Bullpen is one of the best in baseball as well. You think it might be the division they're in bro?
Its funny you mention that because that is the company line they have had for the past few years. This year the Red Sox have been good from the beginning but the Yanks have struggled, Tampa is a joke and Baltimore is too inconsistent.
At the very least they should be in the mix for a wild card. They are put together very similar to Seattle, Cleveland and Minny.
The owner raised the payroll to compete with the big market teams. Not Yankee or Red Sox money but enough to get the free agents to fill the holes.
The reason they added Thomas, AJ Burnett, BJ Ryan, Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay the past few season was so that they could compete with the Sox and Yanks. At some point you have to stop with the "1 or 2 players away" and actually make a run. This year they had a very good chance and they failed to put it together.
You dont sign an aging Frank Thomas and throw out a ton of money on pitchers to finish 3rd.