Miller to O's, Drew to Yankees

The Red Sox get a high double-A pitching prospect for Andrew Miller who goes to Baltimore to shore up their bullpen for a playoff run. Amnd the Stephen Drew experiment ends with Drew going to the Yankees for Kelly Johnson, basically a swap of infielders, clearing the way for Xander Bogaerts to move back to SS & setting up the return of Will Middlebrooks to 3B. Bogaerts & Middlebrooks get 2 months to prove that they can add offense & defense to this team before the season ends & more decisions are made about the 2015 team. Brock Holt will have a tougher time finding playing time now with Cespedes & Craig on board. Holt may split time with JBJ, Middlebrooks & Bogaerts to get into games every other day.

Lackey to Cards for Craig & Kelly

Jon Lackey's team friendly contract was swallowed up by the St. Louis Cardinals. In my humble opinion the Red Sox got great value in return with Allen Craig, a professional hitter, & Joe Kelly, a young pitcher. Craig & Cespedes will add much needed pop to a dead Red Sox offense. Kelly will get a chance to pitch in the AL East & get evaluated towards a rotation spot in 2015. Lots of moving pieces today. Anthony Renaudo will likely replace Lackey on Friday against the Yankees. Offense was definitely upgraded. I think that my memory of John Lackey's time in Boston will be his transformation in 2013 to an elite starter that ran all the way through the playoffs & culminated in his World Series game 6 win for the title.

Lester, Gomes for Cespedes

Ok, don't call me crazy because I am going against what all sports writers & talk shows are saying. I like this deal. The Red Sox fill their most glaring need - a right-handed, power-hitting corner outfielder in Yoanis Cespedes. You are looking at a 25 to 30 HR guy & 100 RBI guy for the next several years or at least until his contract is up. It gives the Sox offense a much needed shot in the arm after scoring just 1 run again last night in a 6-1 loss to the Jays. We knew Jonny Gomes was gone after this year & maybe he can keep his playoff magic alive for the A's in 2014. Obviously, Jon Lester is the centerpiece of this trade for Oakland. The reason I think that this is a good trade for Boston is my belief, contrary to all, that the Red Sox will offer Lester enough in the off-season to bring him back to Beantown. If that happens, I think you applaud the Sox brass for outmaneuvering other teams. If not, then we become like the Jays & O's - just hitting their way through games without an ace. Cespedes is a big coup. One of the best power hitters in the game. Now we wait a few months to see about Lester coming back.

Doubront to Cubs

Felix Doubront got his wish. He got traded to old friend Theo Epstein's Cubs for a player to be named later. If Theo's coaches can motivate Doubront to put in a full year at maximum effort, then the Cubs got a serviceable starter for several years down the road. The Red Sox just gave up on Doubront after inconsistent performance & effort over the past 3 to 4 years. Maybe a change of scenery will do him well. He did not seem to figure into the Red Sox long-range plans.

Sox Lose 4-2, Lester Scratched

Toronto pitcher Marcus Stroman has the Sox number this year. Another good starting performance by Stroman led the Jays to a 4-2 win. Rubby De La Rosa, like Jon Lester & John Lackey in recent games, pitched well enough to win, but he received no help from the Sox struggling offense. The Sox batters have only scored 17 runs in their last 8 games, hitting a mere .125 with RISP. The ship for 2014 continues to sink. And speaking of sinking, Jon Lester has been scratched from his scheduled start tonight, perhaps signifying that a trade for the big lefty ace is imminent. What a poor decision by Red Sox management, or maybe it's arrogance, to think that they can let Lester go for 2 months & then re-sign him in the off-season. I feel that this is a black eye for the organization as a whole & it will impact ticket sales next year. One reporter on Comcast SportsNet last night said that the Sox brass is trying to change the thinking of 29 other teams about signing 30-somethings to long-term contracts. So far none of the other teams are listening.

Sox Embarassed By Jays 14-1

Buchholz bad. Doubront worse. This week is about who will still be in the clubhouse on Friday.

