2006-07 MLB Offseason Thread

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

You can live with that? You could have kept Damon for 20-30 million dollars cheaper. Damon runs into a wall and is playing the next game. I cant say the same about JD Drew.

 

JD Drew is younger, gets on a base at a higher clip, hits for more power, runs the bases better and plays much better defense. But oh yeah, Damon is a great team guy who gives handjobs in the lockerroom or something and Drew never gets his dirty jersey. I'd much rather have Damon.

 

Two other points I need to make since you bring up the Damon thing all the time. The Red Sox couldn't have signed Damon last year. Boras tried playing hard ball and the Red Sox called his bluff. They never got the opportunity to match the Yankees' or anyone else's offer. Second, $56 million is $4 million more than Damon's contract, not 20-30. Check your math.

[Brett Favre 0]

JD Drew isn't that much better than Damon. He doesn't run the bases better than him, but he does hit for more power. And team guys are underrated. Damon seems like a good guy for the Yankees, and look at the way the Red Sox fell apart last year (yeah I know pitching had something to do with it), but looked how much Crisp sucked ass and how much of a downgrade he was from Damon. Drew is good, but I really haven't seen Dodger fans really that pissed to see him go.

[Guest]

JD Drew does not have good power.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Damon's career best OBP was .382. His career high in slugging was .495. JD Drew's career averages are .393 and .512. Even if you took the best individual years of Damon in every category he doesn't match up to what Drew does routinely. As far as baserunning, I concede that point, but not by much. Drew steals at a 74% clip on his career compared to Damon at 78%. He doesn't run much anymore, but Damon shouldn't be either at this point.

 

Coco Crisp, as a player, is not much of a downgrade from Damon. The guy broke his wrist the first month of the season and wasn't able to properly swing a bat for the rest of the year. He was miscast as a leadoff hitter and he was learning to play a brand new position that he wasn't comfortable with. He needs one more full year in Boston before he can be evaluated. With that said, the FO probably wishes they would have kept Damon, but I don't have time to rehash the reasons they didn't (re: Feeding the Monster by Seth Mnookin).

 

The team did not fall apart because they were missing character guys. They fell apart because nearly every position player and pitcher on the team missed significant time with injuries. Being a team guy is overrated because it doesn't mean much to professional baseball players. Guys get along when they are winning. Most of the people we hear about being great team guys are just the ones that kiss ass to the media. For example, Boston supposedly loved Kevin Millar because of "Cowboy Up" attitude and his hard nosed play. Fact is the rest of the team and management despised him because he was a pompous asshole who barely put up replacement player numbers. He refused to come out of the lineup even though it was in the best interest of the team.

 

JD Drew will always get bad press because of the Philly thing. It was in bad taste and it upset the good old boys network. He doesn't care for the media and he doesn't show much emotion to the fans. It doesn't degrade the fact that he was one of the best RFers in the game last year. I have no idea if he will work out in Boston, but I'm sure willing to make room for a guy with a career OPS of .900, attitude or not.

[iggymcfly 0]

I know it's frowned upon and it was a stupid thing to say to the media, but if I'm pissed that Pujols didn't get the MVP, then why shouldn't he be pissed? He had a higher OPS, better clutch numbers, played better defense, and played on a team that made the playoffs.

 

The only reasons Howard got the award are:

1) He was a "fresh" candidate whereas Pujols has been good for years.

2) He played in a bigger media market.

3) Half the idiot writers don't look at any stats but BA, HR, and RBI when making their determination.

[Craig Th 0]

The BoSox were also looking towards the future with Crisp. Yes, Damon is good now bout maybe he won't be as good in 4 years during the last year of his contract.

 

That is the same exact reason they didn't resign Pedro. Yes, he would have been good for the first year of his contract, but what about after that? Well they made a good move because he got hurt.

 

I don't know enough about Drew to say anything, seeing how I don't get to watch very many Dodger games. But he won't be able to fill Manny's shoes, which I believe they want him to do.

