Hitch

Yeah I don't mean as a centre piece, but as part of a deal it could entice people? Buch Owens Bradley and possibly Hanley if we can find somebody that wants his bat... ...would bring back a pretty decent pitcher no? Then get to the free agent market to pick up another, move Kelly to the pen and we'd be all set(rotation wise). :) I agree with what a previous poster said though, Harvey looks off the table now. He and the Mets seem to have squared things up.

Yeah that's why I wondered would Hanley being in there, tempt them, with him seemingly heading to 1st base. I realise it's unlikely as nobody as actually seen him play the position yet! Ha!

Would Bradley do it, do you think? Devers hasn't been ruled out yet has he?

I have only been following the sport for 3 years, and while my knowledge of rules, tactics, players, etc, is now quite decent, I still get a little lost on the trade market on times. Things I forget to take into account etc. So with that in mind this may be silly but would we be able to put a package together that tempts somebody (say the Mets for Harvey for this example) for an ace/top quality pitcher around these players..... Buch Owens Hanley One other highly rated prospect ? I guess we would have to eat some of the Hanley contract but for the other team, for losing one of their top pitchers, they get another top pitcher in return(all be it for a year and injury prone), a highly rated pitcher for the future, a power bat and one other highly rated prospect. Is that feasible? For us - If you get rid of the Busch contract (for next year) and most of the Hanley one, it frees up funds to go sign a top pitcher off the free agent market too. Go with a rotation of: Harvey Price/Zimmerman/Cueto Rodriquez Porcello Miley Move Kelly to the pen to add some fire power to that area. I've no doubt I am probably in dream land, but I enjoy debates about trades without yet fully understanding the intricacies, so anyone that wants to tell me why it won't work/is a ridiculous idea, I'm all eyes.

iortiz.... I believe I owe $20 to the charity of your choice.

A few things jump out every day on this board. Some people just LOVE to argue. Some can't live without the last word, it eats them alive. Some like to snipe and make catty comments; trying to start arguments or take constant shots at people from the sidelines. Some have serious mental health issues. It's fantastic. Hours of entertainment. Oh and fred and a700 are very, very, VERY, odd people.

Sure I'll take that. If he hits 150 innings, I'm pretty confident he will be under 4 ERA. $20 isn't going to break the bank either way.

iortiz... I'll take your bet. Let's make it that the loser pays the $100 to a charity of the winners choice though. I haven't posted much here in the past. I started just after 13 WS(the first season I had followed the game). I don't know if anyone will even remember me, I wasn't here for long before going travelling so posting wasn't much of an option(although I'd still call in and have a read to catch up when I could). But, I'll be sticking around now, so if you're happy to take the bet from a new(ish) poster under the above stipulation, I'm in.

Pretty disgusted reading A700's(and others) opinions on this. Dempster obviously felt he wasn't up to this season. And he obviously feels money isn't the be all and end all. Completely classy thing to do. Anyone who sees this as stupid, rather than classy, has a pretty shallow mind set imo. Hearing Red Sox fans label him as stupid - for saving their club a shed load of cash by doing the right thing - is bewildering to be honest. Class act and I wish him the best. Great for the Red Sox too.

I feel a little uncomfortable that it's taken for granted by some, that Middlebrooks will hit 30 homers next year(and the next, and next...). I think he still has a long way to go, to establish himself as that level of player.

I just assumed they would rather keep middlebrroks than Drew. As SSF just said, if Drew comes back that surely means Middlebrooks being traded? I'd rather lose Drew and pocket the pick.

That will spell the end of Drew coming back. Hopefully the Sox will get a good pick in return. I think this is a great move by the Sox.

Haha it really is a crazy board to read on times. Entertaining though.

Yeah sorry I went all British there. Then my next question - how could the Sox possibly get near Tanaka? I assume that the FO already need to move a starter, to bring back Drew/or another left sided player? So how do the Sox get Tanaka as well? And with the rest of the league knowing that the Sox need to trade off a starting pitcher, doesn't that put them at an automatic disadvantage? Never mind needing to trade two, to get in the hunt for Tanaka. I just don't see how the Red Sox can even contemplate Tanaka for a moment, when they still need another left sided player on the roster. I may be way off here, but I just can't see how Tanaka is a viable option at all? Going by this Farrell interview they definitely want to trade one of the starters - http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article/bos/title-in-the-past-boston-manager-john-farrell-focused-on-the-future?ymd=20131209&content_id=64494092

Am I right in thinking we are quite close to the wage ceiling?

http://d2tq98mqfjyz2l.cloudfront.net/image_cache/1360427355124636_animate.gif

If there's one thing I haven't got my head around in this sport yet, it's WAR.

