Nick

$16M and $9M are very reasonable Moon. I'm talking about signing guys for $25M+; that I'm not in favor.

If Eovaldi is having a good year, we trade him next year. Keep churning Bloom until the deck is full. Then strike. Not ready to strike yet.

The problem with spending every bit of cap space in 2021 is hindering Sox from signing players post 2021. It has to be the right mix. Devers and others will start to cost more in near future. I just don't see us being competitive next year based on this year's performance. Sure we'll be better. But how much better? Good enough to compete for a playoff spot better?

Move on from veterans such as JBJ. I too rather see someone fresh, young such as Duran. I want to see his speed.

To base next year's draft order on two year average makes absolute no sense. Teams with bad record from 2019 ALREADY benefited from having a bad record. Why would you reward them second season in a row by combining team's ineptitude from 2019? MassLive The Boston Red Sox dropped to 18-32 (.360 winning percentage) with an 8-4 loss to the Marlins on Wednesday. Only 10 games remain in this shortened 60-game season. The Sox are on pace to finish with 21.6 wins, which would put them near the bottom of the MLB standings. The Pittsburgh Pirates at 14-34 (.292 winning percentage) are the frontrunners to finish with MLB’s worst record. Boston has played better baseball recently. It is 6-5 in its past 11 games, and 12-14 in its past 26 games. But the Red Sox still have the second worst winning percentage in the majors, which is a positive looking ahead to the 2021 MLB Draft. Two potential frontline starters sit at the top of the draft board. Vanderbilt righty Kumar Rocker is projected to go No. 1 overall. Jack Leiter, another righty from Vanderbilt and the son of former major league pitcher Al Leiter, is projected to go No. 2 overall. The order of the MLB Draft in a normal year is determined by reverse standings. The team with the worst record the previous season receives the No. 1 pick. The team with the second worst record receives the No. 2 pick. But commissioner Rob Manfred has the ability to modify the 2021 MLB Draft order because the 2020 season is fewer than 81 games. As readers have pointed out to me on Twitter recently, if a 60-game season is enough to crown a World Series champion, then it should be enough to determine draft order. That’s a good point. Best-case scenario for the Red Sox is to lose as many of their final 10 games as possible, finish with a bottom two record and hope Manfred decides to use the 2020 reverse standings to determine draft order. Baseball America reported Aug. 31, “Sources believe nothing will change in terms of how the draft order is determined." But MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo wrote Wednesday, “We don’t really know what the 2021 Draft order is going to look like, but we expect it to be some kind of combination/hybrid of the 2019 and 2020 season records.” Mayo speculated MLB either combining each team’s record from 2019-20 or giving “equal weight to both seasons in a 50-50 split.” Mayo further explained, “Teams who have surprisingly done well or poorly this year move down or up more in the 50-50 system, pushing a team like the Padres down seven spots or a team like the Red Sox up five.” The Red Sox were in position as of Wednesday to draft 14th by combining the 2019-20 records or ninth in a 50-50 system, Mayo pointed out. Worst winning percentages in MLB this season: Pirates: 14-34 (.292 winning percentage) Red Sox 18-32 (.360 winning percentage) Rangers 18-31 (.367 winning percentage) Diamondbacks 19-31 (.380 winning percentage) Nationals 18-29 (.383 winning percentage) Angels 20-30 (.400 winning percentage) Royals 21-29 (.420 winning percentage)

Any thoughts on where the CBA Agreement will land after the 2021 season? Both sides claiming COVID of 2020 has put their side on lower financial spectrum. Who'll have better arguement?

You trade a player when his value can't get much higher, that's Verdugo and Devers. If you can get two ace potential pitchers with team control, then you have to consider it. Fastest way to rebuild is through pitching. Just don't sign some 33 year has been to a 7 year deal. That will kill this team again. Learn from mistakes. Pay little more if you have to but limit the length of contracts. You can and should walk away from any deal you're uncomfortable with. Best deal sometime is the one you don't make. But right now, we need more major league talent than anything else. Not sure getting an ace for next year at a significant loss at another position is a good thing at this point. We need to solidify the 40 man roster through small deals and small free agent signings. We're nowhere close to being a playoff contender. I don't expect Chris Sale to return to100% health until 2022.

