LorfTVP

Hmm, no, you've got it all wrong. The Sox now have more homegrown players than ever because, ever since the new ownership came along, the Sox have steered away from the free agent market and trading away the farm system. It's the Yankees who are losing out on homegrown players, which was what they rode through their championship years. The Red Sox payroll has stayed consistent for a while, fourth in the majors this year, still one of the highest though, while the Yankees payroll has skyrocketed past 200 million. The Yankees are shedding a lot of contracts this year but that just means they have more money to spend this offseason, along with the revenue from a new stadium. The reason the rivalry is at risk is because A. The teams are more about respect now after the Red Sox finally beat the Yankees and less about the excitement of underdog vs. top dog and B. The Yankees have sort of sucked recently. Homegrown Sox: Jonathon Papelbon, Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson, Jed Lowrie, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jacoby Ellsbury. With contributions this season from Brandon Moss, Jeff Bailey, Jonathon van Every, George Kottaras, Joe Thurston, Michael Bowden, Devern Hansack, Craig Hansen, Bryan Corey, David Pauley, and Charlie Zink. Some of the aforementioned may have been minor league journeymen...but I'm sure most are from the system the whole way through. We got Varitek from the Mariners, along with Derek Lowe, in one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history for Heathcliff Slocumb. And the beauty of a stocked system is that now, instead of depleting our farm system with a trade, we can trade from a position of strength, especially with the number of pitchers in the works. What we lack is a power hitting prospect after Lars Anderson, who is still years away. Truth is,the Red Sox have become a behemoth but that's through farm and payroll, not payroll alone, which is what people hated you for.

Sigh, I know, I know. I've noticed that he's pretty much been the only vocal Yankee fan after we lost. He just started another thread here in our territory, and though I haven't read it yet, I already know what the tone of it is.

I was thinking more loaded in the spoiled with cash sort of way but I guess it has multiple meanings. Y'know what, man, let's just insult everyone! I'm bitter that both of our avatars lost in the tourney because we're Boston fans anyway.

Yawn. The whole point of shitty teams getting high draft picks is for this to happen. No shame. This was a team built with talent. Now losing to the Marlins is a completely different story.

I touched on this up top...but Mark Teixeira is the tops on my wish list this offseason. I think most likely they'll try to trade Lowell and eat his contract. It won't be straight up, it'll probably be a big deal involving young pitchers, us taking another bad contract back...etc. I dunno, but as much as I respect Lowell, I don't know if I trust him. Move Youkilis to third where he is more comfortable (despite the errorless streak at first, third is the position he was born and raised with) and put Gold glove winner Mark Teixeira at first. Thing is, he doesn't just hit for power, but he takes pitches and walks as well...so basically in the Red Sox/Yankee mold. I'm sure Theo's going over every single possibility...but Mark Teixeira is definitely number one...at least for me. Ortiz needs another THREAT by him. Bay is more of a #5, #6 guy in the order while Youkilis is more of a tough at bat than a threatening one...if that makes sense. Lowell wouldn't take a bench spot, plus that's way too much to spend on a bench guy.

Hm, well we knew going in that Lowell wouldn't be there pretty much. Granted, his presence would have made a world of difference, I won't deny that, but we can't make excuses. I took a fucking shot to bowing out gracefully and I'm damn well gonna live up to that. But yah, Lowell's absence forced Kotsay into the game and weakened our bench considerably to the point where Francona had no hitting options for Varitek despite carrying three catchers for the sole purpose of pinch hitting for him. Oh well. You're just bitter because you died in the regular season.

