Are the Red $ox getting desperate?

I don't think so. I think Theo is just stacking up for trade bait. Byrd will probably be let go. Wagner is 50/50. Martinez says he would like to stay in Boston and I say keep him. We also got Joey Gathright who will probably be trade bait, or will fill in for someone who will be traded, but that's 50/50. By the way I wish the best for your Royals. It could be worse, they could the Nationals. o_0

Unlike what some people would like to believe, everything the Red Sox do does not revolve around the Yankees. The Red Sox needed some more offense and a back up for Varitek, so they traded Masterson and two single A prospects for V-Mart. Getting Kotchman was just an insurance and they can use him off the bench, they got him for LaRoche who they got for a few no name prospects. The bullpen hasn't been as strong lately and they needed a lefty to compliment Okajima, so they traded Chris Carter, and 26 year old minor leaguer, and cash for Billy Wagner. The Red Sox signed Byrd to a minor league contract, so he's probably isn't making anymore than $500,000, that is extremely cheap for a 38 year old who out dueled Roy Halladay! Moves like those are why Theo Epstein has proven he's one of the best GMs in baseball, in my opinion. It has nothing to do with the Yankees.

EDIT: Ah, yes, Julio. That totals, what, half a month of Rodriguez's salary? That's a pretty good deal! And I agree, what the he!! is so bad about making your team better?

The Red Sox are still in the lead for the Wild Card. All they're doing is bettering their chances of making the playoffs.

Paul Byrd was traded to the Red Sox over a year ago, smart one. Kotchman is a solid defensive player. Martinez has been an excellent pickup. Wagner was on waivers, and Red Sox have the money, so why not? LaRoche isn't on the team anymore.

Martinez: 4,450,000

Kotchman: 2,800,000

Wagner: 10,500,000

That's a combined $16,400,000

They realeased Smoltz and Penny, freeing up $10,500,000.

Spending $7,250,000 more on a few players isn't exactly "buying everything in sight".

In fact, it's less than a fourth of one year of Rodriguez's salary.

You're saying that like a bad thing? Theo's just making moves to solidify his playoff chances. That's his job. And besides, he aquired V-Mart/Kotchman via trade, so I don't see that as "throwing their money around". And if he really wanted to aquire everyone that was "available" why didn't he aquire Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, etc. before the trade deadline?

Maybe Theo doesn't have confidence that his team can make it without help, but what's wrong with that? The Phillies traded for Cliff Lee because their rotation needed help. The Cardinals traded for Holliday because their offense needed help.

And lastly, even after all of these moves, the Red Sox are still 4th in team salary behind the Yankees, Cubs, and Mets.

EDIT: Connor, don't forget about Julio Lugo and his 9 million dollar contract. Add it all up and the Red Sox are actually spending 1.5 million dollar less than they began with.

Why would they be desperate? They have a 3.5 game lead in the wild card, they do not need to catch the Yankees. As long as they make the playoffs it doesn't matter how. The Red Sox are making smart moves to try and sure up some holes and it is working, they have had trouble all year at SS and they picked up Gonzalez, been very good move so far. Vmart was a great deal. Having another good arm in the bullpen with Wagner is again a smart move. There is no desperation in the moves, it is smart baseball.

When you have opportunties to improve your team, you do it. If you sit back and watch the everyone else make moves to improve their team, then you'll be left alone in the basement.

The Red Sox have a lot to offer. Players want to go to the big market, play in the spot light, play for a winning team, even play in Fenway Park.

They aren't buying up everything in sight. The Yankees bought up everything in sight before the year started. The Red Sox have made quality moves to position themselves for the play offs.

It is 1 September..they made some baseball moves, which were just common sense.

And you exaggerated, because La Roche went straight to Atlanta for Kotchman. Martinez was a brilliant pick up...while Byrd and Wagner have not played yet.

Martinez would get a mega deal..but the other players are not expensive. I think it would have been worse if they did nothing.

EDIT: Sorry, I missed the fact that Byrd started the previous night..looks like an upgrade on Penny, so no problem.

It's been a while, but didn't the Yankees sign 3 of the top $$ contracts this year in Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett.

Martinez was a brilliant pick up because it was idiotic for the Indians and the other two are rentals. They also released Smoltz and Penny, so it's filling gaps.

I don't really see the two being equivalent though.

You realize we are not spending that much money and buying the all star team from the year before like the Yankees did last Winter, THEY LANDED EVERYONE!! Since Vmar got here we have been playing some pretty damn good baseball, I think these were all great moves.

Nope they are just plugging holes, where they were having issues. The bullpen was struggling a little so Wagner might add some juice, and Byrd was brought in to give a different type of pitchers to them as well. He looked great in his frist start, and V-mart, lets just face facts you hate to see the old dog (Varitek) get replaced, but it needs to happen.