Nick

Do you think Swihart is a viable option as a starting catcher? I do. I can't believe he's THAT bad defensively with his athleticism.

So you have given up on Swihart already? Sox FO thought he was good enough hitter to play left field. Was it the original plan to move him out of catcher's position when we drafted him? If that's the case then Sox Scouting Dept has some explaining to do......

Per Providence Journal Article Encarnacion isn't a perfect fit, as he'd make the top part of the Red Sox order lean even more to the right side. And there's obvious risk in signing someone in their mid-30s to a major contract. But Dombrowski's modus operandi last winter was to locate the simplest solution and pay whatever it took to make it happen; see: David Price and Craig Kimbrel. sometimes we make it more difficult than we need to....

I think we're all in agreement that we have a pretty good ball club. The team needs tweaking, not complete overhaul. Just signing a DH will allow the Sox offense to take a deep breath and see what develops. The benefit is our farm system is not disturbed. Shaw/Rodriquez platoon at 3B can't be any worse than Shaw/Hill experiment. This will allow Moncada additional time to develop. Ideally, both Swihart and Moncada take over the C/3B positions at some point during 2017 season. Our lineup will be solid 1-9 at that point. Our starting pitching is more than adequate with Wright coming back healthy. E Rod appears to be getting stronger and has not reached anywhere near his peak. This was first full season for Pomeranz getting to start and he should be better in 2017. I suppose you keep Clay B for additional depth. I'm too lazy to look up. Any trade deadline top of the line pitcher pending FA candidates?

Mods....you need to merge this thread with Moon's 2017, Part I

Wouldn't it be the easiest thing to do to just to sign EE and keep everyone else intact? This will allow more of our younger players to develop. I'd like to see Sam Travis get healthy. We pretty much know what we have in Swihart. Let's not give up on him catching for the Sox. He is our best hitting catcher. Moncada may catch on fire sometime during 2017. Surely we're not giving up on him after investing $60M and fewer than 50 PA. We'll have upgraded LF with Beni playing the full year. I think Swihart will hit as well as Beni given the opportunity. I would trade Vasquez or Leon for a reliever. EE may not have the impact that Ortiz did but he may hit more homers than Ortiz. Someone needs to hold down 3B until Moncade is ready. He has major league tools. I'd be surprised if he's a complete flop. I would wait for trade deadline to make a major splash.

We could have waited another year? Really? Waste productive years from Ortiz, Pedey, Hanley, Betts, etc? You never give names. What was the alternative? I recall before the pitching staff got going in September we were blowing leads left and right. Everyone here have absolutely no idea what was available at what price. We gang up DD for not developing bullpen in Detroit and when he does something decisive to correct the deficiency for the Sox, we still complain. Moon you have beaten a herd of dead horses. Let it go.

JF is going no where......DD just recently said he did a great job managing this year. Sometimes fans look for something that's not there. I'm not a big fan of JF but I don't believe he's the difference maker, good or bad. It's the players' game.

1) Betts (2020-I might try to lock him up soon...........KEEPER....EXTEND HIM 2) Benintendi (2022- He's got several more years of team control than Bogey & Bradley)...KEEPER...CHEAP, UNDER TEAM CONTROL 3) Bradley (2020- Hope for more consistency)....KEEPER...GREAT CF...WILL ALWAYS HIT WITH SOME POWER... 4) Bogey (2019- just 3 yrs left- Dubon in the wings)....#1 TRADE CANDIDATE....EASILY REPLACEABLE DEFENSIVELY... 5) ERod (2021 or 2022- still has enormous upside)...KEEPER, CAN'T GIVE UP ON YOUNG LEFTY WITH UPSIDE, CHEAP, UNDER TEAM CONTROL 6) Moncada (??- still has top value)....KEEPER, YOU DON'T THROW AWAY $60M INVESTMENT, ATHLETE, CAN PLAY MULTIPLE POSITIONS 7) Porcello (2019- high priced but indispensable)....3 YEARS WITH REASONABLE COST, I DON'T SEE BETTER OPTIONS 8) Pedey (2021- still a force but will decline)...UNDER CONTRACT, WON'T GET ANY VALUE IN RETURN, MOST VALUABLE TO RED SOX 9) Groome (??- far away but with a lot of promise)...NO WAY WE TRADE HIM 10) Kopech (??- may be ready by mid 2017)...NO WAY WE TRADE HIM, BEST CLOSER TYPE GUY IN THE FARM 11) Swihart (??- I feel many GM want this kid.)...PERHAPS THE HIGHEST TRADE VALUE GUY 12) Devers (?? May be blocked.)...REDUNDANT WITH MONCADA..TRADE BAIT 13) Wright (2020- 4 years is nice)...KEEPER, INNING EATER AS LONG AS HE DOESN'T TRIP OVER 2B, CHEAP 14) Vazquez (2020- hope his offense pick up)...KEEPER, TRADE OTHER CATCHERS 15) Pomeranz (2018 at a low cost)...KEEPER, NO POINT IN TRADING THE GUY, WON'T GET MUCH VALUE IN RETURN, 16) Ramirez (2018 or 2019 w vesting option)...KEEPER, NOT SURE WE GET MUCH IN RETURN, WE NEED TO SEE SAM TRAVIS AND HIS UPSIDE 17) Leon (2019- less years than Swi & Vaz)...ADEQUATE DEFENSIVE CATCHER 18) C Smith (2020)...KEEPER, SOX NEEDS QUALITY RP WITH LOW COST 19) Kimbrel (2017 or 2018)...AGAIN NOT MUCH VALUE IN RETURN 20) Price (2018 or 2022 -opt out)....HE'D CLEAR THE WAIVERS Based on my response, can we get Sales from Sox for Xander, Swihart and Devers?

