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So what is the new pitching trend to minimize Launch Ball? Maybe that is where they need to focus. Find pitchers who work well up in the zone like Jon Lester and Matt Cain used to...

Possible he offered him a demotion to just being the GM, too, with a new President above him, and DD refused...

But responsibilities can be divided up accordingly. The Sox could have simply made Dombrowski the GM and brought in a new president above him. And maybe they presented him that offer and he refused, in which case I am wrong. Last time, it was Lucchino who was fired and Dombrowski offered to keep Cherington, although we don't know what responsibilities he was going to leave him with. (But we do suspect he was going to limit him.)

Hey if they could extend him to some cheaper contract, I'd be all for it. I just don't see it happening..

The real problem with the Sox minor league system is the lack of really cool team names. The Sox have 6 minor league affiliates, and 3 of them are called the Red Sox. How imaginative! Whose the farm system director - George Foreman? And two of the other 3 are the Drive and the Spinners. Ok a little more creative, but no "Wow" factor. The closest thing the Sox have to a fun minor league name is the Sea Dogs. Meanwhile, other teams have the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and the Lansing Lugnuts and the Akron Rubberducks. Why don't the Sox have a team name like any of the following: Mongtgomery Biscuits Batavia Muckdogs Vermont Lake Monsters Kannapolis Intimidators Savannah Sand Gnats Omaha Storm Chasers Quad City River Bandits New Orleans Zephyrs Chattanooga Lookouts I get some of these have local flavor in their team name. But can't some local flavor or legend about Greenville, Lowell, Salem and Pawtucket to give them better names? I'll allow the Sea Dogs. I mean, Pawtucket is the home of Hasbro, and nothing? Red Sox? C'mon!! There are some serious possibilities with Hasbro products alone!! Pawtucket Action Figures Pawtucket Lite-Brites Pawtucket Board Games Pawtucket Batteries (Batteries Not Included) Pawtucket Hungry Hungry Hippos Heck, just the Pawtucket Toys works for me here. Thoughts?

Well, power is clearly back. So add to the list. I hate listing alone...

Then why not just leave him as President and hire a GM to take the next step forward?

The biggest loss was trading Gleyber Torres for a rental closer. Soler has been good at the plate, but his 116 OPS+ in KC is barely an improvement over his farm system replacement Kyle Schwarber (114). And while Soler might be the better defensive outfielder, it's not like KC is giving him a chance to show it in the 50 games per year he is playing out there. They'll miss Eloy Jimenez, but outfield in Chicago is actually an area of depth. They sent Ian Happ to the minors this year because he had nowhere to play in the majors...

But you have to remember that 2013 team wasn't even the highest payroll in the AL East, as the Yankees were still higher and significantly so. So deriding them for overspending actually still applies..

I think he unloaded too much in the title run, but a Cubs title run on its own is an epic accomplishment, and he is still worshipped out here...

I know. I also know it is not going to be my job to find his replacement. I'm just a guy predicting the Sox can't afford to offer him arbitration...

Reportedly the Mets have wanted to get rid of him for years...

Lagares only played 600 innings in CF last year. Remember that whole "WAR people never site innings or games" rant of yours? You just did it. Broxton isn't a free agent, but he has been released twice in the past season. Despite harmony's insistence he is in Seattle's future plans, I think he realizes they are far more likely to use Jake Fraley in CF and non-tender Broxton. He'll be available. No one is picking up Hamilton's option. Maybin - playing time issue. 322 innings in CF. You did it twice in one post. Like Lagares, throughout his career, Maybin has put up good defensive numbers. The big problem with Maybin, and the thing that will keep anyone from giving him a multiyear deal is his questionable health history. And any team that does give him a multiyear deal won't give him an expensive one. If he gets more than 2 years $8mill (total), I'll be surprised. And there are lots of others, some might need to be acquired via trade. Roman Quinn in Philly has no place to play. The Cubs have an overload of outfielders in MLB, although not great defensive ones. And for all the complaining about Benintendi's defense in CF, it wouldn't surprise me is the Sox moved him over and acquired a LF anyway. I wouldn't do that because you probably wind up with an offensive gamble in LF, which is less likely to pay off than just getting a weak-hitting CF who can field. The Sox had centerfielders for decades before Bradley. They'll find another one...

We're doing what we can

I think the Sox can get an extremely good defensive CF like Keon Broxton for pennies. He won't hit much, but he has shown the occasional hot streak. Bat him ninth. I would guess Juan Lagares would be in the $3-5million range in FA. Hamilton might be less. Cameron Maybin signed a minor league deal this past offseason...

Only need one of them...

We need a guy who can build the farm while fielding a competitive team. The one guy who has shown he can do that is Theo Epstein...

Two guys. I don't think anyone wants the dual role of President/GM on this team right now...

While there are plenty of big deals the Sox would like to unload, in many cases, it’s going to be just too difficult. Really the only movable ones are Bogaerts and Betts. If the two, Mookie is probably more likely. But I expect Sale, Price and Eovaldi back next year even if they look to move them. Although we did learn from Robinson Cano that no contract is immovable. It’s just a matter of finding that one stupid or desperate GM. Now I have expected a reset all along, largely to get into the lower tax bracket when Mookie is re-signed. Still possible, even if they deal him. But I do think the Devers-Bogaerts-Benintendi core to remain intact along with Vazquez. Just not sure if Betts will stay in the picture for 2020. Right now the Sox are operating with a 3-headed monster at GM. A big jump from technically having no GM. One of the internal guys might get the GM role, but a lot of that depends on if they keep the same internal structure or if the new President of Operations decides to NOT also handle GM duties. And I suspect he won’t, because that positions him to fire a GM (as opposed to taking the fall himself) if 2020 is equally disappointing...

Think Juan Lagares will cost less in free agency than Bradley will in arbitration? What about Cameron Maybin? Billy Hamilton? Jarrod Dyson? Peter Bourjos? Austin Jackson? These are just free agent options. There may be others available via trade. If the goal is solely to save money (for a luxury tax penalty reset?), the Sox might wind up with a lesser all-around player in CF, but some of those players are still good defenders. Or are we going to continue to pretend we live in a world where JBJ is the only player in MLB history who could play defense in CF?

Actually as it took until mid-September, I was thinking maybe I don’t have enough weight...

1. Validates Shauhnessy? 2 months ago? Don’t you read my stuff? (Although interestingly enough, I did get mention in this thread prior to Shaughnessy, as it should be.) 2. It could mean the end of Betts. But it’s not a guarantee...

You do burn up a month of control, but September call ups don’t count as option years...

The pinstripes can be rejuvenating. The dye is laced with stanislozol...

Centeno is a 31yo journeyman who might not even be in the organization next year. Anfd I think DHern is probably already being used in his best role. I hope he isn’t starting next year. Too wild. I also think Travis is being used in his best role - weak side platoon. Ockimey, Chatham and Dalbec could all get a look, but bear in mind - and this applies mostly to Dalbec - if the view is any or all of these players are trade bait, the exposure can work against Boston. And with Dalbec, who gets significant value from 3b defense, playing him at 1b kills any chance he can redeem whatever value he potentially loses if he struggles and has way too many strikeouts...