Nick

Yankees can shed some $75M in payroll next year.....I almost feel bad for them

Hanigan.....

Half of our games are against sub .500 ball clubs....

Why would Sox offer Hanigan when we have Vazquez, Swihart and Leon? His bat and his health is declining rapidly. Clay B is not in Sox plans or he better not be..a waste of $13M. So we're at $163M. Plenty of cap space to go get Encarnacion especially in view of likely increase in luxury tax. DD is already on record as saying he's happy with 4/5th his starting rotation and hopes E Rod steps up for the 5th spot. 2019 will be tricky with Pomeranz becoming a free agent and Pablo and Hanley still under contracts for $40M. In 2020 Xander and Porcello become FA but the $40M obligation will go away. Then Bradley and Betts will follow. Hopefully Espinoza will be ready by 2020 for some much needed low cost quality starts. (just kidding)

Hell, we all want more for Espinoza. I would argue that he has a chance to be the next P Martinez. But apparently Pomeranz was all we could get RIGHT NOW. Such is the free market system.

This +1000

Sox has $60M invested in Moncada.....he's not going anywhere. In 4 years C Swihart 1B Travis 2B Moncada SS Xander 3B Devers LF Benintendi CF Bradley RF Betts DH Okimey ...looking good. I can see this OF playing together for another 10 years.....Bradley is an elite athlete..as Betts...Benintendi will hang with them.

this +1

Well Hugh, you just go tell Mookie, Brandley and Xander that we're not all in this year. We'll try again in 2020 when Espinoza is our ace. Good luck with that.... What if DD went to every GM and asked for their star pitcher? And they all wanted two of Mookie, Bradley and Xander along with Moncada or Benintendi? I think that would make us go backwards at this point, no? DD is a straight shooter if nothing else. How does anyone here know that he didn't exhauste all angles and THIS WAS THE BEST GET. What did he get? A pitcher thought well enough few years ago that he was a top 5 draft pick. A pitcher who has come out of funk with a third pitch to supplement his plus curve ball and high spin rate fastball. A pitcher with high strike out rate and high ground ball induced rate. A pitcher who has had three decent years, albeit innings pitch are low due partially to having been a reliever. A pitcher that maybe approaching his prime years with 2 plus years of team control left. Give me a plausible trade that gives us a quality pitcher without giving up something? I would have been okay with a Hill trade but we would have been in the same spot come November due to Hill being a free agent. We live in a fantasy world of getting something of value for nothing. Oh wait, that's the new American way.

Moon and others may end up being 100% correct. But this is what happens when you paint yourself into a corner. Obviously we made the trade for 2016 plaoff run but he's under team control for two more years through 2018. This will solidify our rotation when there's a shortage of pitchers in free agent market. We may need another starter but the four we have now gives us a chance to win when they take the moun.

I dare anyone unhappy with the trade to go face to face with Bradley, Betts and Xander and tell them "great season, can you keep this up till 2020 when Espinoza arrives?"...Really guys? We had 5 top 50 prospects and now we still will have 5 when Gomez passes his physicals tomorrow. This is on the heels of 2 last place finishes. What do you tell the owner? Be patient after I talked him into handing out $210M contract to Price? You are delusional.

So it's true about Sox fans...what a buch of whinny little babies...... Trade has to benefit both teams. It's not DD's fault that we ended up with current sorry ass rotation. It's unconscionable to let this year's productive offensive team go to waste. You really never know how many chance you get. DD did what he had to do. I bet the Sox will still go after Hill, if not now then in off season. It's a great day for my Sox. We came to terms with the next Espinoza, perhaps with higher upside. We also kept Momcada and Benintendi.

DD was decisive with Price and Kimbrel.....He absolutely needed both and perhaps paid little more than he should have.....he got the job done John Farrell wanted a right handed bat in infield and DD got him Aaron Hill at a reasonable price Our tired arms in both Koji and Tazawa along with Carson Smith injury left us thin in the bullpen. DD traded for Ziegler, again I think at a reasonable price. Our next need is a starting pitcher. At best, E Rod or Clay B will be serviceable but odds maybe against it. I think trading for Rich Hill is doable. I can live without the extension I guess. If he pitches well and gets us into the playoffs then it would have been worth it. That's why we play the game. I understand Moon's point about if we do make a trade, we should consider going all in for a good #1 type pitcher with longer team control. But that involves giving up bigger assets and the risk is much greater than just trading for Hill. Again, in 2017, I'm looking for C, Hanley, Pedey, Xander, Moncada, Benintendi, Bradley, Betts, Encarnacion line up with our pitchers being 1. Price 2 TBD 3 Procello 4 TBD 5 Wright with closers Kimbrel, Carson Smith, Barnes, Hembree and Ross. I would hope that E Rod can fill the #4 slot....Hill can be a summer rental and Sox can look for permanent solution this winter. Benintendi and Moncada in September call-up will let the team know how close they are to the majors. We would still have full arsenal of tradable assets in the minors.

