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This one could go any of 1,000 directions. But I’ll get the ball rolling with Greg Harris, who was a 33yo scrap heap pitcher for the Sox who pitched in 83 games, including 51 starts, over his best two year stretch with Boston. Tom Bolton was another name that crossed my mind right away, too...

This is a tough call for me. Eovaldi would be more important going forward, but expecting 150-200IP from a guy whose thrown about 230 IP combined in the past 3 seasons does seem a little hopeful. Kimbrel seems like he’d be more important in 2019, but this rotation could have issues in 2020 and beyond once Sale and Porcello depart. Having (potentially) the most expensive closer in MLB history will cut into the Sox ability to fill those rotation spots while also retaining Bogaerts and/or Martinez...

Noe Ramirez was a Sox draft pick who worked his way up through the system and Aro was an international free agent who did the same thing. You’re against that type of player? Heck even Machi and Mujica were both outstanding relievers before coming to Boston. Brasier is exactly the type of player you’re calling out. A career minor leaguer who crapped out of the Angels’ system and wound up in Japan because no one wanted him. But he had the type of radar gun readings DD likes, so that “ham and egger” got a shot and it worked out. It does happen sometimes. One has to wonder what issues he had that no one wanted him before. Since he still had a 98mph fastball at age 31, I’d guess he had some control problems at some point. One can only hope they don’t resurface...

The Yankees should only consider trading for Bumgarner if the Giants are willing to also include a time machine that can go back to at least 2016. ...

I like the idea of bringing Pomeranz back and spending bigger money on the bullpen. My only gripe with Pomeranz is the Sox rotaoisnpretty lefty-heavy to begin with, but that should not be a dealbreaker. Of course, Pomeranz might prefer an NL tea with a big ballpark to increase his numbers and get a bigger deal. If he does, adios Drew...

So no more Ryan Brasier types?

Well, the “not paying” part is really our interpretation of how this off-season is going to go. It doesn’t look like Henry is going to have an unlimited budget and it does look like Dombrowski is going to prioritize Eovaldi. I’ve always figured Eovaldi was Plan A and Kimbrel is Plan B, but it doesn’t look like both plans can happen simultaneously for purely financial reasons. That said, if we’re going to determine the cost of not having a closer, these rudimentary small sample size postseason-only techniques shouldn’t be how a closer gets evaluated. Per your argument, Familia can come into a game with the tying run in scoring position and no one out, induce 3 infield grounders that allow the run to score, and receive a label of not getting the job done. But Kimbrel can come in with a 2 run lead, walk the bases loaded, and escape because Andrew Benintendi made a catch he had no business making, and Kimbrel is clearly the guy. After all, he got the job done. If the Sox do sign a closer, there are numerous free agents available with experience, not just Kimbrel. Familia is one of the better ones and his 9ph fastball is certainly a trait Dombrowski has historically coveted in any pitcher (like Eovaldi and Brasier, for example). But the failures of his defense and manager back in 2015 don’t make him a “discount closer” destined to fail in the postseason...

Based on what? Our minor league starters that are likely to make appearances in 2019 include no ranked prospects (which other teams will have) and no one in the top ten of the Sox own farm system, which has been universally rated as one of the worst systems in the game today. The rotation in Pawtucket figures to have two 30+ yo career minor leaguers and very, very little MLB experience, let alone success...

It’s not a slavish devotion to Jamesian philosophy as much as it is a strong belief that Henry isn’t going to ignore economic realities, which he has shown in the very recent past he does not like to do. Not to mention the revised history that the Sox have ever gone into a season thinking “any schmuck can close” and been proven wrong. (The 2003 closer-by-committee experiment actually provided good results in ninth inning situations with only 3 lost leads in the ninth in a 54 game stretch, resulting in 2 losses). Bringing Kimbrel back is extremely likely to put a hole in the rotation, one only you think can be filled by Brian Johnson. The Sox seem to be prioritizing the rotation, and specifically Eovaldi. This very likely means they don’t want to pay Kimbrel...

3 blown saves and as you said, he was hurt by his defense. And in another of those blown saves, he faced 3 hitters and induced 3 groundouts. Is that blown save really his fault?

So his 0.600 WHIP and 1 ER in the World Series 4 years ago is a disqualifier?

Kela is a more likely option than LeClerc, since he is already making arbitration money and therefore more likely to be moved for less. Jimenez, Steckenrider and Garnett are all pre-arb and might not be as easy to acquire...

I don’t have much confidence Johnson is with the Sox in 2019. He’s cheap and comtrollable, but those seem to be his primary skills. And while being left-handed is sometimes a sought-after commodity, he’s on the one team that doesn’t need LHSP. His value in the bullpen is also mitigated because he isn’t a prototypical side-arming LOOGY who specializes is getting out left-handed hitters and the league-wide strategy of deploying the shift has mitigated the need for that type of specialist. His roster spot is probably more needed to replace some of the 125 IP the Sox have lost from the bullpen. And while the Sox need starter depth (like every team), they need it to come from AAA where it doesn’t create other voids. Johnson does have some trade value, largely due to his low salary and MLB experience. A team like Seattle that’s shedding payroll might be willing to take him on as part of a trade. I could see the Sox dealing Johnson and either Chavis or Dalbec for Colome to help fill the void left by Kimbrel and Kelly. LeClerc is Texas is another candidate...

Johnson was out of options last year too...

The Sox do need depth starters, but it’s not the same when you pull them out of the bullpen...

I don’t think either one is a huge loss. I could see either in a trade here...

There are numerous free agent closers available and DD will look at all of them plus other opportunities...

Something along those lines. I do figure if the Sox trade any prospect this off-season, Dalbec has to be the front runner. With Devers in MLB, he’s expendable. The same can be said for Chavis, but I’m hoping the Sox can hold some MiLB talent...

I don’t think Seattle is looking for a volume of optionless players with fringe MLB talent. Colome is very likely on the Sox radar to acquire and the Mariners’ radar to move, so a match is possible. But at some point, they need at the very least, a supplemental building block or a reasonable prospect. Maybe they like Johnson. Maybe they even like Swihart. But I think the Sox need to add something longer term than Hembree. Houck? Sharwyn? Ockimey? Or maybe they just trade Dalbec straight up for him...

Devers and Benintendi are under control anyway. The Sox will have to make decisions on Bogaerts, Sale, Porcello, and Martinez at season’s end to see whose back...

Or first. The Betts-Benintendi 1-2 punch did lead to a World Series title...

Which means I becomes a question of performance vs safety. Porcello is only 3 months older than Sale but has proven much more durable. Sale is far and away better, but has shown an element of risk in a long term deal.

The PED thing is so overblown. In many cases, it wasn’t even against the rules. It does really need to be ignored for a lot of these players...

Actually the Yankees appear to be unwilling to do “whatever it takes.” If they were to do whatever it takes - like Dombrowski does - that farm system would be a lot emptier and that rotation and bullpen a lot more full. Cashman might try to go all in, but sometimes he has Cherington’s Disease and doesn’t want to part with prospects. It may or may not work out in the long run for NY, but it is tougher to compete with Boston in 2019 if he sticks to this half-measures approach...

Rumor has it DD is leaning that way...