poppysox

Conditioning is a huge part of success obviously. Look at Abreu. Never saw someone improve so much in both offense and defense. A great role model.

Excellent point!

The Bauer/Springer type free agents always scare the bejeebers out of me. Free-agency works really well to fill holes with competent performers without giving up players. I think Joc for RF and Q or Tanaka for the rotation are good examples of guys who would improve our team while not being huge risk pieces. Hendricks and Colome would also fit the bill as low-risk additions for the pen. If a Bauer or Springer pulls a Dunn / Encarnacion / LaRoach and the team gets seriously set back. It is written in the stars that we need to develop our own stars and fill in around them with sensible trades and FA acquisitions IMO.

You make an excellent point.

Good idea!

No by a wide margin. If need be...he will always be available at about 1/2 price down the road.

The yearly drum beat.

Most people with money didn't get that money being stupid spending it.

The best way to improve your odds of a WS ring is to be in the playoffs year after year. The best team doesn't always win the WS but you can't win if you don't make the playoffs.

Vaughn has the DH position sewed up. No need for another DH from outside the organization.

One thing for sure...Snell is not Sale. Don't pay a Sale like price.

Being in a position to win every year is the goal. You can't afford to shoot and miss. I favor using the FA route because it only costs money. Trading prime prospects have a really high probability of biting you in the ass.?

Just think of it... every one of us has a circle of friends and family that think we are the most crazed Sox fan in the World. They obviously are not familiar with this site. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Giving up 2 or 3 top prospects is not the way to have long term success. Three quality arms are the requirement to win playoff baseball. We currently have two. I'm counting on the new pitching coach to unlock Cease, Dunning, and/or Kopech. The two Quintana types I suggested are to hold down the fort until someone figures it out. Should a stud be needed...trades can still be accomplished before the trade deadline. As I have said before...we have paid a high price in losing seasons and trading good players to be where we are today. No way do I want to pull a Cubs and return to crap in 3 or 4 years.

We already have a TOR starter and two more in training. Spend the money on Springer and a couple #4 types along with a good RP. With that lineup we aren't going to have many 1-0 games.

100% agree!

Thanks for the imagery.

I've made this point several times. The Quintana/Richard types hold down the fort until the new pitching coach fixes Cease, Dunning, Lopez, and Kopech. Spend the real money on RF and a top BP piece.

So...not impossible but improbable.

Almost everyone on this board thinks if we get Springer we don't get Bauer. I feel anything is possible. Not one of us has any idea of what is on Jerry's mind. The addition of both top free agents would create a marketing bonanza. We overnight would go from contender to probable favorite. If JR wants to increase the value of the franchise for his backers...now would be a very good time to make a splash. That's my take and I'm sticking with it. Lot's more fun to think positive than the constant talk of what the FO won't do.

It means that it takes a long time to develop a system rich in prospects like we currently have. We probably have 20 players currently with star potential to one degree or another. Those prospects were paid for with years of losses and the trading of stars like Sale, Q and Eaton. I don't want them traded away when there are free agents available to fill available holes.

I am well aware of budgets and that is why I have advocated a willingness to accept much less than the top tier FAs. I will not be unhappy if we simply upgrade RF, sign a top pitcher for the pen, and a couple of Q type starters for depth. What I have been emphatic about is not trading top prospects. I actually believe the FO has the money to sign Bauer and/or Springer. Of course, none of us really know what JR is willing to spend. I am of course hopeful.

If you can afford 3 or 4 of your top prospects...you can afford any FA imo.

Sign Bauer, Q, and Springer and keep all our prospects. Now that keeps us in contention beyond a 3-year window.

They were both considered underachievers and change of scenery candidates.