New Podcast Up

Thanks to Dave, our latest podcast has been uploaded to the blog. Please take a listen. If you have any thoughts, pro or con, just hit the comment button at the end of this article to leave your impressions. Thanks again for your support of the blog in 2014. Have a happy & healthy 2015!

Ndamukong Suh Suspended

What a low life! Ndamukong Suh, the poster boy for dirty play in the NFL, finally got suspended for intentionally stepping on Aaron Rodgers ankle during yesterday's game. This thug needs to be suspended for more than one game as this is not his first offense. Just like Chris Davis bombed out on his Orioles teammates when they needed him most, Suh will not be on the field when his Lion teammates take on the Colts in the playoffs. Maybe Detroit is growing tired of his antics too. The NFL doesn't need out of control 300 pound linemen pulling cheap shots on the field. Suh may be wearing out his welcome in Detroit & in the NFL.

Quiet Christmas for Ben

Not a trade or signing was stirring, not even a mouse. It was a quiet holiday season for Ben Cherington. Rest assured, though, that his wheels are turning on every possible trade to get a #1 starter & another bullpen arm or two. Hamels, Cueto, Zimmermann, Shields are still out there. Someone is going to sign Shields, but it won't be the Red Sox at 5 years & $110 million. A trade makes more sense if the Sox are willing to part with a key prospect or two. Or maybe Ben stands pat for now until the trade deadline in July. The Sox offense should hit & score more in 2015, so maybe we go without a #1 & we hope that Kelly or Porcello or Miley can become a good #2. I'd like to keep Betts & Holt as valuable back-up pieces. Given the surplus of outfielders & young arms, though, you would think that there are more players to be added by trade. Time will tell.

Pats Finish 12-4 With First Seed in AFC

It was meaningless. No talk of focusing on the Bills this week could produce better than a lackluster performance in the season finale where there was nothing to gain for the Pats. Several starters were kept out. Several backups got real game experience. The regular season is over & the Pats are in the playoffs. Once you are in, anything can happen. Like baseball, playoffs are different than the regular season. You can hit your way into the playoffs, but to win you need pitching. In football you can get to the playoffs with offense, but to win you need defense. And that's where the Patriots are different this year. Defense & special teams are the standouts this year. A Brady-led offense that only needs 20 points to win is much different than in prior years. We have as good a chance to go to the Super Bowl as any other AFC team. It's the Pats championship to lose.

Rusney Castillo Finishes PR Winter League

It's officially over. The 2014 tour of teams is finally over for Cuban OF Rusney Castillo. WEEI reports that Castillo played his final game for Alex Cora's team in Puerto Rico this week & now he gets some rest until spring training begins. After signing with the Red Sox in the late summer Castillo played throughout the Red Sox organization with several different teams, from A, AA & AAA ball right through to the big club in Boston. From there he went to the Arizona Fall League where his playing time was cut short due to a minor thumb injury. After his thumb healed Castillo joined Cora's team in PR for 10 more games before calling it quits. Cora believes that Castillo is major league ready. However, it remains to be seen whether Castillo or rookie sensation Mookie Betts will be the starting CF on opening day in Philadelphia. Watch for a new podcast this week to discuss that topic & others. I like the signing of Rusney Castillo since it just cost money, no prospects. And this guy will be motivated to make his mark like other Cuban players that have come to the US. Can't have enough good players!

Merry Christmas to All!

Going off script. We hear & see the news stories of the day & they are typically about bad things that have happened in our world. Ferguson. North Korea. NYPD. ISIS. Someone once told me that there had to be more good people than bad in the world or there would just be chaos. I had a chance to see the other side of this equation first hand during this Christmas season. An anonymous man dropped off 70 hams to a food pantry so all client families could enjoy a Christmas meal with ham. A woman of limited resources contributes to the Salvation Army kettle drive, even though it looked like she could use the help of the Army. One news story showed a secret Santa in Missouri that used the local police to stop cars & hand out $100 bills to the needy. Good news is not sexy & it doesn't sell, so we don't see or hear enough of it. But rest assured that there are a number of good people out there that balance the equation between good & bad. Many, many Americans are very generous with their time & resources. Let's not forget that at this time of year. If you can, go do something nice today. Sometimes all it takes is a smile. Merry Christmas to all!

