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THe funny thing is, Lackey is remembered as a good signing by a lot of people despite his horrific first two seasons followed by a missed third season. He did bounce back, but it's not like his trade netted that much - Joe Kelly and what was left of Allen Craig. But his bounceback season netted a ring. Consequently, JD Drew gave the Sox two good seasons on a five year deal, just like Lackey, but was never appreciated at all, despite playing for the same number of title teams. But Drew gt his ring in the first season and then nothing for the next 4. I guess it's also in the timing. Julio Lugo also won a ring here, but no one thinks he was a good signing...

Would you trade Gleyber Torres for him?

I applied through Indeed.com...

My grandmother would be a perennial 40 HR hitter in Yankee Stadium. Of course I mean my maternal grandmother, as she was a left-handed pull hitter with line drive power. My grandmother on my dad’s side was just an old lady with no real hitting skills at all, but did have lots of doiles and hard candy and a vicious 12-6 curve ball...

Guilty as charged...

Hopefully if they do trade Betts, they reset and sign him back after 2020. They will be in a good position to do so given their past spending limits and available budget. But if I were to guess, they won’t move Betts until they have to. Not really sure what one season if Betts brings back, but it’s tough to imagine getting a frontline starter for him in a two team trade, simply because, with one year left, any team acquiring him is looking to contend immediately and therefore won’t give up a frontline starter. A team like Atlanta might deal a good prospect or two for one season and make a solid run at 2020. But I think Atlanta will be more interested in Barnes...

Certainly possible, although a lot of ballots do come with the name “Mike Trout” pre-checked. But is Devers even the top candidate on the Red Sox?

I wouldn’t call it an opinion so much as a theory. Not an unsupported one, but nothing that can’t be proven right or wrong for a few months...

Johnson might be back, but it doesn’t make me happy...

Not unless he takes a pay cut or money gets freed up another way...

“Didn’t hurt us today” isn’t really a selling point. The Sox don’t have a lot of talented young, cheap pitchers. But they do have a lot of flexible fringey pitchers they can mix and match on the roster. They have lots of flexibility due to the options still remaining on Poyner, Lakins, Shawaryn, Reyes, etc. If these pitchers are effective, they can go to Pawtucket. The one guy they’re stuck with is Johnson. His lack of options could be a handicap...

Using figures from here https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/payroll/2020/

If Mookie gets $25mill, which is likely, that leaves $32mill for Bradley, Barnes, Hembree, Wright, Workman, Benintendi, ERod and Leon. That total of $57mill isn't just for the raise; it is for the whole salary. Bradley would command the biggest chunk, from $10-12mill. Benintendi and ERod probably looking at a combined $13-15mill. That leaves $5-9mill for Barnes and Workman and maybe Hembree. I suspect Wright and Leon will get non-tendered. If Barnes and Workman get even a paltry total of $4mill combined, that leaves $1-5mill for new acquisitions (and Hembree). Still want a new closer? Or another fifth starter? This is why I suspect Bradley and Hembree to get non-tendered, and Barnes to get traded...

Actually it appears the big change he made was going from an open stance to a very closed one...

The funny thing is, if Aquino can keep up that pace for the rest of this year, he would hit 40 home runs in 55 games. That's almost 120 over a full season....

You can put one of those model rocket engines inside it and make it even more fun to watch...

Well, the Sox have been giving Johnson a small chance, but he has done absolutely nothing to pique anyone's interest. I suspect he is DFA material this offseason...

If you like UZR, Billy Hamilton will certainly be available and no one wants to pay him anything close to that value. Or the Braves might be willing (reportedly they are) to move on from Ender Inciarte, who is owed $16.4mill over the last 2 years (with an option) of a contract with a $6.1mill AAV. Inciarte might be a good "buy low" candidate. Also, Lagares UZR is pretty bad this year, but it is typically very good...

Thinking this is just sarcasm...

Yeah but that depends on what is available. Can we agree there is certainly a possibility of Bradley being non-tendered, independent of whether or not welike his defensive play? If so, the Sox might get a cheaper defense-oriented CF. Juan Lagares is the example I use the most because in no way are the Mets going to pick up his option. So we know he will be available. But there will be others, as well. Cameron Maybin is another, for example. IMO, these might be the two best defenders on the market, and neither is likely to get $10-12 mil. Even getting half of that would be the upper end of their offers. Or maybe the sox realy make a shift. Move Betts to CF and get a cheaper RF. Kole Calhoun is one option who might be had for less. But that's a tough call. Calhoun has some impressive skills, but seems to have fallen off the last couple seasons for some reason. Or they might decide to deal for an outfielder using someone like Barnes as trade bait, thus avoiding Barnes' arbitration. It's not like DD likes paying relievers...

DD has a on and off love affair with defense. This is a man who once moved Miguel Cabrera back to 3B to accomodate Victor Martinez at DH despite the fact that Martinez was already ruled out for the season. And he tried to trade Bradley last off-season for reasons related to the payroll. Not to mention, the Sox do already have an elite defensive CF on the roster. They could easily move Mookie back to CF. But the bottom line is, I doubt DD thinks Bradley is a worthwhile investment at $10-12mill given the likely budget limitations. If the goal is to reset, keeping Bradley is near impossible unless something unforeseen happens, like JD opting out or Betts being traded. We all like his defense, but the time may have come where he is a luxury the Sox simply might not be able to afford...

Some rumors have the plan going below the first line. Per sportrac, that would give the Sox less than $57mill for arbitration/raises and free agents. Mookie Betts will take a very big chunk of that if he is not traded. They do get more if JD Martinez opts out, but why would he?

Inside Edge corroborates with UZR. They’re essentially the same defensively...

Actually I assume the front office has had this discussion already...

It’s not a lie. It’s that he changed his mind. Now he might be changing to a stupid idea. But that’s not the same as lying...