When we’re being sarcastic we’ll give it an end tag just so people know ().

I’m not at all excited about paying a backup catcher $3 million when the only thing he can do is call a game. Can’t hit, can’t throw, I’d much rather have him as a coach.

Varitek? No, because he won’t be playing enough to do any real damage.
Dice K? No, because he seems to have his head on straight about the off-season program this time.
Papelbon? Yes, because he may not be a Red Sox. Billy Wagner is reportedly interested in returning. Why would he want to do that when he’s so close to a milestone save number and an all-star closer is on the team? Papelbon the Padre (or Marlin, or Mariner), that’s why.

Kept the team alive in the second half, remember that they play a whole season please. Why are you crapping on our bench players? Baldelli? What were you expecting out of him? An All-star season for a back up player? Hermidia? I don’t expect too much out of him either, we’re just giving him a chance to develop into what he could be.

Wake was the reason we were alive in the first half of the season.

How is Papelbon in the non-producing territory? He wasn’t great but he was better than most closers once again.

Use that filter in your mind.

1. Ortiz doesn’t get paid $18 million, $12.5 million, where did that number come from? We don’t have anyone that makes that much. Plus his second half was just great, if he gets his conditioning in and can come back ready, hopefully we can avoid the giant slump at the beginning of the year.
2. Baldelli didn’t play a ton but was still worth his $500,000 and made it possible to have a player who would play his heart out to keep Drew fresh, despite DL time.
3. Hermida- let’s not judge before he’s played a game for us, huh?
4. Lowell I agree was painful, and hopefully will improve
5. Wakefield may only be reliable for half the year, but was still worth way more than he made. I’ll gladly take him as long as he wants to keep pitching. With such a low salary and such an amazing first half (especially the beginning, when all our other pitchers were faltering), how can you possibly call him unproductive???
6. Papelbon- is still one of the best closers in the game. Let’s not hate him before he leaves right? It’s not like he doesn’t like Boston and trying to get out like Manny did. Certainly doesn’t belong on a non-productive list.
7. Smoltz was a gamble, which didn’t pay off. Hindsight is 20-20. Given the choice, it wasn’t a bad gamble and didn’t cost us too much. When these things pay off, they’re worth a few not paying off (see Ortiz)

8. we had 95 wins. Talk about pessimism. On an Off-year we had one of the best records in baseball.

it’s not like we have an option… it’s his option in the contract, he’s getting paid his $3 million. We can’t just arbitrarily void contracts that have already been made up or being a GM would be a very easy job.