While Boston moves carefully, its rivals are doing flamboyant things.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington's systematic rebuilding plan is being challenged by a blockbuster trade that involves Toronto, a division rival.Before everyone goes bonkers over watching the Toronto Blue Jays bungee-jump into the world of the baseball giants, keep in mind the Miami Marlins had all these guys last year and stunk, anyway.
Word of Toronto's acquisition of five starters, headed by Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson, still rocked the sport this week. One year after treating free agency like a yard sale, the Marlins are dumping everybody who makes any decent money, giving the Jays a chance to become a powerhouse with one deal.
If 2013 predictions were made now, the Red Sox would be locked into last place in the American League East.
General manager Ben Cherington said on Tuesday that Toronto's talent grab will not affect his offseason strategy. The Red Sox are dedicated to a David Ross here and maybe a Jason Bay or Mike Napoli there.
It represents sound, solid economics by a team that is done wasting money. It is also mind-numbingly unexciting.
The Orioles are good and about to get better. The Rays can never be counted out.
The Yankees have their problems, but the Red Sox will not make up a 26-game 2012 deficit in one year.
Now come the Blue Jays, who are owned by media giant Rogers Communication and have had the money all along.
"Go ahead, Red Sox. Take John Farrell - make our day,'' they seem to be saying.
Analysts are avoiding the comparison between this deal and Boston's own salary dump with the Dodgers. It is assumed that Boston will rebuild studiously if not overnight, because their fan base will tolerate nothing less.
The Marlins have no fan base. There is no Marlins Nation to pressure their owners to do the right thing, only a bleating army of media voices decrying this disgraceful way to run a franchise.
There are reports the Red Sox had preliminary trade talks about Johnson and Reyes. There was not enough firepower to move it along, evidently.
The Red Sox rebuilding strategy of time and patience has sound principle. Better to tend to your own needs in your own house, rather than trying to keep up with the Joneses, the Steinbrenners or anyone else.
Teams that tried to make overnight magic with their checkbooks - the Angels, Marlins, Dodgers (so far) and Red Sox have not received the dividends they sought.
Even the Yankees did it with more than just money. But the Toronto trade will put Boston's patience and resolve to the test.
With two wild-card spots to be had and the AL East a free-for-all, the Blue Jays have been bold at a time the Red Sox appear timid and may be flirting with the cellar again.
Toronto was four games better than Boston last season, even without these guys. Fiscal prudence makes sense, but it's hard to hold the line when the competition is masterminding grand designs.
The Red Sox' plan to carefully and sensibly work their way back up the ladder just got tougher, thanks to a new sense of flamboyance in Canada and the same old embarrassing way of doing baseball business in Miami.