oldtimer

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.

I don't see the big fall off coming in 2019. We may put a team on the field that is very similar to that of 2018 and we know how that went.

I see it as one of those pie in the sky suggestions. It won't happen.

I's stay away from Miller. A kelly resign would be a better bet. The hope his WS performance will give him the confidence to be consistent in 2019.

It looks like we only have two catchings slots this year with both Nunez and Holt signed and a possibility og getting Pearce back. I suppose an alternative would be to use Swihart as the backup 1st baseman with Moreland but Swihart is not particularly good batting from the right. If he was used we could have three catchers again. I prefer us getting Pearce back and trading Swihart although keeping him and letting Leon go is an option. We know Leon is a fine receiver who doesn't hit well and probably has a low trade value.

You were right on.

My assumptions are a little different as Pedroia will be given a chance and of course no one knows how the knee will hold up. Wright had the same type of surgery and appears to be in the same category as Pedroia. My assumptions are: 1. Betts RF 2. Beni LF 3. Bogey SS 4. JDM DH 5. Devers 3B 6. Moreland 7. JBJ CF 8. Pedroia 2B 9/!0. Vaz/Leon C 11/13. Utility Holt, Nunez, Pearce SP. Sale, Price, Porcello, E-Rod, Eovaldi RP. Kelly, Barnes, Brasier, Hembree, Feltman, MaddoxTradeale, (Wright if healthy, or Johnson/Velazquez) Tradeable assets: Swihart, Travis, Scott, Smith, Thornburg Others: Don't think Hernandez is a long term solution at 2nd as he would have to come back from shoulder surgery Hate to lose Lin or Chavis as both are certainly either ML talents or close that we might need, especially with Pedroia still uncertain.

We will have him back and Holt is a no-brainer. If we also get Pearce, we will have a full team assuming we keep only two catchers. Swihart will then become a trade asset if the Sox decide to keep Vaz and Leon. Don't think Leon has as much trade value. It looks like the Sox will not need Kinsler again.

Pretty clearly we are the best team in baseball going forward. Other teams will be trying to get better and have both money and resources to make significant changes. They will want to close the gap on us and no doubt will try to sign some of our key resources to weaken us. Kimbrel, Kelly and Eovaldi are expected targets. We may have to throw in the towel on at least one of those but may be able to keep two, if we shed Pomeranz and perhaps Kimbrel as his value in the market may be more than his worth to the team. We need to look at our weak spots and try to bolster those for the 2019 season while trying to stay under the luxury tax penalty limit if at all possible. Moon has done and no doubt will continue to point out our options in that regard. In my opinion our most glaring needs will be finding a replacement closer, rounding out our starting pitching with a 5th capable starter, dealing with the uncertainty at second base and making decisions for our catching stategy going forward. We will go into the season with 13 members of our 25 man roster taking up the field positions and catching. Our outfield is set, our designated hitter is as well. I think Devers will be given a chance to improve at 3rd, Bogey at short and either Moreland or Pearce at 1st. Pedroia is the uncertainty at 2nd but assuming he starts we have 9 defined positions and can have 4 other players. Obviously we need at least one additional catcher so it leaves us open for 3 utility players. Holt is a no-brainer as he can fill many positions and we will need backup support for the infield and outfield. Pearce has limitations as far as flexibility being mainly a 1st baseman or DH candidate. Nunez is flexible enough to backup a number of positions and is a ML level hitter with so so defense. Lin is still out there as is Chaviz. A lot will key around how Cora wants to go with the catcher. it will be difficult to balance our needs, pay our players and stay under the luxury tax limit. DD has done a great job so far so I trust in him.

It appeared obvious to me and was actually said by Cora that he prefers BP arms to feature velocity. Those included Kimbrel, Kelly, Barnes, Brasier and Hembree. All we had beyond them was Workman and Pomeranz. Of course that was during the PO's. we would have taken another pitcher in the regular season in addition to our 5 starters. Possibly that would have been Wright if he was healthy. I don't see Cora changing his attitude so I see Brasier, Barnes and Hembree coming back. I also see us making a push to resign Kelly. He may have turned the corner and become a real candidate for the closer position going forward and might be resigned for significantly less that Kimbrel. I have heard that Feltman looks like he may make the jump to the majors in 2019 and he has legitimate velocity as well. Maybe we have 5 starters (none being Pomeranz and with he and Kimbrel gone we can get Eovaldi) and Kelly, Brasier, Barnes, Hembree, Feltman, Wright and one other. Smith has potential, Poyner would give us a lefty who was nearly on the PO team. Of course we waqnt to keep high potential arms in the minors for future call up.

We won't try to steal your thunder. Every Sox fan is happy to just celebrate. After you kick things off, there will likely be a lot of opinions of how to best go forward. Part of being a fan.

I agree. Plenty of time to discuss the future, which is bright. Now is the time to celebrate what this team has accomplished.