Nick

tTe truth teller! I always appreciate your medical input. I'm just enjoying watching Bloom put a contender together. Franchise built for sustaining playoff worthy teams year end year out. I'm willing to give him until 2022 to see significant improvements. Sale comes back when he comes back. I like what the Dodgers are doing except for losing its final game every year. And finally, we've done pretty well since 2004, no? (not directed at you Jackson....)

I know this sounds strange but it's out of respect for JBJ. I don't want him on the cheap....that will destroy his pride.....he can probably get more elsewhere....it's just best to part company

Bigger point is I rather have anyone other and JBJ in CF for Sox in 2021. Pedey is history. I predict Beni will never recover from whatever that ills him. Quit living in the past and move on. You have to decide who gets salvaged from the team going over the cliff.....I don't believe JBJ should be one of them. I'm happy his $11M is out of our luxury tax component.

this is the problem with Sox and I doubt the new GM will follow suit....just move on....his prolonged slumps are horrendous....his best days playing defense is long gone move on.....I rather see Duran get the playing time than someone like JBJ....

I like that approach....

That's the best short synopsis for this off season Moon.

Yep...maybe Cora didn't cheat with the Sox but his fingerprints were all over Houston cheating scandal. Clean slate is clean slate.

Perfect summation.....I enjoy your posts. As a Sox fan pressure is all on Yankees. Getting to the World Series means nothing to the Yankees from my perspective. They have to win it all. Otherwise, the world series count is 4-1 in favor of the Sox in Henry era. Having the third worst record in a 60 game season is something I can tolerate. I'm anxious to see what Bloom will do with the high draft pick. Now if the Yankees win it all, yeah it'll sting a bit.

Yes you are....

Are we all not saying the same thing? Screw the job titles. DD became head of day to day baseball operations, the job Ben had. I don't blame Ben for leaving. My only point was I tend to think Henry is a good owner and I'll live with his decision making when it comes to hiring of his direct report. I'm assuming head of baseball operations has to answer to the ownership group.

But the point was DD became head of baseball operations, supplanting Cherington. Cherington was going to be DD's errand boy.

3 last places in 4 years. Henry signed off on DD hire. He's the best owner we've had. I trust his judgement.

Good question. I'd like for Bloom to have flexibility in coming years and not become bloated with long term contracts that go south. It's unfortunate but we can get a quality major league player with Dustin's $13M contract. Bloom has to stay away from non performing contracts. Not sure how you do that.

Per MassLive...Exciting Stuff Red Sox rumors: Boston could sign ‘a couple of free agent pitchers’ this winter; Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker among top options (report) The Red Sox “have the money to sign a couple of free-agent pitchers” this winter, according to Peter Gammons of The Athletic. Gammons also notes that top pitching prospect Bryan Mata could make the major-league rotation by June. Boston’s rotation is in a little bit of flux heading into 2021, as lefties Chris Sale (Tommy John surgery) and Eduardo Rodriguez (heart ailment caused by COVID-19) might not be ready for Opening Day. Righty Nathan Eovaldi and lefty Martin Perez are expected to be back, and righties Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta have each impressed in their first outings with the club. Though the club’s internal options do have promise, it’s likely chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom looks to add proven arms via free agency or trade before Opening Day. Earlier this month, Bloom said the club would be aggressive in its search for pitching. “I think we have to be,” Bloom said on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show.. “I don’t say that to disrespect anybody that we have, but clearly, you look at the results and you look at how it has gone, and it’s not something you can have if you expect to have a winning season. There’s no question. I don’t think I’m breaking news by saying that.” On the free-agent market, there is one clear high-end option -- Reds righty Trevor Bauer -- followed by a list of arms that are less attractive for various reasons. Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker, Masahiro Tanaka, Mike Minor, Robbie Ray, Jake Odorizzi, James Paxton and Cole Hamels will all be available, but virtually all of them dealt with injuries or struggles in 2020. According to Gammons, the Red Sox have high hopes for Mata, who has impressed club decision-makers with a strong summer at the alternate training site in Pawtucket. “Their best pitching prospect, 21-year old Bryan Mata, was consistently 97-99 mph in Pawtucket, and if he continues to improve his command, might be in the rotation by June,” Gammons wrote. “In addition, coming off Tommy John surgery, one of the most impressive pitchers in their alternate site was another former first-rounder, Jason Groome, whose velocity crept back into the mid-90s with his Max Fried-esque curveball and athletic delivery, and who is now a mid-2022 hope with a high ceiling.” Related links: Boston Red Sox will be aggressive in search for pitching this winter, Chaim Bloom says: ‘I don’t think I’m breaking news by saying that Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck showing early signs that Boston Red Sox rotation could bounce back quickly in 2021

Good stuff Moon... I think the day is here that no starting pitcher should complain to the team about having plethora of starting pitchers... Can you imagine Eovaldi complaining "hey want to be traded to a team that has less starting pitchers". Sox..."Shut the f*** up. It's because of guys like you that we have to carry 7 starters. We're paying you $17M to be the insurance policy. And why do you care? We're prolonging your career." Don't worry, I'm not giving up my day job for writing novels.

Bloom will be freakin' trading genius.

I think we need to separate Sale's contract with the White Sox that Sox assumed and the new one he just signed. Signing both Pablito and HRam was unnecessary. One was okay but not both. I think all of us knew that back years of Price contract was in jeopardy from get go. He got massive amount of money for projected 4 years of production spread over 7 years. I thought Eovaldi's contract was reasonable, assuming he stayed healthy. Bad assumption I guess. Not knowing anything about pitching, I wonder why it's so difficult for starters to pitch 200 innings.

More likely that Sox had many top prospects that didn't pan out. Our 7th pick, Trey Ball for example. You need a major league player when drafting that high. Let's see how Bloom does with next year's 1st round pick. I like the guy. Kimmi, will he be another Theo?

I'm good with 3 first place finishes and a World Championship on the heels of 3 out of 4 last place finishes. Name names...what superstars did he trade away?

At the right price....not worth $10M/year on this team...

This is absolutely correct. Moon thinks Madison Bumgarner saved the team 100 innings worth of worn arms. Well I disagree. What happened was Bumgarner took away opportunity from another player posting a positive WAR for those 100 innings.

I agree on small sample size....but better than getting hammered or walking every other batter as some of our past 'top prospects' have done. And doing it against Yankees is very nice.

Bloom is high on Nick Pivetta...delaying his major league debut pushed back his FA to 2025. He’s a big, physical, power pitcher,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Aug. 21. “He’s got a really good fastball. Good breaking ball. He also has a changeup. A guy that’s shown the ability to carry a starter’s workload. And a lot of the underlying traits there have shown the potential for a lot more success than he’s enjoyed in terms of his results. Again, power pitcher that we think should be capable of holding down a rotation spot. Really feel like he’s a good fit going forward and that we’ve got a chance to help him reach a level he has not yet in his career despite his big stuff.” It appears he trades away guys with limited upside for younger guys with more upside than shown. A good trader.

Why waste an expensive acquisition's first year deal on a mediocre team? Do you have someone in mind that you want to give a 5-7 deal to at the end of this year? Name a free agent that will get us over the hump? Just curious Moon.

2021 is not the year a big deal would put us over the top. Our current team has gaping holes not dissimilar to swiss cheese.