moonslav59

But, would Leon have seen it before Pedey?

I still dislike the Kimbrel deal too, but with closer prices going through the roof, part of my position (giving prospects and paying near FA money) has been lessened in strength. He's making significantly less ($10.5M on the luxury tax budget) than a top FA closer would make today. I don't think DD would have made the Pom deal had he known he was going to get Sale. I don't blame him for that, but I still really dislike the deal. I do not think DD had to do all of these moves to make us the AL favorite. Maybe a better balance of the "now" and the "then" would have made me happier, but I'm very happy now. I'm willing to go through some tough years later on in hopes of winning a ring or two in the next 4 years. I do think times will be tough. You have great faith in Sox management, and so do I, but the times have changed. It's not the same system anymore. That doesn't mean we can't change with the times and figure out a way to acquire good young talent or just decide to become the Dodgers East and spend heavily in taxes and lost revenue sharing to stay competitive. My point is that, if we continue to draft like we have from the 20th slot down, or if you look how DD has drafted from the 20th slot down, it is not encouraging, in fact it is frightening. Sorry for not being optimistic, but what have we done to improve our scouting of lower level draft picks? I don't see DD as being better than Theo or Ben in this area, so where is the optimism coming from? If this is what we get with our non comp draft picks over the next 3-5 years, I'm not feeling any optimism at all: (Non comp picks) 16-35: 26 Chavis. 33 Kopech 14 24 Marrero, 31 Johnson 12 28 R Fuentes 09 30 C Kelly 08 27 J Place 06 Comp Picks: 16-35: 19 Barnes, Swihart 11 20 Vitek 10 28 D Bard 06 Even if you include the comp picks, it's not pretty. Maybe we'll find another Betts in the later rounds, but even he was a one in nine drafts gem (Rizzo was taken in 2007 and was the last major draft find before Betts). Again, my only optimism is with the international signings or maybe Henry deciding to pay mega taxes starting in 2-4 years. That's one reason I think Henry wants us to reset the tax this season (or next), so if he does have to go way over 3-4 years from now, the tax won't be at 50%. The international signing system has changed too. I'm not sure of the specifics, but from what I've read the new system in place makes it more difficult for high spending and big market areas to sign top prospects. If that's true, that could have a major effect on our best pipeline to great prospects.... Moncada, Bogey, Margot, Espi, Devers.... I've never said we are going to suck from 4-7 years from now. I think we can find a way to be pretty competitive in year 4, but I see no reason to think we'll be highly competitive in years 4-7 and maybe beyond. It's easy to say any team spending $200M on salaries should always be highly competitive, but that has been proven wrong time and again. We need only to look at our history from 2012 to 2015. Not enough meaningful input from youth. Poor FA choices, which is the norm for most high-priced signings. We nailed it good in 2013, but I don't think anyone wants us to construct rosters like 2012-2015 again. The main reason we did so well last year was that we did not trade Betts, JBJ, Bogey and others for the "here and now". Many we screaming to trade some for Hamels, because they felt we were just a Hamels away from being a top contender. Sound familiar with Sale? I'm highly optimistic about years 1-3. I'm not about 4-7. I really don't see any compelling argument that convinces me the odds are we will remain HIGHLY competitive after all these stars contracts expire (some of them at very low salaries comp[aritively).

And, he hits right-handed, so if he ever is needed, he could platoon at 3B with Pablo, Holt or Hernandez. He's really insurance to the other RH'd 3Bman- Rutledge.

From MLBTR... The Red Sox have added third baseman Matt Dominguez on a minor-league deal, 1500ESPN’s Darren Wolfson reports on Twitter. Dominguez receives an invitation to MLB camp next spring. Still just 27, Dominguez had a short return to the majors last year with the Blue Jays but hasn’t seen substantial time at the game’s highest level since a disappointing 2014 campaign with the Astros. He posted a .269/.315/.421 batting line with 18 long balls at Triple-A last year with the Toronto organization. Free agent slugger Jose Bautista “wanted to work something out” with the Red Sox but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told Bautista’s agent that the Sox were out of payroll space. Boston has over $178.3MM committed to just 10 players on the 2017 roster, plus Rusney Castillo and Allen Craig. Adding Bautista on a notable salary would again put the Sox over the luxury tax threshold, putting the team in line for a sizeable penalty.

It's like I wrote this myself.

We might see Vaz be Wright's caddy...maybe catch ERod half the time.

The scout said it was the best session he'd ever seen by a pitching prospect.

The numbers are similar to Porcello's: With Leon: 2.52 in 94 IP (11 HRs) With Vaz 3.64 in 107 IP (10 HRs) and Buch: Leon 3.84 in 61 IP (6 HRs) Vaz 5.60 in 53 IP (11 HRs) Some different results here though: Wright Vaz 2.72 in 36 IP Han 2.90 in 90 IP Leon 6.46 in 24 IP ERod Vaz 4.50 in 22 IP Leon 4.90 in 79 IP

Keeping Devers & Groome shows DD isn't 100% about the next 2 years (3 if we can replace Kimbrel & Price doesn't opt out). Those two can help us at a low cost, but it's hard to construct a winning roster with just 2-3 top class, low cost players. It's not impossible to draft a player or two who will be ready in years 4-5, but we can't wait to year 3 to do it. It almost has to be next draft. My hope remains linked to international signings. Even with restrictions, we could find some more gems. I'm not without hope. I just know losing all these kids is going to hurt some day. I'm not "worrying" or fretting or crying. I'm not losing sleep over it. I'll deal with some low times if and when they come, but I'm not going to sugar coat our losses to defend my position that these deals were great. There's a downside to most trades, and our was the extended future. I can live with it, because I love what we have now... a lot!

