oldtimer

I wouldn't let go of Benintendi for anything other than a superstar. The kid has great potential for a lot of years.

I tend to agree with the point of widespread unnderperformance with the bat even given some injury issues in 2017. Guys like JBJ, Betts and Bogey were examples of guys who have hit better but were in regression in the second half. Maybe Bogey's wrist was involved aand Betts hand, but it doesn't explain taking first pitch strikes down the middle and chasing balls off the plate. We may well see a difference under Cora with these guys and can draw further conclusions about the reasons for the underperformance after we see the performance going forward this year. My eye test tells me it had to do with JF and his coaches.

Beware the ghost of Allen Criag

Given that their second halfs were weak at the plate, you would have to think the weakness and taking good pitches early correlate. I also believe these stats were driven by the coaches. Cora can help with that.

With Nunez available, I would delay him until July. No need to rush him back.

Bogey's second halfs have been worse than the first in every year but one. His pitch selection in the second half in 2017 was poor and that has nothing to do with his wrist. His plate mechanics were bad as well and you might infer the wrist had something to do with that or it got into his head. My view is a new hitting coach might help him to be a better and more consistent hitter and even add some pop to his bat. We shall see. If not, his value will drop since his defense is not that strong.

They have Brannen in the wings as a possible replacement for JBJ. The fielding is there but the hitting willl be a question mark as for any very young player.

If Swihart can catch and hit, then Leon may go mid season. Some team always needs a good defensive catcher.

Of those, I would choose Brentz and Swihart. Castillo's salary gets in the way.

I thought Nunez was the best Red Sox hitter last year before the injury. He is definely a plus for the team, if healthy.

DD listened to us and has picked up Nunez on a one year deal provided he passes the physical. He solves the Pedey issue and should allow us to rid ourselves of some of the utility players. The cost is not stated but I doubt if it limits us with JDM or another scenario with a power hitter and pitcher. I think DD may be tired of waiting and ready to go in another direction.

So why are we waiting to pull the trigger? He fits and the cost should be fair. Just do it!

I'm optimistic that there are so potential positives for the team, even without signing JDM and/or Nunez. The first reason for optimism is that Cora and his coaches will bring their own approach, which may add some enthusiasm to the club. Under JF I thought he would stand in the dugout like the Buddha. No excitement there. I also think Cora will look for more aggressiveness with the bat and that may also help some of our hitters, like Bogey and even Hanley. Both took too many pitchesd down the middle ndd swung at pitches off the plate. Among the players, I think several could be expected to do better and several at least have a hope of improvement. Benentendi has added some muscle and has a full year plus of experience. I believe he will hit close to 300 and has a chance of increased power ( maybe 30 HRs) Devers had time to work on his defense and can give us a full season where that natural power could also give us 30 plus HRs and an acceptable average. Hanley's shoulder surgery may well return him close to his 2016 season. I'd accept his salary if he could d that. Moreland starts healthy and can give us a solid bat to go with his good fielding. Vazquez should give us 125 starts this year, with Leon diminished and possibly gone during the season. Bogey is a question mark. He may get some help with new hitting coaching. I hope for our and his sake that he can shake off the bad hitting mechanics and plate approach and do it for a whole season. His fielding isn't top notch so its either hit or be replaced. Not big on Pedroia's return due to his age and recent injuries. He still might be a quality player if we get lucky. Otherwise, get Nunez and do it now. JBJ is you get the same guy as last year Betts may be about the same as last year. Great defender and a solid but not a truly exceptional bat. We can also hope that Price can return to a starter role and be effective and that Porcello also finds himself.

I remember JOhn Farrell said nothing during the Price incident. I often thought of John as the sitting Buddha. Not many signs of emotion going on with him. Many Cora will generate a little more enthusiasm on the team. I guess that is a wait and see.

