oldtimer

That has been Cora's mo all season and I believe a weak spot in his style. Of course its arguable that resting players at times may improve the overall results, I just hate to see us playing with a couple of weaker players and then lose by one. My main gripe is that many on the team lack that refuse to lose mentality and parade up to the plate and back. Are we not that good? Is there a lack of drive and desire? Is that coaching sub-standard. I don't know the answers to those questions, but we certainly look very weak as a team so something is wrong.

I don't think we can mess with GM candidates before the season ends for the teams and maybe not before the WS or we will be called for tampering. The sooner we can get our guy the better. We need a mover and shaker since this team seems to be too complacent and in a season long malaise. The manager, coaches and players need to show some fire. Tough on the guys who do as many of them have already packed it in.

We didn't put our best team on the field last night. Cora chose to rest a couple of players. Owings is not ml caliber, makes you wonder why the Sox got him. We are going to be a well rested team in October sitting on the couch and watching the playoffs. I do believe it is on the Mgr., coaches and players. I see little fire with maybe the exception of Mookie of late. A few young players who are out to make a splash would pick up this teams energy level if not talent. Our inability to score against so so pitching is equally hurting us. Our new GM has got to be a bit of a hard ass to get things stirred up a bit and players seeing the game as more than a pay check.

Cora is back to resting players, Bogaerts tonight, maybe Betts tomorrow. Thats Cora's style as he thinks that the turf in Toronto is tough on players. We are playing with less than a full deck and some of those are slumping. Bring in some young players. What difference does it make.

Yes, I knew that but I didn't know the statements about $257 Mil were usiing Castillo's cost until I saw it in the string.

Trades usually work with both parties getting something nearly equal in value which fits their parrticular needs. In this case we got very little and they got something pretty good. Bad result for us but that can and will happen. If it happens too often, the GM may pay the price.

It is confirmed that Cora will be back next year and he probably will have learned from what worked and what didn't this year. One wonders if there will be changes in any of the coaches though. Is it all on the players or are the coaches also held accountable when the results in their area of expertise are subpar? Thats up to the insiders on the team to answer as I doubt fans really have access to enough information to make an informed judgment. Whoever the new GM is, I hope he has the strength of will to get rid of those who underperform whether they be players, coaches or even the manager.

Some names to consider Mike Hazen Matt Arnold Michael Girsch Probably restricted from having conversations until after the WS.

Maybe that explains it. I was thinking it might have been one more reason for firing DD.

I didn't miss JDM, he is listed under possible Opt Out. I also have several who I don't see as detrius that are possible trades and/or DFAs. I certainly am not for blowing the team up. It probably won't be necessary to get below $208 mil for the reset. I did miss Duran though and he could make the team next season as an outfielder. The next GM will have some tough decisions and JDM and perhaps Mookie may make them for him.

An article today under Red Sox Rumors claims we are going to be at $257 mil this year so the draft may be impacted again/I wonder if that number got DD fired?

That's a lot of money, particularly when coupled into a long term contract. Injuries or declining performance are always a consideration. He is really a top of the line players so it is hard to assess what is fair but I would like us to stay strong 1 through 9 and also have good pitching. Will he accept a fair and equitable decision or will he just look for top dollar anywhere? Maybe paying top dollar for a DH is hampering us somewhat in making the Mookie decision. There are financial limits and in the not too distant future Devers will also command big money.

For 2020 the New GM will have his hands full with the roster. I expect him to think along the lines stated below: Core Keepers: Bogaerts, Vazquez, Rodriguez, Benintendi, Devers, D Hernandez, Walden and Taylor Those we will have on contract that we can't move: Price, Sale, Eovaldi, Pedroia (hope for the best) Those we expect to keep: Betts, Barnes, Workman, Holt, Chavis,Latkins, Maddox, Weber, Chacin, Smith Those possibly traded/dfaed: Leon,Hembree, Bradley,Johnson,M Hernandez,Travis, Lin, Poyner, Brewer, Shawayan, Kelley Opt out possible: Martinez Those Gone: Cashner, Moreland, Nunez**, Pearce, Owings, Wright, Hembree,Brasier, Velazquez, G Hernandez, Centeno, Renda Possible Added: Houck,Mata, Dalbec, Chatham, Okimey, Felton Other: Castillo Even this list leaves us possibly short on a backup catcher, starting pitching and also BP pitching. Good luck to our new decision maker. Will it be Mike Hazen?

We have a home grown candidate in Mike Hazen. I imagine he will get a look although due diligence has to be done and there are others out there who might fit. Assistants in the Cardinals or A's organization are mentioned as quality options.

Agreed. Most of us like to reason through what we see as deficiencies and of course we don't know the full story, yet it is interesting to do so and to hear what others are thinking. My view is the ownership will ask for a reset but will still be willing to spend up to the first tier of the competitive balance tax. That is certainly not cheap but does put us in a better place when 2021 comes around. I expect that the FO will try to keep most of the core of good young players while adding from the minors or low cost acquisitions to field a competitive team in 2020. They will also have to let some players go among whom may be one or two some would rather keep. I am looking for the ownership to hire a new GM with a history of farm system development and also one willing to collaborate in making the tough decisions that the current situation will make necessary

Get someone with genuine credentials for building a farm, running a team and making hard decisions. Big Papi is not that guy although he is through and through a baseball man and a Sox legend.

