Nick

This goes back to what Moon and I think is needed. You build the staff from top down. Find someone at #1 and the entire staff benefits by dropping down one spot. Now it's still possible and hopefully that role will be filled by Chris Sale at some point. If not 2021, then in 2022 when he's been 'out' for almost two years. Give Yankees credit, they have that pitcher in G Cole. They also have two additional starters that will eventually come off the IL. Sox needs to give Whitlock and Houck every opportunity to become a starter in 2022. With our current financial situation, we probably need to retain E Rod and go with this starting rotation. Yes, we need 6. Sale Eovaldi E Rod Pivetta Houck Whitlock I'm pretty sure someone will be hurt from time to time. AND HOPE THAT WHITLOCK WILL OUTPERFORM EXPECTATIONS. E Rod will be another year away from 2020, Whitlock, Houck and Pivetta all should be improving.

See below....he could have said "Yeah, we're struggling a bit"....he made himself look stupid. Don't give me crap about well what's he going to say? You don't say no I'm not concerned.

Pérez posted a 4.77 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and .298 batting average against in 22 starts this season. He posted a 7.13 ERA and .363 batting average against in his past 11 starts. “The stuff is a lot better than the results,” Cora said. yeah sure it is....I thought when he was going good, his results were lot better than his stuff...

Chris Sale likely to return to Boston Red Sox after rehab start for Worcester on Saturday; ‘It feels like it’s the last one’ Nah, let's have him make couple more starts to make sure he's okay.

I saw what you did...

But it's apparently there..... So if we had Betts, we'd be at $240M and still no pitching..... He would have helped us....but still no pitching....

Having two dead contracts really hamstrung Bloom at trade deadline. $16M for Price and $13M for Pedroia. We could have absorbed the entire contracts for better return. He simply had no money to work.

With that you prove my point......sometimes it's better to trade a black chip for two red chips.....not too many "can't miss prospects". Let's examine Devers. Is he a once in a lifetime type player? Would you pay him $30M for 12 years before his free agency? Or is it better to trade him for two established young major leaguer? A starting pitcher and a position player not yet in arbitration?

1 prospect each team should call up per mlb.com Red Sox: Triston Casas, 1B (No. 1/MLB No. 29) Casas is starring at the Olympics right now, homering three times in five games as Team USA has advanced to the gold-medal game. The Red Sox traded for Kyle Schwarber to try to address their deficiencies at first base, but he never has played the position while Casas is an accomplished defender there. The 2018 first-rounder from a Florida high school is a slugger with a polished approach, and he has batted .271/.354/.424 with six homers in 46 Double-A games at age 21. Why the hell not.....we're rebuilding...Santana, Marwin, Dalbec....they've set low standards

Yeah but they owned the umpires in the coliseum.

Not here to bash Bloom but He's not had to sign expensive free agents with the Rays organization. That's not his experience and maybe not in his wheelhouse. He's made good trades to upgrade our team, such as bringing over Pivetta. It remains to be seen what his ceiling will be. He's definite upgrade over what we had in 2020. Picking up Whitlock on Rule 5 on mere thousands was also a great pickup. But lets examine potentially having to pay Richards $10M if his option is not picked up in 2021. That amount would represent the highest payroll on Rays team. I doubt that's a move he'd been allowed to make in the Rays organization. Only saving grace is it was only for a year. As Sox fans we're conditioned to think nothing of pissing away few million here and few million there. But that attitude is exactly what got us to where we are luxury payroll tax wise. Then all the sudden the Boss says NO. I'm not sure how long this 'rebuild' is going to take. As we wait on younger players to develop, our established players are getting older, possibly opting out, or require bigger contracts which will keep the team toeing the luxury tax line. I just don't want to give Bloom a pass for pissing away $10M on a player that maybe DFA'd.

On Thursday, starter Martín Pérez lasted just 1 ⅓ innings before Cora turned to the bullpen and recently acquired relievers Hansel Robles and Austin Davis combined to give up five runs on eight hits. The Sox committed just one error but were sloppy defensively while going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base. Nice pick ups by the way.......

Boston Red Sox blown out by Tigers, 8-1, for 6th loss in 7 games; Martín Pérez lasts just 1 ⅓ innings as ERA rises to 4.77 If Cora is not worried, neither am I. Hey lets waste another 80 pitches from Chris in a meaningless minor league game. What does he accomplish? We don't need a super star Chris Sale. Are we afraid he'll get hurt if we rush him? Is his chance of getting hurt in a major league game greater than his chance of getting hurt in a minor league game? If you limit his pitch count to say 60, what does it hurt? Martin Perez is not setting a high bar here lately. At some point, Cora and Bloom will be a joke and they're getting there.

Can you tell me what positions I'm way off on? I had a talented sophomore one year with tons of potential. But as looked at other players in our competitive area, my player ranked close to the bottom. Now the player turned out to be D1 player eventually but my assumption was correct. We had too much to overcome at an important position manned by a sophomore. Again, tell me where I'm off? You talk about Sale and E Rod. But can't the Yankees make the same argument?

Whatever the sport, I look for team's best lineup and see if the team can match other teams. Right Now (just my perception, mind you) C Vaz.......C- 1B F 2B Kike B SS Xandr A 3B Devers A LF Verdugo C+ CF Duran D (small sample size) RF Renfroe B- DH JD A- We don't even have to discuss starting pitching. This team is not capable of winning the World Series. I'll take any bets.

Duran takes third strike.....runner on third with one out Are they dumb?

Hunter is team controlled for two more years via arbitration.

I can't wait for Schwarber to take over 1B.

Dalbec pinch hits and strikes out....so much for that lefty righty stuff....

Runner on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Renfroe strikes out. We're not very good.

99 pitches....5 innings......he should be done for the evening. I do remember Cora getting on E Rod in 2019 about him not challenging the hitters

Tanner pitched 5, 6 and 6 innings in his 3 starts in 2020. Where in the HELL are you guys coming up with the thought that he's a 4 inning pitcher? Quit being freaking lazy. Why don't you look at some facts?

When did it become ok to hit below .250? Did I sleep through this?

It's always good to hear from you. You're spot on....but on the lighter side, I'm chuckling and thinking..."thank you, Mr. Obvious"...I like having you here on our board....

Everything I was wrong on... 1 Kike and leading off....not a problem. I now get upset when he's not leading off 2 Matt Barnes as closer...I always thought he was a wuss, mentally too soft, walked way too many hitters 3 Richards..I thought he was a bargain at $10M, only question was his health 4 Dalbec..left alone at 1B and batting 9th, he'd be a 'surprise'. Hitting 25 homers and solid at the plate. Only thing I was right on 1. Whitlock, Whitlock, Whitlock..during spring training Cora was very high on him. He just has that mental toughness, especially with men of base.