Hugh2

This team could really use a corner infielder with a right handed bat. You could always play Hanley at 1B against some lefties and rotate the DH position to give some guys a day off in the field. Would be a good opportunity to get Young some at bats vs. LHP.

I liked Ben, and I really like DD as a G.M. too. I thought they were the right GM's for the right time. I get that we are in our window now, and worrying about the team in 3-4 years when the championship window looks different is a great problem to have. I'm curious as to what people think this team would look like if DD came in 2-3 years earlier and gutted the team then? Personally I think he would have taken a different approach.

ahhh ok gotcha, that makes much more sense to me.

comparing different years top 10 lists can be very very misleading and is a poor exercise. Will Middlebrooks was our top prospect at one point, but if he was in the system at the end of last year he'd likely barely crack the top 10. We all know prospects bust, and there is a certain level of risk, but you have to have a little perspective. Would it be fair to compare the Sox 2010 draft to it's 2011 draft? Would you put Vitek/Brentz/Ranaudo/Workman/Cecchini on par with Swihart/Owens/JBJ/Betts/Barnes/Shaw???? Sure the 2011 had busts too. You have more busts than hits in the best of drafts but it's still unfair to compare just as it is to compare systems of different years with varying degrees of strength if the standard is how many of these guys will (or better yet should) succeed.

That doesn't make sense because Moncada and Kopech are about on the up as anyone out there. Kopech especially. I'd be willing to bet his ranking significantly increases in the pre 2017 rankings. Kelly was a two way prospect further away, and Rizzo was a great prospect in hindsight but at the time he was nowhere near as valuable as Kopech is now. Also if we want to dream on the future, adding another pitcher who can reach 100 in Victor Diaz sweetens the pot too. Kopech/Moncada >>>>> Kelly/Rizzo. Fuentes is probably on par with Luis Alexander Basabe, although I could see an argument putting him higher but that might only be due to the 1st round draft pick shine. If anyone thinks the cost for a 1st baseman ends up being the same as arguably the best pitcher in the American league then the Red Sox just got the steal of the century. Perhaps we should look at this differently. Does Moncada/Kopech/Basabe/Diaz equal Kelly/Rizzo/Fuentes???? I'd say no. If people knew Rizzo was going to be now that makes this package look even better.

Ok I think I got it now! Yes injury is always a concern and it seems like we've always had bad luck trading for relievers that can stay healthy. Hopeful Thornburg breaks the mold, and I do have optimism that Smith can come back and be really good for the next few years.

That's a good point, but it shouldn't be the go to excuse to just trade as many prospects as it takes every time. Personally I like this deal, but I thought the Kimbrel trade was too much. And trying to maintain a strong farm and being competitive does not have to be mutually exclusive, that's my main point.

There system was already on the way back up before those trades as well. Before they brought in any talent they already had Jorge Mateo, Aaron Judge, Miguel Andujar, Gary Sanchez, Dustin Fowler. These guys were already in their system and they also had a lot of lower level guys in their system that are toolsy but too far away and without track records that people really like. They also drafted Blake Rutherford this year too. They were arguably a top 10 system before their trades and easily in the top half of baseball. Now after the trades they are a top 3 system and arguably the best.

FTR I think the step up in talent from Kimbrel/Pomeranz to Sale vs. the step up in talent to the prospects exchanged in those deals makes this his best one yet. I really do like this deal, I'm just stepping back and taking a macro view at the long term horizon.....which in the short term looks very very good.

I have no problem with the DD strategy and I am so so excited for this team over the next 3 years but I do remain a little nervous to what the drop off could be down the road. I don't buy into the whole "well more prospects will come argument" I think that fails to understand the process of how teams bring in talent and how that playing field has drastically changed over the past several years. So much of our talent came from one jackpot draft in 2011. This was the last draft where teams could spend freely without penalties and loss of draft picks and this allowed the Sox to draft high school talents and throw money at them like Swihart, Owens, Betts and others. New rules in the past CBA which still exist in the current one really takes away the financial advantage big market teams have in the draft to make up for picking lower. Also the landscape has drastically changed in the international market as well which will have an impact. There will be prospects to come, they will get lucky with a guy, but don't think for one second the Sox are as capable as ever as building the farm system that was stripped away. Perhaps this is a problem for another day, and we should just sit back and enjoy the next few years and largely I will. I just hope they find other ways to stay competitive down the road.