[vivalaultra 0]

I know it's frowned upon and it was a stupid thing to say to the media, but if I'm pissed that Pujols didn't get the MVP, then why shouldn't he be pissed? He had a higher OPS, better clutch numbers, played better defense, and played on a team that made the playoffs.

 

The only reasons Howard got the award are:

1) He was a "fresh" candidate whereas Pujols has been good for years.

2) He played in a bigger media market.

3) Half the idiot writers don't look at any stats but BA, HR, and RBI when making their determination.

 

There's a good chance that he should have won it, but his statement that the MVP should only come from a playoff team is just dumb, especially considering that if the Phils were in the Central and the Cards were in the East, the Phils would be in the playoffs and the Cards wouldn't. And it's fine for like...casual fans to say that Pujols should've won, but, I think he just comes off as a smug bastard by clearly hinting at the fact that HE should've won and not saying anything good about the actual winner. Derek Jeter had more of a reason to be pissed in the AL, but he handled himself with class...unlike Al-bert. Oh, if we could all only be as classy as the Cap'n.

[Cartman 0]

Lets not all forget how BAD Damon was compared to his new contract when he first signed with Boston. His first 2 years he got called out constantly because he was extremely overpaid(8 Million) at the time for the production he was giving us.

 

Years 3 and 4 he ended up looking UNDER paid because he blew up as part of the best Offense in baseball. I can't stand how people decide after 1 season with a new team that a player won't be good ever again. Coco needs time and needs a healthy full season under his belt here before anyone can claim he's a bust or he just sucks.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Steve Phillips, ESPN's resident idiot now that Olney seems to have found some sources, thinks that the Red Sox will sign Barry Bonds after Manny is traded. I bet the chances of that happening are roughly one hundred million to one. I know these guys are paid to stir things up, but isn't there any journalistic credibility at all?

[The Man in Blak 0]

whats up with the markets disinterest in mark mulder? understanding that he's had surgery recently, ywo years ago he was considered a top 10 pitcher in the league. i can't believe there isn't someone willing to take a risk with him. like even .500 pitchers like randy wolf have been getting more pub than this guy. whats up? i have not heard one team linked to him in negotiations.

 

Well, for one, there are a ton of pitchers left on the market and it's very likely that pitching will be the last thing to go in this market, as clubs try to "starve" out the huge demands from the big name free agent pitchers.

 

Secondly, there's no interest for Mulder because his mechanics are an absolute wreck, nobody's sure if he'll ever get back to being the pitcher he was before the hip injury in 2003, and the guy is a bit of a meathead. Even before the injury hit him this year, he was an average groundballer that leaned heavily on an excellent St. Louis defense. Furthermore, his peripherals (particularly his strikeouts) are trending downward. There just aren't a lot of positive indicators that he'll bounce back or even be a league average hurler.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

To summarize the feelings on Mark Mulder, he didn't just have a hip injury. He has a degenerative hip condition that will just continue to get worse. He's had to alter his mechanics to compensate and not only has ruined his skillset, it's going to thrash his arm. It's not clear that he will ever be an effecitve pitcher again. He'll get a shot somewhere, but it will likely be after the dust settles on the rest of the free agents out there. Most likely a one-year deal heavy on performance incentives.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Other comments:

 

- I like the Cardinals round of signings. Kip Wells seems like a great, albeit expensive, reclamation prospect and Eli Marrero is a very savvy MLC, especially if we can sweet talk him into catching again. Bennett's resigning is a reward for having a hot streak while filling in for Yadier Molina last year, which is fine by me. Adam Kennedy is the most interesting guy of the group - he's a big upgrade, defensively, over Belliard and has some speed to boot. I don't think .275/.340/.400 with a half dozen homers and maybe ten to fifteen steals is out of reach - if Hal McRae can undo the damage that Mickey Hatcher did to his swing over the last two years, he could do even better.