We had a good regular season bench but in the playoffs, it was one of our downfalls. The whole point of having three catchers was to pinch hit for Varitek but when the opportunity came up, our only option was Sean Casey, a nice guy, but a singles hitter who can take a walk. he had 64 hits, 50 of which were singles and the other 14 doubles. His speed was nonexistent which meant that if he pinch hit and got on base, we'd have to pinch run for him right away. They say he's slower than Ortiz. Cora used to be a premier utility infielder but not anymore. He's a good guy but not a good player anymore, losing steps offensively and defensively. We've got to upgrade that bench. Backup catcher, we have plenty of those, the problem is none of them is really starter worthy which is why we have to make some moves. Something's gonna happen with both the center field and shortstop situations. Remember how Coco complained all season before settling in, well, he knows he has leverage, and after some time passes, will probably request a trade so he can start full time. I'd love to have them both and have all four of those guys (Ellsbury, Crisp, Bay, and Drew) find time in the outfield but I don't see that happening when players have egos. If Crisp gets traded though, I want a speedster on our bench. I like this pressure on the basepaths thing, it's been working for us these past couple of years ever since we've changed team strategies. A utility infielder with speed? But who...

Hahaha. Good point. I wonder what sort of loaded, spoiled, dimwitted fiend would ever blame his team's performance on injuries.

Okay, it's never too early to start thinking about 2009. We've competed well this year despite injuries, as all teams have, but our guys are older and that's always worrisome. Also, we have no power anymore. The stats can say anything, but Papi, injury or not, is not going to be the same hitter without another power threat by his side. Wakefield has that 4 million dollar renewing option, but he's suffered injuries the past couple of years now. There's the Lowrie/Lugo situation at short and the Ellsbury/Crisp situation in center field. Oh, and those injury threats are Mike Lowell, JD Drew, David Ortiz, Tim Wakefield, and, because of the 60 extra innings this year, Jon Lester to a degree. Bench seriously needs an upgrade as well. As much as I like Casey, he's a slow singles hitter and can only play one position. Okay, first things first, we get rid of Timlin, Cora, Casey, Byrd, and Kotsay. Byrd and Kotsay will want starting gigs elsewhere. What we do with Varitek is by far the toughest decision of the offseason. 2004 showed that the Sox are willing to let go of star guys but the fact that there is no viable replacement is worrisome. Varitek's agent is Boras, he's coming off of a four year 40 million dollar contract, and probably wants more years than we're comfortable giving. The Sox want one of the Rangers' Taylor Teagarden, Jarod Saltalamacchia, or Max Ramirez, and the cost is probably going to be young pitching. Rumors are also out that the Dodgers are shopping Russell Martin (because of makeup problems...which is shocking) but the price will probably be steep. Varitek did get divorced from his wife of 12 years this season, which has an effect, and I'd seriously like to see a study of how off the field incidents effect gameplay. Can't deny that his bat has slowed down considerably though. We got through this season with Crisp and Ellsbury together but I don't think Crisp will like doing it again. He really pumped up his trade value at the end of the season including the postseason so he could help us get something we need. Ellsbury took some backwards strides but he was still a rookie. I don't know how confident the Sox are in just handing him the job though. Lot's of people are talking about an upgrade for the rotation as well. The Sox are getting Manny's 20 million and Schilling's 8 million off the books but they still have Lugo for three more years at 9 million apiece. I'd love Mark Teixeira because power's a problem but he's blocked at first and third by Youkilis and Lowell, who is still signed for two more years. Okay, here's where we are now. C - Jason Varitek - Would like to see him train someone but that might be tough. 1b - Kevin Youkilis - MVP Candidate 2b - Dustin Pedroia - MVP SS - Lowrie/Lugo - Lugo is owed a crap ton, Lowrie dominates lefties but can't hit righties...although he can defend. 3b - Mike Lowell - Two more years on his 3 year 37.5 million dollar contract - Gonna be 35 to start the season. LF - Jason Bay - Should be signed to a contract extension this offseason. Signed through next year for 7 million. CF - Ellsbury/Crisp : Competition for this slot, one will most likely be trade bait even though both would help. RF - JD Drew : Injury worries as well but he's been a solid player WHEN healthy. DH - David Ortiz : Injury worries but he's gonna heal and gonna hit in the number three spot no matter what. Bench - Cora is going to be replaced by a new super-utility type or the loser of the Lowrie/Lugo battle. We need a 1b/3b type guy who can hit and an outfielder because I don't see both Crisp and Ellsbury staying. Backup catcher is never a real problem. SP - Josh Beckett : The oblique injury is worrisome but Beckett should be solid SP - Jon Lester : Took amazing strides forward but I'm worried about his innings increase this year SP - Daisuke Matsuzaka : Despite peripherals, a great season. Solid #3 but can he step up his game again? SP - Tim Wakefield : If his option is picked up, and he's a great value, could be #4 or #5. SP - Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, Derek Lowe? I don't see the Sox chasing Burnett, Sheets, or Sabathia. CL - Jonathon Papelbon : Golden MR - Hideki Okajima : Despite his trouble with inherited runners, a nearly identical line to last year MR - Justin Masterson : I want him to stay in the bullpen though I'm worried it'd be a waste of his talent. MR - Manny Delcarmen : Improved tremendously when Masterson joined the bullpen. Solid guy, more to learn. MR - Javier Lopez : Trends corrected themselves, valuable platoon option. LR - Dunno. Possibly Wakefield but doubtful since he needs a special catcher. This hole will probably be filled by someone new who can start if necessary. Honestly, the bullpen is the least of our worries. We need to shake things up before we make any moves an the person we trade could always be the wrong one. On the FA market, I can see us going after Lowe, who already said that the Sox were at the top of his wish list, and maybe Teixeira but that depends on what we can do with Lowell. Don't want to abandon Lowell, and his defense is top notch, but I'm worried about injuries. Top of the rotation is set up, the bottom is in the air. Bullpen needs to be filled out but the core is solid...1-2-3, possibly 4 if Masterson stays. We need to improve the bench. Thoughts?