Knuckleballer Steven Wright

I was looking around a few websites to get a story for the blog today & I came across Steven Wright on the Red Sox website. Wright, 30, is an interesting story & with all the changes to the rotation he has a chance to be the swing guy between the bullpen & as an occasional starter. In limited big league action Wright has a 3.67 ERA. I saw the knuckleballer pitch for the Sea Dogs & it was a typical knuckleballer's game - several innings of 1,2,3 then a long home run. He is deja vu Tim Wakefield all over again. But if Wright can eat innings & maintain an ERA around 3.50 he could be a very valuable & underrated piece of the pitching staff for Ben & company. At $500,000 this year & under team control for several more Steven Wright may be ready to have a breakout 2015.

AFC Goes Through Gillette Stadium

On Sunday the Pats barely played well enough to scrape by the NY Jets 17-16. On Monday night the Denver Broncos lost to Cincinnati. Thus, the Patriots earn the #1 seed in the AFC & they will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Manning looked old & pressured last night, throwing several INT's. Brady looked the same against the Jets. But the Pats found a way to win, thanks to the big paw of Vince Wilfork who blocked a field goal attempt late in the game. Instead of a liability as in past years, the defense has been a bright spot along with the play of special teams. The Pats offense no longer has to score 30+ points to win a game. Maybe this is the year for another Super Bowl ring.

How About Yu Darvish?

Yu Darvish has made a major impact in his 3 years in the big leagues for the Texas Rangers. At 28 he has a lifetime ERA of 3.27. He is 6'5" & easily rings up 200K's per year. He is a swing & miss pitcher who can give you quality innings. Texas is going nowhere. It would take a lot to get him away from the Rangers, but we have a lot to give. Other than Big Papi, Pedroia, Panda & Ramirez I think everyone else is available. Darvish is under control through 2017 at about $10 million per year. He would be in a class with Jordan Zimmermann & Chris Sale. Kick the tires on this guy, Ben.

Shields Looking for Big Payday

According to my local paper James Shields is looking to sign a deal worth $110 million over 5 years. Supposedly, the Red Sox, Giants & Yankees are interested. Too rich for my blood! The 33-year old has several years of 200+ innings under his belt & he ran out of gas in the 2014 playoffs for the KC Royals. Big Game James is a thing of the past. I'd rather go for Cole Hamels at 31 & trade a few good prospects along with some surplus pieces. You have to think that Shields best years are behind him. Anything more than 3 years for a #2 starter at more than $20 mil per year is too much. Let the Yankees or Giants overpay.

Breslow Back In Pen

Veteran lefty Craig Breslow is back in the Sox pen for another season. The Sox brought Breslow back on a 1-year deal for $2 million versus the $4 million option that the team decided not to pick-up earlier in the off-season. Breslow had a down year in 2014, but he has been very steady in the past. He can help Layne & Britton adjust to life in the pen. Plus it's always nice to have a 3rd left-hander for the Yankees lineup with Ellsbury, Gardner & McCann. Good job, Ben!

Middlebrooks & Rondo Gone

Like Rajon Rondo who is headed out of town to big "D", Will Middlebrooks is also headed out of town. Middlebrooks was traded to the San Diego Padres today in exchange for C Ryan Hanigan. Hanigan will be the backup to Cristian Vazquez. At 34 Hanigan has 8 major league seasons under his belt. He brings a consistent .256 BA, .353 OBP & .694 OPS. Most fans will remember Hanigan as the catcher for Tampa Bay last year, so he also knows the AL East hitters. The trade for Hanigan means that older David Ross is gone. Eventually, Ross will probably sign with the Cubs. Good trade for all concerned. Maybe Middlebrooks can re-establish himself on the left coast with a Padres team that has been very active. Hanigan is another item for Ben to check off his list.

Fire Sale in Oakland Continues

Billy Beane is putting coal in the stockings of A's fans this Christmas. He has sold off just about every valuable player that helped the A's to win the wild card last year & to make the playoffs 3 years in a row. The latest is a deal to send C Derek Norris to the Padres for 2 minor league pitchers. Norris, Moss, Donaldson & Smardzija have all been traded away for peanuts. Lester & Lowrie were not re-signed & both have moved on. Billy has a bunch of prospects to fill-out positions around a very good pitching staff, Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick & new signee Billy Butler. A far cry from their roster for the past 3 seasons. Time will tell if Billy sold at the right time.

