FredLynn

This board does degenerate at times to name calling, eh? I realize that others feel differently and have good reasons for having those opinions, but I also have good reasons for having the opinion I have. The team has not won a postseason game in three years. Exactly how is it that we are a much better team that those three teams? There are more reasons too, and I plan to brow-beat everyone all season with them. We will see who is right in September.

Just pointing out that it is YOU who is flying off the handle about what I write, not the reverse. And reminding you that some of the nonsense you write DOES reflect short-sightedness.

Rebuilding is different for the Red Sox than it is for, say, the Twins. We do not have to start from scratch as some other teams do. When I refer to "rebuilding" I mean that we are trying to rebuild a team that can realistically compete for a ring. As I said earlier, we will most likely compete for a playoff position, but IMO the team will fall short of that too. For those people who think that winning 90 games next year represents contending, it will be a great year for them. For me, a very good year is going deep into the playoffs and at least having a shot at the fall classic. I don't see that happening next year, and I have some very good reasons for believing that even if Username keeps having hissy fits at regular intervals in response to what I write. And Ortiz was offered arbitration not because the FO was drooling at the prospect of overpaying him this year, but because they wanted the two draft choices if he signed somewhere else, which would have been likely had they not offered arbitration. The rolled the dice and lost. Now they are even worse off, if only for one year.

I think that we WILL contend for the playoffs. We will lose out to teams with more solid pitching, in the end, but we should be in contention for most of the year. And I agree with you that we are not good enough to contend for a ring this year. Good post.

Funny. Fred is pretty knowledgeable, but I don't recall him ever claiming to be a deity.

You don't like what I write. I could not care less. I express my opinion that we are not contending for a ring this year and you have a hissy fit. But its me on the high horse..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I'd bet on the napalm for this year. Some of you short-sighted chaps have no clue what the term "delayed gratification" means. You have the same entitlement attitude that some of the players have: the Sox OWE us being in contention every year. Is it possible for this year? Of course. Is it likely? Nope. As I told you, IMO this is a REBUILDING YEAR. That happens sometimes. Oh- and Jesus Christ isn't here.

As things stand right now, I would project them for about 90-92 wins at best and no playoffs. I expect Beckett NOT to repeat last year's performance and I expect Lester to continue to decline somewhat. We have three SP right now ( I am not counting Miller/Wakefield/Doubront as being able to contribute much more than warm bodies who impersonate SP) and the pen is in shambles. Jenks coming back is NOT a plus, and if Bard and Aceves become SP and throw 140-160 innings, our pen has been effectively raped. We will have no one there who is reliable. Can't see us doing much more than rebuilding this year. Epstein left us in a major mess.

Bill Lee

Who do we have that the A's would accept for a top tier pitcher like Gonzalez? He is going to be very very expensive.

You boys should just settle down. Neither of you know how Aceves is going to work out as a SP. His sample size is much too small to make any reasonable predictions about it. He has good stuff, and he wants to start. I say its time to give him a shot at it and sit back and watch the show. Only then can we make meaningful comments on how good he is as a SP.

Damn...deleting a post here is impossible

I'll give him all the time in the world. I have seen him up there at the plate. He has zero power; he doesn't look good. Until he does its wrong to name him our next SS. Scutaro is probably gone after this year. We are going to need someone in 2013 because Iggy isn't going to be ready by then..IMO. I think he is the Michael Bowden of position players in our minor league system....right next to Lars Anderson.

Jenks will probably show up in great shape-for Jenks. Thats still obese. You can quote ME on that. In your scenario we still have to stay under the cap next year because the bracket is 50%. We lose flexibility next year when all those great names become available. As I said, for my part, I would rather wait.

His stats for A, AA, and AAA are .261/.624 http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=iglesi001jos

I expect something out of Jenks: more of the same. Signing Oswalt will put us significantly over the threshold, especially if we get Cordero too. I would love to get Bailey; I see him play out here. He is good. I would rather the team get its s*** together this year and make a real run next year that make a half-hearted run this year and not have the resources to go for it next year. We'll see how things pan out. If the owners go much over the cap then to me it means that they really believe that they can make a run this year. If they don't then I think the opposite is true.

Clay will help. Even when he was piching, the team ERA was in the middle of the AL. It was there all year. To get really good I think we need a team with a dominant pitching staff. Thats how we did it in 04 and 07. You just can't keep bashing the other guys to death. You have to keep them from scoring too. The past three years we couldn't do that. We finished at 7, 8, and 9 the past three years in league ERA. That won't cut it.

In Pawtucket his stats were: .235/.554. He has NEVER hit in the minors. Sure, he MIGHT make it to .700 OPS. Then I will believe. Right now, its SHOW ME time.