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I believe the hitting coach you are referring to was the one with access to the replay room...

Strong disagree. Ilitchwas spending like mad to get a title and Dombrowski had an open checkbook. Did you realize 37yo Miguel Cabrera is still owed $92 million over the next 3 years?!?! Who the f*** pays a 40yo DH $30mill per?!?!? Betts will have a tremendous career, but Henry has spending limits. Some fans just don’t want to acknowledge this and think he “prints money.” Others, whose names rhyme with Flea Peach Dead, think he should stop spending on his soccer team and trophy wife and spend those dollars on the Red Sox. But the fact remains, no matter what he spends on anything else, only so much is earmarked for the Red Sox. He cut spending Cherington’s first year, too. Trading a superstar rarely yields equal return, and the only time I can think of it happening was when the Guardians traded Bartolo Colon. (The Mariners trade of Mark Langston would rank if anyone ever thought Langston was a superstar.). But since Dombrowski spent his allowance, it always looked like retaining Betts was going to be difficult if not impossible. And Verdugo will never be Betts, but he certainly could be an All Star someday. (And I think the same about Graterol, which is why it bugs me.)

And that was exactly the point the Dombrowski Bashers predicted. I was right off the bat angry about the Kimbrel trade and the Price contract for this exact reason. And the Eovaldi contract, too...

Right. Let’s dump Alex Verdugo so we can pave the way for Cole Sturgeon!!

Since going 0 for the first 3 games, Chavis has hit .351 and slugged .649. No walks, however...

They definitely had sustained contention. They also had should-be-Hall-of-Famer Andruw Jones in CF....

And Gio Urshela is Lou Gehrig against the Sox. (And Lou Merloni against the rest of MLB.)

Agreed. It was certainly mishandled up front...

Be fair. Pillar is facing actual MLB pitchers! Put him up against this Sox staff, and he might turn into Willie Mays Jr...

The only reason to bench Moreland is to showcase Chavis. Moreland has a $3mill team option, so is very likely to be manning first in Boston in 2021, assuming there is a season...

Hopefully we get Sale and ERod back. That would bolster the rotation big time...

Remember a few years ago when the Red Sox sent a lineup of patient hitters up to the plate and took lots of pitches and every wanted them to be more aggressive?

I would have trade him. TRying to sign him was a failure, and inking him to the Dodger contract would have had massive implications down the road that I could ignore as a fan (for now, anyway), but not as a GM/owner. But I would not have rejected the Graterol deal, as we need the arms...

I don't think the players mind that part so much. They still get paid. The fans and the General Managers might have issue with it...

Weber is looking like a potential long man/mop up guy. So we do have THAT role filled going forward...

Not a chance, as there will be no ticket sales...

I think if they take back a bad (but not so bad) contract, like Kingery, the bullpen-deficient Phillies might be willing to listen on a Major League arm that has untapped potential but is simply not working out, like Nick Pivetta or Vince Velasquez. FWIW, a trade of Workman for Kingery and Pivetta on the infamous baseballtradevalues.com simulator is acceptable, and a trade of Workman for Kingery and Velasquez is a minor overpay. A trade of Barnes and Workman for Kingery, Pivetta, and Velasquez is acceptable...

So what should the Sox focus on at the trade deadline? Starting pitching is good. Although of Sale and ERod are back next year (a big if), it might not be their weakness. And it’s not like anyone will surrender an elite pitching prospect this year. Bullpen looks pathetic going forward. 2b is a mess of utility players. CF should be open, too. And Duran is unlikely to step in and fill that gap in 2021. Thoughts?

I’ve heard multiple times that players view free agency as something they have “worked for their entire lives.”

Because no one else will give him more? Like I said, a very similar player in Kevin Pillar only got about 1/2 of what Bradley is making. After this season, it actually is extremely likely Bradley will be looking at a much much lower salary. It's not like he is going to struggle to put food on the table. He'll still be a very wealthy man (and living a dream for most of us). But he will certainly be a wealthy man making less money in 2021 in whatever city, which could be Boston. But probably not...

JBJ at $11mill or Pillar at $4mill? Which one gives you a better shot at Trevor Bauer?

I think JBJ is likely gone after this year. Unless he is willing to take a paycut

You can’t say the Sox don’t spend. They have the third highest payroll in MLB...

The Sox would definitely be more entertaining with Betts. They’d still suck, however, because you need a few Mookie Betts’s to overcome this pitching staff...

It only works out like this if you have to rely on them for starters...