 

- Replacing Manny with J.D Drew seems, to me, like an desperate shot to clear off some payroll for signing Matsuzaka. Every year we hear about how Manny is such a financial vice on the team, but while signing Drew to 4/60 or 5/70 is a cheaper deal (per year) than Manny that will give them an extra $5 million to play with for a short-term Matsuzaka deal, it's also a much larger long-term financial commitment to a guy approaching the wrong side of thirty, who has eclipsed 500 plate appearances just once in his career and still may not be as good a player as Manny Ramirez, even when defense is factored into the equation.

 

- Crisp may not be as good of a player as Damon throughout the length of Damon's contract (and even that is up for grabs, if Crisp really bounces back), but he'll be a better value, dollar for dollar. Just keep him out of the leadoff spot.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Other comments:

 

- Replacing Manny with J.D Drew seems, to me, like an desperate shot to clear off some payroll for signing Matsuzaka. Every year we hear about how Manny is such a financial vice on the team, but while signing Drew to 4/60 or 5/70 is a cheaper deal (per year) than Manny that will give them an extra $5 million to play with for a short-term Matsuzaka deal, it's also a much larger long-term financial commitment to a guy approaching the wrong side of thirty, who has eclipsed 500 plate appearances just once in his career and still may not be as good a player as Manny Ramirez, even when defense is factored into the equation.

 

It's unfair that that the perception will be that JD Drew is replacing Manny, or that he got Damon's money, even though I know full well that is what will happen. In reality, Drew is a replacement for Trot Nixon, and they still need upgrades at several other positions. The Sox can afford Drew and Manny, but they cannot afford Manny, Drew, Lugo, Matsuzaka and a new closer. Someone has to go in that equation, and unfortunately, it will probably be Manny.

 

This front office understands and values Manny's hitting, but they've never coveted him as an all-around player. When you have Bill James on your payroll and mandate that he spend his time investigating the negative value of Manny's lack of hustle, you know that the player is not in good graces. It's a ballsy move, and ultimately this, and not the 2004 World Series, will clearly define Theo's reign.

[devo 0]

This flew under the radar somewhat. The Red Sox sign Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima to a two year deal of yet-unknown value.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?sectio...&id=2681266

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Steve Phillips, ESPN's resident idiot now that Olney seems to have found some sources, thinks that the Red Sox will sign Barry Bonds after Manny is traded. I bet the chances of that happening are roughly one hundred million to one. I know these guys are paid to stir things up, but isn't there any journalistic credibility at all?

 

Doesn't Bonds hate Boston, thinking they are all racists?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Steve Phillips, ESPN's resident idiot now that Olney seems to have found some sources, thinks that the Red Sox will sign Barry Bonds after Manny is traded. I bet the chances of that happening are roughly one hundred million to one. I know these guys are paid to stir things up, but isn't there any journalistic credibility at all?

 

Doesn't Bonds hate Boston, thinking they are all racists?

 

Well, to be fair to Bonds, the Red Sox were built on a foundation of racism for decades.

[Cartman 0]

Theo's reign is already a complete and utter distaster. Horrible GM and I don't understand what the love is about him around here anymore. Most of his trades have backfired horribly on him to date. Getting rid of Manny would be yet another complete blunder IMHO. Money is no object to this team despite what has been said/done in the past. Ownership has a bloodlust for beating the Yankees and will spend Yankee dollars if it takes that to compete because they know around here they cannot keep fan interest if they don't stay in the race every year.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Steve Phillips, ESPN's resident idiot now that Olney seems to have found some sources, thinks that the Red Sox will sign Barry Bonds after Manny is traded. I bet the chances of that happening are roughly one hundred million to one. I know these guys are paid to stir things up, but isn't there any journalistic credibility at all?

 

Doesn't Bonds hate Boston, thinking they are all racists?

 

Well, to be fair to Bonds, the Red Sox were built on a foundation of racism for decades.

