5GoldGlovesOF,75

The MLB can ban tablets, but everyone owns phones, and will find ways to sneak a peek. Even if the league stations narks in dugouts and bullpens like proctors of exams, the students will view cells hidden in stirrup socks in bathroom stalls... or may even have a classmate flashing vid from a nearby box seat or bleacher seat.

But does one depend on the other? History shows people favor those who at least feign integrity; McGwire not talking about the past or Palmeiro pointing his finger were ridiculed a million times more than Pettitte, who admitted he juiced, but only because he "felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible" (and of course, not for fame, fortune and thus, even family). How noble of Andy.

It's hard to believe him. Even if Giles were never in the dugout all season (unlikely, because some relievers ride the pine at the beginning of games -- especially guys who know they won't be used until later innings), teammates, as well as managers, coaches and front office employees talk about strategies, before, during and after games all year long. And he can't say this covert clique of hitters kept it from their pitchers, since Fiers broke the story. Even those not really sure what was going on had to have an idea or clue something was happening... unless they just assumed that colleague banging the can all year was simply an overly enthusiastic fanatic. Then again, Giles was known to punch himself in the head when he underperformed. Maybe as a result he truly was oblivious.

Any injury to a pitcher is a sore arm. I forget when I first heard the adage (that I'm sure I paraphrased) -- maybe in the 60s when they were talking about the demise of Dizzy Dean, then a broadcaster. He had a sore toe, changed his delivery to compensate and wrecked his wing. Since the very definition of an athlete is to push one's body to the limits, pitchers have got to be among the most fragile... just a tweak away from being ineffective or done. Position players, even hobbled, can contribute in many ways. But rare are the pitchers who last a long time; this may be where the myth of the small-bodied baseball player breaking down originated -- because some big guys who throw can still perform with aches and pains vs. smaller types (think Derek Lowe vs. Pedro post '04: Lowe 257 games started, 104 wins; Martinez 88 games started, 37 wins).

Houck is exactly the type of young arm with upside that past Bloom teams love to put "in the best situation where he can be successful". He makes my roster. Also, Eovadli is the exact type of starter with elite stuff that any contenders or rebuilders always want and need (and this year, at not such an exorbitant salary). Since pitching, especially starting pitcher, is the Red Sox' biggest need, it doesn't make sense to trade that commodity -- for what, young pitching with potential to be as good as Eovaldi?

If the Red Sox had extended Betts I could say something about Stanton and Judge and muscle man longevity compared to that shrimp Mookie... but Boston is doomed in '20, while the Yanks will still be good (though maybe they'll both have their hands full with the upstart Blue Jays). It's a sad season for Sox fans when their biggest hope for the postseason is that NY draws anyone else but the Twins...

Not now. He's arguably their best player, and they already dealt their former best player this offseason. But in notin's defense, a few months back I also suggested a similar deal as the best way to add legitimate pitching prospects; after all, one year of Betts only got us LA's most expendable position prospects. Of course, my only contingency in ever trading Devers is if that meant that Betts had agreed to a lifetime extension. Even then, say we acquired the Braves' top three prospects -- they're all just that: prospects. Devers led the majors in extra base hits at age 22. Will Rafie continue to star for the next half decade in Boston like Mookie did through age 26? Hope so, but that's a lofty expectation, since Betts's career WAR in RF through age 26 is the greatest in baseball history. I agree that Dalbec should be swapped for a young arm with potential. He's blocked at third, has never profiled as a .300 hitter like Devers, and is also blocked at first down the road by Casas, the top power prospect in the Sox' system.

I know, Cole has just dominated Boston the last three years: 1-2 record, including a bad playoff loss.

No, the Wade Miley who pitched in twice as many games, started twice as many games, threw twice as many innings and won 9 more games in '19 than he did in '18. He was solid and productive for five straight months before suddenly breaking down in Sept. and getting left off the postseason roster (leading to speculation he was injured). Some Red Sox fans found Miley's consistency from March through August a bit surprising compared to his one mediocre season in Boston five years ago.

We should absolutely expect the Astros' pitching to be next to fall under suspicion. They seemed to have uncanny success with all their reclamation projects: Cole, old Verlander, Morton, Wade freaking Miley... Great coaching, great system, great alchemy... or was it something else???? Morton kept his mojo in Tampa, so it is possible to retain and sustain the secret formula.

I'm with you, Slash. Competitive athletes have always and will always ingest, inject or do whatever they can to enhance performances. Especially in a sport where "stealing" (bases, signs, hearts) is an accepted part of its lexicon. In 1980 I joined a fraternity's flag football team at a southern college. Before the title game, the frat prez had a chalkboard meeting in a classroom next to the field. A brother passed around a bottle of black beauties to prep all the players. I abstained, not caring quite as much as others about being stimulated for an intramural championship.

