If Papi can't start the season due to his Achilles, doesn't it give us a stronger lineup, both offensively and defensively, if we let JBJ start the season on the roster and in LF, and slide Gomes to DH until Ortiz is ready to go?  Napoli has done well @ 1st so far, and this gives us a great defensive outfield.  Gomes needs to show he can hit righties somewhat, or he will be looking at less than 250 plate appearances.  I'd much prefer this scenario over Gomes in LF, Napoli at DH and Carp/Nava/Overbay at 1st.  Lineup would look like this until Papi can play, hopefully by the home opener:

Ells
Pedroia
Drew (notice he has been getting starts there in ST)
Napoli
Victorino
Middlebrooks
Salty
Gomes
Bradley Jr.

In response to cassvt2004's comment:

If Papi can't start the season due to his Achilles, doesn't it give us a stronger lineup, both offensively and defensively, if we let JBJ start the season on the roster and in LF, and slide Gomes to DH until Ortiz is ready to go?  Napoli has done well @ 1st so far, and this gives us a great defensive outfield.  Gomes needs to show he can hit righties somewhat, or he will be looking at less than 250 plate appearances.  I'd much prefer this scenario over Gomes in LF, Napoli at DH and Carp/Nava/Overbay at 1st.  Lineup would look like this until Papi can play, hopefully by the home opener:

Ells
Pedroia
Drew (notice he has been getting starts there in ST)
Napoli
Victorino
Middlebrooks
Salty
Gomes
Bradley Jr.

This is what I was wondering.  When does the arbitration clock start ticking?  Is there a difference between a player spending the first month of the season on the ML roster, and then going down, as opposed to waiting for May 1st to bring a guy up?  Of course if he played well from the start then obviously he was ready and you just wave good-bye to Sweeney (Or Nava/Overbay).

And then send JBJ back to AAA, when Ortiz returns?

I'm not positive, but I think that burns a year of control over JBJ for very little return.

In response to cassvt2004's comment:

If Papi can't start the season due to his Achilles, doesn't it give us a stronger lineup, both offensively and defensively, if we let JBJ start the season on the roster and in LF, and slide Gomes to DH until Ortiz is ready to go?  Napoli has done well @ 1st so far, and this gives us a great defensive outfield.  Gomes needs to show he can hit righties somewhat, or he will be looking at less than 250 plate appearances.  I'd much prefer this scenario over Gomes in LF, Napoli at DH and Carp/Nava/Overbay at 1st.  Lineup would look like this until Papi can play, hopefully by the home opener:

Ells
Pedroia
Drew (notice he has been getting starts there in ST)
Napoli
Victorino
Middlebrooks
Salty
Gomes
Bradley Jr.

And then send JBJ back to AAA, when Ortiz returns?

I'm not positive, but I think that burns a year of control over JBJ for very little return.

If Papi can't start the season due to his Achilles, doesn't it give us a stronger lineup, both offensively and defensively, if we let JBJ start the season on the roster and in LF, and slide Gomes to DH until Ortiz is ready to go?  Napoli has done well @ 1st so far, and this gives us a great defensive outfield.  Gomes needs to show he can hit righties somewhat, or he will be looking at less than 250 plate appearances.  I'd much prefer this scenario over Gomes in LF, Napoli at DH and Carp/Nava/Overbay at 1st.  Lineup would look like this until Papi can play, hopefully by the home opener:

Ells
Pedroia
Drew (notice he has been getting starts there in ST)
Napoli
Victorino
Middlebrooks
Salty
Gomes
Bradley Jr.

Right now, the Red Sox management is reacting from it's mistakes. The last thing they need to do is worry about paying Bradley, Jr. a fraction of their massive budget in another half a decade or so. How 'bout making roster decisions to win baseball games.

In response to softlaw2's comment:

Right now, the Red Sox management is reacting from it's mistakes. The last thing they need to do is worry about paying Bradley, Jr. a fraction of their massive budget in another half a decade or so. How 'bout making roster decisions to win baseball games.