I'm sure that was the plan all along....smart move by Bloom

it's always about the value you get back....Yeah, I would take 2 Devers for 1 of our own....I'll fall in love with the new Devers

so glad I don't have to monitor his belly size....this board went nuts when they heard he slimmed down....can't sign a player just based on his World Series performance. Not a good sample size.

Apparently he didn't control the change inside the strike zone........never pitched in my life, all Greek to me.

Noah Song should start his baseball career in 2022.

I'm guessing Tanner Houck is not burning up his first year of team control by joining the club this late in the year. Looks like he could be a keeper. Interesting read on how he's developed cutter as an alternative to change up as his third pitch. You can do tons of analysis to improve a pitcher but what I read always brings back to the pitcher himself. He's got to be able to execute what the pitching coaches wants you to do. Some can, some just can't.

I'm optimistic. He'll do a great job. Perhaps Theoisque in his early years with bigger budget.

I want to be patient with these guys. We need to upgrade several positions. It's not time to sign a mega contract deal that can again hamper us in rebuild situation. Look for gems and give young guys chance to grow. We'll know when it's time to 'go'. I would target 2022 for playoff chase. Goal for 2021 should be to get more pieces for future. Looking at some contracts. I think the talk of JD Martinez opting out is very unlikely now. His contract expires after 2022. You can always find a DH for $8-10M price range. Sale is with us until 2024, with 2025 option. Xander is with us until 2026. Pedroia's contract comes off the books after 2021, $13.75M. JBJ should be let go after this year when he becomes a FA. He's not worth $11M. E Rod's final year is 2021. Not sure if I want to pay him big money. Beni is under team control through 2022. Really not excited about him. Devers is a keeper unless someone wants to give us crazy talent in return. That only happens if a team thinks he is the missing piece to complete the world championship team. Verdugo is a keeper. We'll have to see who steps up in 2021. Bloom will get a net gain in younger talent going forward. Veterans will be limited to no more than $10M for two years max.

I think you missed my point about a player opting out while claiming he's at risk may get paid. Flow chart.. Opt Out? if Yes then, at risk? Yes (can substantiate), then get paid. No then you don't get paid.... David Price Opted out and did not claim at 'risk' so he gets nothing.

If they are considered "at-risk" they can get paid. I don't believe anyone has attempted to use it to get paid.

Can you name couple of players that would have helped us last year or this year?

I didn't realize service time will be 'pro-rated' to the benefit of players. Players will be given 2.78 days of playing credit for each day spent in mlb in 2020. I hate that for player such as Dalbec but I'm going to consider myself lucky not having to watch 162 games from this bunch. Not sure if there are enough pitchers in our system to complete a full season.

It was a good signing.....only for $17M....He was our what? #3 or #4....remember two years ago, we thought and I'm pretty you did too, that we had one of best starting rotation in the majors. No one knew it would fall apart during the season.

Lets be clear. Most of us are okay with bloated contract as long as player is earning it. But we've now gone to it's okay to pay a guy for 7 years as long as he performs for 4 of those years. It's becoming rare that a player beyond 33-35 perform at the high level he's performed in the past. Who here doesn't want a team full of home grown talent? Cheaper team controlled years for younger talent. We all want the Xander experience. Size of contract doesn't bother me as much as the length. Waiting out for Price's contract to end is painful (even though Dodgers are picking up half of it) I think Bloom will be good for this organization. He thinks like a small market GM and then he wakes up in middle of night realizing, hey I got some money to burn.

Understood....I never really cared about being 'blocked' theory....It just gives you plenty of options which is always good to have..

It's good to know that Dalbec can also play third, which maybe his best position if and whenever Casas shows up down the road.

I want us to have the best team, then go out and sign the best pitcher on top of it simply because we can and piss off the Yankees. That's my dream season.

Potts homers Hudson Potts — who the Boston Red Sox acquired with Jeisson Rosario in the Mitch Moreland trade — also homered against Houck. (intra squad game where Casas hit a two run homer) Potts is a power-hitting 21-year-old third baseman. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound right-handed hitter, who reached Double A last year, has batted .256 with a .315 on-base percentage, .428 slugging percentage, .743 OPS, 57 homers, 94 doubles, nine triples and 224 RBIs in 423 minor league games.