5GoldGlovesOF,75

I like Yolmer Sanchez, who isn't a terrible bat for a second baseman; two season ago he led the AL with 10 triples and had 52 extra-base hits, about what Pedroia averaged in the four years before Manny was being Machado. Problem is Yolmer will make around 5 mil...

Just another reason to get him gone asap, even if it means taking on someone else's bad contract -- I'm not concerned with the return for Price, as long as it decreases the Sox payroll. There will be other arms with questionable status at a lot less monetary risk. Wonder if the Sox will kick the tires on Tijuan Walker? Here's the latest quote on him from MLBtraderumors: "seemed to be a prime bounceback candidate, albeit also a clear injury risk at a $5.025MM projected price tag." If he can pitch, even at 5 mil, that's probably less than half of what Porcello will get...

And for Joe's call on the fan closing Mookie's glove on the Altuve shot in the greatest game in Red Sox history... in all of 2018.

I still can't believe the Yankees didn't bunt on Schilling. Or didn't score when Wakefield knucklers were bouncing past Varitek. Or that they didn't pitch around Altuve -- wait a minute...

The only way to move Price is to include a decent prospect like Chavis or Dalbec (maybe that's the difficult part to which Kennedy was referring). I don't think including other MLB veterans -- even guys like Mookie or JBJ -- in a Price deal will work, because too many costly salaries will be too much for another team to absorb.

The scoop on Hoop: 4 rings for the Red Sox for this Hall of Famer; that's 4 times more than Beni and the Betts, and 4 more than zero rings combined for Yaz and Ted. Hooper, along with fellow Cooperstowner Tris Speaker, and Duffy Lewis (who could ascend, but not dive off a cliff) comprise the legendary greatest outfield in Red Sox history. I can't compare players I didn't see, but I'm confident that the current (for now) trio of Mookie-Beni-JBJ is the Red Sox best defensive unit since, at least in 50 years, and maybe an entire century. And this is coming from a guy whose talksox name pays tribute to maybe the greatest defensive outfield core (except I'm finally realizing the level of disrespect associated with the words "Gold Glove" to some discerning fans)...

There is a way we can keep both... "but obviously it will be difficult," said Sam. So maybe they went out and hired Bloom as the best man to make it happen and overcome those difficulties. Devers and Bogaerts were better all-around bats last year, but Betts and JD are the two most important men in the batting order -- it was just two seasons ago they were the top two hitters in the AL. If I were building or rebuilding a team, I'd make every effort to keep both, along with Bogie and Rafie, and make every other player in the organization available. But if I had to guess -- based entirely on my subjective reality as a lifelong member in good sitting of Red Sox Nation, plus the history of how Tampa views the DH as an interchangeable slot in the lineup -- I'd say JD would get dealt. Mookie is the face of the franchise, while DH for Bloom and his past company is a flexible position of options (seven Rays DHed 13 or more games in 2019, with Meadows, their All-Star outfielder, getting the most starts at only 44).

I'm not offended by your subjective opinion, but I'm not objective at all about my reasons. I took my son to his first Fenway game in early ‘17 and he started collecting baseball cards. In ’18 he got to skip school and watch Mookie Betts hit three home runs (he’s 5-2 in Bosox games attended so far). In 2018-19 he insisted on wearing Red Sox shirts to school every day of the year. Now he uses an axe bat in Little League and has also trick-or-treated as Mookie the last three Halloweens. The Red Sox may never win a title again in his lifetime, but he'll always have the memories of this decade.

I Googled "Harry Hooper catch video" -- didn't find it, but there's a sketchy vid of Hooper throwing out Zach Wheat in the '16 Series. I think he went gluten free after that. Another Google hit is titled: "Heineken beer truck catches fire"

Sorry, bad use of adjective on my part. 1. Benintendi made the greatest catch in Red Sox history; it saved a playoff game and very well could have saved the pennant in a season when Boston won a World Series. It was the catch the Associated Press voted Play of the Year across all sports for 2018. Is there another catch in any other Red Sox game that comes even close to meaning so much? Evans' catch in Gm 6 of '75 saved the game; Sox lost the World Series. Brunansky's catch in '90 saved the division; Sox lost the ALCS. Nixon made a pretty important one in the '04 LCS, but it wasn't as difficult. My memory is fuzzy, though, so please remind me of any other catch in Red Sox history that was a combination of more spectacular and more impactful. 2. Rawlings nominated the finalists for their awards.

Tough crowd here. Beni is 25 and center field is his natural position, where he was College Player of the Year, two years after Rawlings -- the Gold Glove company -- named him National High School Player of the Year. Isn't such a player, especially coming off a down-year after posting a 4 WAR two seasons ago, the type of guy Bloom covets? And he's already on our team. As far as defensive metrics, experts on MLB constantly dismiss or berate analytics when it comes to D. Here's a quote about JBJ from a Sox beat reporter, just today: "(One note on defense: the advanced metrics suggest Bradley regressed last year, but because publicly available defensive stats are considered flawed and unreliable, I wouldn't fixate on the fact that his defensive runs saved, for instance, dropped into negative territory.)"

Agreed. And the three guys you mentioned that the Sox won rings with all had better arms than their centerfielders (Elllsbury, Damon, even Coco).

1. Benintendi made the best catch in Red Sox history. 2. Benintendi was nominated as a Gold Glove finalist the past two regular seasons.

