Nick

Wow, you don't think starting five of Price, Sale, E Rod, Eovaldi and say Hernandez will not be competitive? You still have Betts, JD and Beni along with Devers, JBJ, and Pedroia. We don't have enough to compete? Seriously? You are spoiled, sir.

Tax limit 2019 $206M 2020 $208M 2021 $210M Assume further that the limit will increase significantly in new CBA. Yeah, I get it, it only affects few teams but why limit the spending of these teams? It's not to players' advantage to have luxury tax limit. We'll have Betts for two more years. Why not try to win it all with him next two years? Our tax penalty will jump to 50% from current 30% for 2020 and beyond without the reset. We're at $238M right now according to Cot's. I'm going to say that's the magic number given that we'll want to reinforce the team at trade deadline as long as we're in contention. To win next two years, we simply can't lose two starting pitchers. To me, obvious choice is to extend Sale. Stay with me here. Pablo's final AAV is $18M and it goes away in 2020. That money along with his current salary, $15M, will take care of Chris Sale. We'll still be at $238M. I like JD and I want to keep him. Nunez' $5M should take care of JD going forward and retain him for another three years. Give him a 6 year, front loaded contract where he can opt out after 3 years, 2023. Porcello, Pearce and Moreland adds to $33M in savings. If we don't re-sign Xander, that's another $11M. Total of $44M. Say $30M will take care of Betts, JBJ, E Rod, Beni and other arbitration eligible players. Our AAV for 2020 will be down to $224M for 2020. Penalty of $8M would be worth it to go for #3 after winning it in 2019. 2020 starting pitchers, Sale, Price, Eovaldi, E Rod, Hernandez? Our lineup would be Beni Betts Devers JD JBJ Pedroia Chavis Chatam Vazquez Our rotation should be good and we still have enough offense. We can add a veteran at SS on the cheap if we need to. I'm just afraid Boras will ask $25M for Xander and I just don't believe Xander is worth that. I rather have JD's bat. Betts will be making close to $28M in 2020. I would not extend JBJ at the conclusion of 2020 and instead use his money in part to sign Betts for 2021 and beyond. To Recap 2019 We lose Kimbrel and Kelly. Signed Eovaldi and Pearce. 2020 We lose Porcello, Xander, Pearce and Moreland. They need to be replaced internally by ? Hernandez, Chatam or cheap veteran, Chavis/Dalbec. Extend Sale. 2021 We lose JBJ. We keep Betts, Sale and JD. We lose Xander, Porcello, Moreland, Pearce and JBJ. 2022 will bring new CBA and it's whole new ball game then. Pedroia will be gone and Price and Eovaldi will be in their last year of contract. NO RESET.

$350M over 10 years would do it. I'm not advancing it, just thinking what it would take.

8) Yoenis Céspedes, LF, NYM: $29 million Full contract: 4 years, $110 million (2017-20) Cespedes re-signed with the Mets as a free agent following the 2016 season, which was also the last time he played in 100 games in a season. During the first two years of the new contract, he’s been limited to just 119 games total due to injuries, including each hamstring, his right hip flexor and twin heel calcifications. It’s unknown when Cespedes will return from his heel surgeries this season, though the All-Star break seems like a semi-reasonable estimate. I'm glad we passed on him. Forget AAV. This is their pay for 2019. (per MLB.com) 1) Stephen Strasburg, RHP, WSH: $38.3 million Full contract: 7 years, $175 million (2017-23) 2) Max Scherzer, RHP, WSH: $37.4 million Full contract: 7 years, $210 million (2015-21) 3) Zack Greinke, RHP, ARI: $34.5 million Full contract: 6 years, $206.5 million (2016-21) 4) Mike Trout, CF, LAA: $34.1 million Full contract: 6 years, $144.5 million (2015-20) 5) David Price, LHP, BOS: $31 million Full contract: 7 years, $217 million (2016-22) 6) Clayton Kershaw, LHP, LAD: $31 million Full contract: 3 years, $93 million (2019-21) 7) Miguel Cabrera, 1B, DET: $30 million Full contract: 8 years, $248 million (2016-23; 2024-25 vesting options) 8) Yoenis Céspedes, LF, NYM: $29 million Full contract: 4 years, $110 million (2017-20) 9) Justin Verlander, RHP, HOU: $28 million Full contract: 7 years, $180 million (2013-19) Any doubt that Miguel will be Ramirezed in 2023? Tigers would owe him $60M if he finishes top 10 in MVP votes in 2023. Extending Sale for 6 years at $200M doesn't seem so bad looking at the top 2 on the list.

Thanks for that. Cincinnati is a small market team competing with the Cubs and the Cardinals. San Diego is fighting big spender Dodgers and the Giants that have won three world championships in this century (2nd most). Seattle went up first against the Angels and now the Astros. Miami is another no show fans franchise competing against the Mets, the Nationals and the Phillies. I'm just not sure what the answer is. If players want more money then they need to get rid of luxury tax rules. Red Sox would have signed Kimbrel had it not for 52% surtax on top of 30% luxury tax and the loss of 10 spots in the draft.

