5GoldGlovesOF,75

They're all smart businessmen, but the fans who care more about the team than doing the wave and singing "so good" would love such a gesture. And that would make them smart baseball people... ... of course, there would still be a few in the media and on here who'd complain.

It's an educated guess, based on Bloom's history in Boston. He didn't spend to get a real first baseman because of Casas, and there's no reason to change now; Casas and Hosmer can handle 1B and DH, at least on a rebuild. And if there's one position Bloom loves to avoid big costs, it's the bullpen. He'll find a few decent guys cheap, and blow small bills on handfuls of others. But even if there ever comes a time when it's deemed as right to "go for it," does anyone ever see Bloom winning a bidding war with, say the Mets, for an Edwin Diaz?

Max, I know your main issue with the narrative regarding bullpens is with the designation "closer" and what constitutes "saves" and "blown saves." But I cringe every time you bring up the Sox' '21 postseason... because basically every Boston reliever failed at least once. Every game was a stressfest, even when they won: Whitlock gave up a bomb to Stanton; Barnes loaded the bases in one IP vs. Tampa and wasn't used again; Robles blew a 2-run lead via HR, 2B, 2B in one IP; Houck gave up a HR to Franco; Braiser blew a 2-run lead via 2B, 2B, 1B in one IP; Houck blew 2-run lead on Altuve's 2-run HR; Robles allowed a game-losing HR to Correa; Sawamura: BB, 1B, HBP, SF in one IP; Darwinzon: 2 HRs in one IP; Whitlock blew the lead on an Altuve HR in the 8th of ALCS Gm 4... and Boston never led again; then Braiser, Robles, Taylor, Houck, and Ottavino each gave up a run or more in the last two games. The bullpen was so bad that Cora had to use Eovaldi and Perez in back-end duty, and both starters also got lit up. Pivetta was a hero, but even he lucked out when Renfroe kicked Kiermaier's drive into the... yup, you know where. Bottom line is that the Red Sox relief crew was not good enough to take them to the World Series, unlike Houston's, which added better arms at the deadline.

Good points. My step-dad who played for money always preached team chemistry as the biggest difference between a championship team and other contenders. I could never quite understand how much that matters in baseball -- the sum deeds of isolated individuals. You can't block for a teammate or set a pick or pass the ball. Even if your line-up is comprised of sworn enemies only out for selfish stats, if successful, would'nt those hits and runs on offense, or outs and goose eggs on defense result in victories?

I never said that about the O's. Maybe they're just better adjusted pros. And from what many fans sense are players wearing Boston shirts going through the motions, maybe some of the Red Sox aren't. Yet.

Rob's been an ok fill-in, but is also a guy who has never started more than 37 games in his seven years in the bigs -- with a career sub-.700 OPS. We all know he wasn't the regular right-handed outfield bat needed to complete the roster at the outset of the season.

The wretched refuse of your teaming... sure. Give us Liberty to celebrate all things Raffy. Sincerely, Someone who remembers when Riff Raff was a wolf gangster villain on Underdog

Could it also be that anyone playing for Baltimore this century knows and accepts a lot more about the professional angles of being annual tradebait and tanking? Just saying: Red Sox players with World Series rings might equate being respected -- and disrespected -- a bit differently.

Thus completes your image on this forum; showing true colors in words and not hue.

I agree if you refer to TV blogs that intentionally use titles with the initials for the directions on a compass to mislead the masses. I disagree with the old print media that I was once associated with; all of the reporters I worked with were sincere about reporting facts. In those days it was standard to have at least two legitimate sources verify information before publishing it. Columnists were a bit different, since it was their job to give opinions... but those who sought constant incitement weren't very well-regarded by colleagues.

Chaim has shown he is a capable student. I am sure his scores can improve with more focus on academics, and less on social issues; with a recommendation of winter school, and a few sessions with Professor Dombrowski, the budget's the limit!

I tend to believe media members who aren't employed by the franchise but who are much closer to the actual vibe of the club, since it's their job to be, after all... unlike, say, fans who watch from afar and might not know or speak to any team personnel on a daily basis.

Maybe, but a true team still needs leadership from actual players. One of the media said the other day, "There's no Pedroia in that clubhouse..." Who's missing from last year's stretch run? Schwarber? Iglesias? Hunter, ERod? Sale or Kike, who both participated (which gives more creed to voices) in the games? Could it be Ottavino was more important than we thought; look how good his new team is this season... But yes, responsibility is also on Bloom for not replacing them with new difference-makers.