So you would rather have him for 6 years instead of 7?

In response to BosoxJoe5's comment:

In response to softlaw2's comment:

Right now, the Red Sox management is reacting from it's mistakes. The last thing they need to do is worry about paying Bradley, Jr. a fraction of their massive budget in another half a decade or so. How 'bout making roster decisions to win baseball games.

So you would rather have him for 6 years instead of 7?

The so have shown in the past that if a young player is someone they think is key to the future of the team then they will sign him up early...like they did with Pedey, Lester, etc...if JBJ in two years is what we hope he is....they can long term him then at a lower rate and the control issue doesnt matter.....if this is a team they think can be better and win this year with JBJ, if even for a short period of time, then we dont act like KC,

So you would rather have him for 6 years instead of 7?

Fallacy. Plaing minor league baseball isn't "have him for an extra year". The Red Sox could easily pay him for 7 years or more by making him a long term contract offer now that gives him a guarantee of immediate financial security. Frankly, 7 years from now, the Red Sox don't need to be worrying about being FA bidders for Bradley. They need to get a grip on how much money they throw away and start constructing rosters to win baseball games. Because there is no value in it, they need to give up the stupid 150 million plus payrolls a year. If they can't find a GM who can take a 110 to 120M budget and make the playoffs almost every season, they will continue to spend more for worse teams.

If Papi can't start the season due to his Achilles, doesn't it give us a stronger lineup, both offensively and defensively, if we let JBJ start the season on the roster and in LF, and slide Gomes to DH until Ortiz is ready to go?  Napoli has done well @ 1st so far, and this gives us a great defensive outfield.  Gomes needs to show he can hit righties somewhat, or he will be looking at less than 250 plate appearances.  I'd much prefer this scenario over Gomes in LF, Napoli at DH and Carp/Nava/Overbay at 1st.  Lineup would look like this until Papi can play, hopefully by the home opener:

Ells
Pedroia
Drew (notice he has been getting starts there in ST)
Napoli
Victorino
Middlebrooks
Salty
Gomes
Bradley Jr.

 If BRADLEY is to start the year with Sox they would lose one year of free agency on him. Means he could become free agent a year sooner. Would be bad move so they will keep him in AAA at least two months to protect themselves then they could call him up and not lose that year.

Drew, Ortiz, Napoli, and Dempster are ALL players who never should have been signed for this season. None of them.

If Papi can't start the season due to his Achilles, doesn't it give us a stronger lineup, both offensively and defensively, if we let JBJ start the season on the roster and in LF, and slide Gomes to DH until Ortiz is ready to go?  Napoli has done well @ 1st so far, and this gives us a great defensive outfield.  Gomes needs to show he can hit righties somewhat, or he will be looking at less than 250 plate appearances.  I'd much prefer this scenario over Gomes in LF, Napoli at DH and Carp/Nava/Overbay at 1st.  Lineup would look like this until Papi can play, hopefully by the home opener:

Ells
Pedroia
Drew (notice he has been getting starts there in ST)
Napoli
Victorino
Middlebrooks
Salty
Gomes
Bradley Jr.

In response to softlaw2's comment:

Right now, the Red Sox management is reacting from it's mistakes. The last thing they need to do is worry about paying Bradley, Jr. a fraction of their massive budget in another half a decade or so. How 'bout making roster decisions to win baseball games.

+1

Exactly Softy - after all the yo yo nonsense of the recent years and watching the useless vets get chance after chance to screw the season over (Wakefield anyone) because it gives the team more "leverage/control", you would think WINNING and putting out the best team would be paramount. Reddick said it a month agao that his time with the Sox was frustrating because he just wasn't allowed to play regularly or even stick around long enough to get at bats, get into a groove, and build confidence. I'm tired of the Sox being the team of 27 year old rookies. Play your GD best players - not the retreads you signed (DrewII).

It is simple. The Sox should put there best nine on the field every day. At this point , Bradley certainly looks like he belongs in there.  Looking years into the future is foolish. Who knows what the situation will be six or seven years from now ?