DirtDog7

They aren't high on him anymore because Puig-mania cooled off. And yes, scouts are sometimes basic enough to go: "Puig is good, Puig is Cuban.... sign all Cubans!!" Forget that Moncada is still a toddler by MLB standards. We've seen flashes and the kid has more ceiling than arguably anyone else in the game right now. Shelling out what they paid for him and not waiting for him to develop is a slap in the face.

Trading Moncada is a major No-Go

I'm jumping onto the "sign Matt Holliday" bandwagon. 37 years old and coming off his worst offensive year in career but there's plenty of reason to believe he'd catch a season or 2 of second wind in Boston. Would definitely see more pitches in the zone while hitting near the heart of our order and believe it or not, he's still only behind Trout for avg fly ball distance. Line drive rate is down but went opposite field more than in recent seasons. He doesn't see extreme splits vs. RHP or LHP and his health shouldn't be a problem as he won't be relied upon as heavily in Boston. Can play 1B, LF, or obviously DH. Should be a cheap option considering what the alternatives will rake in. I'm still more in favor of signing Beltran but it's starting to feel like a team such as Houston will make signing him more pricey than what Dombrowski is willing to sign off on.

Blame the front office. They knew who they were signing to such a deal. It was no secret Panda rebuffed a size-able deal to stay with the Giants b/c they were strict with his diet. A grown man shouldn't have to be forced by other adults to stop eating like a pig but hey... to each his own.

Can't see trading Pomeranz or Buch this season. Pitching depth is becoming everything. Cleveland are World Champs if their roto was healthy. None of these younger pitchers to get big-league starts over the past couple seasons have been very good; E-Rod aside. We may have traded away our best SP prospect in the Pom deal.

I will say the Jays are smart to pounce on the market quick & before demands get out of control. They're getting more for their money and on shorter term deals. I'm not willing to write off Pablo yet either. If he comes into the Spring in the shape he was in, back in August, then he can be productive. Pablo isn't a bad corner infielder when in shape. His Defensive metric went from 5.3 in his last season with SF to -15.1 in 2015. He made nearly 90% of likely plays in 2014. Definitely has to keep that weight under control. Sox are stuck with him and Moncada is knocking on the door.

Lets see whose bats produce in the Spring. Vazquez hasn't been able to hit for squat but JBJ couldn't once either. We've seen minor adjustments make a world of different. Swihart's bat was coming around before he hit the DL.

I'm not seeing anything to indicate Vazquez is out of options but it seems a forgone conclusion that either he or Swihart are dealt before next season begins. Leon's bat cooled off toward the end but he's not a bad defensive catcher in his own right. If anything, Boston needs a backup capable of keeping Leon fresh. Vazquez is fun to watch behind the dish but he could fetch a decent return. I'd certainly take some late-inning prospects in return.

I'm okay with passing up EE on draft pick forfeiture alone. Bautista still seems to be a realistic option if he is willing to stay within a 2 years (w/3rd Option) type deal. I'm still more than okay with bringing Napoli back for a year & focusing more on pitching.

Gary DiSarcina it is

Holland was underwhelming in his showcase. Not sure where that 8th inning is...short of bringing Koji back.

The Kendrys news is good to hear. Seems like an economic approach to backfilling the DH role is preferred by DD. Regarding the bullpen, I think something more dramatic is ahead. DD brought in Kimbrel but he was far from a sure thing. If we take anything from the postseason is the roles and expectations of late-inning relievers are changing. Its becoming the standard that "Set Up" and "Closer" are morphing into 1-2 guys in the bullpen that can secure 5-6 outs when the game is on the line. That said, I can't see Kimbrel as this guy. Don't necessary need to find an Andrew Miller now but its something to think about.

Was sad to see Torey go but excited at the prospect of Tek taking his place. Well a day or so later and reports from Boston are Varitek won't be the guy: Hard to blame Tek when he does have such an easy-going role. He works with catchers in the Spring and then assists as needed during the season. Pedro serves the same role with pitchers but you wouldn't know it given how much time on television he has. Would expect Ruben and Butterfield to get consideration. Another internal option would be Dana LeVangie.

I interpret DD's comments as: "Bring in Beltran on a short-term deal & hope Panda has a comeback season." The offense went cold in October but we can't forgot how red-hot September was. David Ortiz will be missed as a leader more than anything. You can't buy his type of leadership and spending $125M on a DH/1B, considering what we already have in place, is pure insanity. We have plenty of hitters and the DH spot can be utilized to give our OF and Hanley a little more rest during the season. We can also play around with using the hot bat. It would be nice to see Shaw and Panda streaking at the same time during parts of the year. Pitching is obviously the priority and rightfully so. I anticipate DD focusing on adding another starter and solidifying the bullpen. A Chris Sale trade is enticing but it may require too much reshuffling of the deck. We were a top contending playoff team last season and our Farm remains one of the best in baseball. For the money, give me Beltran, Melancon, and Rich Hill. Only Melancon could command a 3-year deal but at 31 yrs old, it may be well worth it. Regardless, all three players have serious bargain potential in comparison to what Edwin, Jansen, and Chapman will receive.

ESPN: Dombrowski says team may look internally or seek short-term contract player to replace David Ortiz DD throwing up smoke screens??

If there's any doubts about how important Mookie is to this team, reflect upon the last couple of games.

Brad f'n Ziegler!!!!!!

Carson Smith, Brad Ziegler, Koji Uehara, Craig Kimbrel...all on the Red Sox roster & we're still subjected to a garbage bullpen

Farrell should've had the bullpen going one batter sooner. Given the way this series has gone, Brock's (should've been called an) error is all I need to see.

WTF Brock

Had enough of these New Relic commercials via MLB TV. Bobby Valentine still make me want to throw up.

This notion "Moncada is near MLB ready" is absurd. His bat, yes, his defense...hell no. I watched error after error in Greenville last season. His defense is maturing but again, that whole position change thing. If he's going to switch than it needs to be now and its going to take the remainder of the current season. And we're foolish to assume the switch can be made. One would think a superb athlete like Moncada can move positions but again, there's so much we just don't know. I'll never understand why we discuss moving fielding prospects up so early when it's our pitching that is garbage.

Robbie Ross puts more effort into catching homers in his cap than he does pitching in relief

I totally take back everything I said about the bottom of our lineup today

About time Hill