I think if Drew comes back, Middlbrookes is going to get traded. Not sure I like that idea, but I think it will happen.

Well, all I really said is that people were concentrating too much on what the Yankees were doing, and that there was no need for panic because the Red Sox were not far away from fitting all the peices together for next year either(for far less money/risk and with a better long term plan in place). For all your hysterics about the Yankees and how everyone has taken their eye off them, and how they will punish the Sox...it would seem you agree with my above point? On a side note, The Yankees really love to pay big money to players on the back 9 of their careers, do they not?

You've missed my point there. What I'm saying is, if the Sox try to set their team up as well as they can, and make it competitive to whole MLB, then by extension they have set it up to try and be better than the Yankees, and the division rivals. Setting a team up to just be better than the Yankees would be crazy. edit: Just seen your last line. That's not true really is it? If the Sox had put a team together that could have just beat the Yankees last year, they'd have finished with 3rd with 85 wins. Yankees are not the benchmark.

Mark, don't you think it is better to produce a team that competes against the whole MLB rather than just the Yankees? Building a team that competes against everyone, builds a team that competes against the Yankees by association if nothing else. Also, I think you can look too singular at next season when you're a fan(of any club in any sport). Like I mentioned the other day, the Sox will likely be a bit weaker in CF next year by giving the spot to JBJ with the exit of Jacoby, but from 2015 onwards, after a years experience for JBJ theres every chance they will be looking very strong in that postion for years to come. I'm sure 1st base is being looked at in depth and they will make a move when they get what they want. What does it matter if it is today or next Thursday? Patience my man.

Haha So let them react to the Sox. My point is, you go about your own business. If the Sox and the Yankees are both after the same player, and both orgnaisations feel it would be hugely improtant to get that person, then sure, you're in direct competition. But if the Yankees want to overspend to get players(even FA Sox players) then so be it. You don't go trying to beat that bid, just to stop the player going there. That's reacting to the Yankees and they finished many wins behind the Sox last year. There are holes that the Red Sox need filling at the moment. No question. So they will go about filling them, in a way that works best for Boston. Not for what is best in blocking a Yankess signing. I understand I'm not entrenched in the Red Sox - Yankees rivalry, but being a Liverpool fan, I have an un-rational hatred of all things Manchester United(they also have far bigger spending power than us). But even so, I don't see them looking at a player and think - 'We have to get him to stop them signing him'. For me that logic is absolutely mental. Sign the players that are best and work out better for your team, and the rest will take care of itself. Just like it did last year.

No offence fred but I think Farrell feigned shock for fans like you. I've been watching and following Basbeall for less than a year, and I wasn't shocked by Ellsbury going to the Yankees. Dissapointed - sure, but not shocked. You seem overly obsessed with the Yankees. I understand they are the Red Sox biggest rivals, but why are you constantly talking about "not underestimating the Yankees" and that "the fans and FO office are being blindsided by them." Nobody should give a s*** about what they are doing. You don't put together a strategy for winning, by watching what the Yankees are doing and trying to block it. You concentrate by taking care of matters at your own club. The Red Sox just won a WS. Do you think they sat in the FO last year and said "Right lets see what the Yankees are doing here, because it's imperitive to us that we keep an eye on them to win this WS" - Of course they didn't. They signed the players they thought would give them the best chance. Why would they do it any other way? Ellsbury got too expensive for the Sox so they walked away. If Yankees want to come in and saddle themselves with the contract they did, so be it. What would you have had the Sox do? Match or better the offer just to stop New York getting him? That would be absolute lunacy. I have to be honest, as an outsider just new to this sport, I am stunned by how many of you are seemingly not happy. You've just won the WS, you have the best farm system in the Major Leagues, and you have a very good base already in place with extra signings to come. Who cares what the Yankees do? Only care what Boston do. And for my eyes, they seem to be making some very smart plays, something I don't see, when I look at the Yankees.

Great stuff thanks.

Thanks for the welcome all I really am excited to see what moves the team makes over the coming months. The trading/free agent system in Baseball, is like chalk and cheese compared to the transfer system in soccer. It fascinates me. Is the consensus that they might try to make a trade for a left fielder to add some power to the line up? I wouldn't be surprised to see them go with what they have now in the outfield, and just leave JBJ learn the ropes for a full year. I definitely don't see them signing any of the FA outfielders. Also, are there any good journalists/writers I can follow on twitter or on websites, so that I can keep up with any insider gossip/possible moves with the Red Sox. Up until now I just get my news from this board.