What a game, what a game! Okay, it all rests on Beckett's shoulders. In a game 7, anything goes, but to get there, we gotta win tomorrow night. I have hope. I don't have a cable so I walked down to my freshman dorm to watch the game on the projector. Everyone else left, they gave up, but I sat through the entire time. If it's gonna end, it's gonna end, but the Red Sox deserved our respect and deserved our attention until the very end. Even if we fall 5-0 (for the fourth game in a row) to the Rays, I'll watch. It's all about devotion and momentum. So, this was a good team effort, let's hope it continues. Still not looking forward to cowbells though.

Oh, no doubt. The MVP race in the American League has become a test of strength and health more than pure performance though. The finalists are, or so I believe: Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Josh Hamilton, Justin Morneau, and A-rod with Miguel Cabrera getting a few votes. Ian Kinsler, Milton Bradley, and Carlos Quentin all will get votes but miss out on serious consideration because of injuries. Tell me if I'm missing anyone but...it's not as intimidating as in the NL where Pujols is looking to reclaim the crown that he could've been wearing every single year since becoming a major league baseball player.

Hate, really? I can understand being thrown off by Youkilis' anger at himself during every at bat but how can you dislike Pedroia? He's just an insane, determined little man whose grit should be the envy of all major league baseball players. But yah, for team MVP, it's gotta be one of the two, you're right. Pedroia's credentials are more league MVP worthy but Youkilis' has given us great at bats all year in a number of positions, including the all important cleanup spot. Lester also deserves mention just because of his meteoric rise to excellence. John Farrell was right. Smart man.

Apparently not...an amazing performance...just surviving. But that's the way he does it...and all in all, 4 BBs and 4 hits in 7+ innings isn't bad, especially when 3 walks were in the first and he only allowed 5 baserunners in the other six innings. More strikeouts than usual which helps tremendously. It's always a tightrope though.

Pretty worried about their home field advantage too...I'm sure people will go to playoff games in Tampa. And on a side note, in a speech in Florida, Palin tried to compare herself to the Rays. Oi.

I'm more afraid of the Rays than any other playoff team in the majors. With the Angels, despite what the sportswriters said, it was sort of a given that we'd win. At least, as a Sox fan, and considering recent history it was. But the Rays...ooh...a lot of Shields and Kazmir is never good. Thing is, they only beat us by one game in the season series but I'm still scared shitless. They're pretty much even in my eyes so we'll just have to see who is hungrier. Sox offense still doesn't feel like the best offense in the majors, no matter how often I watch them hit.