Bullpen Needs Work

Ben needs to address a couple of arms in the bullpen, unless a few young ones from last year are placed there to start the season. A typical bullpen has 8 or 9 relievers. As of today, we have lefties Tommy Layne & Drake Britton; righties Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa, Edward Mujica, Anthony Varvaro, Matt Barnes & Brandon Workman. Barnes & Workman have also started games, so Ben may want to get more established relievers before opening day. Anthony Ranaudo could be a swing guy to either start or relieve. Steven Wright is another in-house option. Ben certainly has a number of arms that he can tap into without going outside the organization. But another established bullpen arm couldn't hurt. Workman, Renaudo & Barnes may be required to jump into the rotation during the season if Buchholz &/or Masterson can't get the job done. It's nice to have plenty of arms. Ben just needs to find a few quality ones out of the quantity.

New Guys Added

Anthony Varvaro, 30, was traded to Boston for a minor leaguer. Varvaro is a bullpen arm that threw 56 innings for the Braves last year with an ERA under 3.00. Most people see him as a replacement for Burke Badenhop. Marco Hernandez, 21, is the player from the Cubs to finalize the Felix Doubront trade. Hernandez sounds like a Deven Marrero type, good defensive SS still learning how to hit major league pitching. Both guys bring depth to the roster. Varvaro is expected to see time with the big team while Hernandez will need time in the minors. Small moves, but good ones.

Jed Lowrie - $30 Million Man

I'm not sure why, but it struck me that the Houston Astros paid a lot of money to get back Jed Lowrie who was a free agent. A little digging resulted in the following numbers. Lowrie has a career (7 years) .261 batting average & .330 on-base percentage. Average offense. As a shortstop, he is average defensively. From age 24 to 27 with the Red Sox Lowrie made $1,298,000 or $325,000 a year. At age 28 he joined the Houston Astros for one year & made $1,150,000, a 350% raise. From ages 29 & 30 with the Oakland A's Lowrie made $7,650,000 or $3,825,000 a year, another increase of 330%. From ages 31 to 33 Lowrie just re-signed with the Astros for $22,000,000 or $7,300,000 a year, another increase of 190%. He also has a club option at age 34 for $6,000,000. So in the last 10 years, an average player like Lowrie will make $32,000,000 or $3,200,000 per year average. It just shows you the money within the game & how it has risen over the past few years, even for average guys.

A-Rod

Get ready for more & more chatter to heat up on A-Rod as Spring Training approaches. The Yankees signed 3B Chase Headley to a 4-year deal this week, basically relegating A-Rod to a DH who will be making $25 million a year. I bet Big Papi likes that! Brian Cashman spoke on the MLB Network yesterday that he feels Headley will be the everyday 3B & A-Rod will be the everyday DH, if he can hold up physically after not playing for a full season. But more than positions on the field & in the batting order, the Yankees must now begin to deal with a divisive personality of A-Rod who sued both MLB & his own Players Association. Neither management nor players want him around. A-Rod will be a distraction on & off the field for the Yankees for the entire season. Good luck Yankees in dealing with one of the most hated players in the game. And you have 2 more years to go after this season.

Good Job, Bad Job

I'm taking a segment out of High Heat on MLB Network with this "good job, bad job" report from the winter meetings. Good job - Chicago White Sox for adding David Robertson, Zake Duke, Adam LaRoche, Jeff Samardzija & now Melky Cabrera. A great job adding important pieces to their lineup. They will be a team to contensd with in the AL Central as Detroit continues to age & the Royals lose Billy Butler & possibly James Shields. Bad job - Oakland A's for selling off Samardzija, Josh Donalson & Brandon Moss for peanuts. Billy Beane is having a fire sale of his best players, all the while signing Billy Butler to a 3 year deal. Mixed signals from Oakland for sure.

Can't Win

One TV channel likes the moves the Red Sox made to add to their rotation. Another wants the Boston brass blindfolded & shot. I honestly don't believe that any move would have been praised 100%, even bringing Jon Lester back at any cost. These same reporters would say the Sox spent too much. Let's just all take a deep breath. You know Ben is not done yet. If he keeps the same theme of young, 20-somethings, big league tested pitchers for 2015, I think that Jordan Zimmermann may be the next addition. Unlike Lou Merloni, I am not ready to give up Joe Kelly for Zimmermann as Kelly has a lot of upside. But I would give up Clay Buchholz though. Finish this rotation makeover by trading a guy with #1 stuff who is sitting at the back end of the rotation because you can't count on him. Buchholz & any other Red Sox prospect or big league extra for Zimmermann works for me. A rotation of Zimmermann, Miley, Porcello, Masterson & Kelly works for me.