 

So wouldn't it make the rumor all the more unlikelier?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Theo's reign is already a complete and utter distaster. Horrible GM and I don't understand what the love is about him around here anymore. Most of his trades have backfired horribly on him to date. Getting rid of Manny would be yet another complete blunder IMHO. Money is no object to this team despite what has been said/done in the past. Ownership has a bloodlust for beating the Yankees and will spend Yankee dollars if it takes that to compete because they know around here they cannot keep fan interest if they don't stay in the race every year.

 

Okay, I realize that my posts are really getting Red Sox-oriented lately, and I will try to temper that a bit in the future, but I have to take issue with this post. Theo Epstein is easily one of the 5-10 best GMs in the game. He's had his share of miscues during his tenure, but it's been his plan and the execution of that plan that has transformed the club into perennial World Series contenders.

 

His moves from 2003-04 were masterful, and took the team from a 90-win club to a 98-win team. It is exponentially more difficult to step up from a solid contender to a World Series champion. The additions of Schilling, Foulke, Ortiz, Mueller, Millar, O-Cab and Bellhorn to the established core is what put them over the top.

 

2005 was definitely a step in the wrong direction and it's impossible to judge 2006 because half of the moves made last offseason were done when he was no longer working for the team. He has said since the beginning that 2006 was going to be a rebuilding year, and one of the main reasons he left was because management wouldn't accept this fact.

 

He's had exactly two trades go wrong under his watch and those were the Jeff Suppan acquisition and the Bard/Meredith for Mirabelli trade. And one of those trades had to happen because the team couldn't find anyone to catch a knuckeball and they panicked.

 

Lastly, they do not have all the money in the world to spend on players. Ownership has taken the hard line stance again and again that this team will not go over the luxury tax threshold except in the most special of cases. Theo's ultimate plan is a work in progress, but soon the entire core will be made of players entering their prime instead of overpaid ones exiting theirs.

[naiwf 0]

Theo's reign is already a complete and utter distaster. Horrible GM and I don't understand what the love is about him around here anymore. Most of his trades have backfired horribly on him to date. Getting rid of Manny would be yet another complete blunder IMHO. Money is no object to this team despite what has been said/done in the past. Ownership has a bloodlust for beating the Yankees and will spend Yankee dollars if it takes that to compete because they know around here they cannot keep fan interest if they don't stay in the race every year.

 

His post WS reign possibly. But how can a guy who helped deliver the first championship to a team in nearly a century be labelled a disaster? Cubs management and the Dolans are examples of complete and utter disasters, not Theo.

[Craig Th 0]

Theo's reign is already a complete and utter distaster. Horrible GM and I don't understand what the love is about him around here anymore. Most of his trades have backfired horribly on him to date. Getting rid of Manny would be yet another complete blunder IMHO. Money is no object to this team despite what has been said/done in the past. Ownership has a bloodlust for beating the Yankees and will spend Yankee dollars if it takes that to compete because they know around here they cannot keep fan interest if they don't stay in the race every year.

Which trades have backfired?

 

And even though I'm not a huge fan of getting rid of Manny, if they get the pitching they need to replace him, then I'll be for it. Plus, I don't want a player that is going to quit on me down the line.

 

Say what you will about A-Rod, I've never seen him give up. Atleast the guy tries all year long.

 

And the BoSox will always have fans, no matter what. Even though they weren't in the race at the end of last year, I still watched them whenver I could (Being in NY, it is hard). The BoSox have some of the most hardcore fans out there. They just happen to be the toughest to please.

[Cartman 0]

The Beckett trade looks pretty awful so far for one. Beckett had a pathetic year while Lowell had a good 1st half and HE was the better player of the deal. Hanley Ramirez had a realkly solid rookie season with Florida and wouldn't you know it, the Sox don't have a SS right now because they let go what many believe is the best defensive SS in the league Alex Gonzales. Annibal Sanches was better than Beckett as well by far.