No criteria, just answering one stat with another. My "horrible" point was that there were several reasons why Adrian Gonzalez was not more important to Boston than JD Martinez. The main one was the JD's team won a ring in his first year -- and a majority (I would've thought before today, nearly all) of observers said at the time that he was a huge factor, on and off the field. Meanwhile, AGon's Sox in his first year suffered one of the worst chokes in MLB history. He was good, but no one ever said he was a leader... and there were a few claims that he didn't quite fit in. I'm not hating on the guy, or loving JD, just posting what I assumed was common knowledge in recent Red Sox history.

I like it. I hope he wins and breaks someone else's bank. The Red Sox have moved on, and verse vicea.

We can make stats say whatever we want: in Gonzalez first 5 full-time seasons -- and last 5 in the NL before playing for Boston -- he averaged 32 HRs. In two years for the Red Sox he averaged 21 HRs.

I totally disagree. JD was the absolute difference maker in a first place team missing a middle-of-the-order threat in '17 to a first place team going all the way in '18. Some fans and media even thought he was more valuable than Betts. JD also led the entire '18 postseason in RBI, and helped other hitters improve by his presence in the lineup and in BP. His WAR might not be as high because he didn't play defense, but as for his importance in Boston compared to AGon's -- I don't think it's even close, and I doubt you'd find few Sox fans anywhere that would choose Gonzalez. AGon was being lauded more before he came to Boston. I was all in on getting him (who knew what Rizzo would become), but Gonzalez never hit with the same power he had in the NL and was overrated on D. I remember my wife -- a casual fan who had no choice to see him whenever she walked into a room with a TV on -- always making fun of him as a slow load at first base, whilst I tried to tell her he had a Gold Glove rep. Beckett was a postseason hero half a decade before he moaned about days off and betrayed Francona's trust. He was cooked after 2011. At least Bradley was a postseason hero the season before last. JBJ may never start an All-Star game again, but I doubt he'll ever quit trying.

No, but those clearance sales didn't include beloved fan favorites who were stars (except for maybe Lester, a guy fans respected for what he endured to become a homegrown ace). The Punto trade got rid of a disaster in Crawford, and complainers -- chicken-and-beer boy Beckett and I don't-like-Sunday-nights AGon. Of all the vets the Sox dealt in '14, most were on the downside: Lackey, Peavy, Dubront, Gomes, Vic. Andrew Miller turned out to be the prize, but wasn't yet a stud. The '14 purge helped win a ring -- four years later -- with staff additions like Porcello, Rodriquez, Kelly and Hembree. But besides Lester, none of the guys the Sox gave up were missed, bemoaned or as valuable as Mookie, or as prime-time special as JD's bat or JBJ's glove (assuming they're the next regulars to be moved).

The Red Sox still have to field a team, and a viable product, and good starting pitchers are the first priority no matter when they're ready to start competing again. Fans might accept trading one great position player if they know he's going to leave anyway -- and this remains to be seen -- but the Nation will never accept clearing the roster like the Marlins or Orioles. There's no need to hit rock bottom like small market teams if you're Boston, especially at the risk of losing your constituency.

If he's solid and healthy, you ride a horse at the top of the rotation. Question (someone could start a poll): who do you predict will have the most innings pitched in the next three years: Sale, Eovaldi or Price? I rank them in the order I listed.

JD for sure will be gone -- you know the Bloom regime won't let him opt out before getting "value" back in return. Nate you hold onto. A starter with his stuff under contract is what rebuilding teams need to build around...

Pete Rose should sue the MLB for selling a sponsorship to a gambling organization.

Shut up, Tex. He played on the Yankees' last title team with ARod, Cano, Melky and Pettitte -- and those are only the publicly-known PED users. Who knows how many others on the '09 champs were tainted... I guess Mark didn't know any, or he'd have outed them all. Hypocrite.

So, the Sox are paying Perez and their entire bullpen as much as they're paying Price just to go away. Makes you wonder when the Yankees will feel a similar need with Cole in the next nine years. Love the spotlight shift so far -- MLB.com's top story a few days ago hyped Cole throwing 98 in his first outing! I kept looking for a blurb on Eovaldi throwing 100, but it must have been deleted...

I like what I'm seeing from Duran, driving the ball more; early success can build two-fold confidence -- for his improvement, and for a Sox promotion (if mediocrity causes a mid-season sell). The Ellsbury comp that someone brought up earlier would be a good ceiling: 7 Sox seasons, .297 BA, .350/.439/.789 slash, 21.3 WAR (5 WAR avg. in four full years), maybe a little more pop but less stolen bases... Just don't expect instant glory -- remember Ells came up in a title run surrounded by stars at their peaks.

Nah, this actually works in their favor: now they can play Tauchman, a much better all-around play-- wait, Beltran's not there this year to tell him what pitch is coming!