Ben Cherington welcomes debate on the Red Sox roster:

“These are difficult decisions and they deserve to be debated, and people have the right to express their opinion and express it strongly and disagree,” Cherington said before today’s game against the Phillies at JetBlue Park. “That needs to happen and continue to happen. It’s healthy, generally, as long as it’s handled the right way.

I think that last line says it all. Cherington was responding to this story.