A Realistic View of 2023: Part II

[Nick]

Sox definitely has Teel on a fast track as he is already in AA after getting drafted this summer. A left handed hitting

athletc catcher, he will be good compliment to Wong. I think we see him in Fenway sometime in 2025.

 

Roman Anthony is on a similar fast track. Already in AA at 19.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Nick

[Nick]

Trevor has club option attached for fifth year that I listed. 2028. Edited September 11, 2023 by Nick

[Nick]

Add in couple of bats similar to Duvall and Turner each year, our offense is set for few years.

 

Which means we can focus on ......

[moonslav59]

Trevor has club option attached for fifth year that I listed. 2028.

 

I didn't know that.

 

Thanks.

[moonslav59]

Sox definitely has Teel on a fast track as he is already in AA after getting drafted this summer. A left handed hitting

athletc catcher, he will be good compliment to Wong. I think we see him in Fenway sometime in 2025.

 

Roman Anthony is on a similar fast track. Already in AA at 19.

 

Those two sure look like gold.

[moonslav59]

Add in couple of bats similar to Duvall and Turner each year, our offense is set for few years.

 

Which means we can focus on ......

 

Not bad, but if it takes away from the quality of pitching, I'm fine with filling all our everyday slots from within the system.

[Nick]

For all you beancounters, we only have 4 players under contract for 2025 season. They are Devers, Story, Yoshida and Whitlock totaling $75M. We will have few none arbitration players still meaning tons of money to spend.

 

I would expect couple of expensive signings this winter but the real spending splurge may come year from now.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Nick

[moonslav59]

For all you beancounters, we only have 4 players under contract for 2025 season. They are Devers, Story, Yoshida and Whitlock totaling $75M. We will have few none arbitration players still meaning tons of money to spend.

 

I would expect couple of expensive signings this winter but the real spending splurge may come year from now.

 

Could be, but having Jansen, Martin, Dugo and Sale in their last years, might be considered a good time to consider it year 1 of the "window." Devers, Story and others won't be any younger in 2025, either.

 

I hope we try hard to win in 2024, too.

[Nick]

Could be, but having Jansen, Martin, Dugo and Sale in their last years, might be considered a good time to consider it year 1 of the "window." Devers, Story and others won't be any younger in 2025, either.

 

I hope we try hard to win in 2024, too.

 

Yes. I'd like for Sox to do what the Rangers did. 2 big signings couple of years ago followed by another spending binge.

 

Nothing is 100% but signing 2 healthy arms is a must this winter. And I am not talking about $10M arms.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Yes. I'd like for Sox to do what the Rangers did. 2 big signings couple of years ago followed by another spending binge.

 

Nothing is 100% but signing 2 healthy arms is a must this winter. And I am not talking about $10M arms.

 

I'd like for the Sox to do what the Blue Jays did: continually acquire good starting pitchers. Toronto's entire top four in this year's rotation were added from other clubs: Bassitt, Berrios, Gausman, Kikuchi. None may win a Cy Young, but all have at least 28 games started with ERAs under 4.00... and the first three are paid between $22 to $25 million per.

 

The Blue Jays aren't a perfect team, and their quality position players aren't much better than Boston's, but Toronto's pitching staff has the best team ERA in the league, and is headed to the postseason.

[moonslav59]

Yes. I'd like for Sox to do what the Rangers did. 2 big signings couple of years ago followed by another spending binge.

 

Nothing is 100% but signing 2 healthy arms is a must this winter. And I am not talking about $10M arms.

 

Really, we need 3, but I'd settle for 2 solid SP'er, most likely at a cost of $25M+, each or a major prospect trade and one $30M+ signing.

[Hugh2]

Could be, but having Jansen, Martin, Dugo and Sale in their last years, might be considered a good time to consider it year 1 of the "window." Devers, Story and others won't be any younger in 2025, either.

 

I hope we try hard to win in 2024, too.

 

Devers will be the ripe old age of 28 in 2025, Story 32 with a system flush with up the middle talent certain to be higher up the org then. Mayer should be a MLBer.

 

Sox history, plus the strength of their system, plus money coming off the books, makes me very comfortable about setting the offense (largely, not completely) on cruise control and spending their cap space on pitching, pitching, pitching and more pitching.

 

It's almost like we can have great pitching and keep Casas and Mayer too. I call it having my cake and....

 

I know I know I know, not everyone shares this opinion, but as they say "there's more than one way to skin a cat"

[Hugh2]

Another wildcard on this roster is Luis Urias. If he regains his form, he could be a starter on this team at SS or 2nd, and he's under contract for the next two years.

 

If he does not regain his form, he's still a very good bench bat utility type who effectively replaces Arroyo on this roster.

[moonslav59]

Another wildcard on this roster is Luis Urias. If he regains his form, he could be a starter on this team at SS or 2nd, and he's under contract for the next two years.

 

If he does not regain his form, he's still a very good bench bat utility type who effectively replaces Arroyo on this roster.

 

6.3 bWAR from 2021-2022 in just 269 games and 1042 PAs.

 

[Bellhorn04]

Devers will be the ripe old age of 28 in 2025, Story 32 with a system flush with up the middle talent certain to be higher up the org then. Mayer should be a MLBer.

 

Sox history, plus the strength of their system, plus money coming off the books, makes me very comfortable about setting the offense (largely, not completely) on cruise control and spending their cap space on pitching, pitching, pitching and more pitching.

 

It's almost like we can have great pitching and keep Casas and Mayer too. I call it having my cake and....

 

I know I know I know, not everyone shares this opinion, but as they say "there's more than one way to skin a cat"

 

Needless to say you have to place the right bets on those pitchers you choose to open the vault for.