Ben Is Not Done

Still on Ben Cherington's shopping list. 1 ace pitcher to add to a new rotation. My suggestion is to package Buchholz in a trade to get Hamels or Zimmermann. 1 backup catcher. Get Ross back or let Swihart have a shot at the big team. We are talking 60 games or 3 out of every 10 games to backup Vazquez. Add 2 bullpen pieces. Sergio Romo could be a good addition. A lefty would help as well. Otherwise, use in-house options with Workman & Barnes, even Ranaudo if he stays with the big club. Tazawa & Uehara are due for bounce back years. Mujica seems like he figured things out late last year too. It's a short list, but you need 25 guys to make a run at the playoffs. Let's keep the makeover rolling, Ben!

New Red Sox Pitchers

Wade Miley. Rick Porcello. Justin Masterson. Not exactly Maddox, Smoltz & Glavine. Not even Lester & Lackey. However, Ben did trade potential big league arms in Webster & De La Rosa for proven big league arms. All 3 new additions to the rotation have thrown 200 innings a combined 5 times. You also have 3 ground ball pitchers who can keep the bullpen from being overexposed throughout the year. If you had to rate them, let's say that they are #3 & #4 starters in your rotation. Porcello & Miley have enough upside to become a #2. Now Ben needs to finish his remake with a #1 - Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmermann or Johnny Cueto. James Shields would be more of a #2, but we could live with that for now & look for a deal at the trade deadline. I think Hamels is more intriguing since he is under control for several years at a known cost. Hamels would cost the Red Sox at least one top prospect like Betts or Bogaerts or Owens or Swihart, along with a few spare parts from the current roster, but I would give the Phillies any one of those guys to get a legit top of the rotation guy. With Castillo, Sandoval, Ramirez, Miley, Porcello & Masterson the Red Sox have added valuable pieces for 2015. Pedroia, Napoli & Victorino are all coming off injuries & they should rebound. As currently constructed, one MLB Network reporter said the Red Sox are a contending playoff team. Adding an ace would allow the Sox to make a deeper run into the postseason.

A Postscript on Jon Lester

Yes, the Red Sox totally blew it in Spring Training with an offer to Jon Lester of 4 years & $70 million. In the end on Tuesday night it was what it is always about - money. The high bid wins. Don't blame the players. If Theo & the Cubs want to front $30 million, give Lester $26 mil a year & add an option for a 7th year, more power to them. I guess you have to overpay when you're the Cubs with 100+ years of no World Series win. Time will tell if this turns out to be a good deal. Most long term, extended contracts are 50% good years, 50% bad years. But Lester is as good a person as a pitcher & he may move the culture of the Cubs to a winning one. If you are going to take a chance on a guy, he's the one. So good luck to Lester! At least he moved out of the AL & he didn't sign with the Yankees.

A Closer Look At Porcello & Masterson

Two big guys - Porcello 6'5" & Masterson 6'6". Two guys who eat up innings - Porcello averaging 30 starts & 180 innings, Masterson from 2010 to 2013 averaged 30 starts & 199 innings. Also, 2 pitchers who pitch in the AL with a DH in the order. Porcello is 25 & Masterson is 29. Both guys throw ground balls when their good sinker is working. If the Red Sox revamped offense of Victorino - Pedroia - Ortiz - Ramirez - Sandoval - Napoli - Castillo - Bogaerts - Vazquez can deliver an average of 5 runs per game, these pitchers are going to win a lot of games.

Porcello & Masterson Join Rotation

Rick Porcello for Yoenis Cespedes. I like that trade instead of Cespedes for Ian Kennedy. Porcello has pitched in the AL, he has had success, he is an innings guy & his best days should be ahead of him. Justin Masterson returns home on a short-term deal to reestablish his value after an injury in 2014 kept him for performing better. Porcello & Masterson will be trying their best to impress with good years as both could become free agents in 2016 if the Sox don't lock them up. MLB Network stated that the pitchers that Ben has acquired are mostly ground ball guys which plays well at Fenway. So, today's rotation is Porcello, Buchholz, Miley, Kelly & Masterson. I'm sure Ben is still looking for a #1, but a good day today so far.