Guest Article: HOF

Yesterday I got an opportunity to see some of the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. As always, it triggered many memories of some great games, great players, great managers & great owners such as Dick Williams, Stan the Man Musial, Cool Papa Bell & of course Tom Yawkey. My favorite memory is the trip I took with my daughter (then 12 years old) to see Yaz & Johnny Bench be inducted into the Hall. On October 3, 1983 I watched Yaz run around Fenway Park slapping the hands of many fans. It was that day that I decided to go to his induction ceremony scheduled for July 1989. The induction ceremony was free. However, if you wanted to go to the Hall of Fame game, you would need a ticket which cost $5.00 each. The only way you could get a ticket was to purchase it at the Hall of Fame. So on a cold day in March I went to Cooperstown, NY. When I registered at the motel I was fortunate to meet the son-in-law of the owner. He offered me to ride with him & to take turns standing in line overnight, often swapping positions so one of us could sleep in his van. According to the newspaper the next morning, it was the coldest night in NY that winter. I believed it. I got 4 tickets, sold 2 to him & he scalped them. He had most of his family show up at 8:00 AM to get in line with him. I am sure he made some money that July. When the end of July 1989 rolled around we were ready to go to Cooperstown. One mistake I made was not to call for reservations in January that year. We ended up in a motel 30 miles from Cooperstown. Some people said we were lucky. We went to the induction & the next day we went to the Hall of Fame game. It was scheduled to be the Boston Red Sox against the Cincinnati Reds. We got there early to watch batting practice. I saw Jim Rice smoke one way over the fence. I then noticed that the Reds were nowhere to be found. Apparently the Reds were fogged in in Montreal & their plane was grounded. So we sat in our seats on a beautiful July day & watched the Red Sox "A" team from Elmira, NY play the major league Boston Red Sox. This was a major disappointment, especially after I froze my ass off in March to get these tickets. However, that game aside, it was a terrific trip. The memories of going there with my daughter Erin will always be cherished. (Author: Coach Gaff)

Chris Archer, Pitch & Shut Up!

No one likes a whiner. And Chris Archer is not David Price. Whiney boy Archer boohooed a bat flip by David Ortiz after Big Papi took him deep for a 3-run homer. The Ortiz bomb turned out to be the game-winner as the Sox beat Archer & the Rays 3-2. You have an ex-Tampa reliever doing "the arrow." The D & C show this morning mentioned Archer kissing his bicep after striking out Nava last year. So zip it, Archer! Stop being a whiner because you lost the game.

Sox Lose, Peavy Traded, Carp Wants Out

Many moving parts yesterday. Sox lose 3-0, even though a review was waived of a pick-off at 2B in the 4th inning by manager John Farrell. Ortiz is wondering why Farrell didn't challenge. How about you stick to offense, big man, & drive in a few runs & keep your mouth quiet! Zero runs means no win regardless of whether you challenge or not. Players should play, not manage. Another tough luck loss for John Lackey who pitched well enough to win, just like Jon Lester the day before. Earlier on Saturday, Jake Peavy got moved to the San Fran Giants in return for 2 AAA pitchers. Good, start stockpiling arms for future trades. Allen Webster gets his chance to crack the starting rotation today in place of Peavy. Also earlier on Saturday, a story broke about Mike Carp wanting to get moved to a team where he would get more playing time. Not an unreasonable demand, given his limited time this year. Expect to see a different roster by next weekend as the Sox continue to listen to offers & act on them.

Rays 6, Sox 4

1-4 so far on this 7-game road trip. Pitching has been bad, just ask Junichi Tazawa last night. He gives up the go-ahead runs in the 7th in a very ineffective outing. Go young, Ben. Get what you can for the guys that will not be here next year. Build up prospects to use in off-season trades. Jettison cash for free agent signings during the hot stove. It's 2012 all over again. This critical road trip has done nothing to suggest that the Sox have any chance of climbing out of this hole.

Last Days of Lester & Price?

