Nick

That's fine if EVERY reliever does the job. A break in that chain could cost you the game if your starter is only going 3-5 every game. I do agree that Yankee organization is in better place than Sox's right now (if you ignore the last 15 years or so).

It's very easy to make decisions in hindsight. After the world series, who in their right mind would have traded or hoped Price would opt out? I also thought Eovaldi signing was good move. Obviously there was a gamble with his health. My thought was more in line with 2019 being Porcello's last year only because of the size of his current contract. You can't pay everyone $20M plus. Eovaldi would have filled Porcello's spot for 2020 while the team developed a starter out of minor leagues during 2019. I'm still convinced that had the starting rotation pitched to its 'norm' we would be in the hunt for playoffs. Sox chose to spend money on starters and they have simply not performed. Going forward, do we rethink about the allocation of pot of money? Do we insist on not signing starters that will go well beyond 30 when the contract is up? My preference is always having a wiggle room to sign absolutely best player when that player will get us over the top, not to get into the playoffs but to give us chance to win it all. I thought the Yankees were exactly in that position. They chose NOT to add a top of the line player. I wouldn't be a happy Yankee fan right now. To me, both Houston and Dodgers are better. The goal is not to win 105 games. The goal is to win the World Series.

STARTING PITCHING 1.3 IP 3 H 3 R 3 ER 5 BB 1 K Well at least he didn't give up 5 runs....

Together, the "big 3" went from 11 out of 90 in 2018 to 28 out of 69! Finally a stat that makes sense and easy to follow.....thanks Moon. I think that pretty much sums up our season.

Porcello, who was brilliant for a long stretch, took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits in five-plus innings. He fell to 10-9 and his ERA rose to 5.67. $22M Benefactor pitched 5 innings and gave up 5 ERs. Why do we keep babying the guy? He's had a horrible year. It's a bad pitching day. Say it. He was brilliant?

I will tip my cap if you win the whole thing. Everyone else is in second place. You still have some work to do.

It's going to be difficult to overtake two teams with similar records. We still have 4 games remaining versus Tampa but no more games against the A's.

So many Monday morning quarterbacks here.....Had we done the 'right thing' and say Sox had signed Kelly, then there's another $8M mistake this year and perhaps two more years. Our bullpen payroll is less than $10M. We're not 5.5 games out of wildcard spot because of the pen. It's still all about our starters. Chris Sale of old could have put us firmly in the wild card spot. Anyone remember how good this group was going to be? Sale, Price, E Rod, Eovaldi and Porcello? By the way, at what point do we move away from Johnson? When I looked up correct spelling for 'mediocre', his face pops up. Doing the same old s*** over and over and expecting different outcome is true definition of stupidity. An organization with the highest payroll doesn't have a guy any better than Johnson?

Sale never shakes off catchers because he can execute throwing every pitch at highest level or he did. He's that confident. Surely no one here is dumb enough to think Sale and Leon is 100% in sync. More likely, Sale trusts Leon and has confidence in all his pitches.

So Red Sox will be no good forever?

Starters are 14-1 with a 1.79 ERA in past 17 games Houston that is......yep easy to see where we are lacking...

My apologies...I was wondering who DHern the prospect I never heard was.........got it...

Moon with all due respect, we know what the f*** Johnson & Velazques can do as starting pitchers. Why not let Hernandez start? He was in the pen to help the Sox get into the playoffs. If they're out of it, why not start him? Johnson and Velazques aint't going to pitch any better than they have been. We know their ceiling. Move on. We're better than them.

Yeah, it makes no sense. Using his logic, Sale should be a Cy Young candidate this year. Woefully underpaid at $15M while his rotation mates are making $30M, $22M and $17M.

Chris Sale flopping against the Yankees in primetime a week ago meant the Sox couldn’t finish a sweep and the team has stumbled since. The rotation has been a major liability, with David Price’s seven runs in 2 2/3 innings Sunday night putting the rotation’s ERA at 10.61 over the last eight games (44 runs in 37 1/3 innings). “For myself and the rest of our starters, it’s been a tough stretch for us for sure,” Price said. “We haven’t thrown the ball to our capabilities the last eight or nine games and for the most part this season. That has been tough for us.” Who to blame? We led 2nd wild card spot by 1/2 game. Then this. Rotation ERA of 10.61. Do you really have to look elsewhere?

Moon, it's almost time for Realistic View at 2019 Part III It's time to follow Kimmi's approach and rebuild...... I'm excited about Dalbec moving up to AAA. I'm excited for our young/veteran talent under contract/control, led by Xavier, Devers, Chavis, Hernandez (both). Mookie and JBJ are rentals as far as I'm concerned. Let's rebuild. Quit starting guys like Johnson. He's got no future, no ceiling. Mediocre at best. I rather see younger guys get his opportunity. This organization need to have a Jesus meeting and discuss its failure of developing young starting pitching. What the hell? If we're going to lose, lose with younger kids. Thank Moreland and Pearce, let them sit this one out. It's time to move on.....

You realize that we have dead money included in AAV calculation long after he retires, right?

Our starters can't keep us in the games.....that's when you have .500 club.

I'm not sure what you're saying but for 2019 we simply picked up his option from previous contract for $15M. His new deal kicks in next year but it's partially deferred thus lower AAV for 2020 and thereafter. Never mind, I think that's exactly what you are saying.

Are you sure it was all PEN? Sounds to me like our offense didn't contribute. You know the position players....Mookie making $20M by himself, more than half of pen payroll.

I'm still convinced that you need top of the line starting pitching. On paper, we had it at beginning of the year. They are just not performing. Then get above average players at each position. Moreland/Sam Travis combo doesn't do it for me. I'd rather have Holt/Chavis at 1B and Marco at 2B.

I'm grateful that we didn't extend Rick Porcello. I'm also grateful that we kept all of our prospects. Last year we added pieces to win the World Series. We could have signed Greinke this year and THAT would not have assured us getting into the wildcard spot. We did the right thing by sitting tight. We've already improved our pen by activating Eovaldi and calling up Hernandez. Maybe it's time to sit Porcello and try Johnson/Wright when they get healthy.

Chris Sale $12M, $12.5M, $15M. No way I compare him to Sandoval. We need to wait and see if he's able to reinvent himself next year when he's costing us $25M. We've certainly gotten more out of him than say fan favorite Dustin Pedroia over the last three seasons.

So, my question is why should we waste our precious young talent to get a mediocre talent in return for the team that will be in a one game playoff situation at best?

Maybe the men on Red Sox team earning $243M combined should man up and start playing better. What are they? Bunch of pussies?