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But really, free agency was something the players fought for. Not the owners, not theGMs, not the fans. It’s not their for our benefit or the Sox benefit. And I’m really not sure any GM or owner in the league would call the Sox tightwads right now seeing as to how their payroll is close to a quarter billion dollars. At some point, like any economic bubble, that situation will burst...

Actually I bet if you asked any GM or owner about free agency, they’d tell you how dumb it is. Even I have noticed that nearly every contract given out to a star player ends badly for the team. Certainly they have noticed it as well. Hundreds of millions spent to get one or two seasons from a player and then watch as his deadweight slows everything down. Teams don’t avoid spending because they can’t afford it; they avoid because they don’t want that situation. These deadweight contracts are impossible to move, cannot be cut, and the only way to remain competitive is sometimes to just keep spending heavily in an endless cycle. Free agency in baseball is often involves paying a player in his 30s for what he did in his20s . Teams do it because there is a lot of positive PR in telling your fan base “money will not be an obstacle to winning.” Fans love to hear that. The problem is, those players all age past their salary. And then the fans scream “So what? Go spend more!!” I mean think about it. The Sox have a payroll north of$240million. And you’ve made about a dozen posts saying “I expect them to spend EVEN MORE!! Because they have to to win!!” The problem with the bullpen isn’t that the Sox aren’t spending; it’s that they may have already spent their limit...

I’m so sorry to hear you were not alive from 1992 through 1994 aka The Butch Hobson Era. (Actually it’s understandable if you just repressed the memory of those years like most of us did.) The Rays could have won 100 games and still come in third in the AL East last year. Third place in the AL East is not necessarily a shameful finish right now, despite how disappointing it might be.

Sale could be dealt, but I’m trying to also maximize my chances of repeating

Financially and for the sake of 2020 and beyond, trading Bogaerts makes the most sense. From the perspective of putting the best team on the field in 2019, however, keeping Bogaerts makes the most sense...

Not sure. Will Betts be worth his? One way or another, the Sox are going to learn the value and cost of a $300mill contract. Also, ignoring personalities, if you had $300 mill to spend in one 10 year contract, would you prefer Machado from ages 26-35 or Betts from ages 28-37?

I don’t think the Sox can or will afford Kimbrel, Britton, Robertson or Ottavino, barring some sort of money-clearing deal. But I also don’t think the “status quo” is going to happen. Also, don’t confuse “going cheap” with “ignoring,” which you keep doing. If DD can pull off a trade for someone like Jeffress or Will Smith or Mychael Givens, that would be immense for this team...

They’re also not played by general managers. And really, did anyone expect the 2012 and 2014 teams to do so poorly? The Sox were very good in 2014 and for most of 2011...

Nice save. No one is buying you think of dropping down to second place team as a “cliff”....

I actually don’t even agree with his point. As unlikeable as Machado might be, he is an amazing ball player. And Harper is, too, and I don’t even see the aloof cockiness too many talk about with him...

While I agree about cost-controlled players, if any of this happens, DD really needs to be fired. Hopefully the plan is not to replace Chris Sale with Tanner Houck or Mike Sharwyn. Hopefully the plan is not to replace triple crown candidate JD Martinez with Steve Pearce and Mike Chavis. Hopefully the replacement for Bogaerts isn’t Lin. (Maybe the Sox can handle Chatham in the role.) I expect a player or two to take bigger roles just based on salary. But if any or all these happen, that’s just some combination of sheer laziness and ignorance on the part of DD...

Maybe you should counter with “It’s the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Greatness!!”

1. To delay free agency and control the player for an additional year or two. 2. The way arb deals are going, buying them out seems to make a lot of financial sense...

Look at it this way. Either there is a budget limit or there isn’t. If there is no budget limit, the bullpen solution is easy. It’s not like every agent for every elite closer isn’t going to contact DD just to see if he can make a better offer. No closers sign anywhere until DD has a chance! When you are a large budget team, you get that sort of help. But if there is a limit, the solution goes to the other extreme and gets much more difficult. If it’s in the $5-7mill range, even the harshest market drop won’t bring Kimbrel/ Robertson/etc. down to that range. The Sox will have to sign for a pitcher who takes less money (Shawn Kelley?) and/or trade for a closer. Trade bait includes Chavis, Dalbec, Darwinzon Hernandez, and maybe Brock Holt. Pick and choose from that list...

Does that mean it’s still open?

Absolutely true. But no one seems to be contesting the notion that Dombrowski has a budget limit. I hadn’t even seen that article when we were posting about this topic yesterday....

You’re a math teacher. You know “subtraction” doesn’t mean status quo. The phrase “addition by subtraction” typically refers to getting rid of s cancerous or awful player. Carl Everett was a good example. Ditto Pablo Sandoval...

Right. You actually said earlier on this thread you were starting to worry. I suggested several closers who might be available in a trade - one of whom was an All Star last season - and naturally you decided to compare those options to a fictional pitcher who aged out of independent leagues. And now you think Ottavino - who combines high salary with a lack of closing AND has a spotty career track record (and a TJ to boot!) is the logical solution. Got it...

Sing it to Dombrowski. Pete Abe write today about how not only did DD leave no room in his budget for a bullpen, this apparently isn’t the first time he’s done so...

K Exactly. Pearce was only signed for one year at bench money. He’s not really an impediment to signing a 4 year $60mill closer. They’re bringing in a pitcher or two. I just think it won’t be Robertson/Ottavino/Britton. I think they sign someone like Shawn Kelley or Brach and trade for another using Chavis/Dalbec (plus?)...

It is the first step. Figure in the payroll situation, the listening to offers etc. The Plan doesn’t appear to be “All in for 2019 and let 2020 fall where it may!!” And going heavy on the closer really could disagree with a long term plan here...

Typically “addition by subtraction” refers to getting better by letting a player go. Hence the “subtraction” part...

Dombrowski’s decision to wait out the closer market.

Yes among other things...

I don’t see the harm either. But last we heard it’s not in the budget. Couple things - who cares if they were secondary options? Did they work out as closers? Also, as for the small window - it is Dombrowski’s job to keep that window open for as long as possible. Unlike a lot of people on this board, he might not be thinking “let’s go all in for 2019 and figure out 2020 when it gets here!!” As much as I think most fans overhype the closer, at the very least they usually do sign short term contracts. I’d love for the Sox to bring in both Ottavino and Britton. (On those projected 3 year deals? Sign me up!) I just don’t see it happening. And while it’s possible that it might still happen, is it looking likely? And does it really make sense for this team? I will say, a lot of fans seem to want to live in a world where Henry buys their worries away and it’s sacririgious to suggest otherwise. And I also don’t see it as the end of the window....