Jon Lester & David Price square off against each other tonight in the opening game of the Red Sox-Rays weekend series at the Trop. Both guys are the aces of their respective staffs. Both guys could also be wearing new uniforms next week as the trade deadline looms closer. Seattle is looking for a top pitcher to join their rotation with King Felix. St. Louis & Atlanta could be looking for a plus arm to push them into the playoffs. Just about every team outside of the AL East could be travel destinations for these 2 lefties in the prime of their careers. John Henry & the Red Sox management should stop acting like girls (excuse me, girls, for saying that) & just pay Lester what he is due. It's not like the Red Sox don't have enough cash coming off the books next year to pay Lester. Drew - $10m, Gomes - $5m. Peavy - $14m. Boston is not a small market team that is cash strapped, especially with their new philosophy of shorter deals. Victorino's $13m comes off the books after 2015. Maybe Nap gets an extension into 2016 to be a DH/1B & take over for Big Papi. And the Sox have plenty of kids at low cost breaking into the big team for the next 3 or 4 years. It will be hard to put people into the seats at Fenway with no Jon Lester next year after a disappointing 2014. Management is going to look cheap & stupid if they don't get Lester resigned & he walks or gets traded next week. C'mon John, Larry & Tom. Do the right thing.

Going, Going, 2014 Gone

3 losses in a row. No chance of overtaking 6 teams to move into wild card contention. Good night, 2014 season! An 8-0 defeat today at the hands of the Jays with the offense getting just one hit, a single. No indication that this team can play above .500 for any extended period of time. Too many vets having off-seasons. No magic in 1-run games this time around. So now Ben has a clear chance to begin improving this team for 2015. Other than Ortiz & Pedroia, isn't every other player available for the right deal? Cherington's phone should be blowing up after this game. Pieces like Gomes, Peavy, Drew & others may be of interest to playoff-contending teams. Other bad teams like the Cubs, Diamondbacks & Astros may be willing to part with a Goldschmidt, a Castro or a Carter for the right players in return. We have a surplus of pitching which is a need for every team. Uehara, Lackey & Lester would be big chips to trade away if the Sox want to go young, jettison payroll & be active in the bidding war for Nelson Cruz & others hitters in the off-season. I still hope that Jon Lester is afforded the opportunity to finish his career in Boston as a Red Sox.

Looking Less & Less Probable

The Boston Red Sox of 2014 are on life support after losing 6-4 last night in Toronto. A split of this series, with Rubby De La Rosa pitching this afternoon, will barely keep the hopes alive that this team can somehow win their remaining games at a 70% clip to stay in the playoff race. To date the Red Sox are under a 50% winning percentage & losing 3 out of 4 against the Blue Jays will put another nail in their playoff coffin. Big Papi is hot like Jamaica with 4 homers in 3 games, but the Sox left too many men on base last night. Xander Bogaerts & Mike Napoli couldn't connect on an important infield out that led to the Jays winning run. Bad throw or bad scoop? It could have been either. As Steve Psycho Lyons said, the Sox need a 9-4 finish to this month & so far they are 1-2. For Psycho to be right, the Sox now need to go 8-2 over their next 10 games against the Jays & Rays & Yankees. Anything is possible, but the time to right the ship is ticking away very quickly with every loss.

Blue Jays 7, Sox 3

David Ortiz & Stephen Drew both went yard for the 2nd night in a row. But too little too late. Jake Peavy left 2 balls over the plate that went out of the park in his 6+ innings, 5 runs allowed stint. Felix Doubront gave up 2 more runs in the 8th, killers really, that moved the score from 5-1 to 7-1. Buck gets the ball tonight in a very pivotal game as the Sox need to do more than play .500 from here on out if they are going to make a serious run at the playoffs. The Red Sox need to take 3 out of 4 in this series. Let's see if Buck is up to the task at hand tonight.

Sox Explode for 14-1 Victory

Wow! Who saw that coming? 4 homers, 18 hits, 14 runs. A Red Sox team that plays in 1-run games just about every other day made sure that this game in Toronto was over early. David Ortiz 2 HR's & 4 RBI. Mike Napoli 3 hits including an HR. Stephen Drew 4 RBI & an HR. Xander Bogaerts 3 hits. Mr. Everything Brock Holt had 2 more hits & made a spectacular catch in RF. Only Dustin Pedroia went hitless, but the Sox offense didn't need him last night. If you are Jake Peavy watching this offensive explosion, aren't you saying save a few runs for me on Tuesday? The Sox have won 8 of 9 &, yes I'm going to say it, they are climbing back into the wild card conversation. The Sox need to pick-up a game per week in the standings to be in contention by September. One bad series & it's over. The math says that it is still possible to make the playoffs, but the math also says that climbing over 6 other teams is very improbable. So take your choice - possible or improbable. Time will tell.

