Notes/questions regarding CBA (and other) rules 2018

That isn't correct. You only lose international spending money for signing QO free agents. It's the extra tax and draft pick goes back 10 spots.

You made this point after a rehab start, Pomeranz's first after being on the DL for a month, in which he gave up 4 HR in 2.2 IP. What on earth makes you think someone wanted Pomeranz? Later in the thread, you admitted that you had no idea what Pomeranz would even be the rest of the year. What're the odds the Red Sox would've been able to unload him without paying some of his salary? Slim, IMO. They also would've gotten under if they'd gotten someone to take all but $3M of Hanley's salary. Doesn't mean that is a reasonable expectation.

Harvey was on a 1/5.626M deal, and the only reason the Mets were able to trade him is because the Reds were also trying to unload Mesoraco. The Reds paid the difference in their salaries because Mesoraco made $13M last year, which means the Mets wound up paying Harvey's full salary despite trading him, so he's an awful example that proves the point of those you're arguing with.

Later in the thread, you suggested acquiring bullpen arms who would've eaten up any of the salary relief you suggested they free up by dealing Pomeranz and put them over the $237M mark.

As James pointed out in that thread, you'd made a similar argument about selling high on Porcello all offseason and he was a crucial part of this year's team, and you also make this argument a lot generally - particularly with bullpen arms (see, e.g., your rotating bullpen avatar). A broken clock is right twice a day. If you suggest at some point that the Red Sox should try and trade every player on the roster, there's likely to be some truth at some point to one of the suggestions. Doesn't mean you deserve credit for that one suggestion.

So, yes, you are correct that if they had dealt Drew Pomeranz midseason to a team that would've taken on his salary (unreasonable expectation), that would've gotten them under the $237M threshold - assuming they also wouldn't have used the salary relief to acquire a bullpen arm, which was the entire point of your suggestion. It's pretty disingenuous to isolate that from the myriad other roster moves you suggest they make. If you post hundreds of times a month, you're eventually going to say something that's kind of true. That doesn't mean you were reasonable to say it at the time or that it means you should've been lauded for your wonderful idea at the time.