 

The Bard/Meredith for Mirabelli trade was awful as well as Mirabelli was complete garbage while Bard and Meredith would have been perfect fits for the Bosox in their weak areas. Getting rid of Wakefield would have been the better option honestly. It's not worth keeping a pitcher on board if he needs a specific shitty catcher to be any good at all.

 

Trading Freddy Sanches looks real shitty too, what with him winning the NL Batting title and becoming a double Machine.

 

Theo had a part in putting the WS champion team together but let's not get carried away. Ortiz doing what he has done was pure luck and nobody could have seen that coming. When they signed him it was for a Platoon DH role with Jeremy Giambi whom Theo thought was the better player at the time. The Cabrera trade was a great move at the right time and it worked well in every way...until they let him walk after winning and signed Edgar Renteria to a insane contract when they knew he wouldn't be able to take criticism playing in Boston. If they didn;t know that was the case then they are oblivious because like JD Drew everyone else in baseball saw it coming.

 

I would love to know exactly what you percieve Theo's plan is these days. When he first got the job he preached about getting younger and focusing on OBP heavy players. SInce then he has traded 6 top prospects that have become solid MLB players already(Ramirez, Sanchez, Meredith, Marte, Sanchez, Bard, etc.). Then he trades for Wily Mo Pena who is the king of HR and strikeout and has absolutely no fielding ability whatsoever.

 

The team, doesn't make any sense and the only move that has worked out for them recently was letting Pedro go because it looks like he might be done altogether. I'm actually looking forward to the Manny trade that is unfortunately coming soon because it should put a stamp on a failed GM when the team fails to even sniff the playoffs. The only saving grace here is Matsuzaka and IF he actually pans out. Because we all know how well Japanese pitchers have done in MLB so far. Nomo has been the best one and even he was very shaky.

 

As for the Payroll thing, I garauntee that they rise well above the "Tax threshhold" this season and in the future. Schilling mention on a radio interview the other day that they are pushing aside past beliefs about staying under the tax limit because they know they have to spend to keep in contention with NY.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The Beckett trade looks pretty awful so far for one. Beckett had a pathetic year while Lowell had a good 1st half and HE was the better player of the deal. Hanley Ramirez had a realkly solid rookie season with Florida and wouldn't you know it, the Sox don't have a SS right now because they let go what many believe is the best defensive SS in the league Alex Gonzales. Annibal Sanches was better than Beckett as well by far.

 

Wow, if you were going to take all the time to type this stuff up, you'd think you'd do just a bit of research first. Theo did not trade for Beckett. That trade was orchestrated by Larry Lucchino and done with Theo out of the country. He did it to put his stamp on the team in the face of the way Theo wanted to build the team. Hoyer and Cherington were against it, and John Henry was as well. He wanted to sign Burnett and keep the prospects.

 

The Bard/Meredith for Mirabelli trade was awful as well as Mirabelli was complete garbage while Bard and Meredith would have been perfect fits for the Bosox in their weak areas. Getting rid of Wakefield would have been the better option honestly. It's not worth keeping a pitcher on board if he needs a specific shitty catcher to be any good at all.

 

I did say that I though this was a poor trade, but let's not look at it just in hindsight. Bard and Meredith were horrible with the Red Sox. Bard nearly set the record for passed balls after like ten starts. Meredith couldn't hit the strike zone to save his life. They probably gave up to quick, but neither guy had a future at the time. Some guys just can't do Boston.

 

Trading Freddy Sanches looks real shitty too, what with him winning the NL Batting title and becoming a double Machine.

 

The front office wasn't really trying to trade Sanchez. If you remember correctly, that was the second part of the Brandon Lyon deal. If you don't remember how that went down, the Sox may have knowingly traded an injured Brandon Lyon to the Pirates for Mike Gonzalez. The Pirates found out and demanded to rescind the trade. When they (the Sox) returned him, they packaged Sanchez in the deal as a goodwill to keep the Pirates from crying foul to other GMs and destroying their ability to make a deal at the deadline.