The Baseball Show

I hadn't watched The Baseball Show in awhile, but I did last night. I found myself agreeing with all of their discussion points. 1 - Sox need to re-sign Jon Lester. 5 years & $105M to $125M should do it. 2 - The Sox are 6 games back of the 2nd wild card & they need to climb over 6 teams to get there. Odds are not in their favor of making the playoffs this year. 3 - Jake Peavy & Jonny Gomes are expendable without hurting the roster this year. If Ben can get something of value in return, like an Allen Craig from St. Louis, do it. 4 - Brock Holt deserves more praise for the season he is having. Multiple positions are not a problem. And he has solidified the leadoff spot on offense. 5 - Sign Andrew Miller to a 2-year extension before he becomes a free agent. Miller could be your closer next year if Koji goes elsewhere. Good points gentlemen!

A Sweep

Jon Lester pitched shutout ball for 8 innings to defeat the KC Royals 6-0. The Sox offense, particularly the bottom third, helped to put up enough runs for a comfortable win. That included a 2-run homer by David Ross who now has 6 HR's on the season. Pressure is mounting on the Sox brass to get a deal done with Lester, even after word leaked that the Sox may be interested in trading for Cole Hamels. As mentioned on The Baseball Show, why trade for Hamels & give up 2 or 3 of your best prospects? Just pay Lester. The longer that the Sox let Lester go without an extension, the worse the odds get that they will re-sign their ace. The boys in pinstripes could certainly use a dependable starter like Lester.

Nap's Homer Gives Sox 2-1 Win

Not much offense, but the Sox win another 1-run game on a towering homer that cleared the monster & everything else by Mike Napoli. Rubby pitches out of trouble, although 4 walks is way too many free bases over 7 innings. Miller & Koji close out the game. Shane Victorino returns to the lineup & Mookie goes back to Pawtucket. So far, so good in the 2nd half. It will be interesting to see if Ben can go shopping at the trade deadline & get this team a bat that can help for the future. I have to say that Jonny Gomes looked pretty silly on a couple of fly balls to left. It's a good thing that neither dropped ball came back to bite the Sox or Jonny would be wearing the dunce cap. Jon Lester goes for the sweep today. It's been a good weekend in Beantown.

Nice Start to Weekend

The unofficial start to the 2nd half is a win for the Sox, 5-4 over the Royals, thanks to a 2-run blast by pinch hitter Jonny Gomes. Xander Bogaerts, yes Xander Bogaerts, hit a 2-run shot earlier in the 6th inning. KC manager Ned Yost said it was a mistake to lift starter James Shields with 2 outs in the 6th. Scott Downs came in to face pinch-hitter Gomes for JBJ & Gomes made him pay. Clay Buchholz was not sharp in his outing, giving up 10 hits in 6 innings. But it was good enough for a win & wins are what this team needs badly now. A good start.

San Fran

I happen to be in San Francisco on a family vacation. A few observations. Hippies still exist out here. AT&T Park is one of my favorite outdoor parks without a roof. We saw a bit of history last Sunday - first time a catcher, Buster Posey, & a pitcher, Madison Baumgartner, hit grand slams in the same game. This city of San Francisco is very inclusive & welcoming to all -- all races, nationalities, orientations. Homelessness is the one issue that San Franciscans struggle to overcome. Alcatraz is creepy on TV & it's even creepier in person to visit. Did you know that native Americans took over "the rock" from 1969-1972? The 8th inning song during Giants games is "City by the Bay." The Giants are very loved out here, much like the Sox in New England. The left coast is very different from New England, but my memory of San Fran will be that their people make everyone feel at home.

All-Star Game That's Not

Too much voting for fan favorites instead of the best players. Jeter, Wieters are good examples. Jeter is not an all-star shortstop at 40 years old & Wieters had Tommy John earlier this year. "This time it means something" just doesn't matter for 28 teams. Like most all-star contests it's just a show with no substance. Most players fake an injury so they can get their 3 days off. Koji, like Tim Wakefield, appreciates the honor to play in 1 all-star game later in his twilight. And Koji has earned the right, even though he is a replacement for Tanaka. Let's get this thing over with & get back to baseball games that matter.

