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It made me laugh but hammer smashed the nail real good. Don't forget the CBA could be crazy too.

How can it be the wrong move ? He only said explore. You have to explore. C'mon Jack plenty of time to see if the starting pitchers are as good as they have looked and see if the BP can straighten things out a bit. Even without Eloy and Robert if the exploration gets you a decent CF type who can field and hit and bats LH with power, we have our RF for next year and better depth or even if we get a guy like Tapia who can run and hit Madrigalish with more power , the Sox have a lineup that could be very speedy and hit for a high average which would bode well for when Eloy does return to provide more power. I would imagine talks regarding Tapia and Hilliard with Colorado are forthcoming. If Cleveland can hold it together with their pitching and crap lineup the Sox can hold it together with better pieces in their lineup and with pitching. The AL is horse manure at the moment.

Gallo is Delmonico so far this year.

He never looked to sign anywhere else because he had no other offers.

Who's emergency podcast ? His ? If that's the case he's just hyping stuff that he will do once he hears the real news .

That's one of the only things that gives me any hope that the Sox could survive losing Eloy and Robert and waiting till they return. The AL is weak this year which makes being a bit more committed to winning from management all the more important. Here's to hoping the Sox survive until we see if JR throw us a bone or what they do with Eloy after he returns. This should be a prime year to at least make it to the World Series. It would be massively disappointing to not even make the playoffs.

I don't think it's that irrelevant when now some of you are talking about kicking the can to the future for a 2nd year in a row while Core players salaries keep rising and Giolito has 2 more years and we might have the best starting pitching we are going to have in the window right now. The differences in our opinions is that you see the window open for longer than I do. It's buying into what JR constantly is selling us that has never reaped rewards if we are talking about repeatedly making the playoffs.

Why wasn't last year the 1st year ? We made the playoffs. If the Sox did everything I suggested it's possible they go much deeper in the playoffs and have more money to use in the off season or at the trade deadline. I'm speaking of not wanting EE and giving Mercedes a chance last year . According to you last year wasn't the 1st year of the open window so why spend money on EE ? Then maybe you spend that EE money on a starting pitcher or try for another stater at the trade deadline when I also suggested that could be Lynn. So I am thinking last year had to be the 1st year otherwise no need to spend the money on EE . I could also ask why spend the money on Grandal or Keuchel. I know the answer to that is they were given multiyear contracts but with both being older players isn't it best to maximize the 1st year of them being with the team since decline is likelier year after year ?

Which is why as an alternative I suggested Sam Hilliard but I do think something needs to be done.

The OF here is nothing like the Coor's OF. Much easier to play OF here. He's a good gamble given the lack of OF depth and the huge power and the Sox lack of power currently especially from the left side. If you want to make a minor transaction with potential he's the type the Sox should be looking at. No mortgaging the future with him.

It opened last year. And it's wide open this year. Not sure what point you're making about them not being the keys to going forward. I know they aren't . 2 of them wont be here or likely won't be here. But they are a key to THIS year and you're fine with just waiting it out and hoping JR decides to be good to us at the trade deadline or missing the playoffs because the future is so bright ? How long will that strategy hold water for ? Every year you wait the core's salaries rise . After this year the Sox have just 2 more years of Giolito. Keuchel is 34 next year. Kopech will be in his 1st year as a starting pitcher. Still don't know what we have with Cease. Keep depending on JR to make it all right is also a terrible strategy.

So then you get more for him or you just trade someone else on maybe Sam Hillard. He is a LHH OFer with big power but who K's a lot but still can play all OF positions. He's 27 and when Eloy comes back you have 2 more big power bats. Eloy goes back to LF or DH and Hilliard in RF if Eaton goes down with an injury. Hilliard could start or be a nice depth piece . He could be be like Gallo or even better than Gallo who a lot of people seemed to like around here.

