Even sooner than a year or two, what happens if Shilling struggles when he comes back this month? My initial reaction to this trade is negative. OF course, maybe the Sox know something about Papelbon or Okijima that we don't. I still would have prefered a bat to platoon with Drew, and some decent outfield defence for late innings. Note last night's results - Yankees put up16 runs, Red Sox put up their usual (as of late) 3.

Go Sox!!

Watching Julio Lugo bat and field is like watching your sister being sodomized by an AIDS riddled leper only to find out she liked it and goes back for more.

Guys: Pitching wins post-season series. This was a great move.

Will this team hit? I don't know, but I have to believe that it will - Papi hit two last night, and Manny's been gangbusters. Let's face it, the heart of the order hasn't been clicking most of the season and if these two start thumping, the offense won't be a problem.

Okajima has pitched over 50 innings already and has never pitched more than 70. That alone is reason enough to get a reliever. And Gagne isn't just another reliever, he's a great one.

We have the best bullpen in baseball, and excellent starters. With Gagne in the pen, all we need the starters to do is go six or seven - Gagne, Okey and Pap will/should shut down the rest of the game.

I don't like giving up Gabbard, but he's performed beyond expectations and if one of the young arms has to go it only makes sense that it be him. The truth is his promise is probably no more than that of guys like Suppan, Fossum and even Arroyo - a serviceable pitcher with a .500 career record who will have occasional moments of brilliance.

They tried for Dye, but the ChiSox wanted too much. That was the right decision. They preserved the core of the future while improving their chances for the now.

The 2007 Red Sox have a legitimate shot at a World Series title - they have 64 wins, three more than the next closest team. They are in first place by seven games. It would be ridiculous for Theo to take a shot at 2008 and 2009 when he has 2007 in his hands.

The Gagne trade solidified the division title and makes a World Championship more of a possibility. I'll happily take the championship this year and worry about 2008 next year.

I love getting Gagne, but am disappointed about not getting a decent bat. With the bench being as ineffective as it has been maybe this is the time to bring up Ellsbury for good. We don't seem to have much thump on this paricular Red Sox team, but I can see us scoring more runs by utilizing the speed we do have available to us. I am tired of seeing us lose close games where a couple of extra runs would have turned the tide. Our ability to rally late in games has been undermined by our inability to get a clutch pinch hit or a key stolen base out of our bench players. From what I saw earlier in the season of Ellsbury I think I would have more confidence in him being able to help us get the job don.

i know i already said this....but with gagne on the club....papelbon could become the starter he has wanted to be....IF we needed him to. paps could be a great starter...i'd put him in league with dice-k as a viable number 2 next year. i think its a great move. the only bat out there that i see improving the club was griffy and he was too pricey and old. Dye is hitting what? .232? we have enough .230 hitters on the club already. wmp is hitting only 5 pts less...and gets just about as many hr per ab.

now getting teixeira would have been great...put him at first and try out youk at ss. he played a good 3b. i'd like to see how youk would do at ss. maybe even put wmp at 1b.

we have great options with the current roster and the future looks good too....and hell...we are in first place. its exciting.

lets trade lugo for arod over the winter.

I guess we need to have a boston.com poll for age! This reader now living in Michigan will be 52 this year! Id be willing to bet that you have a lot of displaced Bostonians reading here at Boston.com. Where else can we get our fill of our favorite sports teams.

I grew up listen to Johnny Most do Celts games. Brings back fond memories of evenings with my dad at the kitchen table. I ave been a Celts fan since 1962 and actually started following the Sox in 1966.

BTW THANKS BOSTON.COM without you id never get my hometown team info!