A Shutout for Buck

Will the real Clay Bucchholz please stand up? We have the injury-prone, can't command the strike zone pitcher that we have seen for about a year. Then Buck goes out & pitches a complete game shutout yesterday. Brock Holt chips in a 5-hit performance & the Sox rest for 3 days with an 11-0 win. The Sox win a road series. They have won 4 out of 5. Here goes that word "hope" again. A sign of life. Momentum. Young energy. Getting rid of Pierzynski. Mojo back. You pick a reason why the Red Sox are playing better. Now, the million dollar question - can they sustain it & crawl back into the AL East race? That's a big "if." The Sox don't need to deal anyone at the trade deadline unless they can get value in return. A lot of money is coming off the books anyways in October. Ben can move Peavy, Gomes, Koji or anyone else if he can get value back. If not, you just play out the 2nd half & integrate more youth with September call-ups. If a Goldschmidt type is available to help the team this year & further into the future, let's do it. Ben has all the cards.

Astros 3, Red Sox 2

Holt, JBJ & Betts had multi-hit games, but to no avail. Jake Peavy can't buy a win. Sox offense can muster only 2 runs & the team loses another 1-run game. Mookie made a good effort to reach over the RF wall & bring a home run back. Not bad for a second baseman. The kids are giving their best effort every night. That's all you can ask. The question remains as to who goes to make the team better in 2015. I wouldn't mind seeing Chris Carter in a Red Sox uniform. George Springer is probably off limits. Ben will have a busy couple of weeks before the trade deadline. The all-star break is coming at the right time.

A Trifecta

The younger Boston Red Sox won their 3rd game in a row by beating the Houston Astros 8-3 last night. Christian Vazquez had 3 hits to lead the kids that also featured hits from JBJ & Brock Holt. John Lackey rebounded in this start to pitch well enough for a win. Do I feel a little bit of hope rising about the 2nd half of this season? Maybe Gaff was right on our last podcast when he predicted 80 wins. Take a listen if you have time.

Another Walk-Off Win

1 + 1 + 1 = 4. Yes, your Boston Red Sox turned 3 hits into 4 runs against the White Sox yesterday afternoon. Sox win 4-3 in 10 innings. It's nice to win a couple of 1-run games for a change. This time it was Mike Carp doing his impression of Brock Holt by singling in Daniel Nava with the winning run. Jon Lester was solid, buy Koji gave up a 2-run excuse me homer in the 9th to tie the game. Not a problem, however, as Carp took care of the theatrics in the 10th with a single to LF that scored Nava from 2nd. 2 wins in a row. We sure haven't said that for awhile. The Sox jet off to Houston for 3 this weekend before the all-star break.

A Walk-Off Win

Didn't it feel good to go to bed knowing the Red Sox won a game? In the scheme of things this win didn't change the fate of the season. But it just felt good after so many losses in a row. I know I slept better. A.J. Pierzynski gets designated for assignment. The kiddie core of Bogaerts, Bradley, Holt, Vazquez, De La Rosa & Betts find a way to get it done. Next up from Pawtucket could be Deven Marrero if Stephen Drew gets moved. Workman should rejoin the rotation as soon as Peavy gets moved. The 2nd half of this season will feature more & more kids. Renauldo & Webster may spell Lester & Lackey for a couple of turns. It's time to see who has "it" for 2015 so Ben can go about trading & signing players for next year. Sorry, Tom Caron, this is waiving the white flag by the Red Sox management. Don't insult everyone's intelligence by saying it's not.

No Free Pass for Papi

John Lackey thinks Nelson Cruz is sipping from the tainted cool-aid this year due to his monster numbers. Buck Showalter says the same could be said for David Ortiz. MLB chimes in that Big Papi gets a "free pass" when it comes to steroids. All this talk irked #34 enough for him to go on a tyraid with reporters when the subject of PED's surfaced again. Per Ortiz, he has been tested multiple & numerous times without incident. No positive tests. No one gets a free pass. I guess when you are losing 7 out of every 10 games all things can be irritating. Let's win a few & put the conversation back on the field about performance there.

