Nick

Build a team that can get to the playoffs. Then add a big piece to get you over the top. That's how you do it. You can't afford a kick ass team every year. It gets too expensive. You have to pick your spot. I'd get under the cap in 2020 and reset.

Houston has added top of the line starting pitching each of last three years. That's how you go for it all. Yankees could have used one this year.....

Yep, Yep, Yep....playing 'hard' had nothing to do with it. If your pitchers are hurt, all three starters, and the fourth is struggling. what do you do? We did go out got the starter from Baltimore. And this from team that had all its money tied to starting pitching. And if the Nationals win, then the big 3 of Dodges, Yankees and Astros failed.

This is why we should not make any trades that involves multiple players from Sox vs single from the trading partner. Also do not trade younger players for older players. Just keep the farm system in tact. What to do with Betts? You can't let the clock run out on him without getting something of value in return. Here you have chance to get either younger and/or make it into two or three fer for one. What to do with JBJ? Non tender him. He's just not worth $10M. That $10M can be used to acquire two or three players. We have multiple years vested in Sale, Price and Eovaldi. We can't abandon the money involved. They need to get healthy and Sox need to extract as much service time from the three. You can't simply Sandoval these three. Team has to built around Xander and Devers. Sox should keep guys like Dalbec, Chavis and Chatam. Give them chance to succeed. You can't trade them and at the same time bitch and moan about our farm. I think most fans are willing to wait for better times as long as you're doing it with young talent. The goal is always to win the World Series.

I think the Yankee stadium is built for JD's game. I would hate to see him as a Yankee.

Bottom line is their starting pitching is not good enough to win the World Series (now they may still do it but it will be with their bats). They can rack of runs but in a short series against stellar pitching (ie not AL East starters of 2019) they need better starting pitching performance. Now what for the Yankees? Their younger players will require more money every year going forward. Yankees are right at the threshhold (208M) when you add in arbitration estimates for 2020. This does not include Encarnacion for whom the Yankees hold club option for 2020. Judge and Sanchez in their 1st year of arbitration. It will only get worse. Stanton seems unable to stay on the field, they have him for 8 MORE YEARS. How long is their window of opportunity?

Does MLB allow sign and trade? Specifically, can the Sox allow a potential trading partner to discuss extension with Betts and come to an agreement as condition of trade? Thus Sox would receive greater value in trade? Say Dodgers are able to convince Betts to a 10 year, $400M contract. Sox get three or 4 major league ready players in return. Dodgers after all now owns Betts for 10+1 years.

Does the opt out/in for JD occur before we tender offers to our arbitration eligible guys? I think that will have some impact downstream.

He won't play in Boston for $10M+ because Price $31M Sale $26M Betts $28+M Xander $20M Pedroia $13M, collecting on unemployment

It is sad to think we're in a 'rebuild' mode with starting pitchers with at least 3 more years of team control with Price, Sale and Eovaldi along with 2 more years of E. Rod. It looks more like another playoff run(s). I know Kimmi agrees.

I refuse to believe Sale, Price and Eovaldi will replicate last year for next three years. I'm assuming our medical people examined thoroughly Chris Sale before he was extended. Did he sustain 'new' injury during 2019? Something doesn't add up.

I have the team at $208M with JBJ gone, 1B Sam Travis, 2B Chavis, CF/SP5 and everyone else on 25 man roster (no contract, no arbitration) playing at minimum. So to go for it without going over $248M, we have about $40M for upgrade. (I've already included $15M for benefits accounted for remaining 15 players on 40 man roster). Assuming Price, Sale and Eovaldi come back healthy, it's definitely doable to go for it. It's still all about starting pitching. Not sure if Henry wants go 'go for it'.

I wouldn't trade every day player for a reliever. Chavis + Dalbec may start at two positions and play it well.

We all bitch about decimating our farm. Why in the hell would you trade Chavis at this point? Or Dalbec? Or anyone in the farm? I say keep them all. Trade veterans for younger major league ready players if you must. Acquire small market type free agents. I'm not talking about 2 year $15M either. I'm talking about 2 year $8M type guys. Until of course you're ready to win the World Series. Then you go get G Cole type if available. I'll watch Devers, Chavis, Marco and other young players. Give them all a shot. NEVER, EVER extend pitchers. Pay fair market value at the time of contract expiration (unless of course you trade him).

Soooooo, everyone here would have been okay with giving Kelly 3 year $25M and Kimbrel 3 yr $48M (actually it was $43M due to short season in 2019)? I say we dodged a bullet. Do you think there are takers out there for either one without salary concession? As Kimmi has stated often, bullpen is crap shoot. You never know what you're going to get. Good for DD to get the mileage out of Kimbrel even though he was clearly on downside at the end of 2018. Go back and check the history of Sox bullpen acquisitions. We've struck out quite a bit.

As a Sox fan since 1967, at the age of 11, I'm grateful for what the Sox has done over the past 15 years. It's just conversation.

I agree that Sox need to make more small market moves. I'm all for it. Then, as a big market team, we have the ability to acquire an impact player that can get us over the hump. The trick is not to get into a long term deal, especially with pitchers. You can't pay a player for multiple years just for couple of years of production. Having money does not mean you should waste it, and we've done that under all three GM's. Just look at unproductive relievers that we've overpaid as an example. As a baseball fan, I'm okay watching young team play, knowing that better days are ahead. What I don't want to watch is bunch of aging, overpaid, unproductive baseball players. I don't want to see a team full of Ken Morelands next year.

Maybe the lesson is to be more patient. Even at budget of $208M, you can buy good talent. Avoid long term deals on pitchers.

Or you can get two major league starting pitcher for Devers. Would you trade Devers for 2 E Rods? I'm simply making a point and to agree with the original poster. Sell high. It never hurts to explore, no?

I guess you missed the part about 2 "Devers" for 1 real one. Thanks for your narrative though.

This is why management should NEVER consider anyone as untouchables. Always explore trade value of each player after each season. You don't have to make ANY trades. Why NOT explore what you can get for Devers? I've been his biggest fan since he was called up. But if I can get two "Devers" for the real one, why not go for it? I always thought Beni was overrated, not to say that he wasn't good. This board fell in love with our 3 B's and got carried away with it. Well he's no Betts. I'm just surprised that even Moon has cooled on him. Biggest task for the management is to figure out what year in the future do we target to go for it again. Make trades to maximize the talent for that year. That may require trading away established young veterans for up and coming future major leaguers.

I will accept .500 season as long as younger guys are playing. I don't want to see Morelands of world taking up opportunity from our younger kids.

If we keep everyone else (dumping Porcello, Pearce, Moreland, Nunez, Holt), do we have enough to make the playoffs AND contend for World Championship in 2020? If the answer is HELL NO, then we should clean house and reload in 2021. Trade away Betts, JBJ and JD? Re-sign Betts in 2021?

Not sure what's funny... Guys with contracts other than Vaz and Xander are hard to trade. Why would we trade Xander and Boz anyway? If we are in a rebuild, do it and get it over with. We still have bunch of guys under team control. I would trade to get younger players that would all 'arrive' at the same time. Maybe it's 2022 or 2023. You're telling me we can't win next year. If so, why keep Betts? Why keep JD? Why keep JBJ? That's why management makes the big bucks. Making tough calls.

Team Control (including options) Contracts Xander 2020-2026 Sale 2020-2024 Price 2020-2022 Eovaldi 2020-2022 Vaz 2020-2022 Dustin 2020-2021 sign Devers to long term contract and trade everyone else? Technically, we can trade every other player, no? If you're going over the cliff, it might as well be a steep one. Shoot for 2022 or 2023.