marklmw

Not one of the players you mention are legit number 2's at this time. They think Ranaudo might be best suited as a late inning setup man. Owens shows the most promise but he is 2 years away. Buch is fragile, Dempster sucks ... are you kidding me .... not a need.

If Choo sucks as a CF which is his position it makes no sense to go after him since we have plenty of guys to play left. It is overkill for the price he will demand.

Boras is rediculous but the guy wins for his clients more than he loses. He as on record saying that he can get more than 5 years for Choo. Plain stupid.

While the Gonzalez contact was excessive it was the Crawford contract that was boneheaded and not well thought out. Stanton is more useful and beneficial to Bostons future. Crawford was not a need. We already had our 1-5 line-up in tact when we signed him.

Most of the talk about what to do or not do this off season centers around Napoli, Abreu, Ellsbury, Drew, Stanton, and Salty. I believe that at the end of the day most of the players from this years team will want to return as they seem to like playing together in Boston which is a nice position for management to work from. If the Sox cannot work out something reasonable for Ellsbury they will pick up a draft pick and JBJ will be given the opportunity. I would like to talk about the starting rotation and one way that Boston can improve it. An international player that Boston is scouting is Marahiro Tanaka and signing him can really help the Sox for the next 5 or 6 years. http://nesn.com/2013/09/report-red-sox-yankees-among-teams-to-scout-japanese-pitcher-masahiro-tanaka/ Of course I still like Abreu because of his ceiling and that he makes our club younger and the same can be said of Tanaka. It is my feeling that signing Tanaka is far more important than trading for Stanton, or signing Abreu. By signing Tanaka we have insurance and can then turn around and deal Dempster. Buch, Tanaka, Lester ... would be any awesome post season rotation would it not?

Obviously we would all take Stanton on our team but it all comes down to the right price. The whole idea of building a farm system is not only to bring some of the players up to the Boston Red Sox but also to use for trades. If we have players that are blocked it is better to deal them then when their value is high to fill a need. Lars Anderson comes to mind. Although the Sox have plenty of offense now I can appreciate what Stanton may bring to the club long term. We have a big void to fill when Papi hangs them up. So it is not out of the question that Sox will go after him but I would image and Bogaerts and Bradley would not be part of any package. At age 26 Abreu seems like the perfect fit for Boston.

Stanton is an interesting play but he really is not a fit at this time. Victorino is Bostons right fielder for the next 2 seasons. If Boston manages its payroll well they can go after Stanton in 2018 when he is a free agent. What the Sox need to do this off season is: 1. Go out and get Marahiro Tanaka (IFA) Sox keep draft picks and prospects 2. Go out and Get Abreu (IFA) Sox keep draft picks and prospects. Puig signed for 42/7. Abreu can might be signed for 60/7 3. Sign Salty to a 27/3 year deal. 4. Sign Ellsbury to a 85/5 year deal.

I like it. The numbers I am seeing for Abreu are 60m / 6.

No doubt that many teams would love to have Stanton's bat ... no so much his glove. I have 2 questions for you. They are: 1. What players will the Sox have to part with to get Stanton? 2. What will our starting 9 look like next season should they accept your deal ... including the signings of any free agents?

I do not like the 'at this point' argument. Manny has HOF numbers so you have to be careful comparing a youngster to a player with a full body of work. Is Mike Trout better than Willy Mays ... Mickey Mantel ... Jim Rice etc.

Having the success this season has really screwed up the Sox 'rebuilding' effort.

As good as Manny ... don't go there ... I had to eat my words comparing Ellsbury to Boggs.

I will be very surprised if the Sox empty their farm for Stanton but if they did I would not mind having him on our team for sure. He is not have his best year and he is still producing with power.

Wow ... that is a bold prediction.

Fine, I have already admitted that Boggs was and will be a better career hitter than Ellsbury. I still feel that Ellsburys 2011 season was better than Boggs 87 season because he did it all from the lead off spot. I mean who hits 30 hr's and has 100+ rbi's from the lead off shot ... it was a pretty special year. Back to Boggs, I had forgotten what an amazing hitter he was. He actually could have hit for more power but he made a decision to hit for average. He used the left field wall at Fenway as good as any lefty has. Ellsbury is not in Boggs league. That being said the Sox need to resign Ellsbury.

I think that Ellsbury chances for 20m per ended with his injury and lack of HR's

Upon further reflection I am wrong about Boggs vs. Ellsbury. Boggs was and will be at the end of Ellsbury's career a better hitter. It however does not mean you let Ellsbury walk over 2-3m per. Sox will definitely make a QO to Ellsbury if they cannot come to terms and that will be that. If Ells walks he walks and JBJ will play center and bat 9th.

I suppose that you need to be a MLB pitcher to better appreciate what it means to have a gold glove center fielder playing behind you. Taking gap doubles with runners on base and turning them into outs. Great Defensive teams are built up the middle ... CF, SS, 2B, C

And what if Ells will sign for 5 / 85 do you turn him away? The Sox have 2 closers on the DL for the whole season costing more than 11m and you are worried about an extra 2 or 3 m per for Ellsbury. Why do you care so much about 2 or 3 m ... the idea is to put the best group of players together for Boston to win. The club is better with Ellsbury than without. What if they do sign Abreu at 10m per and he performs as well as Napoli ... that is 3m per in savings alone. Peavy comes off the books at the end of next season. Sox have a lot of flexibility when it comes to payroll.

You know so little about baseball and you speak like a chess master on the subject. What baseball fan in his right mind does not want one of the games premier lead off hitting, base steeling, center field playing players on his team. You amaze me. You care about money ... why ... it isn't coming out of your pocket is it?

Trot Nixon is the only Nixon I am fond of.

Sorry MVP but in 87 Boggs stole 1 base and was caught stealing 3 times. I can't say if Boggs was the leadoff hitter but I do know that he did not play center field. So I respectfully disagree with you. Ellsburys 2011 season was better.

I am beginning to dislike you as much as I dislike Nixon

Who is WE? You and I disagree on Ellsbury ... I hope you are on here next season so I can stick it in your ear you arrogant SOB.

My guess is that Ellsbury will add power in the next 5 years. He really never got going this season with respect to his HR stroke. It looked like he had it back for a brief time after the all Star break but it did not stick. I think 35 bags is something he can do in his sleep. Being able to steal bases is not all speed and Ellsbury knows how to read the pitcher. I think 3 years full time in Center and 2 years in left with ability to play center.