Trade for Hill and try to extend him for couple of more years. Sign Encarnacion Get to the following starting line up C Leon/Vazques/Swihart 1B Hanley (he'll be with us for three more years assuming he's not injured) 2B Pedey SS Xander 3B Moncada LF Benintendi CF Bradley RF Betts DH Encarnacion We can move Shaw on the Hill deal....B Holt is in left, Bryce can relieve him until Young/Swihart returns or call up Benintendi. Hanley is on 1B, B Holt can relieve him as he's done in the past. We now have Hill at 3B for balance of year backed up by Hernandez. Add Encarnacion and Hill...we have money (ie not paying luxury tax) based on anticipated increase in the cap amount, Clay B not returning, Ortiz not returning, Koji not returning at $9M and removing Castillo/Craig from 40 men roster. This is the Red Sox ownership that paid $30M for Moncada PLUS PENALTY of $30M for the priviledge of signing him. Henry is willing to spend for top talent and right now it's Hill. This will allow the organization to hold on to much of their prospects for future needs, ie relief pitching in 2017, etc. We don't have to completely dismantle the team to acuire Hill and he will give us better chance to get into the playoffs. I don't think it's that complicated.

I would trade for Hill in a heartbeat and extend him. It's clear he's a better option than Bucholtz at $13M. Payroll Replace Clay B's $13M with Hill Repace Ortiz' $15N with Encarnacion. Replace Koji's $9M Replace Tazawa's $3M/FA status. We're under the cap due to removing Castillo off the 40 man roster, savings of approximately $10M Luxury tax threshhold will increase on December 1... Get Hill without giving up top prospects. Our top 5 remains with Gomes added. Carson Smith returns at mid season. Plug in Benintend, Moncada, Hanley and Encarnacion along with killer B's and Pedey. That looks to be a pretty potent team.

DD has gone on record as saying he does not foresee the Sox pursuing an outfielder. My guess is Benintendi will get the first crack. He that fails, Moncada maybe next. Moncada will be better baseball player than Benintendi. But Benintendi can only play outfield. Moncada can probably play several positions, LF, 3B, 1B DH and if all helll breaks loose, 2B. You don't want to waste couple of talented kids for one spot (LF) so Moncada wil have to play another position. That would be best for Sox. I am not high on Shaw. He's more than adequate but that's it. I don't give a hoot about RBIs. One of worthless stats in the majors. Benintendi (LF), Moncada (3B), Hanley (1B), Encarnacion (DH) would be my preference. I'm not opposed to having Swihart as a back up LF, 1B, C, DH for couple of years for his catching skills to get better. Only if Buch, E Rod, Owens and or Johnson had done close to what we expected from them......

Moncada named futures game MVP Let see now. Conversation about Benintendi is happening because Young, Swihart, then Holt got injured. Moncada is #1 rated player. But it's the fault of the fans that no one in the organization has entertained the thought of playing Moncada elsewhere? If Pedey goes down everyone here would be talking about Moncada, irregardless of wheather he's ready or not. Some of you need to get off of your high horse. Maybe you should go start another forum where everyone thinks just like you. Geez..

And I want you to be right...and me wrong. I'm also good with Clay B making a 180 and shove it up my ass with good second half performance.

Hell, it took him over 110 pitches to shut them out...why doesn't he pitch to contact and save his arm?

Tampa is 17 games back......what can we get for Swihart?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZiegler......ok, just had to do it....I liked the second pitcher for Tampa....he's better than Buch...just saying

Ziegler ....you are the man.

Amazing thing about Guyer is he doesn't even flich...

Price cruising now.....

Porcello at least throws strikes......I hate Dice K approach....which Clay B has copied....