I would go out and get a healthy Nunez now and that would make Holt that much less needed. If we get rid of Holts salary, then the net positive of Nunez is around $5 million/yr which fits nicely with our bugetary constraints. Waiting for JDM is jeopardizing the possibility of getting Nunez, who would be a valuable addition to our team.

NJ.com has a brief article speculating that with a stalemate developing between Red Sox management and JDM, the Yankees might be willing to trade some contracts ad clear space for giving jdm 6 years at $150 million. If they want him that badly let them go for it. I still would not budge from the Sox offer to him. Time to move on anyway.

We have a new coaching staff who may well restore the fire we may have lacked at times. The season is 162 games and it is hard to stay totally focused throughtout, but I look for Cora to have a positive impact. A second point, Darvish now goes to the Cubs, so perhaps the FA market will begin to crack open.

I think the concept of humiliation of the Patriots is a little foolish. New Englands offense was excellent and I believe Brady would have brought the ball down for a win had the ball not gotten knocked out of his hands. Philadelphia was a very strong team and their offense had just destroyed the Vikings. New Englands defense needed to be better, but it was a competitive and close game. The Celtics are playing well and have made excellent moves to get Kyrie and will only get stronger when all the stars get to play together for a time. Yes, it has been very frustrating with the Red Sox, but the Sox cannot go out and bid against themselves for our best solution. We do need movement, so if JDM is not willing, we need plan B which may include a couple of players. Hope they move or move on and soon.

Here we are at the day before sprig training starts and we have really only one meaningful player returning in Moreland. We don't even have our best hitter back as Nunez gave us life when he came and in last year. Pedey's return has been expected by the optimists to be sometime in May but it is more likely and prudent for him to round into playing shape by the All Star break. I put the extemely slow FA market blame on a combination of Agents and Players placing unrealistic expectations on their value while owners and teams have been badly burned in recent years with FA's like Pablo, Hanley, Price and lots f others who were unable to produce (which is a risk factor with any FA). I have no idea where this is going, but the Sox have to make a decision soon and move on from the JD offer. Either he accepts the Sox offer or they move on. I see they are now talking to LoMo Perhaps when the top FA's sign, the entire market will move. Boras has the biggest mouth and the biggest complainer but probably also has the most responsibility for what has happened in the FA market this year. Maybe the owners/teams will just bypass players he represents and the money bags will be depleted by the time his guys are ready to sign.

The only key part of the lineup we are currently missing is Nunez and of course Pedey until he returns.

Generally, FA's are getting frustrated that they are not getting picked up by teams and here it is nearing the start of spring training. My personal opinion is that teams have been burned in recent years by picking up older free agent players for long term contracts at big bucks and see the risk in doing that. I believe there have been offers out there, like our $125 mil for 5 years to JDM, but the players are not satisfied and want more years and more $. It's a case of the players wanting to set the market based on how much the teams are making rather than their perceived value including the computation of risk. Perhaps the players will take some job action such as boycotting spring training or striking, however, the labor agreeent would preclude that. Unless the players can prove collusion againsts the teams, I think they are on shaky ground and may hurt baseball and ultimately themselves with ill conceived job actions.

I want Nunez as he was a key player from the day he stepped onto the field for the Sox. The Yankees are persuing him as well, so we need to move and to hell with JD.

At 2 years and $17.5 mil total, that seems like a reasonable signing and further sets the tone of the market for older FA sluggers.

Ah, ever the optimist.

The Red Sox Front office has been writing the sequel to Money Ball, the book that laid out the blueprint for how small market teams could stay competitive by trading away players were had reached maximum value for good prospects and by identifying good prospects through Cybermetrics. The sequel is to be called Money Bull, the book that shows the way to spend money unwisely on long term contracts for players who had reached their prime and or are unproven at the ml level and hamstringing the organization. Precursoor reviews of this book may indeed be impacting the FA market.The chapters are: 1. Very Fat Contracts 2. Dread those dreadlocks 3. Craig Lists 4. Cuban defective 5. The Price is wrong and thee outline of a new chapter is coming in: 6. Just Don't give More