 

Theo had a part in putting the WS champion team together but let's not get carried away. Ortiz doing what he has done was pure luck and nobody could have seen that coming. When they signed him it was for a Platoon DH role with Jeremy Giambi whom Theo thought was the better player at the time. The Cabrera trade was a great move at the right time and it worked well in every way...until they let him walk after winning and signed Edgar Renteria to a insane contract when they knew he wouldn't be able to take criticism playing in Boston. If they didn;t know that was the case then they are oblivious because like JD Drew everyone else in baseball saw it coming.

 

But Ortiz did work out. You can't say that he doesn't get credit for that success, but them blame him in the same breath for other sure things failing when they got to Boston. Some moves work out and some don't. As for Cabrera-Renteria, are we really at the point that we are lamenting not signing Cabrera? The same Cabrera that the Angels offered at the Winter meetings for nothing last year? Renteria was a bust, but he netted Andy Marte, and therefore, Coco Crisp.

 

I would love to know exactly what you percieve Theo's plan is these days. When he first got the job he preached about getting younger and focusing on OBP heavy players. SInce then he has traded 6 top prospects that have become solid MLB players already(Ramirez, Sanchez, Meredith, Marte, Sanchez, Bard, etc.). Then he trades for Wily Mo Pena who is the king of HR and strikeout and has absolutely no fielding ability whatsoever.

 

The team, doesn't make any sense and the only move that has worked out for them recently was letting Pedro go because it looks like he might be done altogether. I'm actually looking forward to the Manny trade that is unfortunately coming soon because it should put a stamp on a failed GM when the team fails to even sniff the playoffs. The only saving grace here is Matsuzaka and IF he actually pans out. Because we all know how well Japanese pitchers have done in MLB so far. Nomo has been the best one and even he was very shaky.

 

The plan has always been to reconstruct the core of the team around young, pre-arbitration players entering their prime instead of old overpaid guys leaving theirs. They wanted to rebuild the team around character guys, and flush out the so-called idiots and headcases. They want to construct the $100 million player development machine instead of depleting cash resources on free agents. They want a team that can win 90 and compete every year, instead of one that perpetually fails. All those things are works in progress, and we won't know how it works out until 2007 or 2008.

 

As for the Payroll thing, I garauntee that they rise well above the "Tax threshhold" this season and in the future. Schilling mention on a radio interview the other day that they are pushing aside past beliefs about staying under the tax limit because they know they have to spend to keep in contention with NY.

 

Curt's a media blowhard. They are not going over the threshold. They didn't last year and they won't this year. Ownership does not consider themselves competitors with the Yankees, no matter how often the media tries to feed on that.

[snuffbox 0]

Brewers signed Craig Counsell for 2 years.

[randomguy 0]

I can't wait until Drew stubs his toe and misses 20 games. That will be a fun time for the Boston media.

 

Manny is an under-rated fielder and a great hitter. He plays the wall very well, and his lack of hustle, while it looks bad, is inconsequential.

 

Theo has had a pretty bad run. Getting Schilling was good but since then they have traded away good talent and good money for mediocre players. Theo was never totally out of the Sox organization, even after he "quit" he was in constant contact with them.

 

Basically his good moves were getting Schilling and getting lucky with Ortiz. His overall trend is very negative as the overall talent level at both the major league and minor league level declines while spending increases.

 

It is just the same as the Yankees. Compared to 5-6 years ago the overall talent is lower and the spending is higher.

 

Theo talks about building the team for the future but I don't see that happening. A lot of the good young guys have been traded. Guys like Foulke, Embry, etc were capable of one good year only.

 

It appears the the long-term goal for the Sox is to field a team of overpaid mediocre talents.

 

After Schilling the pitching moves have been atrocious. Let Wells go, got Clement and Beckett, bullpen is a mess, let go good minor league arms.

