oldtimer

With 9 field players including a DH and 2 catchers a given, we now have 3 utility players so either Swihart or Leon will not be with us next season. You can eliminate one salary there. I also only see 10 pitchers on your list with a potential for a starter and reliever. How much might they add? Could be $20 Mil between them to reach the high 230 million region. Even with that said, we still have uncertainty with Pedroia. His viability in 2019 is still a legitimate question. Could we wind up with Sandoval's and Pedroia's contracts for $32 mil being unproductive? Sure looks like a possibility.

It is interesting, in that after next year we will potentially have an open position at 1st base with Both Moreland and Pearce contracts up, while in 2019 we have the same strong 1st base presence we had in 2018. DD with have the flexibility to move Devers to 1st for 2020, go to the FA market or potentially move a minor leaguer up. Looks like the 1 year contract was designed to maintain flexibility going forward. Another excellent DD move.

All the talk now is just blather to keep our interest up in the sox during the off season, which is a good thing. I think it is getting close to time to give new years predictions. I predict that DD will go out and make one or more changes that no one here is suggesting or talking about and DD's changes will be helpful to the Sox. Keeps me in a positive frame of mind.

They are even putting ads up in side panels when the game is on. It's as if they are conditioning us for more and more ads and less and less actual content.

I'm with you on this. DD may make moves none of us are talking about. We are weak at RP, second, could improve at catcher and will definitely need starting pitching by 2020. It doesn't look like we can fill those needs from within, so look for DD to address them in a way that will be benficial for the club. So far he has done very well and one would hope that will continue.

I'm suggesting he has less wear and tear on him. Maybe he could produce for a few years. I'd take him ahead of what else we may get.

Playing for a team that may well repeat in the World Series has a monetary value that can be exploited and also there is a winners share. Nothing to sneeze at for a guy that hasn't been getting lucrative contracts.

And because of Tommy John he has pitched a lot less innings.

I wouldn't assume we won't sign Pearce. If we can get him for 2 years at reasonable money he is the perfect backup for Moreland. He is older and has been around, so there may not be a lot of clubs willing to bid his contract value up. I wouldn't experiment with JDM at this point in his career. DH and backup outfielder worked last year and can again in 2019. If he has another great year for us, he may become too expensive to keep, what with our other young stars wanting to get paid. If we are weakened due to pitching in 2020, then do we want to spend big on him? Lin will never be a big hitter but he looks like he can hold his own at the plate and is fast, has a good glove, can backup three infield positions and could backup the outfielld if needed. He is the kind of utility player that would be high on my list if we get to needing someone beyond Holt and Nunez.

If Holt does indeed wind up taking the majority of time at second, we then only haqve Nunez available to sub in for short and third. It would be good to have Lin available on the 40 man roster as he can handle the infield positions except for 1st. Marco Hernandez spent a year out of baseball activities with a maqjor injury. Can he make it back to a level where he would help? Big question there.

I don't see how we keep 3 catchers. We have uncertainty at 2nd base and we will likely keep 13 field players. The starters with a backup catcher make 10 and we have Nunez and Holt already and they are needed as infield subs, particularly in view of Pedroia probably only a part time player. If we backup 1st with Pearse, our lineup is set. I suppose we could backup first with Swihart, but his best hitting is from the left side and that does not complement Moreland's strength. Barring any trades from our starting roster (unlikely) we will have 2 cattchers. The real question is Vaz and who?

Sorry to hear you have been ill. If you have a large hernia, you will probably need surgery. Best of luck with that.

The predictions on Kimbrel is that he will get offered $15 mil for up to 5 years. That sounds like too much for us. Kelly is predicted to get offered 9 million a year for 3 years. Is that too much for us? He is not a sure thing at closer. We do need to fill the closer type role so this is a tough call for DD.

Our farm system is somewhat depleted, but as far as promotion to the club, how many players do you need per year? I would assume 2 or 3 is all that can move forward. This year relief pitching, starting pitching and maybe one position player is all that would possibly move up. The rest of our guys are trade material and that is how they were used. Now we do have low draft picks, because of our performances the laast few years We just don't get the top picks when making the playoffs.

With 13 non pitchers on the 25 man roster, we will have 9 starting players including the DH and must have a 2nd catcher. So we can have 3 other players on the 25 man. I think they will be Holt, Nunez and Pearce but who knows for sure? It does leave us with a risk factor in the Pedey may have trouble handling a full schedule even if he makes it back. Having two bench players capable of filling in for 3 infield spots when you have a second baseman at risk doesn't leave a lot of margin for injuries, illness or the like. Hope we hold onto Lin and can shelter him in the minors as he at least is a reasonable backup. Is he out of options?

