5GoldGlovesOF,75

If the concept of a pen is keep things in, then the Red Sox need to open all the gates, turn off the electric fence, cut all the barbed wire, and hit the hay.

I approve of this message, and I'm not running for anything.

The comparisons to the situations of Betts and Devers may be similar, but a valid question is who is the best bet to produce a consistent HOF career going forward? Some of the factors could include age, injury history, body type, and (the perception of) personality. For the latter, we know Raffy can hit hard line drives to the opposite field on outside pitches any time he wants, but we've also seen him try to obliterate every single pitch to kingdom come the last month; is that his way of overcompensating for a nagging injury? This is a guy who can hit liners on pitches that bounce in the dirt... Will he mature and someday contain his swing just enough to lead the league in batting average, as well as OPS? Has his fielding also been affected by ailments? Already slowed by leg and/or back ssues, is Devers' body at age 25 worth investing in for the next decade and committing $300 million dollars?

That's always been my point. Verdugo's batting .284, and only five RBIs from the team lead, and he's still only 0.4 WAR better than a replacement player? Watching him play defense or run the bases sometimes, and it seems like his ceiling is no higher than the top of a door. And I like the guy... Like Bell alludes to, there are questions about Betts in Boston that will never be answered. But seeing how fast, long-and-large the Dodgers moved on locking him up, I'm convinced Friedman had every intention -- and confidence -- of dealing for Mookie to keep him in LA. But fans will never know what's really discussed behind closed texts between execs, agents, players and their families...

Not necessarily, if he wins the trade. But the return would have to include a few diamonds in the polish, specifically on the mound. If ownership expects an another quick about-face in the MLB standings, the organization has to be committed to spending both funds and prospect capital on massive amounts of pitching. We're talking three legitimate established arms that are more dependable than injury comebacks in their mid- to late-30s. And since the last time Boston splurged to acquire a relief ace in his prime was the Kimbrel trade in 2015, expect an influx of starters. The new rotation members should be innings-eaters to solidify the bullpen by lessening the workload, and also by moving younger guys like Houck and Whitlock to the backend permanently. As uncomfortable as it is to ponder for fandom, the front office knows that Devers is its best trade chip for a successful overhaul...

Long Gone: Dixie Lee Boxx was hotter than Annie Savoy.

We're Numbah 13!

Remdawg always tried to be multicultural: Spanish greetings, Italian food Here comes the pizza!, nibbling grasshoppers, playing air guitar...

We get you, Moon. A Globe story last week said the Red Sox' actual spending -- not what they owed before Bloom took over -- was only ranked 13th of 30 teams (and it added "15th, not counting Story"... though, I don't know how we couldn't). But even Sam Kennedy noted yesterday that a lot of dough is coming out of the oven this winter. Let's see if they can cook up something new (please, no more refried beans).

I seriously doubt Red Sox Nation cares or even thinks about the team paying a starting outfielder a whole $3 million less than what was wasted on Garrett Richards last year. Even if it's two or three posters who post daily about the budget the budget the budget -- the rest of us could care less if Chaim Bloom is "allowed" to spend $40 million or $400 million... it's who he spends it on, and how those players perform that matters.

"98 with a change" -- that's a primetime Rays' pitcher already. Can't you just see Bello all over the Tampa moundscape: opener, bulk, high lev relief, then all of sudden he's throwing a no-hitter through seven, and the rest of the division goes, "Who dat?" Bello is winless with a bad ERA, but anyone watching closely sees a guy not that far away from MLB success. He's already better than Darwinzon, and I trust the front office not to trade him for mediocrity used to promote the guise of temporary stability. What sets Bello apart from all the other young Red Sox pitchers: he has dominated at every level except one (so far). And many of those peers he dominated will soon join him again at this last level.

Ol Franch -- good ole or bad ole -- maybe the worst defensive Red Sox player in recent memory, because he can't play outfield nor first base. But here's how bad this '22 team is: most of us would rather see Cordero in centerfield than Duran anywhere. At least Franchy looks like a nice guy, is friendly with the media, and from what I've observed, is well-liked by teammates in the bigs, Triple A and Quadruple A. So screw Toronto's Alex Manure for throwing at our Franchy.

Wacha has been great, but was signed to take a regular turn in the rotation from Day Four of the season. They may have hoped Paxton would play the '21 Sale role -- join in August, and be a better value than anything they would have to spend prospects on to acquire at the deadline. These retread deals aren't always complete wins or losses; Richards didn't work out as a starter last year, but at least contributed a bit in relief down the stretch. But next year's approach has to be different. The rotation needs to be completely rebuilt if the Sox are to regain respectability (and I'm not even using the "c" word). Start backwards from #5 with Pivetta, then Bello at #4, and hope he develops into at least a #3. It's doubtful Bloom will pay market value to keep Eovaldi or Wacha, so that means he has to make trades and/or promote Mata or another top arm (not Winckowski or Seabold, who look destined to be injury fill-ins). Veteran guys trying to make comebacks simply cannot be counted on -- or sold to this fanbase in any way, shape or form. Anything we get from Sale or Paxton should be treated as a bonus -- forevermore.

Understood. But we also understand how unacceptable that is -- budget-wise (a theme that defines this forum) -- to fans looking forward to 2022, and improving on the previous postseason.

