[sublime]

However, I was more interested in your POV re: the Sox and their management strategy of late.

whats wrong with it?

the beckett trade was heralded across baseball as an obvious ++ deal for the sox

the renteria deal is dependant on the top prospect in baseball panning out, or bringing them back top level talent. they made a bnad signing and did what they had to to get away from it.

the smaller deals (lorretta/seanez) have been easy winners for them.

so they dont overpay for damon (and please people, spare me the he isn't overpaid crap. if any team other than the NYY gave him that deal they would be laughed at) and all of a sudden the team is in a nosedive? lol, the loss of damon is a drop in the bucket compared to losing pedro/cabrera/lowe, yet they seemed to bounce back from that pretty easily.

sure, they need a CF, a 4th outfielder and a SS but its December for crying out loud. i am positive they had/have contingency plans for damon leaving.

the philosophy of the red sox ownership/front office has been stated over and over by them. to be a playoff contender EVERY year. in order to do that, you cant make signings like the damon one, unless you have 80m extra in payroll. the red sox are striving to be the atlanta braves of the next ten years, albeit with a stat heavy philoshy in place of a scouting heavy strategy.