How do you improve the Red Sox

Yeah, as wary as I am of "counting" on a knuckleballer in the playoffs, Wright is giving every indication of being able to put up plenty of innings, and solid to good ones at that. Porcello looks like a first-division 3. Rodriguez certainly can be that, and more. Price hasn't looked like a 1, but he has the track record, and his velocity is getting back closer to his usual sitting 94. They don't need a 3 in the 5 spot, just a serviceable (Dempster-Doubront-Peavy '13) pitcher who can log 100-120 innings over the remaining course of the season. If 2013 proved anything, it's that you don't need a great regular season rotation to win, just a reasonably reliable one with a good bullpen. There's every indication that the Sox currently have both, at a minimum. And in the playoffs, you just need a few guys to get white hot. With this offense, and the talent (if not consistency) of the pitching staff, I like their chances.

He also brings true speed to the table. Which is good for infield hits (maybe bunting included), steals, and extra bases in general. This team could use a little more of that surprisingly. Mookie is the only other steal threat. The Sox run the bases really well but having a extra player in the lineup could bring a extra dimension like that to a already loaded lineup, can only make it better.

Hernandez has a lot of likeable tools. Good arm, great speed, good hands, good enough hit tool. Sneaky good player.

I have no doubt that if Hanley hits the DL like some fear here at some point, that a Hernandez/Rutledge platoon would be sufficient to Hanley to fill in at 3B (maybe even replicating Hanley's production), while Shaw moves to first base.

Good article. Shelby Miller = Pablo Sandoval. Only difference is they traded their Moncada/Margot to the Braves & we just lost money. I can't see any way Greinke comes to Boston with his no trade clause and contract.

That's exactly what I did in the second half of the post, and why I did it. I ran the data for five years worth of seasons and translated it into xFIP- benchmarks. (Maybe you didn't read that far.)

So your scenario in bold could absolutely happen. However, it's actually quite unlikely. In any given year the distribution by buckets will be very similar to an average one. So in your example, it would very strange for there to be 50% more guys between 95 and 100 than in an average year. But a few? Sure.

Change your levels and your results would change greatly I assume.  Based off of Fangraph table I would say a #2 is 89 or better, 90 to 100 is a #3 for a contending team.  I feel a number 2 should be great and a number three should be above average, while an Ace is excellent for a contending team.

Well at least I think the Sox are on the same page with me on this one, finally. I couldn't stand Kelly.

Everyone has had a shot. Give Elias his shot. If he spits the bit, just take the hot hand at that point. We'll have a better idea of who's pitching well in 3 weeks.

Still best team in AL.

I think to improve the team, ideally you would go back in time and use the 72.5 million used to sign Rusney Castillo to sign Andrew Miller and then Darren O'Day, then have Margot as your current LF (or have used a similar trade package for a starter). Also go back to release Clay Buchholz and sign Rich Hill instead. Ah, hindsight.

In seriousness, though, I think the team is pretty well-equipped right now. The one move I would make immediately, to nobody's surprise, is firing Farrell (and graciously move him into a front office position, letting Lovullo take over). This would immediately improve bullpen management and situational adjustments, though I do think Farrell is quite good at maintaining clubhouse chemistry (though even this, he might have started to struggle with, given Tazawa's comments last night). I also wouldn't totally admonish DD if he wanted to trade some package of Devers/Owens/Marrero or Hernandez/Kelly or Buchholz for a better 5th starter. And even that could end up being a reactionary and costly mistake, since I still do very much like Devers. I really do not want to see Espinoza, Benintendi, or Moncada moved, unless its for a true stud, like Trout. And I still might not move Espinoza for anything given the dearth of pitching in the system.

Thus, another direction is taking scottysmalls suggestion, assuming you buy into the non-linearity of improving offense. Imagine a 1-8, in some form, of... Mookie-Trout-Bogaerts-Ortiz-JBJ-Hanley-Shaw-Pedroia? Maybe DD makes a ridiculous splash and just goes all in. The league, and thus DD, are likely drooling at the possibility of a Red Sox-Cubs World Series narrative, particularly with Lester, Lackey, Ross, and Theo over there in Chicago. Adding Trout makes this possibility even more likely.

Most realistically, right now, you probably just wait until the trade deadline, and reassess the market. No need to make any panic moves.

Let me introduce to Kyle Martin:
He’s striking out almost one third of the batters he’s facing (32.1%!!!) and generating 16.4% of Pop Ups ( I consider them as automatic outs as the Ks), He basically doesn't walk anybody (1.03 BB per 9 innings), his ground balls generating ability is not too shabby (A solid 44.8% GB%), keeps the ball in the park (0 dingers allowed).
His FIP for the season is 0.96!!!
Give the man a chance.

How is there no game thread?

It's an easy cure, don't open it.