In hindsight, it was a complete failure for the front office to anticipate Sale and Paxton making viable contributions to the starting rotation. Yes, the Sale extension was Dombrowski's goof, but many observers had foresight at the time of the signing, because of recent shoulder woes... remember, the elbow ish came next. But taking a chance on Paxton is on Bloom (and don't say that's all he could spend on, because of Sale's contract). A lot of us also had foresight when Wacha and Hill came aboard -- not because they weren't good, but because they're weren't good bets not to break down, again, at some point. It would seem investing in younger arms in their primes would give provide more durability... but how does that explain Jose Berrios' bad status since he joined Toronto? Did he have Covid? Is some longterm Covid effect a subtle reason for disappointing performances this season? Consider: Sale falling apart, ERod's summer, Xander/JD power failures, Kike's injury-prone down year, etc.

For all we know or don't know, the bin-diving may just be Bloom's main asset as an officer, and the reason a successful businessman like Henry hired him. When Bloom discusses player contracts and says it has to work for the plan going forward, he never says whether that's his plan or ownership's. And we'll never know if it's the latter, because if he blamed it on his boss, he wouldn't have one for very much longer...

The most glaring reality is that mediocrity describes this team's best players. Maybe the All-Stars are all hurt -- good hitters don't forget how to drive the ball over the fence, like X and JD this season... and Raffy is definitely hobbled. But please spare the batting average comparisons to show that Verdugo is as good as Betts -- not when our guy has 7 HRs and a .728 OPS. Mookie only has 31 home runs and a .910... and 5.7 WAR with a month to go. Dugo's WAR: 0.5. If everyone got hot and Boston went on an epic run, it would have to be led by the pitching. Bello would turn into Dwight Gooden, Houck would return as a no-look Okajima to prevent burnout for Whitlock, doing his Andrew Miller special. A rotation, if healthy, would be led by veterans who've all had postseason glory: Wacha, Eovaldi, Pivetta... in this century!

The '15 Sox had a lot of jokers. A last place team doesn't always have an ace for obvious reasons; there aren't many '72 Steve Carltons, who led the majors in WAR on the last-place Phillies. But is it even debatable that most legit contenders that advance in the postseason ride aces to glory? As to the question if a club can have more than one ace, what about the '02 Red Sox, who had two 20-game winners but didn't even make the playoffs? Pedro led the league in ERA, Ks, WHIP and FIP... and yet, Derek Lowe led all AL pitchers in WAR.

Regarding aces, assigning numbers to starters in a rotation isn't really useless. Your #1 starter is the guy you want to start Game One in a postseason series -- not only to set the tone, but to make your best pitcher available to throw as many games as possible (like Games 1, 4 and 7, if necessary). Of course, increasingly multiple rounds of modern playoffs make it harder to line up aces in subsequent series.

Based on recent reports, the Red Sox and the industry may place Bleis' value a lot higher on this list. How much trade value does someone literally have who is deemed "untouchable"?

Alex Speier's report on Red Sox teenagers playing in the FCL was encouraging: "perhaps the best group to come through Fort Myers since a 2014 team that featured Rafael Devers..." Top takes: CF Miguel Bleis is described as a five-tool player by everyone -- a coach, a scout and a farm director. One called him "a righthanded version of Devers"... but 18, and already with back issues. RHP Luis Peralta, 19, has "electric stuff", throws 99 mph, and has been dominant. "The myth has become a reality," said the scout, of the pitcher signed at 16 out of Venezuela. IF Johnfrank Salazar, 19, can hit, play D, and is looked up to as a leader. Speier also mentioned this summer's draftees, with highest praise for Marcelo Mayer comp Mikey Romero, outfielder Roman Anthony, and 9th-rounder Brooks Brannon -- a power hitter who may actually stick at catcher.

By the end of June -- when the Red Sox were successful -- plenty of us knew (and posted) that reinforcements were needed to survive the upcoming brutal July schedule. It was clear there was no way they could wait until the last minutes of the trade deadline this year. Unfortunately for both fans and the big league players, the moves and non-moves made by Bloom told all of us how the front office felt about the 2022 Red Sox going forward.

Buchholz tried it in 2015, making "He's the ACE" t-shirts for everyone in the rotation... which included Porcello, Masterson, Miley and Joe Kelly (then a starter). The joke was that none of them was the ace. Fans weren't laughing when they came in last place. That winter, Dombrowski gave more money to Price than all five of them combined. Some of us still aren't laughing about that one, either.

Your point is valid, no denying it. Here's mine (which I didn't invent, since I wasn't around when baseball was created): batter squares around in the box, slides top hand to the barrel, and holds the bat over the plate, parallel to the Earth. No matter how fast a pitcher throws, he still has to throw strikes. And sometimes -- often, for our pathetic Red Sox -- all hitters have to do is put it in play...

My desire isn't so much to blame, but for things to change -- not just the CBO or manager or even the roster -- but an entire organizational approach. What I'm talking about is batters making contact. I know analytics shuns bunting, especially sacrifices, but other teams have gone old school since the creation of the ghost runner. Want to win in the 10th? Execute freaking fundamentals. And it's not even worth looking up team sacrifice totals... how about recruiting or better yet, training, batters to hit grounders to second base. Move the runner. Touch the ball. When your team can hit the '04 Red Sox, it's not so smart to give away free outs. But if your club is half-filled with minor league whiffers -- or even the 2019 Sox, who had eight guys with 100 or more Ks -- then you need to adjust to certain situations. There's a reason the '22 Red Sox are so horrendous in extra innings -- in the standings and just to watch -- and it's not all because of the bullpen.