Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
With what he calls this “grand opportunity to have another chance to reconstruct the roster and the payroll” because of last Saturday’s blockbuster trade, team president and CEO Larry Lucchino said Thursday the Red Sox can and should be trusted to do the right thing this time around.
“I think there have been some philosophical shifts, some philosophical re-examinations, absolutely, involving one, the obvious one, that is the utility and effectiveness of massive free agent signings,” said Lucchino.
“It was a philosophical shift because we’re sentient people and we’ve seen what’s happened and what hasn’t happened, not just in our circumstances but across the industry in recent years,” said Lucchino.
“We’re not going to be talking prospectively about where our payroll is going to be,” said Lucchino. “We have a great opportunity to spend money that was previously tied up in long-term contracts. We have an opportunity to spend that more creatively and judiciously.”
Trading for talent will be the preferred method of talent acquisition.
“Absolutely, but we’re not going to rule out anything, especially and including free agency, but I think you’re likely to see less reliance on it and therefore we’re going to have to pursue all other avenues, including major league trades, minor league prospects, waivers, Rule 5 draft — we have to use all the devices that are out there for us,” he said.
Herald - Sox seeking right stuff
We're just going to pretend that last night's drubbing never happened, and focus on the future. Because, unless you love being miserable and depressed, that's all that matters now.
Lucchino says a lot of stuff in this interview, but there's not a ton of substance. The best analogy I can come up with off the top of my head is that this feels like the "don't leave me" speech you give to your girlfriend after she caught you cheating on her. "I'm so sorry, baby. I know I made a mistake. I'm going to change. It'll be different this time. I swear!"
And when that message comes from a snake oil salesman like Lucchino, it rings hollow.
If you read the full article, he talks about how there are "different people at the table" this time, discussing these decisions. Which is true... but the final orders have always come from the top down. You can bring in a delegate from every member of the U.N. to sit around that table, but the decisions are going to be made my the same people that have made the decisions that got us into this mess. Now, if he had said that they're going to back off a bit and put their trust in Cherington, then I would be a little more optimistic. But that was never said.
The bottom line is that these guys like having their name in the headlines. They like big free agent splashes, and seeing SportsCenter lead off with the latest Red Sox news. They may be able to reign it in this winter (maybe), but how many seasons can we expect that to last?
Lucchino talked about how the Sox didn't just learn from their own mistakes, but from looking "across the industry". I look across the sports landscape myself, and generally, franchises that are run by overbearing men that force their hand in roster building don't succeed. Organizations that put smart men in control and give them the freedom to construct their teams usually fair better.
If you really want a "shift in philosophy" why don't we start there?
Rest of the links:
Herald - Sox annihilated by slugging A's | Globe - Dustin Pedroia’s a winner, but he's not a leader just yet | More humiliation for the Red Sox | WEEI -Humiliation: Sox suffer epic blowout | Millar on M&M: Sox need more 'passion' | CSNNE - Bard happy to be back with Boston | Former friends humiliate Red Sox, 20-2
