A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part I

[Duran Is The Man]

10 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Adames gone now too.  Sox are well on the way to striking out again in 2024 offseason

yep....but they were "interested" in everybody.

[Bellhorn04]

16 hours ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Not sure how real the interest the Sox had in him was, but another big name off the board.

 

Willy Adames to Giants. 7 years $182 million.

This seems like a much faster paced off season than normal.

[notin]

11 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Adames gone now too.  Sox are well on the way to striking out again in 2024 offseason

As much as I liked the idea, I find it hard to believe Adames was ever a serious option.  If the Sox actually sign a 3b, Bregman always felt more likely…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

35 minutes ago, notin said:

As much as I liked the idea, I find it hard to believe Adames was ever a serious option.  If the Sox actually sign a 3b, Bregman always felt more likely…

Bregman isn't just a consolation prize. His signing signifies a major shift in Boston, literally and Raffily: Gold Glove infielder, good righty stick that doesn't strike out -- all three are monumental changes for the Red Sox.

It would also almost guarantee Casas being traded for a legitimate pitcher, another step to overall improvement. 

Four good reasons.

[Larry Cook]

10 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

SP: Fried, Crochet, Houck, Giolito, Bello

RP: Chapman, Hoffman, Hendriks, Slaten, Whitlock, Crawford, Winckoski, Wilson

That is a playoff calibre staff! I would be happy with this 

[notin]

52 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Bregman isn't just a consolation prize. His signing signifies a major shift in Boston, literally and Raffily: Gold Glove infielder, good righty stick that doesn't strike out -- all three are monumental changes for the Red Sox.

It would also almost guarantee Casas being traded for a legitimate pitcher, another step to overall improvement. 

Four good reasons.

Casas has some trade value, but I am not so sure he represents the key chip in a trade for a frontline starting pitcher.  He won’t get you Crochet, for example.  Probably someone more along the lines of Casey Mize. (Probably not available.  See SF below.)

With their new, expensive SS, pre-arb Casas would be a big plus in SF.  But a team spending on moving forward into the postseason isn’t giving up SP.  

And Bregman has had a really good career, but he also turns 31 right around opening day.  He’s entering the Waning Years, and he’s not likely to take a deal of 3 years or less.  How much should the Sox pay him as he slowly devolves into Overpriced Obsolescence?

 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

11 minutes ago, notin said:

And Bregman has had a really good career, but he also turns 31 right around opening day.  He’s entering the Waning Years, and he’s not likely to take a deal of 3 years or less.  How much should the Sox pay him as he slowly devolves into Overpriced Obsolescence?

 

 

Pay him Soto money (there'll be a lot to spread around soon): money Soto will blow on a personal chef, personal trainer, body guards, personal uber, personal pilot and maintenance crew of his private jet, landscapers for his 7 mansion wonders all over the world, 10.0 Mantle rookie card, and mint original 1931 Dracula lobby poster.

[Larry Cook]

Atlanta sports talk says bidding for fried over 180 million!!  Wow!!!! 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

That is a playoff calibre staff! I would be happy with this 

...and it took 4 additions to get there: Fried, Crochet, Hoffman & Chapman. (I'm counting Wilson as depth.)

[Larry Cook]

Minnesota says they are not parting with Lopez! We can take him off the trade market 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Bregman isn't just a consolation prize. His signing signifies a major shift in Boston, literally and Raffily: Gold Glove infielder, good righty stick that doesn't strike out -- all three are monumental changes for the Red Sox.

It would also almost guarantee Casas being traded for a legitimate pitcher, another step to overall improvement. 

Four good reasons.

I agree, and as much as I'd like to keep Casas, since he is our best lefty bat vs LHPs, I can't see us playing Yoshida in LF, so Casas can share DH duty with Devers.

Casas should also help us get a very good pitcher, without giving up a top 5 prospect.

Maybe Casas, Abreu & Fitts for ______.

[moonslav59]

Just now, Larry Cook said:

Minnesota says they are not parting with Lopez! We can take him off the trade market 

Teams often say that, days before a trade, but there are other pitchers out there.

[Larry Cook]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I agree, and as much as I'd like to keep Casas, since he is our best lefty bat vs LHPs, I can't see us playing Yoshida in LF, so Casas can share DH duty with Devers.

Casas should also help us get a very good pitcher, without giving up a top 5 prospect.

Maybe Casas, Abreu & Fitts for ______.

Why include fitts? I would think Sandlin and that big fastball would be more appealing to teams!! 

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Why include fitts? I would think Sandlin and that big fastball would be more appealing to teams!! 

Either one would be fine: both if the return was better. Throw in Wikelman and Kelly, too.

We need roster space for Fried, Bregman and Hoffman.

[notin]

35 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Why include fitts? I would think Sandlin and that big fastball would be more appealing to teams!! 

Plus Sandlin wouldn’t require a 40 man roster spot…

[notin]

30 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Either one would be fine: both if the return was better. Throw in Wikelman and Kelly, too.