1. Xander is a better fit for our team and will cost much less. I seriously doubt if we would even consider Machado. 2. I would certainly recommend bringing back Eovaldi but would cap any contract offer at 4 years. 3. Kelly seems to have made a transition to become a reliable setup man, if not a closer. I would try to resign him first and then if that fails look at other FA and/or trade deals for a closer. It sounds like Feltman may make the team as a RP some time next year. Wright with his leg problem is an unknown for us at this time. If we do get Eovaldi, we would have 5 starters. If we sign Kelly we would have Barnes, Brasier, Kelly, Hembree, Wright (LR/Starter), Poyner/Johnson, Feltman? Sounds pretty solid as we have 3 candidates for closer there. 4. I think we will need Pearce if at all possible for 2019 and it may take a 2 year contract offer to get him. That would leave us with 3 utility guys in Holt, Nunez and Pearce and requires moving back to 2 catchers. If we can hold on to Lin in the minors there would be protection enough.

Cora actually was quoted saying that when making his BP selection for the WS.

Cora likes guys with velocity. Kelly and Eovaldi both fit that criterion.

In reality, the majority of the 25 man roster is already set, with DD having limited resources to replace key losses and to reduce risks. A subject that might be discussed is what Cora and the Sox should discuss with the players as avenues of improvement. I don't have a lot in mind at this point but would suggest a couple. 1. Dever should work on his weight and trim down a little. He has the body type that is broad to start with and at a listed 239 pounds and around 6 feet tall he was over what he should have been as an infielder. If he could trim down to 220 or 215 it could help his range and maybe avoid later joint issues. 2. Beni has nice swing mechanics but I notice far too many balls fouls off to his left and a lot of weakly hit balls to left field. I would like to see him develop more ability to hit to all fields. He is a young player and it would help his game. 3. E-Rod has been said to have great stuff but he continued throughout the year to nibble around the edges of the plate and often going deep into coulds and walking batters. The result was a 5 inning pitcher. If he truly has the stuff to be a No. 3 starter he needs to change his approach to get deeper into games. 4. JBJ is a great fielder with a marginal hitting capability. At his age and experience level, I believe it is what we see is what we will continue to get. He did contribute to the Sox in the PO's and that is enough. I don't have other comments, thinking what the players do is already the best we can expect from them. I just would want these players to maintain a good workout plan and stay in shape for the upcoming season.

Our fans appreciate what Kimbrel has done for us and he may well have a couple of more good years. It all comes down to how much he will be offered on the FA market in both $ and length of contract. DD and Cora are intelligent guys and I trust them to make the right decision for the Sox in Kimbrel's case. Finding another quality closer at reasonable money will not be that easy but they will get something acceptable done if need be.

Many of us are saying that Kimbrel's value to another team, both in amount and duration of contract offer may be more than the value he can provide to the Sox. Saying that is not demeaning Kimbrel or what he has done for the Sox, but common sense has to reign here.

If the Sox resign Pearce and have Nunez and Holt, there is no room for a 3rd catcher. Pearce gves us more than Swihart. I suppose Pedey is in question but I do expect him to be the starting 2nd baseman. I think Moreland won't be traded so its either Swihart or Leon to go.

A risk area on the team involves how well Pedey can make it back for 2019. I hate to address that with only Holt and Nunez covering 2nd, 3rd and SS. I expect Pedey to only play a partial season at best. I hope Pedey will return at least to a performance level that will be adequate, but the risk is there. I subscribe to the idea of Pearce, Kelly and Eovaldi, if we can sign them. That would put our 2019 team close to where it was in 2018. Kimbrel's value to us would likely be lower than the contract he would be offered on the FA market. I expect we will go with 2 catchers in 2019. Either Leon or Swihart will go or both and we pick up another, which is less likely. We have a high potential reliever in the minors in Feltman who may make the club this year. With 5 starters, Kelly, Barnes, Brasier, Hembree back we are on the way to an acceptable BP. One key is whether Wright's physical health. If healthy, he is a great addition as a possible 6th starter and also out of the pen. Probably could use a lefty reliever. Could we use Poyner, go on the market. If we can solve the BP in that way we might be able to let Thornburg, Smith and even Workman go in trades.

Both can be good managers. Boosting one doesn't take away from the good qualities of the other. One way to look at it is to find the good qualities common in both and by that approach finding what makes a good manager. Making the players feel comfortable and having a harmonious and goal oriented clubhouse appears to be part of what they both did well until the discord that seemed to arise in Tito's later Sox career. To be fair, he was battling issues with illness at that time.

With who we got coming back in 2019, we don't need a tremendous set of minor league prospects. If we can sign Eovaldi, Kelly, add a BP arm and resign Pearce, we are very strong. We do have Groome and Feltman as prospects with at least one with a possibility of making the team in 2019. Casas is at least a year away but might be a logical step from Moreland and Pearce.