A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part I

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

If so, it’s clearly not an elbow issue. Did they even try to extend him? They also have serious pitching depth in the upper minors, so maybe they prefer not and might save the cash to lock up Strider…

I don't see how there's clearly no concern to re-sign him due to injury concerns then? 

[notin]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

I don't see how there's clearly no concern to re-sign him due to injury concerns then? 

If as you say they are only not re—signing him because he didn’t extend, then it’s not due to the elbow.  Neither Freeman nor Swanson had similar concerns.

 

I don’t know if they tried to extend him or not.  If they never tried, the elbow might be back in play.   But then it also might be due to their pitching depth…

[oldtimer]

On 11/13/2024 at 8:50 AM, moonslav59 said:

He's not getting younger, either, but DH'ing mostly could help. 

I think adjusting to the new culture and game could offer reason to think he could do better, but I just don't see how we can expect any better than what he gave us in 2023-2024, but maybe at more PAs.

He does have a 3.2 bWAR, career, which does come to about a 2.0 for 650 PAs.

fWAR really slams DHs. He has a career 111 OPS+ which is a plus for a DH, but not great. He has value, but just falls way short of the $18M a year he gets.

I think we hold onto him, until he gets healthy and a top prospect is busting down the door. None of our top prospects need to be added to the 40, and they won't be added until they are going to the 26 as a FT or very near FT player. There simply is not enough slots in the line-up for 4, right now. Even 3 is pushing it, and the catcher position might be the one slot, where our top prospect, Teel, is the least ML ready of the top 4-5 prospects at AAA (including Meidroth.)

To me, if Campbell, Mayer and Anthony are on the 26, Yoshida and Abreu will be traded, and whoever is playing 2B will be utility. Even this configuration squeezes the middle IF or moves Campbell to the OF or DH (3B, if we move Devers to 1B and Casas to DH, as I would like.)

This would be my ideal alignment (with Abreu traded):

C: Jansen or Higgy/Wong (Teel in '26)

1B: Devers (Casas back-up)

2B: Mayer (until Story moves here)

SS: Story

3B: Campbell (Devers back-up)

LF: Duran/Ref

CF: Rafaela/Duran

RF: Anthony

DH: Casas (Ref back-up)

Utility: Grissom, DHam, Wong, (Ref or Rafaela, whoever is not starting)

 

Time for a shakeup? Lot of Flexibilty, Balance, Power. Higher risk with multiple rookies. Only Wong to cover FB. 

C   Jansen/Wong

FB  Casas

SB   Grissom

SS Story

TB  Campbell

RF  Soto

CF  Duran

LF Anthony

DH Oneill

Util: Rafaela, Refsnyder, Mayer

Trade Yoshida, Devers, Abreau

 

 

[mvp 78]

Honestly, I'd put Meidroth at 2b before Grissom if we're already finding room for Campbell elsewhere. 

[notin]

58 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Honestly, I'd put Meidroth at 2b before Grissom if we're already finding room for Campbell elsewhere. 

Campbell 2b, Grissom 3b.

Done.  Except for the part about trading Devers …

[moonslav59]

I think we'd need to keep the 1-2 punch of Soto & Devers to get the full affect of adding Soto.

(Trade Casas & Abreu, maybe.)

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

33 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I think we'd need to keep the 1-2 punch of Soto & Devers to get the full affect of adding Soto.

(Trade Casas & Abreu, maybe.)

After the Sox sign Soto, they should ink Teoscar for some righty bat protection. If they're willing to dish out $600 million, another 10% (3 for $60M for Hernandez) is like paying for short-term insurance on your big investment.

Plus, a Soto signing also brings to the Red Sox a factor that always has skeptics scoffing -- but always has competitive athletes considering: winning. Boston will certainly be a more attractive location for free agents if there's a Hall of Famer in his prime there to boost one's chances for a ring or three...

Soto himself says he wants to play for a team that's going to go for it. Besides money, the biggest pitch from Brez and Co. is probably a promise to recruit the biggest pitch... at both the front end and back end of the games.

[Randy Red Sox]

On 11/12/2024 at 6:33 PM, Larry Cook said:

Is there damage to the elbow that Atlanta knows and has not discussed? 

one has to wonder

[Randy Red Sox]

On 11/13/2024 at 5:11 AM, moonslav59 said:

We need a RHB, not Raley, but an interesting suggested trade.

yet apparently we are about to open the vault for the LH Soto.  A great player no doubt but OF is already our strongest P of depth. A Soto signing would almost guarantee no significant P additions.