Ben Starts Rebuild With Wade Miley

Wade Miley is not Jon Lester. However, the 28 year old lefty is an innings-eater, averaging 199 innings pitched in his past 3 seasons. Miley will also cost the Red Sox less than $1 million & he is under control for 3 more years. To get Miley the Sox give up Allen Webster & Rubby De La Rosa. Both pitchers got time with the big club last year, but neither is the proven starter that Miley is. And the Sox need proven starters. Miley & possibly Justin Masterson give the Sox 2 more arms that can give you innings & save the bullpen. Miley's ERA of 3.79 is good enough to win a lot of games with the revamped Sox offense. I would look for him to contribute like another D-backs pitcher who was traded last year, Brandon McCarthy. So the back of the rotation is Buchholz, Miley & Kelly with possibly Masterson waiting as a 6th starter or reliever. Now it's onto Hamels, Zimmermann or Cueto.

Winter Meeting Thoughts

First, what is Billy Beane doing dismantling his team by trading his best players for spare parts? No one gets what he is doing with his Marlins-like fire sale. Second, I'm disappointed that waiting for Lester's decision made the Red Sox lose out on getting Jeff Samardzija. Billy sold the Shark for 4 bit players which the Sox could have easily ponied up. Third, nice job White Sox adding several pieces to their everyday lineup. The White Sox also got David Robertson away from the Yankees. Lastly, no moves by the Orioles is surprising since they lost Miller, Cruz & Markakis. It's been a weird winter meetings so far & there are still 2 days left.

It's Over, Lester to Cubs

Theo wins. 6 years, $155 million. If history is any indication, Jon Lester will have 3 good years & 3 bad years. Example - Josh Beckett. Example - CC Sabathia. I guess you really can't go home again. Did the Red Sox bungle this situation in Spring Training? Yes. Will the talk shows be all over the Red Sox brass? Yes. But now it's time for Plan B which should include a full court press for Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann, David Price & Doug Fister. Of that group I would go for Hamels or Zimmermann. Some of the better prospects may have to go because of the failure on Lester. That includes guys like Bogaerts, Betts, Owens & Swihart. Second tier pitchers like Brandon McCarthy, Ian Kennedy & Ervin Santana may now be in the mix as well. Given that the Red Sox should hit better this year, do you need a #1? Lots of decisions for Ben Cherington's team to make on the fly now. Time to move on.

Cespedes for Kennedy

NESN had a story last night that there was interest by the San Diego Padres in a trade of P Ian Kennedy for Yoenis Cespedes. Kennedy was with the Yankees in his younger years. Now 29 Kennedy is a work horse who had thrown 200+ innings 3 times in his career. Last year he was 13-13 for a bad Padres team, 201 innings & a 3.63 ERA. Given the DH, you would think that he would be under a 4.00 ERA in the American League. I guess I'm OK with that, but I was hoping that Cespedes could be packaged with other players to get a Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto or Jordan Zimmermann. Kennedy is more of a #3 or #4 starter who will give you innings - something every staff needs. As a compliment to Jon Lester, I like it. Without Lester I'd hold Cespedes for a bigger arm.

Big Patriots Win

Pats 23, Chargers 14. A good win on the road & a good win after a Miami loss to Baltimore. With the score 16-14 Brady to Edelman sealed the game on a 69-yard TD catch & run in the 4th quarter to open up a very tight game. The Pats defense was stellar in the 2nd half & Brandon Bolden on special teams had a big blocked punt. This was a good team win. Even Belichick had high praise of his team grinding out a tough win against a very good opponent. Brandon Browner - I can't decide if he is an asset or a liability. He continually gets called for penalties on 3rd downs that keep the Pats defense on the field. His final penalty, ruled a hit on defenseless receiver, was questionable. I thought there was a late hit on Gronk after he scored, but that was never called. In the end the Pats will take this win in game 13 & improve to 10-3.

John Henry Visits Jon Lester

I like it! Nothing like a personal visit from the boss. John Henry flew to Atlanta to have a one-on-one meeting with Jon Lester. Henry was conveying the Sox interest in resigning the big lefty. In my book that can't hurt anything, even though reporters describe the situation as "fluid" with several teams like the Cubs, Dodgers & Giants. Personally, I just want Lester to make up his mind before any other big name pitchers are taken off the board. If he's not returning to Boston, let's move on to Plan B. But I applaud Henry for making the extra effort.

