they are going to add a ton of payroll to get their two elite pitchers. I said in the start of the offseason they should just sign Lester and Shields and call it an offseason. But I think they will do that? No I think they will sign Sandoval and only get one elite pitcher and then try to sell the fans that we are looking to the future and let the young pitchers have slots even with the horrible season of the position prospects this year. I think instead of Pablo they should be focusing on pitching more. But maybe they are and it just hasn't leaked to the media yet.

I say even with a trade for Hamels the Sox will still sign Lester at 120m+. It's not an either or, its what they plan on doing to have two top of the line starters. If they don't and just trade for Hamels and get other starters from the scrap heap then fans will be pissed.

Report out now that Phillies are checking into the character back grounds of Matt Barnes, Mookie Betts, and Christian Vasquez. People heads are about to explode!!! If thats the haul for Hamels my question is who is next year's starting catcher?

It must be the coat, but he looks thiner in my opinion. I hope he only leaves Boston to pack his bags so he can move into town. Pablo first, then Lester 2nd, and then let the trades to fill out the roster begin

Between the two I'd prefer Ross over Cashner

In 2011 Josh Reddick came up and had a hot streak just like Betts. In that offseason he was traded for a closer. Given he had less years of control and was older in age than Betts. But still he had a 30 more games than Betts and everyone was praising him the same as Betts and if two more years of control and younger in age means obtaining an ace instead of a closer as Reddick did I'd hope Ben pulled the trigger. A deal of Betts for Strasburg straight up would never happen. The Nats are going for it all next year and are just one or two pieces away from a championship. Plus Strasburg and Harper are the faces of the franchise. I have said time and time again that a deal for Tyron Ross would be ideal but if Jordan Zimmerman could be in place that would be alright as well. Betts stock is definitely up and teams love young controllable players but pitching and defense win in October. With the Sox having a lineup of Ortiz Cespedes and possibly Sandoval the offense will be there to score enough runs. I hope Castillo can live up to what the FO paid and be our CF for years to come and light a spark at the top of the order, this year showed how much Ellsbury meant to this team when he wasnt there. Let's hope a deal using Betts gets done and brings in another Ace caliber pitcher along with the signing of Lester to be the 1 - 2 at the top of the rotation and then another sign or trade for a #3 with Buch and Kelly filling in the 4 and 5 slots.

Betts himself won't land Ross or Hamels. Let he clarify. The pieces such as young pitching propects along with Betts will be the thing that gets a deal done.

I honestly don't see why posters here think that Mookie Betts is the end all be all Red Sox prospect. People are ready to cut his number into the outfield grass, have a day in his honor, and mark his next blast with a historic chair. It's utterly ridiculous. He played in 52 games for the Red Sox last year and had a very nice Hot Streak. And that's all it was is a hot streak. A major deal will never be centered around Mookie Betts unless a team is dumping payroll. A couple years ago when WMB came up and hit like he did people praised him, this year when Holt hit a hot streak people wanted to plug him in anywhere. Both came back to orbit and soo will Mookie. In my opinion he will cool down and go back to the minors the buzz will calm and him will be a filler piece in a low level trade in years to come.

I think Betts will be traded. We have all seen reports that say he is untouchable. But, with the growing pains of other untouchables such as Bogey as of most recent, if a trade for a proven pitcher or any position player of elite talent comes available I'd say with the high projected ceiling of Betts he gets a deal done. Vic is a wildcard. If he's healthy he is in RF. Castillo in CF & Cespedes with Nava and Craig on the bench. All will get enough playing time. JBJ needs to stay in AAA all year and be a September call up. Let him learn to hit before he comes to Fenway. Betts could land a Tyron Ross from San Diego or a Cole Hamels from Philly I'd hope the FO pulls the trigger. Also with the small sample size who's to say he won't decline as WMB, Holt, & Bogey when major league pitchers figures him out. His stake is high as of now I'd say roll the dice and move him to get SP.

Instead of a trade for Jeff Samardzija I would look to SF at a trade for The Freak Tim Lincecum. I know he has had a lot of problems that have thrown him into the bullpen. But as a #3 or #4 I'd like that option. A change of scenery may just do the trick. Sign Lester (to a club friendly deal) Trade for Cole Hamels Trade for Tim Lincecum Buch & Kelly to fill out the rotation with the prospects filling in the gaps due to injuries. I honestly don't see a huge haul for Timmy. He would be had for 1 top tier and maybe two lower level propects.

I hope this is right. I'm a huge WMB fan but Sandoval would be nice in all the AL east ballparks should have some big numbers. Plugging him in the middle of the order behind Cespedes and in front of Napoli. A 3, 4, 5, & 6 of Ortiz, Cespedes, Sandoval, & Napoli would be no question the best in baseball. Come on Ben make it happen.

I respectfully disagree Fred. I think the FO have been dumpster diving the last few years and then it all came together and everything went right and they won a title without stretching the checkbook. Well the owners know they can't throw out a rotation headlined of Bucholtz with young prospects with the likes of maybe Liriano and Burnett or another old veteran. The fanbase was not there pretty much the the entire year excluding the first month of the year and the last month looking at the call ups. I see the owners opening up the check book and spending to get back in respectful contention. I find it hard to believe we stand pat with over the hill second chance veterans instead of spending the cash needed to put assessment in the stands and people at home and in the bars watching a winning sox team. Ben had a golden horseshoe for one year and it paid off. Now he has positioned himself to address the biggest need this offseason. All the prospects will not pan out. Why keep them locked and blocked in the minors to have assets and never move them. I say make the trades and bring the chips in here to win now and in the future.

I think a signing of Chase Headley would be nice. A one year pillow contract with a mutual deal for a second with maybe 10 to 13 per would get it done. Trade Vic. Hes useless only hitting RH Trade for Tyron Ross from SD. I like him better than Hamels. Younger, less guaranteed $, better stuff, prolly would excell in the AL more than Hamels Trade for Tulo to man SS. Hes the answer to the future. Send Bogey and pitching call it a done deal. Sign Lester Sign Sheilds Resign Koji Sign Sergio Romo Sign veteran C, LHH Go over the Salary Cap if needed... spend ben spend WMB & JBJ start in AAA Make them prove they deserve to be in the MLB and start hitting Lineup Betts CF Peddy 2B Ortiz DH Cespedes LF Tulo SS Napoli 1B Headley 3rd Vazquez C Castillo RF Bench Nava, Craig, Holt, LHH C Rotation Lester, Sheilds, Ross, Bucholtz, Kelly Bullpen Koji, Taz, Romo, Mujica, Britton, Layne, Breslow 2015 World Series Champion Make it happen Ben