The farm exists to supplement the big league team. You do that two ways by either developing from within or trading to bring in guys to fill your mlb roster where it is weak. There always seems to be a fight between emptying the farm to buy a team or saving all the prospects and developing from within. I've always been a firm believer in timing, timing is everything and there is a time and a place for both strategies. Ben C. was the right G.M. at the right time, the cost for a Bogaerts, JBJ, or Betts now would be much more than their prospect value 3 years ago. You do the math! the reason why these moves will make the Sox better is because they already have a good team to build them around. Chris Sale couldn't do crap on a crappy team in Chicago what would he look like Boston this past year if we traded Bogaerts/Betts/Barnes/JBJ for him a couple years ago? I'll give credit where credit is due. DD has built a team that could be favored to win the WS next year. But he came into a team that had a stacked farm and a solid young core. It may end up being that he made the right moves at the right time that other G.M's wouldn't have the balls to make but lets not forget the patients it took to get us here.

All it takes is going under 1 year to reset.

You just can't help yourself can you? I get that you live to temper Sox fans expectations but we did just land Chris Effing Sale!!!

Didn't Pablo get skinny before and then fat again? I mean he looked pretty darn good in some of these pictures but I'll reserve judgement until he actually PLAYS well and fit. I'm an optimist though, and America loves a good comeback story.

I agree, see my edit.

How many teams have fared much better? Developing TOTR potential is the hardest and rarest thing in this game. We could go around in circles all day with this argument. But farm systems are there to supplement the club, and sometimes that means trading from where you're strong for where you're weak. Overall, I think the Sox have done pretty damn well to assemble this team.

Idk, have you seen Pablo? he's looking to be in the BSOHL. Let's just hope he doesn't fall off the wagon.

Ok I thought you were implying he did something wrong. What you mean was the Sox may have made a mistake in trading for a guy who was injured? But I highly doubt that is the case, teams are supposed to have access to medical record and perform physicals on guys. Many injuries can be freakish or acute in nature. It's highly unlikely to be able to predict when a guy is going to get injured unless he is already injured. Now you can look at a guys deliver, and arm angle and say "hey, that doesn't look right he will probably get injured don't trade for him" but if that's the basis you're going after then i'd be a little worried about Chris Sale. In reality, how many pitchers miss 1/2 a season to a whole season at least once in their careers? I'd suspect the majority who do not are not good enough to spend significant time in the majors.

Remember when the Sox had to give up Bogaerts for a pitcher, then it was Betts, then it was they held onto JBJ and others for too long? I've always been a build from within kind of guy who has stuck with the concept of developing your youth. But the time is now, those guys are up and in their prime. You pretty much have C/SS/2B/LF/CF/RF locked up for the next 4 years. Now was the time to build around those guys and Moncada/Basabe had no place on this team. Sure, if they are as good as we think they are you could easily find a place for them but you didn't have to and you got SALE for them. As big of a prospect homer as I am the minor league does provide different avenues to serve your team: Building from within, and trading to fill team needs. It made more sense in the past several years to be more patient with the farm system and to hoard the prospects. But now that we have a playoff caliber team, it made sense to cash in some chips and build around our young talent. I love this deal.

I bet the Sox don't go after Encarnation

Not that I disagree with the notion that NOW is the time the Sox should be going for it so in that light this is a great trade. But Benny boy was the guy who gave up one year of Yoenis Cespedes to sign Rick Porcello to a very team friendly contract. I understand that's a hindsight decision, but his motives were that he was buying low on Rick....and was BENNY BOY right.

I'm sorry but you traded a guy who was considered by many to be the most talented prospect in all of baseball for Pomeranz. If all he is, is a reliever then I hate that trade even more. You traded for Pomeranz because you thought he was a young stud coming into his own. If that's what you believe, then you write off his second half performance on fatigue and stick him back in the rotation with the hopes that a full season of starting has built up some stamina in his arm. I like what Wright did, but he didn't exactly impress down the stretch and Pomeranz was pretty darn good the first half too.

No. That was a signing bonus not salary.

Yes, they are. He's ranked the #1 prospect in baseball for a reason. If you don't get the #1 ranked prospect to headline a deal for an ACE who do you get? They also got a pitcher who has TOTRS potential as well. They also got a toolsy CF prospect and a lower level pitcher who throws in the high 90's and has touched 100 (I'm 99% of this unless I'm thinking of someone else) It's a really good deal for both teams.

True, but prospects are a numbers game. One reason why the Patriots are so great at drafting is because they always stock pile picks. The same could be said of prospects. The more you have the better chance at producing MLbers you have. Getting that second guy back in a trade as a throw in has paid dividends before. I'm ok with this trade, I like it. I'm just pointing out the one thing I didn't like about it, which doesn't really mean anything at all because I'm happy with the overall trade.