I don't think it's as simple as that. Games are not played on a spread sheet. I think it would benefit the team knowing that Sox management is committed to winning a World Series this year. That's what all the talk was about from management and players alike during the off season and pre season. I don't think we are alone in questioning just how committed the front office is . I think the players question it too. I don't think I am qualified to make a ton of trade suggestions. I have made a few and the only other ones I have seen anyone attempt is suggesting Kris Bryant and David Peralta. Both of which I like. I just don't know all possible players who fit the team's need. I have been talking a about a few LHH OFer's but I think we need another quality relief pitcher too. It's very hard to say how much difference acquiring players will have. It depends on the quality and how they perform. An OF and a relief pitcher would be better than just one of those. There's also a morale factor. Maybe the Sox still get shut out yesterday with Robert in the lineup , maybe they were bummed out. It's very hard to lose your best offensive player and arguably your best all around player and not have it effect the team deeply in more than just the spreadsheet. I think the players and us need to be reminded or actually made to think for the 1st time that management will go above and beyond to win and not just wait for the smoke to clear while we wait for the inevitable losing 8 of 10 against division opponents.

Even if they do show up which I suspect will happen given their track records, however much offense we gain we could just as likely lose if Eaton gets nagging injuries, Mercedes becomes human and Robert is MIA. If the Sox need more HR's take a shot at Sam Hilliard and see what the Rockies want for him rather than Tapia. Big time pop but 27 and not on the Rockies 25 atm , has shown flashes of being good but one of those big time K bats. Can play any OF position and is LH.

SO does that mean we are in the middle of our window now and how long is the back end going to last if we keep kicking the can down the road ? 2023 ?

People have been talking about extending Vaughn and Lynn for months . Many thought Vaughn would be extended before the season started. I said he wouldn't. May be the only one who said it. Why wouldn't Lynn test free agency ? Because JR is such a generous owner ?

In one respect i suppose you could say it's knee jerk but as a very long time Sox fan it's also not knee jerk. I have observed how JR runs the team. The Sox have never had 2 seasons in a row of making the playoffs and if we miss them this year the record is still in tact. It's typical of the Sox front office to keep kicking the can down the road and we as fans start agreeing with it. I wanted to maximize the window last year and get Lynn at the trade deadline. Ok Lost in the playoff. Everyone said it wasn't our year anyway. Fast forward to this year. Injuries taking a big chunk out of the team but let's just wait and see how it goes. Ok fine, we're kicking that can again in a year that the starting pitching might be the best we get for the whole window . How long does it take for everyone to realize that you are buying right into JR's M.O ?

I don't think it is. They will lose a certainty after this year in Lynn so they need a certainty in return. You think it's Kopech. I think it could be Kopech . You could be right but I'd rather be more certain. The Dodgers can afford to lose in the playoffs because they are in them almost every year and eventually that pays off in a World Series win. The Sox rarely make the playoffs and certainly don't spend like the Dodgers. Our playoff appearances are rare gems that need to be polished and taken advantage of with a World Series win in the short window the Sox are going to have. All this talk about the future and selling out for this year means nothing. How often do we as fans get sold a bill of goods about the future and we still haven't had 2 playoff appearances in a row. Time for people who care about winning to wise up, grab the brass ring while you're still on the merry-go round, because if the past leadership of JR is any indication we won't be on the ride long.

But the question still remains is that good enough to win a World Series ? I know you just enjoy baseball and winning is secondary but the goal for most here is to win a World Series and established quality pitching, barring injury as you say, are much more likely to provide, well, certainty , rather than 3 of the 4 you named being, for lack of a better word, uncertainties.

Let's hope by then it isn't too little too late and it's more meaningful than a token gesture.

I took that into consideration with my "how confident are you that the Sox have the best offer" comment, because if you make that offer that means you already are willing to take on the salary.

I guess we will have to see today Robert's prognosis before discussing this more. Just remember Engel was on the 10 day IL and his return has been delayed more than a month after that. The Sox will be very cautious with him .

Bryant will be much sought after. The Cubs will wait until the trade deadline and take the best offer. How confident are you the Sox have the best offer and that the Cubs actually trade him to the Sox ?

I'm open to your suggestions. When Eloy comes back you have 2 DH's and a 1st baseman playing LF. Not terribly versatile and a detriment for going deep into the playoffs and a bigger one for the World Series.

Keuchel will be 34, Cease has one good start this year and Kopech will be in his 1st year of starting . How confident are you in the Sox finding a #2 starting pitcher . FA ? Trade ? That's what you will need to make a World Series next year and that's only if Cease can become good and Kopech can be good starting for a whole season. Too may variables.