White Sox 8, Red Sox 3

It's like fingernails scraping across a chalkboard. It's like rubbing your face in the mud. Giving up multiple runs in the 9th inning is both of those things. Result is another loss. Sox lose 8-3, partly on ineffectiveness by Badenhop & Breslow who have both been terrible out of the pen lately. The offense scores 3 or less runs for the um-teenth time this year. Brandon Workman is sent down to Pawtucket. Rubby De La Rosa is called up to pitch tonight's game. Jake Peavy is rumored to be going to St. Louis for peanuts. The Red Sox are in a world of hurt during this 1-7 home stand. The all-star break can't get here fast enough. Then it's onto 2015. Get your phone busy, Ben.

Another Loss

Another day. Another shutout. Another loss. Deja vu all over again. Red Sox drop another opening game of a series, this time to the White Sox 4-0. This current 1-6 home stand for the Red Sox has been a total disaster with Boston dropping to last place in the AL East. It will be a hard climb over 3 or 4 teams to get to the playoffs, maybe an impossible climb the way things are going. Clues to the future can be heard on the NESN pre-game show since you know that Tom Werner will want his NESN ratings to stay up & Larry Lucchino will want people sitting in the Fenway Park stands. Tom Caron & Eck crafted their dialogue to say that moving veterans at this point would not be a sign of raising the white flag. Instead, they said that watching the younger kids at the big league level will be exciting & help the team. If Caron & Eck are saying it, you know Werner & Lucchino are behind it. Ben Cherington can't be too far away from moving guys like Peavy, Pierzynski, Drew & others. I can't say that I disagree, but don't try to sell me on the idea that this isn't a surrender due to underperforming veterans that are not anywhere close to their performances of 2013. Management bet the house that the same cast of characters could make it to the playoffs in 2014. They gambled & they lost. Just be honest.

Good Effort, But Still A Loss

As the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes. A nice comeback from a 6-1 deficit went for not as the Sox lose to the O's in 12 innings 7-6. There is no magic this year. Now 19 games lost by 1 run. If the Sox could have pulled out even half of those 1-run games, they would be in 1st place. But the baseball gods are not shining down on the Red Sox this year like they were last year. Frustration has to be setting in. The same 2 options remain for Ben Cherington. Add a piece or two that could change the current situation & go for the playoffs this year. Or sell off pieces & see what you can put together for 2015. It's a tough call, but one that may get easier after the next 2 series before the all-star break. 1-5 on this home stand doesn't give you confidence that a turnaround is probable.

A Split Won't Do It

In game 1 it was 2013 all over again when the Red Sox walked off in the 9th to a 3-2 win over Baltimore on a broken bat single over 2nd base by Jonathan Herrera that scored Jonny Gomes. Both Gomes & Herrera had pinch hit in the 9th. A little magic to be sure. But the Sox fell in the nightcap 7-4 to the O's who pounded their way to victory. Too many errors in both games. In game 1 we found that Jon Lester can't throw a ball overhand to 1B without throwing it away. Xander Bogaerts got eaten up on an in-between hop that scored 2 unearned runs. Nava & Napoli had errors in game 2. Mookie committed a base running mistake of aggression. You can't give a good team like the Baltimore Orioles extra outs. I did some math today. The Red Sox have 39 wins to date with 75 games to go. They need to go 46-29, or play 17 games over .500, to get to 85 wins & have a shot at a wild card. There is no indication that this team is capable of putting together such a stretch. As one of my coaches use to say, hope is not a plan. Too many subpar years by the veterans on this team. Period. So enjoy the maturing of Bogaerts, JBJ, Holt, Mookie, Workman, De La Rosa, etc. Just don't expect them to be perfect & we need to live with their growing pains. Maybe Ben can jettison some payroll after the all-star break & be in a position to bring in a few free agents next year. 1-4 on this home stand says it all.

