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Scratch this. The OP included both Leon and Vazquez, screwing up my count. Will the Sox have a 7 man bullpen or eight? If only 7, then three more bench players are needed, since one of Leon or Vazquez has to be considered a starter...

I think Holt's versatility is overrated. He isn't much of an infielder and while he is better in the OF, keeping Davis negates that need. I'd keep Davis and Young and let Nunez handle backup infield. Young has struggled against LHP this year, but does have a solid career hitting them and is an experienced post-season player....

If the Sox have two more bench players, what reliever isn't on the post-season roster? Or is Fister the odd man out?

Agreed, I think. If Pomeranz becomes a key figure in some Sox teams, doesn't that alone make the trade worthwhile? Even if Espinoza wins 3 Cy Young's in SD, I can't look back at this deal and decide Pomeranz wasn't worth it and want to give back any pennants or titles. The fact is, highly regarded or not, Espinoza was always a longshot to live up to his potential, like all A-ball prospects are. The biggest question mark in this deal to me was Pomeranz, and so far his addition has been extremely positive...

Or - radical thought here - it's no so reachable if Hanley gets hurt, which isn't some sort of far-reaching prediction. Heck, he's probably hurt right now...

Not broken. Don't fix it. With Price questionable going forward and looking more likely to be an albatross than an ace, and Porcello being a complete variable, do you think a pitching staff lead by Drew Pomeranz is going to get it done? Especially with Stanton's questionable injury history? We'd be more likely to have neither Sale nor Stanton far too often. But on the bright side, think about the draft picks!!

I didn't like this trade when the Sox made it, especially for a very high profile prospect. But even at the steep price, Pomeranz has absolutely been worth it. I was wrong...

I don't think it's etched in stone that Devers isn't moving. In fact, they'd be foolish not to consider the option...

Not to mention, Porcello's first year was not part of the extension. He was a very rare case of a player getting overpaid and then actually earning his money. ..

LOL Leave it to the Yankee fan to redefine currency based on his own team. Prospects are at about their lowest value in 30 years. Sorry you guys hoarded them too late. But on the bright side, if they weren't so cheap, you wouldn't have been able to rebuild your farm by dealing two relievers....

Interestingly, most sites do, even though he wasn't with the team. I guess because he was technically the manager. The Sox record under Farrell that year was 50-64, but he did so with Bradley not hitting like the monster he was under Lovullo. Not sure if Lovullo's impact on Brdley is actually quantifiable. Of course, the entire point was that Farrell - and only Farrell - is credited with a last place finish, which I think is an oversimplification of that team. I don't think he's much of a manager, but I do think he isn't going anywhere soon and he's better than many Sox fans give him credit for. and as we have learned in the past, it's usually easier to get a worse manager than a better one. For some reason, there were fans calling for Francona's head every year. I'd think his replacement should have taught us all a lesson about being careful what you wish for. Really, since we all watch more Sox games than any other team, it is easier to spot Farrell's mistakes and his total becomes much larger. But there are plenty of worse managers out there holding MLB jobs...

While true, a bigger factor in that hot streak under Lovullo might have been the emergence of Jackie Bradley as a legitimate offensive player. And what a crazy emergence it was...

But look at what might have been if we didn't win in 2004. No more Pedro. No more Nomar. No more Varitek. All were possible. The farm had some talent, but not much above A-ball except maybe Hanley and Brandon Moss. The 86 year draught looked more prime to continue than end. And continue for a while. But as I said, a lot can happen...

And his helmet. He did everything short of changing his shoes and sweater a la Mr. Rogers...

But then his last place teams did include a 78-84 record, which is rarely a last place record. He has one fewer than 78 games one time in Boston and currently has a .532 winning percentage. Bruce Bochy is never a manager anyone thinks is in danger, yet after this season he won't be able to make either of those claims...

Then it vindicates your position...

I'm not so sure they track it live...

It gives a probability for each play affecting the outcome of the game. http://www.fangraphs.com/library/misc/wpa/

True. Although thanks to his OCD, he made his at-bats so long it was easy to forget when he only saw one pitch...

In fact, addressing the cliffs seems to have been an issue with Sox fans. Back in 2009, Epstein talked about the farm system having a "bridge year". And many fans decided foolishly he was talking about the MLB team and how he wasn't going to try and spend heavily on a premium product. This despite making John Lackey the then-highest paid pitcher in team history. But a lot of people, most of whom seemed to post on BDC, thought he was throwing away the season when he was addressing a minor league cliff....

And they will have one next year or the year after. Cliffs come and go. Before 2004, the following Sox players were due for free agency: Pedro, Lowe, Varitek, Nixon, and Nomar (who was dealt, but his replacement, Orlando Cabrera, was also a pending free agent). That's 3 key starters and two of their top starting pitchers. and I think there were some other names that elude me right now. (And Tim Wakefield, who was on that annual auto-renewal plan.) The farm system was pretty bland, as we had not replenished it with the awesome 2005 draft yet. (We did have Pedroia and Lester, both in A ball, as well as a few other less notable future major leaguers.) Yet by 2007, three years later, there they were. Back on top. A lot can happen in 3 years,,,

B-R tracks all of that in their box scores as WPa (Win Probability Added)...

Conversely, Mike Greenwell rarely saw a first pitch he didn't like, regardless of the type. Ditto Jody Reed. Of course, Reed was nowhere near the hitter Greenwell was...

But sometimes the baserunning blunders are acceptable, especially the ones that are from aggressiveness for a team lacking punch. Moreland getting thrown out at third (despite it being the first out) didn't look like a blunder to me. If Moreland draws that throw like he did, it guarantees Betts scores, which is important in the 14th inning. I know the speedy Betts likely beats it anyway, but a non-throw eliminates any sort of freak miscues like Betts stumbling. In that situation, the single run was more important than worrying about a big inning. At least at the time.

You lost heart one inning after a 3-run ninth? I know a lot of people have complained about the Sox offense this year, but this team has been about as deadly against closers as any Sox team in a long time....