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If Mookie had a $40mill AAV, it would be $79mill. It all depends on the stating point (and how much is actually over)...

For maybe 3 starts? The Sox already have Sale and Eovaldi as question marks. In 6 seasons, Taijuan Walker has started more than 5 games 3 times.

No truer words have ever been typed on this forum...

It really depends on what the ranking is based on. Is it likelihood of making the Majors? Is it likelihood of contributing in the Majors?

Not sure why everyone thinks this is the end of JBJ. I still think Pillar is the new Jonny Gomes/Chris Young type player, assuming he ever actually signs...

But the point isn't whether or not Mookie will be worth it. He won't. Not for the duration. The point is the Sox do apparently have some sort of budget and because of alot of mistakes in the recent past, getting Mookie into it right now is not possible. If Mookie signed for $35million, and the Sox still had Price, his entire contract falls into the 95% tax rate, meaning the Red Sox are paying $68.3million for Betts, not $35million. (I expect some sort of correction on my numbers from Bellhorn.) Is $68.3 million the market value for Betts? When will it be? Next year, with no penalty, the Sox can at least go over again with a much lower tax rate on his deal...

The problem is the new media model. WAy back when, newspapers fact checked and double checked stories before going to print, which happened at the same time everyday. Now in this era of 24 hour news channels and internet news sights and opinionated bloggers, being "fast and first" and getting the most clicks takes priority over accuracy. After all, the more clicks, the more advertising revenue. And news needs to be released as it happens when it happens. The fact-checked corrections can come out later, in what I call the Microsoft Model, named after the way Microsoft intentionally releases faulty software in order to meet their scheduled date, and then just creates "patches" to fix the product later. The danger in this new Microsoft Model is that in between the original story and the fact-checked version, there are far too many hits on the stories, and far too many eyes that have already been on too many internet discussions and rumors and forums and overall circulation, etc. And not everyone reads or believes the corrections in the wake of all the original versions proliferating around them. It's in this gray area between original version and fact-checked version that a lot of conspiracy theorists live...

It is a longshot, but it is still a shot. There was just too much of a mess made by Dombrowski...

Wong is below Chatham? That doesn't bode well. Chatham is likely a utility infielder at best. That's not necessarily a bad thing; it means he might actually make the majors. But I had higher hopes for Wong's actual hitting. I know there are issues regarding where he can actually play, however...

As I am not allowed into that room anymore (long story), I can't say the Red Sox did not make such a counteroffer...

Or, f the Sox had extended him, then the Red Sox would be criticized for extending Mookie and watching him turn into Pedroia 2.0...

Also applies if he got hurt...

Except that the lowballing of Lester was criminally below market. I don't think offering Mookie the $200 mill and $300mill offers fall into the same category.

I can see that choice, but if are looking for the most recent, Yaz and Conigliaro came along later. I think Bagwell is the most recent Hall of Famer to come up through the system...

OK now you got me...

So you think Song is high at 4, but you're ok with Plawecki at 3?

I'm less high on Duran than most, but he's a decent prospect, closer to MLB, and plays a position the Sox have some depth at. Jimenez also works for me, but he is further rom MLB. What curret MLB talent do you view as tradable for cont controlled starters? Maybe Barnes? I'd do that. He has the talent to be a high leverage reliever, but I do not like his stamina issue in that he cannot be used on consecutive days. (And that is why I would consider him the best option if the Sox employed the opener strategy.) Anyone else in mind?

... which might mean Mookie was not budging. This is a two-sided operation. It's possible the Sox were not as wrong as you think here...

I don't think Yaz is necessarily wrong there. I missed his early career, but the guy was amazing. Also, we all might be sleeping on Tony Conigliaro as the right name to drop in as Betts being the "best player developed by the Sox since..." qualifier...

Not what I asked. But it also worth noting, on that list, only Rice played his entire career in Boston...

Is anyone positive they did not try? No one thought they tried to extend Ellsbury, either. But once Jacoby signed in NY, Pete Abe was all over correcting that misconception...

On another thread, he was the "best positional player since Williams." Either the he's worse or the goalposts are moving. Also, the Sox farm system has produced a few Hall of Famers since Yastrzemski (Fisk, Rice, Boggs, Bagwell, for example). Betts has HOF potential, but he is not there yet, and if his career ended tomorrow, would be be inducted?

Does Groome even pitch in the minors? Sightings of him on the mound are less frequent that Bigfoot sightings in the Pacific Northwest. I think the Sox best trade bait is Downs, Dalbec and Duran. And if they plan to use Dalbec in the majors at 1B this year, that means Downs and Duran are the guys. But for who? The Sox will likely have to deal a minor leaguer to get a cost controlled pitcher (or Chavis, which also works for me), but how many prospects and for whom?

I wanted that, too. But they started this process when they signed Price to that unreasonable deal that a lot of people loved...

I'd rather he just got a starting pitcher than try to impress me with his diverse multitasking skillset...