Nick

Do you at least agree that our position players are set? Only position we don't control is DH but either way it's replaceable, probably at cheaper cost.

I agree with you. I don't see a major overhaul. We made progress this year. As long as we're improving, there's no point in starting over. Technically, we have all the positions players coming back. We can throw in Houck and Whitlock to the rotation mix. We just need to add depth and quality to the pen, either internally or via free agency.

It's going to be a fun series. We'll find out how good this team really is against the best team in AL.

JD apparently turned his ankle stepping on the 2B bag on his way out to Right Field. Can we just settle the debate and tell him that he's a DH, not an outfielder? A guy can miss the foul line going out and coming in but not miss the bag? I can see it now with a walk off homer while blood seeping through his socks.

Good thing we have Barnes for another 2 years......he's back to being a wuss....first few months were the aberration. Not sure I see any value in Santana but I do like the name Santana. I just like to say it. S A N T A N A. I trust Cora.

I believe Bloom's approach will continue. Incrementally improve the overall health of our organization. Acquiring Pivetta via trade and Whitlock via Rule 5 approach will be the rule going forward. And develop the FARM. I'm just pointing out that signing a major free agent deal will hinder extending someone like Devers. I'm not advocating trading Devers. Discussion is about Moon saying we'll sign a big money FA. I want to know who and how long and at what price. I'm a former CPA. I like rolling 5 year budgets, not just 2022. You know what I mean? (obviously WE ALL KNOW that Price $ comes off, JD $ comes off, possibly Xander $ comes off, Kike $ comes off, Eovaldi $ comes off, all after 2022...that's total of $82.5M.....so Moon's plan maybe workable)

If I'm a betting man, I'd go along with your line of thinking. He maybe the type that will always look to see how much value he can add to the organization for $30M with multiple signings instead of paying one player that amount. Why spend $300M on a pitcher when Whitlock maybe that pitcher who is already on the roster and is under team control for 5 more years? Houck pitched a perfect 5 inning game his last time out. He also threw a third pitch consistently during that outing. I think he's also too young to be 'banished' to the pen. Isn't the goal to develop starting pitching? Whitlock and Houck appear to be far ahead of others when it comes to being a starter. That was always the plan with Whitlock wasn't it? I'm in the fantasy baseball mode as with many of you. Henry didn't hire Bloom to play fantasy baseball.

We need to take one from the Rays and get back to Boston.

We could just go with starting rotation of Sale, Eovaldi, Pivetta, Houck and Whitlock. No new big contracts. That's what the Rays would do. Just work on rebuilding the bullpen. Where would we be without Schwarber? I'd sign him knowing JD is out after this year or next.

Do we extend him this winter?

The Red Sox are officially the Yankees’ daddy The Yankees con is finally up: Sherman Red Sox pitcher goes back to tormenting Yankees The demoralized Yankees fan’s guide to October The many tough decisions Yankees are facing in crucial offseason Just as Jacksonianmarch loves to visit us when the Yankees are winning, I love reading NY Post after Yankees lose to Sox. Sweet.

I realize we all have valid points about the Sox. But I always want to hear what Bloom and Cora are saying. One thing about this management group is they are very patient with a player. They do their homework. They won't throw away their original evaluation after few weeks. Kike I think is the best example. I was his biggest basher. Now I'm a fan. His versatility really fits well with Cora's coaching style. Guys like to play for Cora and that maybe his best quality as the manager. It's been a fun year. Best of all, WE GOT SEE MANY PLAYERS IN OUR ORGANIZATION WHILE GETTING TO THE DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS. It wasn't always pretty, but we got to see little glimpse of future Sox organization.

The harder choice is someone like Devers. TB would be thinking of trading him, now, before his arb payments get to high and knowing they cannot afford him. This is where the Sox can diverge from the "Rays Plan" and splurge on certain players like him. Bloom will continue to develop our farm system. That way we can indeed splurge from time to time on a player such as Devers. We'll have cheaper alternatives at several positions.

I'll say it again, 1 game playoff after 162 games is just brutal.

How ironic to watch Whitlock shut the door on the Yankees......

BOSTON — In Gerrit Cole’s biggest moment yet as a Yankee, he didn’t make it out of the third inning. The $324 million right-hander got shelled for two home runs and walked two batters in two-plus innings on Tuesday night against the Red Sox in the American League wild-card game at Fenway Park. I love New York Post.....real reporting right there....

7 more years @ $36M per year for Cole.....today he lasted 2 IP. Sucks to be Yankees.

He used to be closer in 2019/18 I believe.

It seems cruel to play 162 games then this.....Enormous amount of pressure on the Dodgers tomorrow night.

I see every trade from perspective of Rays now......we piss away tons of money. Value, value, value......limit the downside...

I liked the Eovaldi extension from perspective of Porcello had only one year remaining on his contract. If I'm GM, I don't want multiple player contracts expiring at the same time, especially those playing similar positions, starting pitching and outfielders come to mind. I'm not sure how much more discount we would have received had extension occurred later in the year for Chris Sale. At this point with Sale back, I don't think we should extend Eovaldi. Everyone is pretty replaceable. Not sure how many more wins we would have had with Betts vs Renfroe, as an example. Renfroe's payroll was 1/10th of Betts. I'm sure we got more than 10% of what Betts produced in 2021 from Renfroe.

10) Red Sox Major League ranks: 9th in ERA+ (111), 12th in K/BB (2.80), 15th in ERA (4.26), 23rd in WHIP (1.38) Bottom line: Boston was extremely careful and extremely patient with staff ace Chris Sale in his return from Tommy John surgery, and that approach has paid enormous dividends down the stretch. Sale has largely looked like his old self since his August return, though he was surprisingly ineffective in trying to shut down the Nationals on the final day of the season. He pairs with Nathan Eovaldi to form a terrific, playoff-tested tandem at the top of the rotation. but with effective rookie Tanner Houck moved to the bullpen to manage his innings, the rotation does have question marks from there. The bullpen is operating without set roles, as Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino have both seen their effectiveness wane in the second half. Rubber meets the road moment. Our pitching staff is not stellar in this group. We finished 4th in runs scored and 3rd in OPS in AL. Offense is not a problem Pitching has to get better. We'll have Sale for the entire year. Eovaldi is back. Piveta is adequate 4/5 pitcher. Houck showed his value with 5 innings of perfect game last time out. Whitlock should be stretched out. Work must be done for bullpen.....Taylor, Darwinzon, Sawamura, Barnes, Brasier, Robles. Need major upgrade here.

He got the win by giving up runs so offense can bail him out and the he got the win. This is why a win for a reliever is not very good indicator of how he pitched. Say you give a grand slam in a bottom of an inning to let the other team tie it. Then your offense scores runs at the top. You get the win.

Price and JD money should allow Sox to extend Devers and sign a DH.