Jack Flap

I don't think the difference between them is as gigantic as some seem to, but these are basically my thoughts as well. Getting Stanton would be fantastic, but it would all depend on what we have to give up.

I should f***ing hope so...but I think I'd rather take the full contract and give up less.

I don't really follow this logic, as Giancarlo will cost more years and money plus giving up some sort of talent as well. I certainly wouldn't rule it out if the trade cost isn't too bad, but I still think JD is a fit. Just because Boras' first ask is $200 million doesn't mean he's getting it.

This is just horribly sad....so young.

Holy s***, WTF: Alex Speier @alexspeier Awful news: Red Sox CEO/president Sam Kennedy says highly regarded Red Sox catching prospect Daniel Flores died due to complications from cancer. Story shortly at (link: http://bostonglobe.com) bostonglobe.com.

"According to multiple sources, top Red Sox prospect Daniel Flores is dealing with a serious medical condition that could impact his 2018 season. While the exact diagnosis isn't known, the 17-year-old was recently in Boston to address the situation." http://www.weei.com/blogs/rob-bradford/top-red-sox-prospect-daniel-flores-dealing-serious-medical-condition

Pete Abraham @PeteAbe #RedSox promoted Dana LeVangie to pitching coach. He had been bullpen coach. Pete Abraham‏ @PeteAbe Ramon Vazquez was added to the MLB staff. Per release: "will serve as a liaison between the major league club’s advance scouting and statistical analysis efforts, for the purpose of presenting information to players and coaches." Pete Abraham‏ @PeteAbe Former Sox advance scout Steve Langone will now "travel with the major league team and work closely with Vazquez and advance scouting assistant J.T. Watkins." Pete Abraham @PeteAbe In short: #RedSox are beefing up their advance staff and more closely aligning the analytics dept. with the MLB coaches.

Dana LaVangie will be promoted to pitching coach: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/red-sox-name-dana-lavangie-pitching-coach.html

JBJ could do far worse than to have Cameron's career.

I like Santana, too, but to me the QO makes him less attractive when there are other viable options available. I'd be extremely surprised if Devers is moved off third base next year, so I can't see us seriously pursuing Moustakas.

It's not hard to see someone from the 1B/DH crowd ending up undervalued...wouldn't mind seeing us grab a Duda or Morrison if the price was right, in conjunction with signing Martinez. Avoid the QO guys, particularly Hosmer.

That 2006 team dealt with a ton of injuries, too, IIRC...Manny and Papi both missed time down the stretch, and good god, look at some of the names who started for us that year...

Obviously nothing compares to the experience of winning a championship, but with the postseason being a "crapshoot," as is so often said, consistently putting yourself in contention is the way to maximize your chances. The 2013 team was a one-and-done group that dispersed the next year, sandwiched between losing seasons...that doesn't make that season any less incredible and magical, but I also don't think it excuses all of the other missteps of the Cherington era. Ben always talked about wanting to build a consistent winner, but he didn't quite get to that point...Dave took what Ben left him and added to it to build a club that, though flawed, has won two division titles and, with some further moves this winter, should be right there again for the next couple of years at a minimum. Obviously the long-term ramifications are impossible to know right now and will be debated for a long time, but if the goal is a championship in the here and now, I think it would be tough to ask for much more than what Dombrowski has done.

I hate trading top talent for 2 month rentals. DD has avoided that, thankfully. Agreed...all of his big acquisitions have been guys who can help us for multiple seasons, which I appreciate. Doing something like trading a Gleyber Torres plus others for 2-3 months of Aroldis Chapman would kind of make me sick.

Very intriguing.

Interesting that he could see a Bradley or Bogaerts dealt this winter and a free agent signed in their place. Also, he does not expect the Marlins to get much for Stanton without eating salary.

Yeah, can't say I blame them a bit, sadly. Also, Cora is going to be awesome.

Beware that if you gaze too long into a cliff, the cliff also gazes into you.

I thought this piece did a good job of summarizing the incompetence of the Diamondbacks front office under LaRussa, which is a valid reason to be wary of him having anything to do with the Red Sox. Of course, I don't think that means he has nothing to add, either...as I said, it all comes down to how he is used. I rather doubt Dombrowski would have been so dead set on hiring Cora only to tie one hand behind his back from the start by placing him under LaRussa's thumb, and if LaRussa has any input on front office decisions, he should be just one voice out of many...so I'm trying to go 'glass half full' on this one.

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/what-if-more-teams-follow-the-astros-extreme-roadmap/

There's already a lot of early buzz connecting Hosmer to the Red Sox... https://www.fanragsports.com/heyman-red-sox-expected-to-target-eric-hosmer-this-winter/

I agree...and this feels particularly important in a year when two other playoff clubs ended up firing their managers as well. Not that DD could have known that, but nailing down the hottest name on the managerial market before the Nats and Yanks had even started looking was big.

Hard to say without knowing how much power he'll have. If he's really just there for Cora to bounce ideas off of when needed (for which he also has a former manager and mentor/friend as his bench coach) and so DD can have a buddy on the payroll, then I don't see it as a big deal. If it's much more than that, then ehhh....

Not to get too far afield, but I do think it could have been executed better. Miller/Rodriguez was the only real veteran-for-prospect deal we made. The Lackey trade was and remains horrible; Lester to the A's was not as bad, but it, and the Cards deal, were clearly based on the organization's (unrealistic, as it turned out) belief that they would be able to contend in 2015. We'd have been better off getting the best prospects we could for both of those guys and for any other veterans with value (Uehara comes to mind). I felt coming into 2015 that we were probably still at least a year away from being true contenders, and all we got out of denying that fact and insisting on trying to "compete every year" was an 84-loss season and residual contracts like Porcello (2 mediocre years out of 3 so far), Hanley (ditto), and Sandoval that are hampering our payroll and roster flexibility now that we are in a position to compete.

If we were ever in a position that called for a complete rebuild, I would hope the front office would recognize it and act accordingly. Luckily we haven't had to face a situation like that, though I think we'd be in a bit better position today if we'd gone for more of a rebuild-on-the-fly approach (the way the Yankees just did) in 2014-15.