I know that the season is still very new, but I was just remembering having heard some trade rumors from the offseason between the Red Sox and the Diamondbacks involving Justin Upton.  I also am reading "Moneyball" right now, which reminded me that an important part of the 2002 season of the Oakland A's were trades for Ray Durham and Ted Lilly, deals that helped the A's sky rocket in the standings.  Maybe a deal could help the in-need Red Sox...

I think that Upton is a player the Red Sox could definitely use, a young right handed right fielder.  Somebody with a ton of power who could perhaps take Ortiz's spot in the lineup someday.  I can dream all day long about him lodging the ball over the monster.  If this trade were at all possible, assuming that the Red Sox make a run at him during the trade deadline or in the coming offseason, who would the Sox be able to offer the D-Backs?  Now keep in mind that this is not at all real, I just like pretending that I am GM of my favorite team, and I bet all of you do, too.  So just give me your opinions.

My thinking would probably be a young group of prospects.  Maybe even a package like this: OF Jacoby Ellsbury, SS Jose Iglesias, 1B Lars Anderson, and maybe a pitcher like Doubront or Drake Britton.  The reason behind my thinking is the following: after signing AGone for seven more years, they can afford to give up Anderson, who is hitting well so far this year in AAA, so his stock is up.  I have always been a fan of Jed Lowrie, even though he has been a tid bit injury prone, but I think he has come a long way and he deserves to be there at short for now.  Iglesias is a great prospect and will be a good major leaguer.  I have been against trading young talented shortstops ever since the Hanley Ramirez trade, but I think the Sox have other options long term in up-and-comers like Navarro or Tejeda, that is if they can't stick with Lowrie.  Ellsbury is expendable, I am one of those Sox fans in love with Ryan Kalish.  The tricky part about a trade like this would be that the Sox' farm system right now is not superbly stocked with pitchers.  Actually, it isn't particularly well-stocked at all.  Ranaudo and Pimentel are the cream of the crop in terms of pitchers, but the can not let them go right now.   Doubront has MLB experience and is young and talented enough to attract other teams' attention.

I'd really like everyone's opinion about it, and please let me know if I'm being ignorant about it or naive when it comes to trades and all that.  Just keep in mind that this is imagination.  So, in order to make a deal for Upton, what would the Red Sox be required to give up?

The results are in, and Jim Rice has received 76.4% of the vote and is now in the Hall of Fame.  #14 will now be retired.  Justice!  Rickey Henderson also got into the HoF, basically unanimously.  I wonder if Rickey will have a Red Sox cap on his plaque...

What do you guys think about this?  Who'd they miss?  I'm thinking Dale Murphy, Bert Blyleven, and Andre Dawson are getting hosed here.  Maybe Tim Raines and Jesse Orosco should get in someday.

Mark McGwire got about 22% of the vote.  Too many?

In other non-Hall of Fame news, Roger Clemens is sweating bullets...

You're all probably thinking, "I can read Rotoworld, too."  But I thought I'd say this anyway.  It looks like the Sox are contenders to acquire Takashi Saito, but how do yall feel about this?

I think it's a good move, the guy has been a great closer for the Dodgers for the last few years.  I guess it all depends on what kind of contract he was offered, though, because he did spend time on the D.L. last year and he will be turning 39 just before Spring Training.  Would it be worth, if only for Oki to have a buddy?

Here are some thoughts about other potential low cost fourth outfielders.  Some of them are a little out there, let me know what you all think:

Rocco Baldelli: He'd be a perfect fit, although you guys have made some good points about his ability to play every day if an injury occurs.

Emil Brown: Just kidding.  Or am I?

Jim Edmonds: The Old Man would be awesome to have, he was great for the Cubs down the stretch.

Juan Encarnacion: I'm pretty sure that he's alive, he's always been a championship kind of player when healthy.

Eric Hinske: I have no clue why not.  After a 20 homer season though, he might be trying to hold out to be a starter somewhere.

Gabe Kapler: The Manager!  Would fit in as if he never left.

Scott Podsednik: I don't really think he'd be worth it, but he would provide some more speed and defense off the bench.

So Taguchi: I'm not considering him, but did you know this guy is gonna be 40 next year?

Brad Wilkerson: And the cost is gonna be waaay low, a lot lower than when he was traded for Alfonso Soriano anyway.  I think he'd be pretty valuable, just don't pay too much attention to his OPS from last year (.622).

Then there are a host of different trades we could make for a guy like Alfredo Amezaga or something like that.  By the way, wouldn't it be great if we still had David Murphy?  That trade never happened...

The answer....NO!  What is everyone talking about?  I don't live in the Northeast, so one of you Boston boys do me a favor.  Bring a tissue over to Massarotti's house.

The Red Sox didn't "lose out" on Mark Teixiera.  They are going to be fine without him.  More than fine.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't want him two days ago, but so what?

Why couldn't we all take Joe Maddon's approach to this.  He reacted the same way I think John McGraw would have acted, he was straight faced and confident.

David Ortiz said we needed a big bat.  That bat didn't need to be Mark Teixiera.  It's my humble opinion that all we need is a catcher and a fourth outfielder and maybe even a fifth starter and we're pretty much set.

With the mountain of cash we didn't just spend on one player, we can fill all the holes we have in our current roster.

We can sign a fifth starter, somebody like John Smoltz or perhaps even Ben Sheets.  I know that there is somebody out there with a voodoo doll trying to keep Ben Sheets on the DL, but I think he would be worth the risk.  Even if he got injured, we'd still have somebody like Buch-Wild or Masterson to step in.  And Smoltz, he'd totally be worth it.  Dare I even suggest Randy Johnson?  Alright, I probably went too far with that.

We could get a fourth outfielder.  I hear Rocco Baldelli's illness is treatable.  Other than that, we could bring in somebody like Eric Hinske. 

As far as catcher goes, I'm sure Theo Epstein (you know, the same guy we called a GENIOUS after 2004 and 2007, and are now calling a dope) will come up with something.  'Tek isn't Tex, he'll come along.  And I bet a Salty' trade would make Sox fans forget who Mark Teixiera is.  By the way, wouldn't that be ironic?  The Yankees get Teixiera, and the Red Sox could get the guy that was traded for Tex just over a year ago.

Since when did being a Sox fan become like being in the movie 'Left Behind' though?  Everybody needs to cheer up, and give the current Red Sox their due credit, because last I heard the Yankees haven't been able to buy a World Series for eight years.  And at least look at it this way:

If the Yankees don't win a World Series in the near future (say, four or five years) they will be viewed as the biggest failure in sports history.  They'll be the 'Spider-Man 3' of baseball.  Just remember that hope is faith.  Have faith that the Sox will win, and have hope that the Steinbrenner's will go bankrupt sometime in our lifetimes.