Right. Jax suggested moving Mookie to center. I'd be shocked if the Sox move the best rightfielder in baseball the past four seasons -- maybe ever in Boston -- unless it's out of town (then I'd be glum). We all know right is just as important as center in Fenway.

Sox aren't acquiring a below-average defensive outfielder to play right field in Fenway if they plan on contending. Putting someone new in left and moving Benintendi to center makes way more sense.

That's f***ing funny -- whoops, sorry if I defended notin

Those '80s Sox, with three division crowns in five years, were loaded with young homegrown regulars, stars and borderliners; the '88 Morgan Magic squad started an all-homegrown nine in the playoffs. Nothing like rooting for and watching your own progenies as they develop into winners. Back to the title of the thread: by my count, it's currently 8-1 for the 2000s. That's about the ratio I expected, as nostalgia will never end for the monumental greatest choke of all-time by the '04 Yankees. I'm still curious if there are any other talksox posters or lurkers who give a slight edge to this current decade? There may be someone with a more personal connection or a younger poster who could better appreciate fandom in the Teens, or maybe even an old-schooler who favors four first place clubs over one first and five Wild Cards...

Well, Marte wound up playing seven years in the bigs and hit .218. That fact doesn't detract from his status while he was #9, but maybe it should give perspective to fans who think there's just no possible way that any club under no circumstances would dare part with -- oh, say, the #32 and #33 prospects for an MLB All-Star.

Again, I wasn't clear, but I was focused on trading established position players -- since Betts' and now Devers' names are getting mentioned here. I'm not totally against a blockbuster, as long as the return is close to equal value, which this winter means prospects with legitimate star potential. Something like Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. All were starting regulars, but Alomar was only 22 at the time and on the verge of exploding into a Hall of Famer.

I was trying to think of regular position players dealt for potential, but thanks for mentioning the most lopsided trade for prospects in Sox history that turned out in Boston's favor... Marte was the best they could get for Renteria, who needed to get gone asap. Though Marte never suited up for Boston, he was flipped in a multi-player that landed Coco Crisp, who never broke out into a star but helped win a ring.

Not just the fans -- I can't think of any trades of note where the Red Sox ever dealt a vet for decent prospects. Best I can come up with was Tony C. for a package that netted second baseman Doug Griffin, who couldn't hit but won a Gold Glove. Nearly all Boston trades are prospects or pre-prime players for vets... Schilling and Brady Anderson for Mike Boddicker helped win two AL East crowns; Cecil Cooper for George Scott was never a good idea (for younger fans, Cooper wasn't quite Bagwell, and Scott wasn't quite Panda, but from '77-87 Coop was third in the AL in total bases, while Boomer 2.0 played two-and-half years in Boston and was done).

My dad died in March ’04 – I’m not going to say ’03 made his illness worse, but it didn’t help. So for me, when the Sox finally won, it was less exultation than exhaustion, more relief than disbelief. I favor the 2010s, because I’ve been able to share this decade with my son. He was almost three when the Sox won in ‘13; I woke him up to see the last out in case they never won again in his lifetime. I got to wake him again five years later.

With 2020 coming soon, now may be time to reflect on the past 10 years. Or 20… Compare both decades of this Red Sox Century. Boston won two world titles in each: ’04 and ’07; ’13 and ’18. The Sox also had MVPs and Cy Young winners in both 10-year spans: Pedroia and Martinez; Betts and Porcello. 2000-2009 Regular: 920-699 .568, seven 90-win seasons, 1 first place, 8 seconds, 1 third. Post: 34-23 .596, 2-2 ALCS, 4-2 ALDS. Notables: 5 Wild Card berths, made Game Seven of the ALCS 4 times. 2010-2019 Regular: 872-748 .538, five 90-win seasons, 4 first place finishes, 3 thirds, 3 fifths. Post: 23-14 .622, 2-0 ALCS, 2-2 ALDS. Notables: 3 straight AL East crowns, 4 in 6 years. Idiots breaking an 86 year-old curse; the greatest comeback in baseball history. David and Manny, Pedro and Schill. DLowe and Wake, Foulke and Tek. Mueller, Millar… OCab and Nomar, Damon and Nixon. Underrated ‘07 champs, dominant from April through October. Dustin and Youk, Beckett and Lowell. Pap and Okie, Coco and Ells. Dice-K Matsuzaka. Boston Strong, Bearded Band of Brothers, this is our f***ing city. Papi, Pedey, Koji… Lester and Buck, Salty and Vic. Gomes and Napoli. Drew brothers. Do Damage, outfield dances, a franchise-record 119 wins. Mookie/Beni/JBJ. Bogie and Rafie. JD, Brockstar, Joe Kelly. Pearce and Eovaldi. Nunez and Moreland: PH WS HRs. Chris Sale. The Owes or the Teens? Which Red Sox decade is your favorite… and why?

Agreed. If I had to pick which was the better bet to have a productive career longterm, it was Beni. Moncada had better tools than just about anyone, but also had to face the usual cultural adjustments and transitions that sometimes hinder development. I admit I was turned off by his expensive car collection with the custom YM hood ornaments, but realize those are spoils of suddenly striking it rich as a teenager. Of course, Mookie showed up in a shiny blue Corvette this year, and that didn't appear to affect his game...

Good to read; I couldn't sleep last night worrying about Noah Song.