Scutaro gone now too huh?....

[mauconnfan]

For a pitcher to the Rockies. Nick Punto at SS? Freeing up money for another pitcher or Cody Ross.

 

[bpo57]

For a pitcher to the Rockies. Nick Punto at SS? Freeing up money for another pitcher or Cody Ross.

Mau, Nick Punto is a 34 yo utility guy that has barely played 200 games in his entire career at SS. I would be very surprised if he is the red sox regular SS.

 

[mauconnfan]

Mau, Nick Punto is a 34 yo utility guy that has barely played 200 games in his entire career at SS. I would be very surprised if he is the red sox regular SS.

I know who Punto is bpo I catch a few games.............not sure I said regular ss anywhere in that sentence unless you need me to translate it to English again!!

From ESPN

"The Red Sox intend to use Mike Aviles and newly acquired Nick Punto to play shortstop in Scutaro's place, at least until top prospect Jose Iglesias proves ready for a major league promotion."

 

[The Viking]

Sounds like they're moving salary to go after Oswalt as their #4. If they get him here's what their staff looks like:

Beckett
Lester
Buchholz
Oswalt
Bard/Aceves/Padilla

Bullpen
Bailey
Melancon
Bard (maybe)
Aceves (maybe)
Morales?

that would be a pretty good staff, esp if Padilla sticks at the 5 and that pushes Bard and Aceves both to the pen to go along with Bailey and Melancon.

 

[Danzz]

Sounds like they're moving salary to go after Oswalt as their #4. If they get him here's what their staff looks like:

Beckett
Lester
Buchholz
Oswalt
Bard/Aceves/Padilla

Bullpen
Bailey
Melancon
Bard (maybe)
Aceves (maybe)
Morales?

that would be a pretty good staff, esp if Padilla sticks at the 5 and that pushes Bard and Aceves both to the pen to go along with Bailey and Melancon.

Oswalt is 34 , has had back problems, has never pitched in the AL and was 9-10 last year with the Phillies. Oswalt could be a gamble at this point of his career but hey, it isn't my money.
The Sox seem to be determined to make Bard a starter so you can pencil him into the starting rotaion and that pretty much guarantees that Aceves will be in the pen.

 

[Mattydog]

Oswalt is 34 , has had back problems, has never pitched in the AL and was 9-10 last year with the Phillies. Oswalt could be a gamble at this point of his career but hey, it isn't my money.
The Sox seem to be determined to make Bard a starter so you can pencil him into the starting rotaion and that pretty much guarantees that Aceves will be in the pen.

 

[Mattydog]

Hope the Sawks sign Roy.

 

[The Viking]

Oswalt is 34 , has had back problems, has never pitched in the AL and was 9-10 last year with the Phillies. Oswalt could be a gamble at this point of his career but hey, it isn't my money.
The Sox seem to be determined to make Bard a starter so you can pencil him into the starting rotaion and that pretty much guarantees that Aceves will be in the pen.

Yes it's a gamble, which is why I put him as a potential #4. If it wasn't a gamble, Oswalt would be signing a multi-year deal for lots of money. But if it works out it makes the Sox staff significantly better both in the rotation and the pen. Also, there are better ways to evaluate a pitcher than just by wins and losses.
Worth a shot in my book

 

[NHUConnfan]

Mike Aviles showed promise last year. He'd probably be the guy starting the majority of the games next year. He has an affinity for getting big hits, which is why I like him. Seems like a good clubhouse guy too.

 

[Excalibur]

Mike Aviles showed promise last year. He'd probably be the guy starting the majority of the games next year. He has an affinity for getting big hits, which is why I like him. Seems like a good clubhouse guy too.

Aviles can hit, but isn't great defensively. He's also not as fast as he thinks he is, or maybe was when he was 25.

 

[sinkhole]

The Sox are dumping salary. I think the new GM is in over his head. The Sox problem the past few years is keeping the team healthy. If they sign Oswalt and his back problem to go with the damaged Bailey they are rolling the dice again this year. With all the teams needing pitching there is a reason Oswalt can't geteven a one year deal and thats his back. I see Lackey part two if they bring Roy into the AL east.

 

[dsturdy5]

The Sox are dumping salary. I think the new GM is in over his head. The Sox problem the past few years is keeping the team healthy. If they sign Oswalt and his back problem to go with the damaged Bailey they are rolling the dice again this year. With all the teams needing pitching there is a reason Oswalt can't geteven a one year deal and thats his back. I see Lackey part two if they bring Roy into the AL east.

They are dumping salary because of past mistakes (Lackey, DiceK) eating up so much of what the ownership is willing to spend. There have been rumblings in enough media circles in Boston that there is some dissatisfaction ownership who has spread itself too thin with NASCAR and soccer on top of some very long, bad contracts which has painted Cherington into a corner.

A trade for Gavin Floyd has also been in the works, FWIW.

 

[Deadrody]

There have been rumblings in enough media circles in Boston that there is some dissatisfaction ownership who has spread itself too thin with NASCAR

Ownership is spread too thin ?!? Doesn't that pre-suppose that Henry and the rest of ownership 1) actually know a THING about baseball, and 2) that they run things and not the front office ?

Ridiculous

 

[Excalibur]

The Sox are dumping salary. I think the new GM is in over his head. The Sox problem the past few years is keeping the team healthy. If they sign Oswalt and his back problem to go with the damaged Bailey they are rolling the dice again this year. With all the teams needing pitching there is a reason Oswalt can't geteven a one year deal and thats his back. I see Lackey part two if they bring Roy into the AL east.