We need roster space for Fried, Bregman and Hoffman.

I just don’t see any team taking on four players : (Casas, Abreu, Wikelman, and Kelly) that require 40 man roster spots.  And hopefully Boston doesn’t deplete too much of their pitching depth that still has options.  
 

The Sox can free up spots through the DFA process, starting with Gaspar…

[moonslav59]

52 minutes ago, notin said:

I just don’t see any team taking on four players : (Casas, Abreu, Wikelman, and Kelly) that require 40 man roster spots.  And hopefully Boston doesn’t deplete too much of their pitching depth that still has options.  
 

The Sox can free up spots through the DFA process, starting with Gaspar…

All 4 of those players are better than 5-10 on the CWS (for Crochet.)

[Randy Red Sox]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Casas has some trade value, but I am not so sure he represents the key chip in a trade for a frontline starting pitcher.  He won’t get you Crochet, for example.  Probably someone more along the lines of Casey Mize. (Probably not available.  See SF below.)

With their new, expensive SS, pre-arb Casas would be a big plus in SF.  But a team spending on moving forward into the postseason isn’t giving up SP.  

And Bregman has had a really good career, but he also turns 31 right around opening day.  He’s entering the Waning Years, and he’s not likely to take a deal of 3 years or less.  How much should the Sox pay him as he slowly devolves into Overpriced Obsolescence?

 

 

I don't believe the Sox have interest in Bergman as it would upset Devers as he has made it clear through his agent he will not move off 3B

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, Randy Red Sox said:

I don't believe the Sox have interest in Bergman as it would upset Devers as he has made it clear through his agent he will not move off 3B

I thought I read he was okay moving to 1B.

Report says we are interested in Teoscar.

[Randy Red Sox]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Either one would be fine: both if the return was better. Throw in Wikelman and Kelly, too.

We need roster space for Fried, Bregman and Hoffman.

why?  i doubt any of those are coming to Boston

[Randy Red Sox]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

I thought I read he was okay moving to 1B.

Report says we are interested in Teoscar.

we are interested in Teoscar but he prefers to stay in LA by all reports

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

31 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

we are interested in Teoscar but he prefers to stay in LA by all reports

... where he'll bat 8th, once they sign Soto and trade for Vlad

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Randy Red Sox said:

why?  i doubt any of those are coming to Boston

Replace Wikelman with Crochet, Kelly with Hoffman, is the idea. Then, the bottom of the 40 is better off, as well.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

we are interested in Teoscar but he prefers to stay in LA by all reports

He has said he wants to play with the Dodgers, and it's hard to imagine us throwing that much more money at him to et him to choose Boston.

If we miss out on Soto, who is left?

Bregman? (Devers to 1B- Casas to DH or another team?)

Teoscar?

Santander?

Walker or Alfonso? (Trade Casas and keep Devers at 3B?)

It has to be pitching, pitching pitching, but I doubt we get 2 out of these three: Fried, Burnes and Scott. Maybe one plus Nate or Hoffman. Maybe one, plus a trade for another.

Is just Fried, Hoffman and Carson Kelly enough?

(Not for me.)

[moonslav59]

With costs for good players going through the roof, maybe this now makes sense...

MLBTR reports:

 MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi reported this evening that a Crochet deal coming together during the Winter Meetings this week is “increasingly possible.” What’s more, Morosi suggests that the Red Sox are “more willing” to listen on top shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer than previously believed and could become a more significant factor in Crochet’s trade market if they make him available in trade talks with the White Sox.

[moonslav59]

If we end up trading Mayer for Crochet, our SS depth (after the fragile Story) leaves something to be desires, at least in terms of defense:

Rafaela

Romy-Sogard

DHam-Grissom

Campbell- Meidroth

Romero (2026)

 

Crochet is not enough. We'd still need to sign Fried or Burnes for it to work. Even those two are not enough. We could still use Hoffman or Estevez and a decent defensive catcher.

Add that to a returning Whitlock and full, healthy seasons from Story, Devers, Casas, Slaten, Giolito, Hendriks and Fulmer, and maybe- just maybe....

[Larry Cook]

15 years and 765 mm for Soto. The Mets are crazy 

[moonslav59]

I wonder if Cohen did indeed pay $50M more than the next best offer.

I'm not sure if even $715M/15 would have been good for the Sox. We can't assume JH will keep the wallet open for 15 more years. Eventually, a Soto contract would mean some lean support around him- like it or not.

[Larry Cook]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

I wonder if Cohen did indeed pay $50M more than the next best offer.

I'm not sure if even $715M/15 would have been good for the Sox. We can't assume JH will keep the wallet open for 15 more years. Eventually, a Soto contract would mean some lean support around him- like it or not.

Time to outbid the Yankees for fried 

[moonslav59]

Conforto to LAD for $17M/1.

Does this mean they are not so hot on Teoscar?