I'll take Putnam and Petricka back next year, and Webb should be in AAA to start the season. Competing in 2015 is a long shot in my opinion, and I hope Hahn doesn't try to fix every hole in one offseason.

Every year you can squeeze out of Abreu, Sale and Quintana on these contracts should be used to compete. There is no reason to gaze longingly to the north side and their indefinite rebuild that is going to stretch the better part of this decade. Go for broke and try and put together a SS contender? Not necessarily. However this division is not getting stronger next year unless this Twins thing happens more rapidly than it should, no reason at all for the Sox to not make some moves to go for it.

"What would Farquahar do if Abreu charged the mound"

"Pull a Greinke and charge back... and get destroyed"

game

Any day where the bullpen only gives up 5 earned runs is a good day.

It's tank time on the southside.

 

And I'm not talking Viciedo.

Every year you can squeeze out of Abreu, Sale and Quintana on these contracts should be used to compete. There is no reason to gaze longingly to the north side and their indefinite rebuild that is going to stretch the better part of this decade. Go for broke and try and put together a SS contender? Not necessarily. However this division is not getting stronger next year unless this Twins thing happens more rapidly than it should, no reason at all for the Sox to not make some moves to go for it.

The problem is that to go for it, they need a #3 and #4 starter, 4 bullpen pitchers, including 2 upper level guys, a 2B, a LF, and DH. So that's 9 players; and if you can swing that, you are still left with zero depth, and infield that is questionable defensively.

Sox just have a roster lacking talent.

Hawk and Wimpy must have jet lag, they thought it wasn't an error by the SS, and that Leury is gonna be a good MLB player.

You would think this team is throwing games. It's August, the typical time for Sox mental meltdowns.

It's tank time on the southside.

 

And I'm not talking Viciedo.

 

One game out of that 10 draft pick

Rienzo optioned to AAA

The problem is that to go for it, they need a #3 and #4 starter, 4 bullpen pitchers, including 2 upper level guys, a 2B, a LF, and DH. So that's 9 players; and if you can swing that, you are still left with zero depth, and infield that is questionable defensively.

Sox just have a roster lacking talent.

Problems that can be solved internally:

2B

Depth

#5 starter

1 (MAYBE 2, MAYBE) bullpen arms.

 

Leaving us holes at LF, 2 BP arms and at least one more starter that we must acquire from abroad. We have the payroll flexibility and trade bullets to at least give us something at those spots while not gutting the farm or eradicating all of payroll options going forward. DH I do not worry about, I actually like leaving that spot open the way many teams are nowadays. Someone does tend to step forward in that role or encourage a platoon.

Rienzo optioned to AAA

 

 

Finally!

 

Cooper out and Eaton running into the wall hasn't helped matters.

 

Keep Sale/Abreu/Quintana/Eaton healthy down the stretch, and hope for encouraging signs from Avisail and Viciedo.

 

There's been a lot of talk about not playing for a higher draft pick, but right now as long as everything outlined in the aforementioned sentence occurs, winning 75 vs. 70 games is irrelevant completely.

 

I'd even say they're probably going to be in a better position to evaluate both bullpen guys (whoever else is left to bring up in September) and Semien, Sanchez, Sierra, perhaps Michael Taylor and Micah Johnson.

 

Reading some of the comments above, we also have that huge looming question about what to do with Tyler Flowers. Has he done enough to warrant not being replaced over the last 3 weeks? Hahn surely would have a hard time answering that question without having the next 45+ games to decide, which means you're unlikely to see Phegley or Kevan Smith get much of an opportunity.

 

Webb and Nieto definitely need some more seasoning in the minors, that's pretty apparent.

Edited August 8, 201411 yr by caulfield12