Jack Flap

The real problem, IMO, is not that Dombrowski traded so many prospects...almost all of his moves directly contributed to three straight division titles and a championship, and although I didn't love some of them at the time they were made, I see no point in going back and continuing to second-guess them now given the end result. The problem is that we have traded and graduated a lot of impressive prospects in recent years but have struggled to replace them in kind. Even with the many trades, I have a hard time believing that the system's rankings would have cratered overnight the way they did if the player development pipeline was flowing as it should. Some of that is due to changes in the draft and international rules, and some of it amounts to just striking out on evaluating/developing talent. I certainly don't place all of the blame for that on Dave (our well-known failure to develop starting pitching, for instance, stretches back into the late Theo period), but if I was John Henry and wanted to know what has gone wrong in recent years and what could be done better to set the organization up for sustainable long-term success, this is where I would want to start my inquiry.

If JDM leaves, could we see a situation where Devers and Dalbec split playing time at 3B/DH between them (thus buying some time for the organization to determine who it likes better long-term at third and/or what sort of position changes might be called for in the future)? Dalbec should hardly be untouchable if the right deal materializes, but given that he's a possible minimum-wage contributor on a club trying to reset the tax, I wouldn't do it lightly, either.

Wow, the Braves are crapping the bed in Game 5...down 10-0 halfway through the 1st.

I do like the Buxton idea (if MIN would even be interested in moving him)... Chavis, Sam Travis, Brett Netzer, and Cole Brannen gets it done according to that trade values site, which wouldn't happen in real life, but if i did , I would drive all involved to Minnesota myself...

Unless you 1) are getting a younger/more controllable/cheaper SP in return or 2) plan on punting 2020-21 and rebuilding (which I think we all know is not going to happen, nor should it at this point), I don't see the case for trading E-Rod. He's someone we'd be trying to trade for if he was on another club.

I hope and believe that the reason they didn't fire Cora is because they still like him and think he's right for the job. One bad, underperforming year shouldn't necessarily mean you fire everyone and blow up what seemed to be working extremely well as little as a year ago. (I didn't think DD deserved to be fired for this year, either, FWIW, though if it was more over philosophical differences and ownership not seeing him as the right guy for the future, then I can understand it.)

https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2019/10/boston-red-sox-coaching-changes-dana-levangie-out-as-pitching-coach-brian-bannister-reassigned-in-staff-shakeup.html LeVangie will remain in the organization in a pro scouting position. Brian Bannister is also out as assistant pitching coach, though he will remain in his role of VP of Pitching Development.

Interestingly, after serving as GM of the Rays, Andrew Friedman went to the big-budget Dodgers and has excelled there as well. Friedman has yet to sign a new contract with the Dodgers for 2020, and his name has come up as a potential candidate for the open Red Sox job -- as has current Rays senior VP Chaim Bloom.

It occurred to me the other day that we will finish this decade (2010-2019) having made the playoffs in only 4 of 10 seasons... in the era of 2 wild card spots to boot. Granted, two of those years resulted in championships, so it's still hard to complain too much, but I'd love to see us get out of the recent pattern of boom-and-bust cycles and build a consistent, sustainable winner once again. There's a lot of work to do to get to that point, so hopefully our new GM/POBO arrives ready to work on day one and with a few tricks up his (or her) sleeves...

Yeah, they'll never come out and call it a "mandate," but from Henry's comments, it sounded pretty f***ing close. Trading Mookie Betts in a deal that isn't a clear win in baseball terms would probably be the last avenue I'd take to get under the limit, but I suppose it could indeed come to that. Maybe we'll trade Betts to the Phillies and add (via FA) Cole Hamels, as it was foretold long ago...

All I can say is that posters who think not caring about the payroll and luxury tax limitations is some kind of badge of honor, and belittle others for doing so, must find the last few years and the present situation awfully confusing, given the extent to which those things have demonstrably impacted and steered the team's behavior. As for Betts, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around a possible trade. Given that we're trying to contend in 2020 (as we should be), to justify weakening the roster by removing its best player should require an overwhelming offer -- multiple controllable, impact major leaguers and/or can't-miss prospects -- and I have a hard time seeing any team giving that up for a rental, no matter how great he is. I doubt there are many teams out there who will need Betts next year more than the Red Sox, and short of a Godfather trade offer, I'll be happy taking the 7-10 WAR* in 2020 and the comp pick if things don't work out the following winter. The ideal scenario, though, would be Mookie never putting on another uniform, which will continue to be my hope until the moment he's gone. *Whenever someone says "We can't lose him for nothing!" I feel like they need to be reminded that Betts' likely 2020 production belongs in the conversation, and will be worth more than most prospects we could possibly acquire will ever be (and I love prospects!)..

How about Roose Bolton?

Great post, Danny C, and I couldn't agree more.

That's an interesting way of looking at it...you don't suppose that perhaps they weren't interested in trading him for a rental?

Exactly. None of those reports explicitly linked us to Bumgarner or Stroman...it seems far more likely our scouts were there to watch these teams' relievers.

I agree. Eck probably should have answered with a simple "No comment - that's in the past, has been dealt with," etc...but that doesn't excuse Price's ranting, over-the-top response, including the inaccurate claims about Eckersley's teammates and the TV special. That is what ensured this story will keep on being talked about for another few news cycles, far more than Eck's quote.

What type of prospects do you expect to get for the rental pitcher with a 5.33 ERA and a $20+ million salary?

Not to go out on too much of a limb here, but I think you may be onto something.

My heart just sunk when I got the alert on my phone about this last night...Big Papi has provided far too many moments of joy and inspiration, on and off the baseball field, to even begin to count. So glad to hear he's going to be okay, and I hope he's able to make a full and complete recovery. Hopefully the lowlife POS responsible gets what's coming to him.

Fire Alex Coma now! Only one ring ceremony in the last three weeks...pathetic.

He apparently tried to work out a deal with the Red Sox in spring training, even expressing a willingness to take a "discount" (quotes due to his performance since then) in order to do so, but the team couldn't make it work financially. https://weei.radio.com/blogs/rob-bradford/how-rick-porcello-tried-get-extension-done-red-sox With the Sale and Bogaerts extensions, and any future contract for Betts, taking priority, it sure seems like Porcello will be the odd man out.

Things are obviously going to improve (unless anyone really believes this is a true-talent 7.00+ ERA rotation)... how much of that improvement will be directly attributable to Leon will be up for debate.

Swihart has had all of six starts behind the plate -- hardly enough time for the team to learn anything about him that they didn't know or shouldn't have known in spring training. I'd have understood if he was DFA'd three weeks ago, but to seemingly commit to giving him a chance (risking the loss of the great Sandy via a waiver claim in the process), only to cut him loose so quickly, just reeks of panic and overreaction. I have no doubt that Leon will be good for the pitching staff (most of whom are due for some serious regression to the mean anyway), but at the same time, if we are to believe that this seasoned and extremely talented major league rotation completely lost its ability to pitch effectively due to his absence (the thesis of "Leongate," as I understand it), then that is a disturbing thought in and of itself, and one that doesn't reflect well on them or on the coaching staff...

Apparently it's Erasmo Ramirez: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/04/red-sox-select-contract-of-erasmo-ramirez.html

So I guess Swihart is the scapegoat for the starters not being prepared for the start of the season...okay, then.