Lackey part two would imply an expensive long term deal. You assume facts not in evidence.

 

[Danzz]

They are dumping salary because of past mistakes (Lackey, DiceK) eating up so much of what the ownership is willing to spend. There have been rumblings in enough media circles in Boston that there is some dissatisfaction ownership who has spread itself too thin with NASCAR and soccer on top of some very long, bad contracts which has painted Cherington into a corner.

A trade for Gavin Floyd has also been in the works, FWIW.

NASCAR and soccer are probably making money so I doubt that they are an issue. More than likely any dissatisfaction comes from the Lackey deal and a little from the Dice-K deal along with what has become serious annual health issues.
The Sox seem to be stock piling non star arms (Floyd had a .450 era last season) in the hope that 1 or 2 will come through. They need a few innings a game out of these guys to take the strain off of Aceves in middle relief.
The key to the Sox staff is still Bailey. There are other issues (like a #4/5 starter) but finding an effective closer is #1.

 

[dsturdy5]

Just basing the NASCAR and soccer things off of what I heard at the Boston Baseball Writers Dinner. There was a lot of talk from both the Globe and Herald beat guys about how they hear that ownership is constantly pumping money and time into other endeavors and that they hadn't learned their lesson from baseball...throwing money at a problem does not always solve it and they have found they are losing more money than they'd like. As a result they are trying to avoid the luxury tax threshold at all costs.

 

[sinkhole]

Lackey part two would imply an expensive long term deal. You assume facts not in evidence.

Lackey part two was meant to imply results and not contract. A former ace who can't put it together in the AL east. Oswalt is a small guy with a bad back, he will lose velocity as he ages. I see him like Cone at the end of his career.

Floyd is what they need, a guy who makes 30 starts every year and pitches around 200 innings. Do the Sox have enough farm peices to get it done?

Aviles or Punto at SS will not be pretty.

 

[NHUConnfan]

Lackey part two was meant to imply results and not contract. A former ace who can't put it together in the AL east. Oswalt is a small guy with a bad back, he will lose velocity as he ages. I see him like Cone at the end of his career.

Floyd is what they need, a guy who makes 30 starts every year and pitches around 200 innings. Do the Sox have enough farm peices to get it done?

Aviles or Punto at SS will not be pretty.

The Sox farm have plenty of farm pieces to get any deal done. It's just the question of whether or not they want to let go of them.

 

[Waquoit]

Whatever problems the Sox have, Scutaro was more of solution than a cause. Aviles isn't the answer. This doesn't make the Sox better.

 

[60'sfan]

The Sox farm have plenty of farm pieces to get any deal done. It's just the question of whether or not they want to let go of them.

I don't think the Sox farm system is as strong as you imply. There are no super star potential players in their system. The talent that they have has holes. Iglesias can field but he can't hit, Lavarnway can hit but he can't field, Middlebrooks is at least a year away and might not be playing his best position. There are no top notch major league ready pitchers in the system.
I just don't get what Cherington is doing. Clearly the Sox biggest need is starting pitching. We have watched as other teams have strengthened them selves including our principal rival, the Yankees, and the Sox have done nothing. They added a couple of relievers but with the loss of Papelbon, I think they are weaker. When they traded Scutaro, I thought they would quickly use that money to sign Oswalt but instead they picked up Cody Ross, an average, at best, outfielder. As it stands right now, the Sox will start the season without Crawford, no proven short stop, a new right-fielder with no power and only three proven starters. I'm not optimistic.

 

[Danzz]

I don't think the Sox farm system is as strong as you imply. There are no super star potential players in their system. The talent that they have has holes. Iglesias can field but he can't hit, Lavarnway can hit but he can't field, Middlebrooks is at least a year away and might not be playing his best position. There are no top notch major league ready pitchers in the system.
I just don't get what Cherington is doing. Clearly the Sox biggest need is starting pitching. We have watched as other teams have strengthened them selves including our principal rival, the Yankees, and the Sox have done nothing. They added a couple of relievers but with the loss of Papelbon, I think they are weaker. When they traded Scutaro, I thought they would quickly use that money to sign Oswalt but instead they picked up Cody Ross, an average, at best, outfielder. As it stands right now, the Sox will start the season without Crawford, no proven short stop, a new right-fielder with no power and only three proven starters. I'm not optimistic.

The Sox have added a lot of bodies. The need 2 to contribute and that is Cherington's prayer. The Sox can live with Iglesias at SS as long as the rest of the lineup plays to their potential and aviod injuries for long periods. The problem is that the Sox don't have a lot of depth after they traded Lowrie and Scutaro.

 

[60'sfan]

The Sox have added a lot of bodies. The need 2 to contribute and that is Cherington's prayer. The Sox can live with Iglesias at SS as long as the rest of the lineup plays to their potential and aviod injuries for long periods. The problem is that the Sox don't have a lot of depth after they traded Lowrie and Scutaro.

 

[sinkhole]

What will the Sox do now? Oswalt wants to stay in the NL with St Louis as the leader. Edwin Jackson is still out there but he is costly and Gavin Floyd will cost a ton of propects from The Chi Sox.

I have a feeling Bobby V wants Iglesias as his guy at short. I can't see them playing Aviles or Punto next to the fragile Youk at third. The Rays and Yanks on paper made big improvements. I would have to think the Sox will make one big addition before camp.

In other news MLB.com named former Husky Mike Olt as the 43rd best prospect in Baseball. Thats a great rating for him and he should be close to joining a potent Ranger attack. I won't mention who was named #1.