5GoldGlovesOF,75

Bo's mom and dad weren't parking -- they both had more class than that... and more muscles from working out that would trash dashboards, steering wheels and glove compartments.

The someone who said it wasn't the Red Sox exec who signed Kluber.

Bo was literally conceived right behind the Green Monster, where his dad met his mom at a workout club. That's conceive, as in "form an idea... like imagining a new feeling."

I can't even talk about moving the best centerfielder in the league to the infield. It's not like we're desperate to keep his streaky Jackie Bradley bat in the lineup. Ceddanne isn't some reverse Robin Yount Hall of Fame hitter.

Not yet. It's not even as good yet. We basically have the month of January to complete the roster. All the glass is half fool guys will tell you that. The thing is, we know whatever team leaves Florida in March is what you see is what you get. Once the actual season begins, the worst talksox talk is always "it's still early"... in April... and May... and June... and July before the trade deadline... because we all know, nothing really ever changes at the trade deadline. In Boston, Massachusetts, AL East, American League, Major League Baseball.

Go green. Yellow is for cowards.

Since they're not going to pay any free agents, they should just send the $7 mil to talksox.com, where we can all split it up so we can afford to pay increased ticket prices, and overpriced concessions, souvenirs, parking, and cable bills so we can watch them on TV. At least give everybody one dollar each so we can follow all the action with six-month subscriptions to the Globe...

According to bb-ref, the Red Sox paid Rob Ref a total of $5.25 million for his four years in Boston. HUGE MARKET Seattle just committed $6.25 million to Refsnyder for 2026. How can a teeny college town compete with that?

I'd like the best defense, which is Bregman at third, Mayer at shortstop, and Story at second. Mayer has a better arm than Story, who looked really good at second base his first season in Boston.

Glad Brez read my posts about trading 5 young pitchers for Gray and Contreras from St. Loo. I expected pushback here for losing Yoiker, but getting a legit big league bat for a teenage pitcher is the obligation of any CBO/GM. But don't stop there. Nightengale reports this trade now takes Boston out of the Marte sweepstakes -- why? Contreras isn't a second baseman, and nobody else is a primary 2B on the MLB roster. If I buy a big salty pretzel at a ballgame, does that mean I no longer need a beer to wash it down?

...with an Opt Out if you're good, and a player option if you suck -- just so he has to pay you for another year at this year's market rate, rather than sign a replacement next year at the new always-higher market rate. I hate this post. It's not even a joke.

He has to make trades -- not for the future, but for the now. There's no other way around this if their business plan is to eliminate longterm free agent contracts. This team isn't good enough -- we're still missing an entire infield, except for a shortstop in his 30s who just had his first healthy season (at least 100 games played) in four years in Boston. Breslow has smartly stockpiled young pitching, and it's time to use that trade capital to fill all the other holes around the diamond and in the batting order. It's great to have a couple dozen live arms in the system, but if you're not going to rest half of them for the postseason like only the Dodgers can afford to do, then use those resources accordingly.

... but I just looked at the revised Soxprospects.com list and here's what's to glean: Of Boston's Top 12 rated prospects, NINE ARE PITCHERS. Of the three position players, one is 20 and the other two are teenagers. So... a ways away. Yes, we graduated or traded away several promising position guys in the past year, but only one is a guaranteed regular in the starting line-up -- which needs help asap. Swap some arms that throw for some bigger arms that swing the bat and make consistent contact. Or wait til the year after next year after next season after the next one.

The point is it wasn't always this way in the Henry Century. When the Red Sox were chasing the Yankees in the 00s -- 8 straight second-place finishes -- the winters were full of excitement and suspense because the Sox were truly All In Full Throttle. Any top free agent or small market star was subject to bidding wars between NY and Boston as each tried to keep or gain an edge. That was a refreshing time; after decades of Steinbrenner monopolizing the markets, the Sox finally had an owner and GM determined to give them an equal chance. We won some, we lost some, and you knew the front office cared as much as we did when Epstein trashed a hotel room after just missing out on signing Jose Contreras. Now, there are half a dozen clubs keeping pace with the Yanks. And one pretending to every winter... Sure, the Red Sox still seek to make improvements in the offseasons -- but it's always on their strict terms, which often take months longer than other hungrier contenders. And fans do a lot of waiting around for an anticlimax.

I was thinking the same thing about why multitudes of Sox fans are so bitter every winter. Ownership has made us that way. It's not really a trap to speculate and be enthusiastic, because diehards want to do both, and the media has to because it's their job. Mookie's quotes THIS WEEKEND about never wanting to be traded and wanting to play his entire career in Boston just keep the wounds open. My son read me a few from his phone, but when I saw the headline on NESN.com today, I couldn't even click it.

As long as all preseason ticket sales to Fenway Park come with an opt out. Don't tell me it's time to upgrade and time to add, and then you couldn't make it happen because things just didn't align. (not a plug, but there's align right past Fenway on David Ortiz Drive to Mighty Squirrel Brewing, where I'd rather spend time and money right now...)

That's why I deleted my middle schoolish post to moon's percentage chart... ...trying to be more subtle, which is what basically got me through teaching unfired (never had problems with kids folks, because at the time I was not apparent). woof, Oddball

How can the impotent Retread Sox possibly trade one of the Big Three -- when they hit more home runs combined in their abbreviated rookie year than three guys pencilled in for full-time roles for the new year which begins in less than two weeks? 2025 HRs: Anthony 8 + Campbell 6 + Mayer 4 = 18 Longballs vs.............. Romy 9 + Yoshida 4 + Casas 3 = 16 dingers. (all those guys only hit one less homer than Raffy)

Great - we can trade for some prospects who make minimum wage and give us another pretension of contention in a few years.

If we add a second basement, we're sure to end up in the cellar again.

Let me tell you how it will be There's one for fans, 19 for Henry Cause it's the tax line Yaaah, the tax line Should Wild Card appear too small Be thankful Brez don't trade them all Cause it's the tax line EEE-HAH, the tax lie

There's no window in the Bronx; it's a barn door -- no, a three-car garage, 3 doors up -- wait, an airplane hangar, doorless, wide open... everything just got stolen.

I'm not against adding Marte or disputing he would improve the Red Sultans' offense, but I'd rather not give up Tolle or Early or Mayer for him -- because the owners can afford to just PAY money to another good hitter. I feel I should have a say in this, since every time I go to Fenway, I always have to pay for seats and concessions and souvenirs. They never accept any of my trade offers instead -- and I have a perfectly broken-in Rawlings Gold Glove that is embossed with the words Gold Glove right on it, and an Old Hickory 34" JD Martinez model that definitely has some hits left in it.

Aren't starlings those birds that fly in a huge flock to make designs in the sky and distract drivers? We want to call the ketel marte.

With a painful prospect cost and concerns about Marte's character and age of attrition (or attrition from aging), the better pivot for acquiring an infielder with an All-Star bat would be to just spend money on Bichette. But of course, the Boston Red Sox are one of only two clubs in the 30-team MLB this winter NOT to sign a single free agent. They haven't even signed a married one.