It's hilarious imagining if Bloom targets a Thor and has to ask Henry permission to outbid Dombro... What would ownership do? Can John, Linda and Tom combined beat Lebron in an arm wrestle?

With so many contracts coming off the books after this year, who is going on the books? I'm not a GM, but I play one online, and can't see any way the Red Sox will spend enough to fill all the glaring and/or looming holes on the roster to contend in 2023. Despite what Sam Kennedy publicly espouses, it will be a rickety, swinging, collapsing, over-a-Wil-E-Coyote-canyon bridge year. Predictions: 1). Story will not move to SS, mainly because he knows Mayer is coming soon and would rather not be dancing around the diamond year-to-year, especially to be displaced by a fresh-faced kid. Instead, the Sox will acquire a veteran glove-first placeholder for SS. Rafaela will also make the team by '24 for his versatility, taking turns at both SS and CF. 2). Pham and Verdugo will be back in LF and RF, maybe joined by Nimmo in CF (but only if the Mets sign Judge; Boston will not). 3). Valdez will get a shot at DH out of ST, but other hot minor league bats could make debuts and share time there as the season progresses. 4). A top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher will be the big investment, either via free agency or through trade... 5)... which means, either Casas... or Devers will be dealt. Hosmer is already paid-for at 1B, and Devers may not be at 3B.

Yup, that's what I totally meant... it's the reason a guy like Sandy Leon is still a big leaguer with a batting average of .191 the last six years...

Some talksox poster is running his fingers to baseball-reference right now to find some stat to prove to you how bad that team was because those three were paid too much money, and none of them could play second base in case of emergency or save the pen by pitching the 9th inning of a blow-out.

The Little League analogies to bad big league baseball are overdone... but not necessarily when comparing Red Sox pitchers throwing to any other base than fourth base. ... I've seen a lot of LL games the past three years, and the average LL pitcher makes better throws to first, second or third than the average Red Sox MLB pitcher. Maybe it's because the kids are mostly the best players on the diamond or because the distance is shorter, but it's true. But regarding Boston, it's always looked like a systemic problem...

For me, above all else, it's 1. SP, 2. Pen, 3. CF... I think they already have a plan for SS and 1B, and C isn't a club priority, because other teams have shown you don't need a star behind the plate to contend (I won't name names of teams or no-names). And they can't wait to fill DH from within, and are grooming prospect Valdez to dazzle the batter's box as one-half rookie of 2023...

Maybe some posters are too overconfident that when Bloom finally has a bigger budget, he will actually spend it -- hopefully on quality big leaguers to finally "go for it." But if your only evidence is that John Henry has a history of allowing past GMs to spend big -- "when the time is right" -- then you also have to admit that Henry hired Bloom, and hasn't fired him yet, for doing exactly what he is doing now. The only long and large signing in the Bloom Era thus far has been Trevor Story... instead of say, Schwarber, Rodon and Jansen for around the same amount of money.

Mookie's going bald!

You just wrote that because you knew I'd read it and punch myself in the head.

It was Bloom -- who didn't add a right-handed hitting outfielder to the roster before the season or before the mid-season trade deadline. It is Cora -- who looks at the list of 25 available players given to him each night, and writes the names of the starting line-up... whether it's Arroyo, Dalbec or JD Martinez in right field. Cora did a great job not trying Hansel Robles out there in RF; that could've hurt the team.

No one can deny what didn't happen the first half of this season, even the Sox intern using an alias to protest Gee, we thought Travis Shaw was our guy... But I'm sticking to my claim that Bloom's moves at the deadline made the line-up and roster better overall. Whether some of the players are still bitter over losing their buddy Vaz shouldn't really affect any at bats when they're all isolated hitters vying for individual glory -- which ultimately adds up to scoring more or less runs than opponents. But overall, the Sox seem to have more opportunities to score now, and better ways to prevent foes from scoring. Of course, not improving the bullpen, and leaving it to old unreliables, also shows fans -- and players -- how much a front office is invested in the now.

Seriously. The first thing I said is I'm not criticizing. Then I said I've always assumed all professionals could play any position. And of course every team values versatility. But it's been overdone here since Bloom came aboard -- and if it's a trend, then I challenge him to be crafty, and start a new one: target players of actual quality who play specific positions the team needs filled, and fill them. Since the Top-6 Payroll Sox will already be paying a luxury tax, what's stopping them from making some luxury purchases? Is that such an outlandish request from a fan tired of watching mediocrity move around the diamond and in and out of the batting order... on a last place team?