I was working from home for couple of years. Only no hitter I've ever watched from beginning to end was Clay's. If I recall, and I'm not sure it was the same year but I also seem to remember seeing the back to back to back to back home run.

I sure hope it's the Yankees. No one, within next three years is worth $45M annual salary, even it's only for two years. If my GM comes to me with that idea, he'd be fired.

My guess would be Clay B wanted to be in the rotation. He had no chance to do that with the Sox.

“He can hit,” Cora said. “Both of them. Dalbec, too. It’s good for them to be around here, talk to players and be around. Just keep getting better. They’re a big part of our organization moving forward.” It'll be interesting to watch JBJ this year. Will his off season workout with JD/coach and subsequent swing adjustments pay off? JD certainly appears to have provided benefits beyond his own performance to his teammates.

Mock all you want Moon. He has proven power. You criticize our minor league talent but are unwilling to develop the talent in it. I guess you rather see him strike out every f***ing time so you can be critical. How do you expect young players to showcase their talent? Spring training in front of major league manager and his staff is one venue. Oh by the way, Cora took notice. He didn't say "well f***, he's a hall of famer after 4 spring training games!"

Chavis with another 3 run homer today, his third. Dalbec had two hits. Darwinzon Hernandez pitched two scoreless innings and struck out 3, walked one, two hits. Do NOT trade Chavis.

Thank you Ben, thank you Theo. I don't care who gets credit. As Moon has said often, it would have been great had we signed Miller as a free agent after the season. Little payback to colonel Clink,,,,I meant Showalter.

I'm so confused. I thought you were talking about Robert Kraft.

It's going to be tough to throw anyone out without someone at 1B.

http://weei.radio.com JD's take on current FA situation. It's still hard for me to feel sympathetic for guys making over $10M. Oakland won 97 games with payroll of less than $100M. That in essence is the battle players are facing.

You and I are usually on the same page. I think signing Eovaldi was a big freaking deal is you ask me.

Today, we sit at $238M, we have around $8M+ to plug the holes. My guess is $238M may drop as a player or two maybe cut. Our starting rotation is one of the best as we start the season. Our lineup is deeper than last year's. We still have the best manager in AL East. No target on our backs thanks to Yankees being crowned pre-season favorite. Perfect. Let the season begin.

Per MLB.COM projection RED SOX Lineup: 1. Andrew Benintendi, LF 2. Mookie Betts, RF 3. J.D. Martinez, DH 4. Xander Bogaerts, SS 5. Mitch Moreland, 1B 6. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 7. Rafael Devers, 3B 8. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF 9. Christian Vazquez, C Rotation and closer: 1. Chris Sale, LHP 2. David Price, LHP 3. Rick Porcello, RHP 4. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP 5. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP Closer: Matt Barnes, RHP Our offense has chance to be better...little deeper/longer. (Note; since I can't predict who is going to get hurt, our discussion here is understood "assuming healthy")

There's the season's grind and then there's the playoffs. Sale, Price, Porcello and Eovaldi has pitched at some high altitude. I said last year was E Rod's year to have a break out year, similar to what Lester did at comparable mlb experience. That didn't happen but I think this maybe the year E Rod finally breaks out only because he was healthy this past winter. In October, one starter will move to the pen and maybe two more will both start and close or pitch during crunch times. I like this team once we get to the playoffs. Remember, Betts and JD were relatively quiet in the World Series. Hitting is always unpredictable but elite pitching usually comes through.

Don't we have doctors that can give thorough physicals?

I'm all about raising the ceiling....I'd like to see us extend Sale.

Your analysis is spot on.

You'd have to pick and choose. If we sign Sale, Xander and 'extend' JD this winter, I won't sign Porcello ($20M), Pearce ($6.275M), Mitch ($6.5M), Holt ($3.575M) and Nunez ($5M). That's $41M plus Pablo's $18.455M. Say $60M. Throw in JBJ and now it's $68M Sale = delta of $18M, Xander = delta of $11M, JD = delta $5M (max), Betts = delta $8M E Rod = delta $3M, Beni = dlta $4M That adds up to $49M. We'd have $20M to pay for other arb raises and cheap signings. SP Sale, Price, E Rod, Eovaldi, No Name BP band of overachievers CF Beni RF Betts DH JD SS Xander 3B Devers 2B Dustin LF ??????? C Vazquez 1B Chavis/Pearce (sign him for another $6M) It's doable. Or we keep JBJ for another year and get a defensive SS. Let some young kids fail as back up options. Idea to is to get to the playoffs and have a stellar starting pitching.....we can win it with Price, Sale, E Rod and Eovaldi in 2020.

Yep....they are not just going to let all the talent leave just to reset. Sox did the hard part assembling talent. Sure we'd like our farm to step up and produce some more major leaguers. How stupid is to rebuild at a time we still have talent?

It makes no sense to reset unless you have a bad team. Sox is nowhere close to being that. Porcello is goner unless Sale gets away. There's still chance that JD will stick it out for one more year. He's set to make $23.75M in 2020, then drops to $19.375 in 2021. He can opt out for next two years. If I'm JD, I'd wait for 2021 season when Ellsbury's contract is up. I bet Yankees would love to have him with short right field fence. If Sox can remain competitive with a payroll of $228M or less, they won't reset.