Recent content by JimD

Having read the details of his case and the legal aftermath some time ago, I could never unsee those and look at Kobe the same way again. I don't care if he knew what his lawyer was doing or not, the bottom line is that he allowed his fame and fortune to be used to defame and ruin his accuser...

This is exactly what some of us have been saying - it would be incredibly expensive to be a competitive suitor for Mookie without resetting the cap. A trade and reset is arguably the only chance of keeping him in Boston long term.

All indication are that this is entirely about Mookie wanting to test the market. Multiple reports have stressed that relationships with the Sox front office are good, and that in particular there is strong bond between Betts and Raquel Ferreira. It should go without saying that getting below...

These rumored discussions do have value to the Sox in one respect - if the Dodgers or another team were holding out hoping that Bloom drops his asking price, it puts possible pressure on them if they are still inclined to acquire Mookie.

I don't see how any deal that is palatable for the Red Sox makes sense for the Padres - are they going to subsidize Myers, send multiple prospects to Boston *and* pay Mookie's full 2020 salary for what might be a one-year rental?

I voted 'a bit less' because 2019 was obviously coming off of an all-time great year, so how can this offseason possibly compare. I'm still optimistic that this team will do better than expected by many and compete for a playoff berth.

In threads on this board where the luxury tax, payroll, contracts etc. are discussed, we often see variations on 'It's John Henry's money! He's a billionaire! He can afford (insert player or payroll amount)!' If that sentiment belongs anywhere, it belongs here. Dustin Pedroia gave everything...

In his weekly Q&A on BSM, Sean McAdam questions Varitek's readiness to deal with the media in a manager's role: Also, he believes that a hire is more likely from outside the organization than within:

I am firmly of the belief that the final say should be that of Chaim Bloom. He was brought in to lead baseball operations, so let him lead. Not interested in a lame-duck manager to keep the seat warm for Cora or a beloved name for PR purposes. Let Bloom pick the best person for the job as he...

If MLB finds any truth at all to the allegations, Manfred is going to hit the team hard. I would expect the Sox to get hit with a multimillion-dollar fine and the loss of draft picks (perhaps for just one year instead of the two year penalty that Houston received).

Looks like Simmons might be getting ready to cash out in a big way: WSJ: Spotify in Early Talks to Buy The Ringer

Bloom was part of the Tampa team that unearthed numerous gems to compete in the AL East with a small payroll - he more than deserves the benefit of the doubt on these moves for now.

The supposed Sox scheme almost looks quaint next to this. It would make sense that MLB wouldn't want to necessarily highlight the use of buzzers, and the sheer audaciousness resulted in the hammer being lowered on the Astros. Crossing my fingers that Manfred is tiring of the embarrassment...

And MLB's crack investigative team missed this?