Well, I like this plan and I think that's what DD is thinking....

Moon is correct in assessing this team. We have a young core of good position players, but that may not be enough. Great pitching still trumps great hitting team. That is why you don't ignore the possibility of trading for a top of the line starter. Sure it's still a gamble. But Price has been ineffective during post season games. Porcello is new to the arena. E Rod may get there someday, just not now. It's probably easier to rebuild position spots than developing an ace. Sox had Lester and that's all that I can remember. Schilling pitched in big games successfully with Arizona before coming to Red Sox. Beckett did the same with Miami before being traded to Red Sox. That is also why Clay Buchholtz maybe our best starter in the playoffs. He has the best stuff on our team if he can put it together.

Most of experts here claim there's no home field advantage. Thus every game is 50/50 proposition. (Vegas bookies may disagree, but they are not handicapping based on who is better, but what they perceived as how the bets will be laid). Cleveland winning the first two games had 25% chance but they did just that. Now we have to win 3 straight. Not impossible but odds are 12.5%.

Xander looks more and more like a medicore hitting below average fielding shortstop. He looks completely lost at the plate.

I think twice about locking up light hitting shortstop whose agent thinks he's God's gift to baseball.

Wright not available to pinch run tonite?

You are making my point. Why bother to vote for MVP? WAR stats are out there.

Why not declare MVP the guy with the highest WAR? If we are going to look at simply the 'made' up parameters, why even bother to rely on bunch of stupid sports writers and other media types?

Bucky Dent didn't think much of HFA....

Bingo.....I hate all these Monday morning quarterbacks....you play to win the big one. Farm System exists for the Parent Team to use it as they see fit.

But again, you are being a Monday morning quaterback.....Pom was an All Star with team control. He is not a rental. He gave us 13 starts. DD did what he thought was best for the organization at the time. Now if you want to blame anyone, it has to be Buchholtz who pitched like s*** before the trade deadline. Maybe we also blame JF and Wright for getting hurt by the second base bag that just happened to be in his way. It was a good trade and I do it again.

Now you are just being a smart ass..... We have a young core group going foward. I don't want to trade Moncada, Beni nor Swihart, unless it's for someone like Sales. We needed a starting pitcher. I trust DD more than anyone on this board. You may disagree but he did what he needed to do. Many here thought DD was going to trade the entire farm system last winter and this year. It did not happen. He has shown restraint, maturity and efficiency. WE ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS CONTENDING FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. You of course would rather have kept Espy and not participate in this year's playoffs. I got it. Hey, maybe you will be proven right. This may rival the Babe Ruth giveaway.

I COMPLETELY DISAGREE. We live in present. Tell me how YOU can go into the Sox club house and face 25 men and tell them "sorry, I'm not going to give up a kid that may or may not be good until 2019. If we lose this year, so be it. f*** you guys and all your best seasons. Nope, I'm protecting my top 3 prospect. Go with what we got' If I'm one of the players, I would deck you in a heartbeat.

We actually have 3 CF's

The significance is that they can play in a 6' and under basketball league without any controversy.

At this point, I think it's often a mistake to simply look at the season averages... I'm more interested in team to team matchups, pitchers vs hitters. PGA professionals are usually tied to the golf courses. Successful golfers at Augusta usually will play well there regardless of how they may have played the month before. Cleveland hitters with previous success against Porcello, Price, etc will pose problems in the playoffs, and vice versa.