5GoldGlovesOF,75

Therein lies the futility of talking numbers when it comes to dollar signs. Just consider the debates here: Well, he may be worth $20 million, but no one deserves $30 million to play a kid's game! MLB may be irrational, but it's full of young men -- many without business degrees -- who hire successful agents to get them the best possible rations.

Bogaerts just said he's open to negotiations during the season. That doesn't sound like a guy who wants to leave Boston. Most of us view the Story deal and the pretend extension to Xander as the look of a front office ready to move on. But now, if there are no subsequent offers from the Sox, get ready for the big purge... In describing what he wants, Bogey only used the same word once said by Betts a few years ago: a "fair" offer. It can be assumed that each expected fair market value, to get paid at current industry rates commensurate with players of their caliber. And for those convinced Mookie wanted out of Boston, remember the day after he was traded that Jim Rice on NESN quoted Betts from a personal phone call: "This is where I want to be."

What percent are his HRs when they exit the yard? I literally walked outside for five minutes and when I returned, the score was 50 to 1.

Got one!

Nope, haven't had a good one since '18 when Mookie won the batting crown. Of the current crew, it should be noted that Verdugo hit .304 with a .362 OBP at leadoff in half the games during the 2020 summer. The best way for Devers to drive in runs is to bat the Sox other .300 hitters in front of him: X and JD. Unfortunately, the rest of the line-up hovers near the Mendoza...

Story can play D... I don't think Nunez makes that play.

Cora needs a sweep so he can karaoke Changeling on the flight home.

He's actually been drawing walks, and while I think OPS is an overrated stat in the launch-angle era (all-or-nothing swings contradict patience), free passes can actually mean something in rallies when more guys than the stars in the heart of the order are hitting -- or at least making contact.

Bloom and his brethren shrug at won-loss records for pitchers, especially since modern orgs intentionally yank starters before they can qualify for the W (under current, albeit now archaic, scoring rules). And while none of us rationally expect Eovaldi to spearhead a rotation through his late-30s, is he any less of a workhorse or is his five-pitch repertoire any less of an arsenal than that of Scherzer or Verlander -- both pushing 40 and leading first-place staffs? Granted, Nate's not a future Hall of Famer, but in terms of durability, both Scherzer and Verlander have had their stints on the geriatric IL or worn down from overuse at times, too.

I draw the line at four years, hopefully paying for three seasons of quality, and expecting one -- most likely the last -- to be lost to the brittle breakdown of age. Maybe another GM gives him five, anticipating two lost years? Really, whichever stopper the Sox deem worthy of investment, the next three years are the most key in stabilizing the rotation... while awaiting the arrival of Brayan Bello, delivered in a Fenway flyover by Noah Song.

I just traded Houck and Crawford to Cleveland for Civale and McKenzie. Total value: 52.20 for 52.40; Trade Accepted... (pending vaccination status of the two Guardians; there's no room on the roster for anyone who isn't willing to play in every rival city in the majors).

I'm not desperate to justify re-signing Eovaldi (like I was in the winter of 2018, after he was the best pitcher that entire postseason, and because the other favorite to sign him was only Houston). And as much as some posters hated that signing, if they won't admit he has earned his now-below market $17 million AAV, can they at least be humble enough to appreciate his time in Boston? I was wrong about Wacha, but he's already hurt again. I loved Verdugo's contributions in the '21 run, but still hate the Betts trade, because of what it revealed about Bloom and the organization going forward. I can't stand the Benintendi trade, either, but I'd really like to see Winckowski get a shot. The Renfroe deal didn't bother me, except that Bloom still has not added any righty-swinging outfielder -- even after he said he needed one. But the Red Sox better be desperate to find, sign, trade for or call up a top of the rotation starting pitcher -- even if 2023 is a total rebuild. An ace is that important. To paraphrase Bellhorn: this early in the season, are there any clearcut alternatives that are more reliable than Nate Eovaldi?

And we already know how painfully slow and deliberate Bloom is in greenlighting any transaction. If and when he's finally ready to deal, anything that happens will be in the last minute after all buyers are given a chance to make their last best offers. If the Sox do clean house, it will take an entire sorority on the very afternoon of the wine and cheese party, just before the brothers show up to spike the punch bowl with grain alcohol.

Some of us -- certainly you and I -- said all offseason that a trade for a starter was needed. I wish I could say demanded and expected, but we've all learned those verbs are futile when fans discuss Chaim Bloom.

In an interview about a month ago he said he hadn't been approached. Maybe the Red Sox would rather invest longterm in a guy like Rodon or Thor instead. But if that's the case, why didn't they sign either of them short term this year, instead of Wacha and Hill. Oh, that's right: because the plan was to flip Wacha and Hill for prospects this summer...

I assume this lists the free agent starters coming up next offseason. But say Thor and Rodon have great years; at their ages, will they accept Eovaldi money? Do they even want to play in Boston? The only other guy on the list better than Nate is deGrom -- and he's older and has a more recent injury history that makes him more of a longterm risk. ps. and remember, Bloom is a CBO who looks at every penny saved; that's why he supposedly traded Benintendi and replaced him with Renfroe, and replaced him with nobody actually... but added more prospects to the farm.

I joined you. This is the third straight year Eovaldi's been the Sox' best starter, and is a known commodity here. Even if he only has three more good years, who else is available -- with his stuff and yes, durability -- at his market value -- that actually wants to play in Boston and lead whatever version of team Bloom assembles?

I did my preemptive complaining when they traded Betts, predicting with absolute certainty the Sox would soon sign somebody else for big bucks who would never be as good. Sure, Bloom only committed to half the Mookie years on his new prize, but here we are.

I never get why some fans think that any club, particularly a big market team, shouldn't seek to lock up a core of really good players -- especially during a rebuild. I know there are some who just point to dollar signs to defend the amount that Boston spends -- but who's really looking forward to Bloom trading Devers and then using the savings to sign three or four players not as good? Haven't we seen enough mediocrity trudging through his rosters already?

Words from a hopeful Yankee fan... hoping some Red Sox exec reads here every day and somehow gets brainwashed by constant misinformation to do the bidding of destructive political mouthpieces. You're a pitcher, so no one has to tell you the importance of having an ace to solidify the staff -- no matter where the team sits in the standings or whether it's a contender, pretender or a renovation project. There can be no window until you pull up the dark shades, and we all know where that starts, so you're never burning the best of a guy at the top of the rotation.

It's odd how the New York-based media forgets a lot of rich history.

I don't know anything about the St. Loo org, but with such consistently high finishes (and thus, low draft picks), they must have a superior scouting system. Why didn't Henry rob them of their execs?

Great question. I really enjoy following entire baseball seasons when my team is contending. Watching pro sports is all about entertainment, and as long as my team is in it, that's entertaining. I'll never be a Yankee fan and say the season was a failure if we win but don't win it all, especially after making the playoffs. Only one club ever wins the last game of any season, and to be totally unsatisfied if that's not your team is unreasonable and elitist. But last place seasons suck, and drain the fun out of being a fan. As a Red Sox fan, I wouldn't trade this century because of what I went through last century. However, it wouldn't be so bad to be a Cardinals fan; a winning record every single year since 2000, first or second place 15 times, in the postseason 15 times, won 2 WS, lost 2 WS... (ya, to Boston, but we owed them).

But you must get sick of having to watch all those constant replays of Brock Holt's cycle.

I wouldn't take Price back if the Dodgers agreed to take Story and his entire contract.