DD should be remembered for both the good he achieved and for the terrible state he has left the team in. Lets learn from it. Money needs to be spent wisely and moves which decimate the farm will have repurcussions in following years. This game needs it stars and it also needs to have a constant flow of players coming from the farm or through low cost acquisitions. That balance is not easy to attain, but is easy to screw up. So instaed of blaming DD we should learn from it and proceed in a positive manner. We can remain somewhatt competitive while rebuilding to a team which competes at the highest level. Thats a positive view and can be accompliished. Those who stand in the way should be gone. Lead, follow but don't get in the way.

Oakland has spent less money that we have in underperforming contracts, yet they are going to the playoffs and wee aren't. Spending big is only one of the criteria, the other is spending wisely.

This is plain silly. The Sox need to develop a mission statement if they don't already have one. I would think it involves resetting the salary structure to below the 1st tier of the competitive balance tax while keeping most or all of their young core players and trying to remain as competitive as possible. This while starting the process of rebuilding a farm system which emphasizes player development and pitching development in particular. Achieving that will require letting underperforming contracts play out if they can't be traded away at a reasonable cost (probably can't) and making hardheaded decisions about every facet of the team. Coaches, Managers, players evaluated on performance. No room for sentimentality here. Clearly it will require fillling some of the field and pitching positions from the minor leagues or with low cost acquisitions. Maybe a couple of diamonds in the rough with come out of that. I hope so as young players can bring some fire that seems to be lacking. Managerial and player leadership is required. Lets see someone who bangs his bat on the dugout or shows some signs of refusing to lose. We have some very good players now so lets mold them and add to them over time. Last night for instance we had a good starting pitching performance but couldn't put together a single run, despite 3 hits from JBJ and 2 by Vaz. Sad showing again.

Yet the team can and does get shutout with the bats going cold. Right now there is a period where we need some fire but the fire has gone out in our bats. Statistics don't tell the story.

These are facts, yet you also chose to annotate with judgments about non tenders, etc. In that case, JBJ is probably a trade or non-tender and Marco is a possible trade or non-tender. Clearly if we non-tender Leon and Centeno, we will have to find a backup catcher, the same with JBJ if we go that route we will have to add a CF.

We aren't privy to the day to day interworkings of the Red Sox and Peter Gammons is much closer than any of us but still probably didn't get a first hand understanding of the issues. I assume that some of the moves that DD made and was further recommending were not supported by many of the insiders in the organization. When those moves, like the Sale and Eovaldi extensions and perhaps the signings of Moreland and Pearce didn't work out, DD was in line to take all of the blame. If his recommendations seemed like he was going in the wrong direction to JH, a change had to be made. After a couple of years of spending up to or over the second tier of the competitive balance tax, it certainly looks like the Sox are headed in the wrong direction. DD apparently confronted ownership and wanted to know if he was going to be extended. Can't blame him for that based on the many rumors floating around. When the told him that he wouldn't be, it was all over and DD vacated his post. In truth, it probably is best that DD is gone early, since the team is out of it this year and needs to start the talent search for the future. There are key decisions to be made. To reset or not to reset. To resign Mookie or not. Ditto with JBJ and maybe JDM. They need to formulate a business plan going forward and have a mission statement. i didn't see DD as the guy to make the difficult changes to draw down below $208 Mil, start to rebuild the farm while retaining our young core and remaining at least somewhat competitive.

I have been expecting this for some time, although I thought they might wait for the season to end. Dombrowski spend the money and traded away the farm in order to make us competitive and give us a chance to win the WS. With the team resources depleted, he didn't look like the guy to rebuild and reset. They can look for the right guy. I suggested a name earlier but I'm sure there are other stroong possibilities. If you look at Dave's recent moves, he extended Sale and Eovaldi, put Moreland and Pearce in place again and extended Bogie. Some were good moves but most were moves that will weigh the Sox down for years to come. I don't think this parting ways with Dombrowski will impact the decision on Mookie but I do think it means reset, rebuilding of the farm system and an approach that I have advocated. Keep the young player core together while replacing guys who don't fit long term. Bring in some young low cost players and see if any can make the grade. It may mean hard headed changes as well. Coaches or players who don't make the grade are gone.

Vaz doesn't play every day, Travis is a marginal hitter, JBJ is streaky, going from awful to decent. Right now he is back to bad. When those guys are in the game we sacrafice 3 abs an inning. I'm for improving while cutting payroll everywhere possible. Our top 7 are as good as anyone's but they shouldn't have to carry all the load. We heard the same kind of arguments for the past few years. JBJ hasn't improved but his salary expectations have crept up. I agree that the starting pitching is a key going forward and the BP could use a closer and maybe a couple of good arms. Hard to do that if we wind up offering JBJ a 3 year $21 mil contract, don't you think? I know you didn't suggest that but another did and it sounds like going in the wrong direction.

I would love to see the team head in the direction of a good hitter at every position. Hard to do, but other teams have accomplished it. JBJ will never be a good hitter, steaky at best. Leon is the same and our second and first base positions have been weak due to injuries and to lack of talent. At least try to retain our good guys and improve where we are weak. Get rid of guys who won't help us in 2021 and 2022. Of course starting pitching is our weakest position, followed by our pen. We have significant limitations with all the money tied up in Price, Sale, Eovaldi and Pedroia. Those 4 alone are paid more than the total budget of Oakland. We also have one of the, if not the weakest farm systems. Reset this year, bring in some low cost minor league types who may be better than ones we have and try to avoid making the same contract mistakes of the past. Draft better and develop what we have. That probably means say bye bye to DD.