[Hugh2]

Soto had a .966 OPS vs LHP last year, who cares about a RHB.  If you have an opportunity to sign a once in a generation talent you take it.  Pivot to pitching after that.

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, notin said:

Campbell 2b, Grissom 3b.

Done.  Except for the part about trading Devers …

I don't think Grissom is an MLBer. 

[mvp 78]

11 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

Soto had a .966 OPS vs LHP last year, who cares about a RHB.  If you have an opportunity to sign a once in a generation talent you take it.  Pivot to pitching after that.

For him, his handedness doesn't matter at all. 

[Bellhorn04]

27 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

For him, his handedness doesn't matter at all. 

There has to be a better word than handedness.  There just does.

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

There has to be a better word than handedness.  There just does.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handedness

Laterality was a suggested synonym. That would confuse everyone here. 

[Bellhorn04]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handedness

Laterality was a suggested synonym. That would confuse everyone here. 

And yet everyone seems to understand the word "ambidextrous".  🙂

[mvp 78]

Unidextrous? 

[Bellhorn04]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Unidextrous? 

Except we're looking for a word for "side thrown from".

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Except we're looking for a word for "side thrown from".

First time shame on you. Second time shame on me. Third time we won't get handednessed again. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Sox seek some starboard stars in the batter's box.

[notin]

13 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

yet apparently we are about to open the vault for the LH Soto.  A great player no doubt but OF is already our strongest P of depth. A Soto signing would almost guarantee no significant P additions.

Or the Sox could get a pitcher via trade.

Garret Crochet is on the table and the White Sox seem to like Wilyer Abreu.

Ir maybe the Phillies would be willing to trade Cristopher Sanchez for Jarren Duran. Both Duran and Sanchez have the same control/arb years.  The Phillies do need a CF (current starter according to Roster Resource is a platoon of Brandon Marsh and some guy named Weston Wilson, who is apparently a 30yo career minor leaguer and in fact NOT the secret identity of some MCU superhero.  Plus DD originally drafted Duran…

 

 

[Hugh2]

Hey! who needs Giolito on the DL when we can have a younger more talented pitcher on the DL

[notin]

14 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

After the Sox sign Soto, they should ink Teoscar for some righty bat protection. If they're willing to dish out $600 million, another 10% (3 for $60M for Hernandez) is like paying for short-term insurance on your big investment.

Plus, a Soto signing also brings to the Red Sox a factor that always has skeptics scoffing -- but always has competitive athletes considering: winning. Boston will certainly be a more attractive location for free agents if there's a Hall of Famer in his prime there to boost one's chances for a ring or three...

Soto himself says he wants to play for a team that's going to go for it. Besides money, the biggest pitch from Brez and Co. is probably a promise to recruit the biggest pitch... at both the front end and back end of the games.

Soto also fits into the Sox decades-long tradition of Cooperstown Caliber left fielders…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

9 minutes ago, notin said:

Soto also fits into the Sox decades-long tradition of Cooperstown Caliber left fielders…

Mike Greenwell, lifetime .303 hitter...

Troy O'Leary, all-time playoff home run hero...

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Mike Greenwell, lifetime .303 hitter...

Troy O'Leary, all-time playoff home run hero...

Benny Biceps with the GREATEST CATCH OF ALL TIME.

[Larry Cook]

Atlanta is looking for veteran shortstop. Maybe we can send them story for a reliever and one of those two prospect starters that struggled this year?????

Atlanta gets to eat all of story’s contract. 

[oldtimer]

On 11/14/2024 at 7:22 PM, moonslav59 said:

I think we'd need to keep the 1-2 punch of Soto & Devers to get the full affect of adding Soto.

(Trade Casas & Abreu, maybe.)

Realistically, I can't see us affording both, so if it is either/or I think Soto is a better bet overall. Devers is $31.5 mil/yr and Soto may be $40 m/yr. Keep Casas and use Abreu as trade bait to fulfilll over needs.  

[Duran Is The Man]

6 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Atlanta is looking for veteran shortstop. Maybe we can send them story for a reliever and one of those two prospect starters that struggled this year?????

Atlanta gets to eat all of story’s contract. 

send 'em Story and Grissom for Sale. 

[Larry Cook]

6 hours ago, Duran Is The Man said:

send 'em Story and Grissom for Sale. 

Only if they agree to take yoshida 

[notin]

On 11/16/2024 at 8:04 AM, Duran Is The Man said:

send 'em Story and Grissom for Sale. 

If the Sox do that, I promise a Sale injury…

[moonslav59]

6 hours ago, notin said:

If the Sox do that, I promise a Sale injury…

A certainty, for sure.