They'll be leading the dump DD brigade pretending they said all along DD "overpaid" back in the day.

Devers should replace Pablo, Moreland or HanRam. Travis could replace Moreland or HanRam. Groome may someday replace Pom or Porcello. We're not doomed. My point is losing Moncada, Espi, Margot, Kopech and a ton of others who combined will probably produce another 2 significant ML talents was what was going to infuse cheap talent into roster for the next 2-8 of 9 years. It's going to make a hell of a difference especially once the years of service from the guys we got are up. I'm sure Henry will make sure we stay competitive, but without ready youth at his disposal, we run the risk of having a few poor finishes bunched up together.... like we did under Ben recently before his farm got a chance to mature. If we are going to rely on free agency to carry us from years 4 to 7, good luck with that.

I've always said 4-7 years. I think we will be competitive in 4 years- maybe 5, but not highly compeitive, unless we do things we haven't done in 11 years- like draft someone great in the 15-35 slot area or find a couple of the next Betts or Rizzos with 2 in 11 odds. I'm not predicting it will happen, and I doubt it does, but if we finish in last place in 3 out of 4 years like we did with Ben, I'll bet a million dollars 90% of this board will be roasting DD for not having a long term vision. (The same way they roasted Ben for having a f***ed up short term vision.)

It baffles me that you guys think we can trade away so much incredibly highly ranked youth and think it's not going to affect the future or will by just a little bit. It's not hypocritical to love the deals we made, but recognize them for what they are: we sacrificed a big chunk of the future for a bigger chance at winning in the next 3 years. I'm fine with it, but that doesn't mean I have to deny the downside of the plan. I never said we're going to be in last place in 5 years, but these trades are going to matter someday. I'm hoping we win 2 rings, would be happy with one. It's worth it to me. It's not a complicated position to hold. I loved the trade. I've spent 40 years suggesting trades just like this one from dorm rooms to water coolers to sports blogs.

These trades are going to make a difference down the road. To what extent may be up for debate, but a price will be paid. I'm not sitting here crying over the long term future, but I did like the idea of winning for a whole decade.

So, now almost making the playoffs is okay? Let's see how they do the next 2-3 years.

I lived in Portland from 1971 to 2004, when I moved to Mexico City. In 2007, I moved to Sugar Land, TX. I have visited Maine every summer since moving away, I mean I have a free spot on Sebago lake, so why not? 34 years plus 12 summers. My card is so old and crumpled, maybe you can't read it.

With all due respect, we've drafted like crap after the 15th pick for 11 years, and you want to pin your hopes on things changing radically to the good. Trade for young players? With what? Pablo? There's no freakin way we rebuild the farm to 1/4th of what it was in just 3-4 years. Times have changed. We are going to be great for 3-4- maybe 5 years, but we are going to pay someday for what DD did. I'm happy with the choices made, but I'm not going to pretend all will be fine in 4-5 years.

It says nothing about the scout saying Kopech was the best he'd ever seem.

Great article, but I still love the trade. This was the one paragraph that got me... The other aspect of this that bothers me even more is this: one of the main reasons the Red Sox paid David Price over $200 million was so they wouldn’t have to make a farm system destroying deal like this. Recall last off-season when Dombrowski decided he had to have an “ace” (the irony being the eventual 2016 Cy Young award winner was already on his staff) but determined the pitchers on the trade market (including Sale) were too expensive in terms of prospects. So instead he issued the largest contract ever given to a starting pitcher. And now, one year later, now with “Cy” Porcello and Pomeranz, he blows up the farm system anyway. Does this seem like the workings of someone with a plan, or the meanderings of a ten-year-old in a mall whose parents just gave him a $20 bill and told him to “have fun?”

I didn't see it on this link.

My parents have a sweet spot on Sebago Lake. One time I drove from Portland all the way to tip of Raymond Neck (50 minutes) and never saw one car. Okay it was midnight on a school night, but still, Route 302 is the major East-West highway in Maine. The whole state is a different world.

Weel, we could divide it into 3 sections: OOB south is North Boston. Biddeford-Saco to Bangor is the middle ground. Bangor north is true "man" territory.

I can't find it, but I'll look later. The context was a scout talking about a single observation game, so that's important. He said it was the best he's ever seen a pitcher pitch....something like that. There was also the report that he hit 105 on a radar gun, but many doubt the accuracy of that claim.

Too funny. I was typing mine at the same time.

Good, New Gloucester is an inch north of Portland. I'm a man; I'm a man; I'm a man! I will say, Limington is more back woods than New Gloucester, and it's southwest of Portland. Maybe you should amend your statement to north of Lewiston-Auburn-- better yet, Augusta-Waterville. Some would argue Bangah north.