Pats Need This Road Win

3-3 record on the road suggested that the Patriots have a 50-50 chance of winning on Sunday night. And this game is a toss-up as the 9-3 Pats travel to play the 8-4 Chargers. The cold hard fact is that the Patriots do not play as well on the road as they do at home. If the Green Bay game was at Gillette, don't you think Brady would have led the offense to the go-ahead TD in the 4th quarter? The magic can be hard to come by one the road. And the Chargers are coming off a road win in Baltimore with a successful 4th quarter drive for the win. I think the Pats need to score first & often to get the Chargers out of their game plan. This game is hinges on the defense to make stops & get off the field.

Miller to Yankees

Andrew Miller - I'm not a believer. 4 years at $36 million for a guy who can be dominant & then just as easily wild. No doubt Miller's stats prove that he had a solid year in 2014 for Boston & Baltimore. But I'm still remembering a guy that was so wild that he walked the park on several occasions in the past. The Yankees need bullpen help, so let them float $8 million a year to a 7th & 8th inning reliever. In 4 years we will know if Miller lived up to the hype of his 2014 season.

Plan B

Still no word from Lester. Now the Dodgers are rumored to be interested in the former Red Sox lefty. I still say pull your offer on Friday, Ben, & move on to Plan B. Plan B could be Jeff Samardzija & James Shields. It could be Johnny Cueto & Jordan Zimmermann. It could be Cole Hamels & Brandon McCarthy. I'd hate to see the Sox wait for Lester too long, not get him & then miss out on signing a couple of these other better arms. Scherzer will be as expensive as Lester, so he could be considered a target of the Red Sox as well. I'd give it one more day, then move on.

Time for Lester to Decide

What's the hold-up? It's a guy named Jon Lester. Lester has completed his tour of interested teams & it's now time to pick one. The latest Sox offer is about the same as the Cubs, 6 years & $130 million. Given the narrow gap in money, Lester now has the choice of returning to Boston with John Farrell or moving to the Windy City with Theo. You would think that the Red Sox have a better chance of making the playoffs annually, so I think the Sox have a slight edge. But now we get to see if the Lester rhetoric about not taking the highest offer is true. If I were the Sox, I would take their offer off the table by Friday. The Lester bottleneck is preventing them from bidding on Scherzer or Shields. Also, the Sox make have trades ready to go as a back-up plan to acquire a #1 like Hamels or Zimmerman or Sale. If Lester signs, they can offer a lesser package via trade to get a #2 or #3 to compliment Buchholz & Kelly. So make a decision, Jon!

Nelson Cruz to Mariners

MLB Network is reporting that Nelson Cruz has signed a 4-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. There goes Baltimore's thumper! This signing may have impact on the Red Sox as Seattle was a team interested in Yoenis Cespedes. Now Ben may need to deal Cespedes to the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies or New York Mets to get a quality pitcher back. I was not that impressed with Iwakuma, a guy the M's would have given up to get a big bat. Let's shoot higher - Hamels, Cueto, Sale. Cruz is one more chip off the table.

Will the Sox Find Pitchers This Week?

Yes, expect the Sox to get a yay or nay on Jon Lester this week. I would expect that to happen before the winter meetings start later this weekend. Then Scherzer will get his deal & other trades will go down. If necessary, the Sox can clean house of 7 to 10 prospects & a few roster players to address their pitching needs all by trade. Plan A - I hope that Lester returns. If not, the Sox can move onto Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto or both. These guys can be legit #1 starters. Chris Sale would be another guy that I would trade several prospects & players for. Maybe they take a chance with more friendly trades for Fister & Zimmermann - neither will command as many key players as Hamels or Cueto. Then the Sox could make smaller deals - a Brandon McCarthy, a Zake Wheeler, etc. Lots & lots of scenarios to go through. But it all starts when Jon Lester makes his decision.

Packers 26, Patriots 21

An entertaining & exciting game. 2 good teams for sure. Pats D missed their opportunity to win by committing too many key penalties, particularly by Browner, & by putting no pass rush on Rodgers which allowed him to wait an eternity until receivers were open. Pats O had a chance to score a go-ahead TD in the 4th, but they allowed a sack on a key 3rd down & then missed a field goal. No question that the Pats do not play well on the road. But I think the Packers & their fans were pretty nervous right up until the end of the game. They know the Pats will not be a pushover next time around if they meet in Arizona for the Super Bowl as some predict. Pats are 9-3 & tied for best record in the AFC with Denver. No time to lick your wounds as the Pats play the Chargers in San Diego next weekend. The Chargers are coming off a big win on Sunday against Baltimore. It should be an interesting December of football.