[moonslav59]

Devers will be the ripe old age of 28 in 2025, Story 32 with a system flush with up the middle talent certain to be higher up the org then. Mayer should be a MLBer.

 

Sox history, plus the strength of their system, plus money coming off the books, makes me very comfortable about setting the offense (largely, not completely) on cruise control and spending their cap space on pitching, pitching, pitching and more pitching.

 

It's almost like we can have great pitching and keep Casas and Mayer too. I call it having my cake and....

 

I know I know I know, not everyone shares this opinion, but as they say "there's more than one way to skin a cat"

 

I don't think we have to trade prospects, like Mayer, to add two top pitchers, this winter, but it will have to mean JH is willing to outbid all others on 2 of the top 4-5 pitchers or 3 of the top 7-8.

 

I'm not sure which is the longer shot:

 

Big trade + big signing

or

Two big signings

 

The odds are likely neither.

[moonslav59]

Needless to say you have to place the right bets on those pitchers you choose to open the vault for.

 

With the record of big FA pitcher signing successes so poor, asking any GM to go 2 for 2 is significantly against the odds. Not impossible, though.

 

One can flip heads two times in a row.

[Bellhorn04]

With the record of big FA pitcher signing successes so poor, asking any GM to go 2 for 2 is significantly against the odds. Not impossible, though.

 

One can flip heads two times in a row.

 

As 5 Gloves points out, the Jays have done so.

[moonslav59]

As 5 Gloves points out, the Jays have done so.

 

Yes, it can be done, for sure.

 

Even they are not 100%, but they have added several that have done well or had mixed results.

 

Ryu started 56 games during his 4 year contract (3.91 was not bad, though.)

 

Kikuchi was at 5.19, last year in 20 GS and 12 RP games. His TOR ERA is 4.76- hardly a resounding success story.

 

They gave up 2 prospects for Berrios, then extended him. He had a 5.23 ERA, last year in the first year of his extension. He has a 4.29 ERA with TOR- 4.43 on this contract.

 

Bassitt and Gausman have been clear hits, so far.

 

[notin]

As 5 Gloves points out, the Jays have done so.

 

The Jays have avoided long term problems by going after mid-to-lower tier SP and gotten mixed results from them. Gausman has worked out quite well. Kikuchi has had his moments but was a struggle most of last year…

[mvp 78]

Trevor has club option attached for fifth year that I listed. 2028.

 

If he mashes in the next two years, he has a player opt out after '25. The team then could use that club option to keep him through '28.

[notin]

Yes, it can be done, for sure.

 

Even they are not 100%, but they have added several that have done well or had mixed results.

 

Ryu started 56 games during his 4 year contract (3.91 was not bad, though.)

 

Kikuchi was at 5.19, last year in 20 GS and 12 RP games. His TOR ERA is 4.76- hardly a resounding success story.

 

They gave up 2 prospects for Berrios, then extended him. He had a 5.23 ERA, last year in the first year of his extension. He has a 4.29 ERA with TOR- 4.43 on this contract.

 

Bassitt and Gausman have been clear hits, so far.

 

 

 

Agreed the results are mixed.

 

But not every free agent has to hit to get into the post season. Even the teams that get in have lost more than 40% of their games…

[Nick]

If he mashes in the next two years, he has a player opt out after '25. The team then could use that club option to keep him through '28.

 

Yep, shrewd 'move' by the Sox. "Sure you can opt out". "By the way, we're giving you the option year, so no, you can't leave."

[mvp 78]

Bassitt has been ok. He's 34 and trending in the wrong direction (velo, whif, spin, FIP). He's a good pitcher, but I can see why teams didn't want to sign him with the QO attached.

[Nick]

https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-end-orioles-win-streak-at-7-games

 

Boston's young core shows out in win vs. powerful O's

 

Little blurb on Bello, Casas and Rafaela. A five hit game by Abreu was impressive the day before.

[mvp 78]

Yep, shrewd 'move' by the Sox. "Sure you can opt out". "By the way, we're giving you the option year, so no, you can't leave."

 

Depending on the status of the younger guys, maybe it would be prudent to let him go?

[dgalehouse]

As a (very) long time Sox fan, I am thoroughly disgusted to be 18 games out of first at this point. But at the same time, I do not understand how so many fans have completely given up on the season. Six games out of a wild card with nineteen to play is not a hopeless situation by any means. Especially when the teams you have to catch are really not very good. Thanks to MLBs liberal playoff format, there is still a chance. Why not hold off on the fantasy trades and acquisitions for next year until they are actually eliminated ?

[mvp 78]

As a (very) long time Sox fan, I am thoroughly disgusted to be 18 games out of first at this point. But at the same time, I do not understand how so many fans have completely given up on the season. Six games out of a wild card with nineteen to play is not a hopeless situation by any means. Especially when the teams you have to catch are really not very good. Thanks to MLBs liberal playoff format, there is still a chance. Why not hold off on the fantasy trades and acquisitions for next year until they are actually eliminated ?

 

Yes it is. Especially for this team.

[moonslav59]

As a (very) long time Sox fan, I am thoroughly disgusted to be 18 games out of first at this point. But at the same time, I do not understand how so many fans have completely given up on the season. Six games out of a wild card with nineteen to play is not a hopeless situation by any means. Especially when the teams you have to catch are really not very good. Thanks to MLBs liberal playoff format, there is still a chance. Why not hold off on the fantasy trades and acquisitions for next year until they are actually eliminated ?

 

The other thing is, we play TOR and TEX 3 times, each.

[mvp 78]

The other thing is, we play TOR and TEX 3 times, each.

 

Doesn't help them pass SEA. If they go 6-0 in those three games, they still could be 3 games back of the WC.