Helping Ben

I put my GM hat on today & decided to be Ben Cherington. I'm looking for power bats at the trade deadline. I'd like them to be outfield bats, but I'll take a 3B or 1B if I have to & I'll convert them or someone else on my roster to play the outfield. At this point I would say everyone on my roster is up for grabs & I'm willing to trade 3, 4 or 5 pieces to get 1 back. Guys like Koji, Lackey, Doubront, Peavy, Drew, Gomes, Pierzynski, maybe Lester if you're not going to re-sign him would be available from the big team. Anyone in AAA including Mookie, JBJ, De La Rosa, Webster, Renaudo & Barnes are all fair game. Perhaps the most affordable & most available power-hitting big leaguer is Paul Goldschmidt from Arizona. Arizona is out of the pennant race. The D-backs are dying for quality pitching & we can give them a package of big league & AAA arms. Goldschmidt, 26, is a 1B, but perhaps we can move Napoli to 3B or OF next year & keep 2 big bats in the lineup. Goldie is a 30/100 guy & he hits the ball with power, a middle of the order bat for sure. Another affordable guy is Yoenis Cespedes from the A's. The Red Sox & A's have been good trading partners over the years & the A's could shore up their bullpen with Koji & add a quality starter like Lackey for another pennant run. If I want to look to the future & get cheaper guys with high upside, I'd shoot for Steven Souza, 24, a 6'4" 225 lbs outfielder, right-handed bat from the Nationals AAA team. Or Gregory Polanco, 22, 6'4" 220 lbs outfielder, left-handed bat from the Pirates who just made his debut with the big club. Again, the Pirates & Nationals are hurting for pitching & we have numbers. In the off-season I would pursue Giancarlo Stanton, 24, Mike Trout, 22 & George Springer, 24. Remember - everyone is available for the right price. John Henry will have to open his pocketbook to keep his team competitive. So let's see if Ben goes after any of my picks -- Paul Goldschmidt, Yoenis Cespedes, Steven Souza, Gregory Polanco, Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Trout, or George Springer. These are all 20-somethings who will be hitting their prime in the coming years.

Cubs Win 16-9, Sweep Sox At Fenway

Wow! Who saw this coming? I sure didn't. 2 wins in New York before returning home to start a 10-game home stand against the Cubs. And it's the Cubs, not the Red Sox, who sweep away 3 games in the win column. It's getting harder to find truth in the same old words about "we still have a run in us" echoed by Ben Cherington, John Farrell, Larry Lucchino, Tom Caron, Tim Wakefield, etc. I'm getting content to watch Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, Brock Holt, Brandon Workman, Mookie Betts & other youngsters work through adversity as they find their way through life in the big leagues. Bogaerts is so bad at the plate that he is fouling off or taking 3rd strikes on balls right down the heart of the plate. The Sox should give X-man a do-over & restart him in Portland, then Pawtucket, then back to the big leagues. Mookie is playing with too much energy in the field as he turned a double into a triple as he learns the quirks of the Green Monster. It was a bright spot to see the rookie hit his 1st home run at Fenway. Overall, there has been no consistency to this season at all -- good pitching, no hitting or like last night, good hitting & poor pitching for the 1st time in awhile. Jerry Remy said it best that the Sox are definitely hitting another low point, perhaps the lowest of the season, being only 1 game out of last place. My, my, how things have changed from a year ago! Look for the Sox to be sellers at the trade deadline. And just remember - 3 World Series rings in the last 10 years. We have seen our share of winning. Happy 4th!

Same Story, No Offense

Another 1-run loss. I'd hate to be a pitcher right now on the Red Sox staff. Give up 1 run & you could lose. And that's what the Sox did for the 2nd night in a row to the Chicago Cubs. Very uncharacteristically, Koji did not have a good outing, leaving balls up in the zone & giving up a lone run in the 9th which led to a 2-1 Cubs win. Not much offense to discuss on either side. So far these 2 teams have scored 5 runs combined in 2 games - Cubs 4, Red Sox 1. Off the field it was nice to see so many Cubs fans making their way to Fenway & in the stands to cheer for their last place team. With the Rays starting to win again the Red Sox may find themselves in last very soon too. And stop, Tim Wakefield, with the NESN party line that the Sox still can reel off 10 wins in a row. It's not happening this year. It's more likely that they could lose 10 in a row the way that this home stand is starting off. Time to start trading for 2015.

No Offense

It's like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown. Just as he's about to kick it, she moves it & he falls down. That's the story of this year's Red Sox team for their fans. Just when we think that they might be ready to make a run, they fall backwards again. Jake Arrieta was good, but good teams find a way to beat good pitchers. Sox lose to the Cubbies 2-0 on a night where Jake Peavy pitched well enough to show he has trade value. Lately, the first game of the last several series has been a losing effort for the Sox. Losing game 1 obviously makes it harder to win a 3 game series. Not a great start to a critical 10 game home stand, but there are still 9 more to go. Let's hope the Sox don't continue to be Charlie Brown.