Boston Red Sox continue picking up Quality Vets at "Bargain" prices.

This offseason is unlike any in recent memory when it comes to comparing the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees signings. One can argue that the Yankees had "no choice" when it came to signing CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and AJ Burnett who collectively will cost the yankees almost 60 million in yearly payroll.

Meanwhile the Red Sox have been able to add Rocco Baldelli, Takashi Saito, Josh Bard, Brad Penny and John Smoltz, with Mark Kotsay soon to follow. The departure of Manny Ramirez has freed the Boston Red Sox to do what I suggested they could have done all along, field a much overall deeper team by finding the 5-8 million dollar veterans that can be difference makers, even if they are bench players or relievers.

I think the Yankees did what they had to do, but the Red Sox should be the deeper team in the 2009 season, and they may have Manny Ramirez's departure to thank for it.

Contrasting the Yankees and Red Sox, it seems like the Red Sox have more stars.

It seems like whomever the Red Sox continue to pursue, even if it is for their bench, the ballplayers tend to be good solid players. Their latest pursuit includes Rocco Baldelli and John Smoltz, It appears that trading Manny Ramirez has helped the Red Sox acquire more overall talent spread around the field, even when it comes to the bench.

As for the Yankees, after signing AROD, CC, and AJ Burnett, who combined will cost the Yankees over 65 million a year, it appears that they don't quite have the payroll flexibility to just sign solid players, especially for the bench. Certainly not as good as Rocco Baldelli or even a healthy Mike Lowell. Heck, the Red Sox are allegedly trying to acquire Hanley Ramirez! Perhaps besides losing Manny's contract, what has helped the Red Sox is the emergence of many fine young prospects from their own minor leagues, including young relievers that don't cost much money.

If a team has a payroll of 150 million or higher, that suddenly works out to 6 million per player, so if a team with a super high payroll avoids putting a large chunk of it into two or three players, they suddenly can put really good positions players all over the place, especially when that team also has players making the league minimum because they came up in their own farm system.