Ben Cherington’s 2013 Report Card: The Free Agents

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington entered the 2012-2013 offseason with an open mind and an open checkbook. After a disastrous 2012 campaign that resulted in 69 wins and the salary dump to end all salary dumps, Cherington finally got the keys to the car to spend the money...

The Advanced Scout – Tampa Bay Rays

It’s pretty much come down to this, folks. The Rays are falling way behind in the pennant race, and the Red Sox have gladly widened the gap. Their only chance to get back in the race? A tussle with the team at the top of the division. The Red Sox will gladly...

The [Potential] Playoff Roster

Let’s start here: KNOCK ON WOOD. We are all fully aware that 2011 happened. They peaked at a 9 game lead on September 3.  Today, we stand at 7.5 games on September 10. It’s happened before, but in spite of the past, ESPN ranks the Red Sox as a 99.9%...

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Is Surprisingly Valuable

I’ve never really been a big supporter of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. I thought he was a worthwhile gamble to acquire from the Rangers for next to nothing, and I liked the idea of grooming him behind Jason Varitek. I was patient through the yips and then through the long,...

Roster Power Rankings, August Edition

“And down the stretch they come!”  Once again the calendar turns from August to September. Thankfully this time around the Red Sox are not only back in the race, they are, in fact, leading the race. Boston entered August 65-44, up 0.5 games in the American...

The Advanced Scout – Chicago White Sox

Part Two of this homestand is a three-game set against the lowly White Sox, which will inevitably make many a writer use a “clever” Sox pun headline. I mean, we’ve seen these teams play each other quite a bit, guys, you don’t need to be...

Now THAT’S What I Call TrollBag

This is Fire Brand’s fifth iteration of the TrollBag, and I’m feeling particularly generous this week, so it’s going to be a big one. Before we get started though, I’d just like to mention that the TrollBag now officially has its own Twitter account...