It seriously is a damn shame though. But hey, so long as Manny doesn't become a Yankee, he'll always have a place in my heart.

A 9,000 word lament over Manny's departure, legacy, manipulation, and soul. Good read.

MLB Trade Rumors Tim Dierkes, who is definitely one of the best baseball bloggers out there, takes a look at the Rangers. He doesn't analyze too deeply but this is a good overall view of what to expect along with discussion. As he mentions, you have your catchers...I know the Sox want one because I don't think Varitek will be resigned.

Good win. Random fact, all the players with a decision in tonight's game 1 has the same name. W - Jon Lester L - Jon Lackey SV - Jonathon Papelbon

Maybe not for their prices, but Abreu and Damon both fit into the Yankee mold hitting .300 with a .370 OBP each. As far as defense goes, you need a premier center fielder, but you're one year too late for that. I agree a lot with So-cal, Mussina, one of the smartest pitchers in baseball, is someone you can trust to pitch intelligently. As far as Pettite goes, there's a reason he was mulling retirement when Clemens left. Giambi...he has a 5 million dollar buyout and a 22 million dollar option, so you'll be spending money on him anyway...but that's a huge coin flip. I don't know as much about your internal options like I used to (not gonna lie, I stopped paying attention when you fell out of the race). Pudge, no fucking reason to keep him. I can see a team signing him for 7-8 million, despite his plummet, to see if he could do for them what he did for the '03 Marlins. So, sign Mussina, let Giambi go, let Pettite go, and, depending on the price tag, keep one of Damon or Abreu. For discussion's sake, here's a list of the 2009 Free Agents Unfortunately, CF looks bleak, with the best options being Rocco Baldelli, Mark Kotsay, and...Corey Patterson or Scott Podsednik...hah. Most of the available outfielders are older...scanning over these lists, I'd have to think the best options are Adam Dunn (who'd perform like Giambi this year), Milton Bradley (injury-prone), Pat Burrell (Eeps), and Manny Ramirez. I dunno, I think the most important decision is how aggressive they plan on being and if they're going to concentrate more on pitching or offense. I can definitely see the Yankees getting at least one of Sabathia and Teixeira, and then everything else will play out after that. There are other good pitching options...Lowe, Sheets, Prior, Pavano. I think the Yankees will be vary wary about injuries, since Hank did his fair share of complaining this year, which leads me to believe that they'll be wary of all of Sabathia's innings and push hard for Teixeira. Trades are damn hard to get a gauge on. But, honestly, as much as they need a Sabathia type ace, who they haven't had since Clemens', he's thrown a lot of innings...and every round the Brewers make it forward will make him less attractive. So your rotation is what so far? Wang, Chamberlain, Mussina*...and who? I don't see them flip flopping on Hughes this early, especially after his performances in the AAA playoffs...but still. I dunno, I'm just musing...I need to do some research and I'll get back to you.

Plus they have the immorally obtained Manny Ramirez who, as we all know, can do wonders in the postseason.

That's a shame. But what I'm saying is that despite similar SP statistics, Lidge's accomplishments fall far short of Gagne's who had a heap of history making on his side as well. Lidge in '03 wouldn't have won it.

Yah, but Gagne, in 82.1 innings, had a 1.20 ERA that year with a 0.69 WHIP, 137 strikeouts, and 55/55 saves, plus he just broke the consecutive save record. Compare that to Lidge's 69.1 innings, 1.95 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 92 strikeouts, and 41/41 saves. Gagne had just become the first closer to get 50+ saves in back to back seasons and was breaking all sorts of records and bats. I'm still a Lidge fan, and I'm not trying to take anything away from him, but those stats just don't match up. And while Gagne's competition was similar to Lidge's for the Cy Young Award, Gagne had numerous other factors on his side. 2003: Mark Prior 18-6, 2.43 ERA, 245 Ks, 211 IP Jason Schmidt 17-5, 2.34, 208 Ks, 207 IP