sk7326

This is a good pickup - it's not my money, no other stuff given up, and the Red Sox pockets are (effectively) bottomless. Who wouldn't like this move? Let John Henry tell the Liverpool manager about his budget cuts in 2018 or whatever.

We knew it was coming. Without compensation issues, all it took was money. Always good to have a proven AL East pitcher. Team could use another mid-level starter - but really the rotation now fits a lot better. Thumbs down to the Kimbrel trade (the TRADE, not Kimbrel showing up), thumbs up to Young and to Price. So overall not too bad.

It is hard for any sort of "worst run" to include a World Freaking Series Banner ... the disappointments in 2012, 2014-15 have sucked because the team on paper looked to be better than that. But the Butch Hobson teams were much more depressing.

Excellent signing. I wanted this in 2014 when we were banking on Nava and Carp to not turn into pumpkins. He's not amazing but a strong right handed caddy for Bradley and capable of a bit more.

Ummm ... so the Dodgers are disqualified from signing Greinke? Oh I guess it's possible - but will Greinke get 6/180 from somebody else? That will be the thing. But not going to dismiss the possibility of Greinke and Dodgers finding some common ground.

Price being a little younger gives him a slight edge, although Greinke's style will require less adjustment over time. (He's basically a right-handed Tom Glavine right now) That said, I think it is a moot point - I'd be stunned if he left the Dodgers.

Fine. We do have solid evidence from prior Giants runs that Lincecum's stuff (if the hip surgery works) can play up in shorter stints. Question is whether the fastball can be enough to keep them off of the offspeed stuff.

I am in favor of a mild overpay for a guy like that - I understand prospects being blocked, but you save them to get value - this would make sense. But no matter.

The NL Central had the three best teams in the league this season

It's possible - I'd like to see what the Sox could do around Moncada - who makes all sorts of sense for Miami (Cuban and cheap).

Kazmir, Leake, Lackey, Chen all have cases ... Zimmermann has a QO attached to him which is a turn off for a mid-rotation guy. Unfortunately Samardzija got a QO because I liked him quite a bit for a value play. Unfortunately QOs are attached to a lot of the middle class guys who'd be worth a look - and will be bad for their market I'd think. For bullpen help, O'Day makes sense. Personally Tim Lincecum would be a very worthwhile flier to see if you can hit some lightning with him out of the pen.

K-rate was lower - but yeah quite good. WHIP over 1.00 for the first time. He'll be good - question is whether his best has already passed. It's a good acquisition - the only quibble has been price. I hope he does well. Funny thing was the higher wOBA and HRs coming at the league's worst home run park.

One good thing is that the "less sexy" starting market is very strong as well this year. Leake, Kazmir, possibly Fister (although more hoping there).

They are thinking both - they are loaded with young position talent - they know that a key pitcher could make things really pop. There are no serious needs in terms of positions.

Price has not been amazing in the postseason - but then he also had a save in the biggest spot of his life up to that point ... clutch is how you see it.

Are you sure? Price is plenty durable. He also has a solid history in the division. I also think it is a moot point about Greinke since the Dodgers will back up the truck and Greinke likes it there.

Nope, probably don't have the pieces anymore. Imagine if they did though. The Marlins MO is being cheap though - and perhaps Moncada and stuff gets them where they want.

No, they were pricey buys - so was Melancon (we gave the Astros a starting caliber SS! An injury plagued one but still). All of the guys were premium closers and the franchise management got all googly eyed over saves. It's that simple. The team's mistakes have not been "they went cheap on the bullpen". That is silly - bullpen performance is wildly volatile, and spending a ton on it is risky. It's that they did not churn - and internally they have dithered too much with their own pitchers instead of making early decisive calls on who can't start. They did that one time - with Papelbon - and it worked out. But trying to put Bard in the rotation, trying to squint hard and see starting in Allen Webster or Brandon Workman or Rubby De La Rosa. They have incorrectly hoped and prayed these guys developed a 3rd pitch instead of just converting them and letting them fly. Now this would not have worked at a 100% rate - that's what churn is for. But that's really all the Royals have done. Look at guys with at least one or two serious pitches and just said "close enough".

No need to think too much about what's next right now. I have been a Red Sox fan for 30 years. Enough to have some summahs ruined, enough to wonder whether they would ever win (just barely). David Ortiz is not the greatest Red Sox player I ever saw. He is not the best baseball player I ever saw. But nobody has given me more joy as a fan more often. Yes, clutchiness is a silly notion - and yes you can point out that Ortiz was borderline unplayable in the 2008 ALCS and that his miracle slam against Detroit was the only really positive thing he did in that entire series. But he was up a lot in some very special spots, and he delivered a lot - and while clutchy mcclutcherson might not have much of an intellectual framework, it sure as hell felt heroic when he came through. There have been a lot of great stars in Red Sox history - Ortiz has to be the unlikeliest. And his larger than lifeness and star power, like Tiant and like Pedro, is accented and welcome when you put it against the problematic racial history of the franchise, and that matters a lot (to me at least).

Exactly zero. I am all for that - I am all for dumping all these guys on cheapo Miami's doorstep and telling them "come on, you're not going to pay Jose Fernandez, let's be real". Even add Moncada. It's doing it for a closer who could improve the bullpen solidly if he is what he was 2-3 seasons ago, but could improve it less if he was the 2015 version.

A 20 year old who hit 15 HRs with solid defense in a full season league has the ceiling of a hell of a lot more than that. Margot got to AA in his Age 20 year with a solid offensive season and a tiny strikeout rate. I am happy to have Kimbrel. I am stunned that this is what a couple of high end prospects buys so little. I think UN's point is solid about being conservative in evaluating Dombrowski - I have not put this trade into the dustbin of history. Kimbrel could be special, and he probably will be solid. We know in Detroit Dombrowski was mandated to acquire as many guys the owner has heard of, cost be damned. It seems that is the approach here. It could work - one hopes the division goes the way of the mid-2000s AL Central to help out.

certainly it ended that way, especially with the way the rotation overextended them. The approach can fail, it also succeeds - if anything it meant they did not churn enough. I actually questioned the approach - not that you don't sign risky fireballers - it's just that you keep going. Some fail, you find more. Also developmentally the team has absolutely been far too conservative with making calls on their pitchers. Instead of looking at guys like Webster and instantly figure out they are bullpen fodder, continuing to dither. As always the question is not about the acquisiton but the price. And yes, I know the prospects could be blocked blah blah blah - but the prospect inventory for trade (unlike say John Henry's coffers) is finite. Kimbrel will be fine. And if they sign Price (and it makes sense to give him 6 years - both younger and better than Lester as a UFA) better still. Relievers bust more than starters (which makes sense since they lack things that would make them good starters - and of course the limited innings) and Kimbrel came off of his worst pro season. So there is some risk anyway. I hope it works out.

I am happy we've improved the inning we have tended to not be able to get to. I am happy finishing 4th for now there could be smart moves to improve a lot. i will praise those.

Right now the team spent a lot of prospect heft for probably 0.5-1 win ... 79-83 isn't too shabby

By spending the sort of package the Rangers used to get Hamels ... all right