 

Injuries hurt the Sox last year but if you take away their beatdown of the National League they were a strictly average team from day 1.

[Cartman 0]

Um, what?

 

How can you say Bard was horrible when his only playing time was trying to catch a Knuckleball which even Varitek cannot do at all. Can't judge a guy for not using him where he is comfortable. Not to mention they gave up on him very early just because he couldnt catch a Knuckleball.

 

You can't say Coco Crisp is a good pickup yet, because although I think he will be good in the long run he hasn't shown it yet. So as of right now dumping Marte for him looks horrible.

 

Don't be fooled by all the shenanigans the Sox front ofice and Theo pulled this past offseason with him "Leaving the team" and all. There's plenty of speculation around that says Theo was always in contact with the team during the contract dispute and was very involved in all the decisions that were being made.

 

The other thing that I have never been happy with was the Hiring of Francona. He is nothing but a players coach kissass that obviously cant manage himself out of a paper bag. 2004 Sox won the Series despite him, anyone could have "managed" that team that year with those players. Other than that he's been awful.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Um, what?

 

How can you say Bard was horrible when his only playing time was trying to catch a Knuckleball which even Varitek cannot do at all. Can't judge a guy for not using him where he is comfortable. Not to mention they gave up on him very early just because he couldnt catch a Knuckleball.

 

But Bard's been horrible everywhere else before he got to San Diego last year. He wasn't exactly a top prospect. If it wasn't for the fact that catchers develop late, I would write off last year as a fluke in a small sample size. I'm interested to see what happens this year, though.

 

You can't say Coco Crisp is a good pickup yet, because although I think he will be good in the long run he hasn't shown it yet. So as of right now dumping Marte for him looks horrible.

 

And Marte has done what again so far? Coco Crisp was hurt all last year. He was essentially as good as Damon was in 2005, maybe even better when you factor in defense. He was doing fine until the wrist injury.

 

Don't be fooled by all the shenanigans the Sox front ofice and Theo pulled this past offseason with him "Leaving the team" and all. There's plenty of speculation around that says Theo was always in contact with the team during the contract dispute and was very involved in all the decisions that were being made.

 

This is essentially true, except for the two week period that he spent in Africa last winter. This was the same time the Beckett trade happened. Hoyer, Cherington and Henry wanted to put off the deal until reaching Theo, but LL forced their hand by saying that Florida would accept the Texas deal unless they acted right then.

 

The other thing that I have never been happy with was the Hiring of Francona. He is nothing but a players coach kissass that obviously cant manage himself out of a paper bag. 2004 Sox won the Series despite him, anyone could have "managed" that team that year with those players. Other than that he's been awful.

 

I do have my reservations about Tito, and his rigid use of the bench and bullpen, but he's a good manager. He managed rings around Joe Torre (who is great in his own right) during the '04 playoffs. Plus he replaced Grady Little, who may have been the worst manager the team has ever had, and that's saying a lot. It baffles me that guy even got another job.

[Cartman 0]

Coco got thw wrist injury during the first week of the year, how can ya say he was great until then? I already stated earlier that I like Crisp and I think he will be great in the long run but just like Damon it took a while and patience.

 

Bard only played as Victor Martinez's backup in Cleveland and when he did play he was very good offensively and solid defensively. Only reason he was traded was because Theo screwed up and had to save Wakefield by giving him his blanky(Mirabelli) back. That was a horrendous trade any way you slice it.

[Precious Roy 0]

It is just the same as the Yankees. Compared to 5-6 years ago the overall talent is lower

 

No it isn't. Our farm system is in the best shape it's been in 10 years.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

It is just the same as the Yankees. Compared to 5-6 years ago the overall talent is lower

 

No it isn't. Our farm system is in the best shape it's been in 10 years.

 

I know, so is the Red Sox farm system. Cartman and randomguy have no idea what they are talking about.