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In the last two off-seasons, he’s really only added JD Martinez. Now JD was a huge and excellent addition, but not enough to be the only add in two off-seasons combined...

His 7.00 ERA isn’t supported well by his 4.22 FIP. And most of the damage has only come in a small number of outings for him. But most important - he’s already here and they don’t have to give up anything to give him a try. And that is VERY important since Dombrowski doesn’t appear to want to add anyone to this bullpen from the outside. So we keep seeing Josh Smith/Josh Taylor/Ryan Weber/Marcus Walden types out there in key situations in the middle innings. How many more times should that happen? Is that the preferred solution - to keep floating in the sinking ship with the only course of action being to hope it stops sinking?

Tampa’s bullpen is doing just fine without a designated closer. The Mets have the best closer from last season, and picked up 2 other pitchers with closing experience, and are doing worse than the Sox. The problem isn’t having a designated closer and a bunch of other pitchers with defined roles. Cora could easily establish roles and this bullpen would still suck. The primary issue is - they don’t have good pitchers in the bullpen. Dombrowski made mistakes thinking 30 IP from Brasier over the last 5 seasons was adequate sample size to show what he was. And thinking he could replace 120 IP from Kimbrel and Kelly with Marcus Walden and Colten Brewer. A committee doesn’t mean ANYONE should be in the bullpen and handle closing roles. It just means you don’t trot some Craig Kimbrel type out there in the 9th to face the bottom of the order when you have a 2 or 3 run lead. You still need good pitchers and not a slew of career career minor leaguers coupled with some optimism and wishful thinking. And if you do have the latter, at some point, you need to be ready and willing to make changes and not obstinately trot out the same 7 pitchers hoping today will be different...

While I think you’re 100% correct, the problem, both these pitchers started getting injured 3 years ago. It’s not like their injuries snuck up on Dombrowski this season. At least I hope not. He’s had warning. I honestly don’t think I have EVER seen a Sox GM this inactive during the first half. I am probably forgetting someone, but as far as I can recall, his entire list of acquisitions in the first half this year (not counting the draft) is Cody Asche, Joey Curletta, and Chris Owings. None of whom are pitchers...

They very, very likely won’t trade Betts. And usually trading a superstar nets lesser players. But this year isn’t promising and Betts has repeatedly refused extensions. So all the Sox lose is 2020. And there are packages other teams might offer that make it worthwhile. If the Dodgers offered Urias and Verdugo, do you pass?

You do realize Trout’s contract topped $400mill, right?

Harper and Machado are $300mill players regardless of whether you agree or not. All Betts needs is one GM to think he is, as well...

I’m fine with it being a popularity contest now that it doesn’t mean anything anymore...

The Yankees didn’t have large payrolls for the bulk of those 27 titles. In fact, if you read “Summer of ‘49”, you’d know the Yankees in that timeframe were severely underpaid and had to win titles to make any money. And that was the driving force that made them better than their Boston contemporaries. You’d also know former Sox pitcher Ellis Kinder was a massive lush who could only pitch effectively when he had a massive hangover. Not really relevant, but fascinating, and also something else you’d know if you read the book...

The underperforming lineup scored 21 runs in the past two days against a first place team...

Yes moving to another division would keep them out of the AL West cellar...

All of whom have better bullpens...

It might be too early to give up, but that decision has to be made within the next 2-3 weeks. So far, Dombrowski’s involvement and apparent interest in the club this season isn’t inspiring me to think he’s going to try to improve anything...

The bullpen has gone from Barely Tolerable to Completely Unacceptable rather quickly. I don’t think the solution is to keep working them harder...

The Sox should look into trading Betts next month to see what he is worth to other teams. They can always give him his $300mill or whatever after 2020...

Walden, like Brasier, is a career minor leaguer DD has somehow become enchanted with. Shawaryn may or may not be a major leaguer. Brewer is actually pitching a lot better lately and therefore Cora has lost faith in him...

There are two possibilities for his inactivity on this bullpen. 1. He is extraordinarily busy with non-baseball matters and has not been able to follow the team. 2. He actually passed away during the off-season and the Sox are keeping it quiet. I don’t want to believe it’s because he’s extremely stubborn or extremely stupid or extremely lazy. But those could be the case. I just don’t want to believe it...

Either try Mejia in MLB or release him. Otherwise, what good is DD’s big off-season bullpen addition doing?

It was a good signing, but Bogaerts is having a better year and was a great extension, yet no one is putting him in the discussion for MVP. Anyway, the LeMahieu discussion for MVP begins and ends with the phrase “Not Trout.” But that wasn’t my point. My point was DD ignored the bullpen and did an incomplete job with a lot of depth on the pitching staff, and somehow you’re thinking he missed on LeMahieu because Pedroia was uncertain? Given the lack of all around depth on this team - Sam Freakin’ Travis is starting in LF today, FYI,l - singling out the infield as the miss is nothing but hindsight. Dombrowski also missed out on Derek Dietrich, who is having a better year and fit everyone’s budget and plays even more positions (although not as well) was a much bigger miss...

The real problem with that criticism is it lumps all Sox administration into one big pile and faults the current ones for the mistakes of their predecessors. Might as well mention the Bagwell trade while we’re at it...

And their vaunted bullpen is a bunch of pitchers in their 30’s...

Although the chips the Brewers gave up to get Yelich have largely been flops. Yelich has been outstanding, but he’d be a slightly lesser player at Fenway than in that shoebox in Milwaukee...

1. Sandoval was awful in Boston, but his career was clearly not over. 2. Hanley reportedly all but begged the Sox to sign him. I don’t fault them there. 3. He says that about every Sox player. But it’s not like he examined Pedroia and it’s certainly not like no player has ever come back from that injury. (Justin Turner did, for example.) 4. Don’t get me started.

The question will remain - what would it take to change from buyer to seller? The division is further and further away. The WC is getting more crowded. And if you’re realistic about it, you can’t wait until July 31 to decide, since trades are very complex and lawyers have to review contracts, etc. The Sox probably have 2 weeks to make a decision if they’re going to stay in it or just sell off some parts and try to reload...

It’s amazing how many people in hindsight wish we had Le Mahieu. The Sox didn’t have any bliss anywhere’s in the infield this off-season. Pedroia was still in play and the Sox had Nunez and Holt. Considering how many voids the Sox actually had where Dombrowski did nothing, why are we suddenly complaining about a void he didn’t have where he did nothing?