2018 Red Sox roster building

The team needs power, no question. Hosmer, as well as J.D., will have lots of suitors as many teams are looking for the same skill set.

I've suggested Jose Abreu. And he would cost 11m per for two years. But it would take talent to acquire his bat.

With the roster either into or approaching its prime, the next two years are pivotal to WS aspirations. This way they'd have to rebuild the system and reevaluate to 1B situation for the future.

A few predictions, a few wishes - not considering payroll or contracts - just team needs (and those to part with)

Unless they come back and win the Astros series, I think they will be shopping for a new manager and hitting coach.

Sale, Pomeranz, Porcello, ERod, Price
Kimbrel, Reed, Kelly, Barnes, Smith, Workman - Thornburg?, Velazquez? Scott? Johnson?

The core of the team - Vazquez, Bogaerts, Devers, Benintendi, Betts, JBJ (maybe - though his oft-fading bat is a concern)
Questions - Holt, Lin, Moreland, Leon, Pedey (health?), Nunez (health - and do they sign him?), Swihart, Travis, Marrero

Bye bye Hanley, Fister, Hembree, Boyer, Abad, Young, Davis - and some from the questions list above

We need more offense for sure - who gets added and who is cut will be interesting. The team is really close, but needs bats!

Thanks for reminding me about Wright - much will depend upon how he heals - but his presence on the roster is certainly a factor to be considered

Power we need power. I think Dave signs Hosmer to a 6 year 110 million deal. I think he ends up trading Benitendi, ERod, Groome, Mata, and Brian Johnson for Stanton.

Stone cold line up of
C: Vazquez
1B: Hosmer
2B: Pedroia
3B: Devers
SS: Xander
OF: Stanton, JBJ, and Betts
DH: Hanley

Sale, Price, Porcello, Pom, and Wright.

Kimbrel, Kelly, Smith, Workman, Barnes, Abad, and Maddox.

Isn't Reed a free agent? I doubt they would spend the money to sign him given they will have Smith from the beginning of the year and probably Thornburg for at least part of it. Also, are you advocating cutting Hanley like they did the Panda and carrying both of their salaries as dead wight all of next year? Otherwise, who do you expect would trade for Hanley given the year he had this year? 

Given the fact they have already traded almost all of their top prospects or have promoted them to key spots on the big league team, they have limited ability to trade prospects for top end talent like Abreau or Stanton. The only way I see to improve would be to sign free agents and be resigned to being over the cap for the next few years. I am not sure ownership will be willing to do that. IF they are not, we are left hoping that several of their core players (Bogarts, Betts, Bradley) play more like they did in 2016 than in 2017.

With the new ownership in Miami I have a hard time believing they will trade Stanton.

I hope the Sox do not make a big trade and further deplete the minors. There are free agents who would fit the need and that's where they should concentrate.

I think that if they keep Hanley it has to be strictly as the DH. That way his chances of getting hurt are minimized.

Why couldn't the Sox move Porcello?

He's on a short two year deal after this season, is 29 after this season, and is one year removed from a Cy Young campaign. That seems like the perfect kind of guy they could move to drop salary. There will be teams willing to take that contract if they miss out on Darvish, Cobb, Tanaka, and Arrieta.

Take the Phillies for example. They have 20 million committed next season or something really low like that and need rotation help. I'm sure they would take on Porcello with open arms.

I hope you are right on Porcello but I would be shocked to see another team express interest in him without the Sox paying a portion of his salary. 

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Of all this deep and rather elite pitching rotation (Sale, Price, Porcello, Pom, ERod, Fister, Wright, Velasquez, Johnson, Owens, Elias, Beeks) only a move of Porcello, IMO, would provide the financial benefit to allow signing a big bat. Freeing up $15 to 20M towards JDM would make such a move possible. The other pitchers either have "low" salaries (Sale, Pom, Erod, etc.) or are currently immovable (Price).

In addition to Young, Moreland, Abad's 15+M, the potential moves of Holt (in favor of LHB Marco or Lin) and Ross (in favor of Scott, Beeks or Johnson) and letting Reed walk would free up another nearly $15M. So, with some carefully calculated risk, the money is there to upgrade the offense while maintaining excellent pitching.

On the other hand, not much needs to be nor should be done. The very real injuries and needed rehabs to Vasquez, Leon, Swihart, Moreland, Hanley, Pedroia, Sandoval, Xander, Betts, Holt, Marco, Nunez, Rutledge, Price, Pom, ERod, Johnson, Elias, Johnson, Ross, Smith, Thornburg, and a slow start due to a flu epidemic, absolutely caused this team to under perform in 2017.

Their return in 2018, and probably some significant tinkering with the staff, would put the WS back on the table for 2018. Going over the cap seems a no brainer for a year or two. Getting a big bat also seems a no brainer, and that process is something we can only guess at due to the complexity of finding positions to play it. Hosmer may not be a significant improvement over a healthy, Fenway-adapted Moreland, but that little bump may be enough. JDM at DH and LF, could cause a cascade of moving JBJ at the expense of elite OF defense; or relegating Hanley to a bench role with time at DH and 1B, but not if Hosmer is at 1B nor JDM at DH.

I am all in for a healthy and successful 2018, and the addition of a big bat somewhere; and think Porcello and a few others would pay for it. But not Stanton at the expense of our struggling farm PLUS our guys like Beni, Erod PLUS another outrageous salary. I am glad DD and
staff will have the nightmare of finding ways to augment this amazing young team without major surgery.

Target JD Martinez and Jay Bruce. Their power numbers can make a huge difference. If you have to bench Hanley. than so be it. He only has a hear left without his vesting option kicking in.

Replace John Ferrall with Alex Cora. And replace the pitching coach with Jim Hickey.

Aside from health, not sure why the Sox have so many hitters that go fishing - throughout the season, it just struck me that we were not a tough team to pitch against by just throwing sliders low and outside - Xander couldn't quit them - Mookie got into some bad habits once pitchers learned to not go fast and inside. And who knows what the secret to keeping JBJ from deep slumps may be.  I know many say that hitting coaches are really not significant factors, but whether it was the type of hitters, line up construction or just bad luck, it was a tough year to string hits together - which is fatal of the team isn't hitting home runs.  Time to say goodbye to Chile Davis?

Porcello is a wild card, is he going to be one of the pitchers that goes up and down from season to season? He could be very good next year. Many pitchers seem to be like that, He did win a CY last year so he has the stuff. Frustrating to have seen so many players take a step back this year, what can we expect in the future?
When you look at the upside of a whole team that performs like these guys it is hard to know what to do, who to move. There is a whole outfield and half of an infield that could all be average or all stars next yr.