A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part I

[Larry Cook]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Plus the OF pretender, Yoshida?

Yoshida and Devers are our DH’s. Neither should ever wear a glove in the field ever again 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

Yoshida and Devers are our DH’s. Neither should ever wear a glove in the field ever again 

I still think Devers can be a better 1Bman than Casas, but it's safer for him to DH.

I agree on Yoshida, but in Fenway's LF, he could be passable.

[mvp 78]

12 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Plus the OF pretender, Yoshida?

Rumbling about the Sox wanting to put him on the IL to start the year because he can't field? Don't like it! 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Rumbling about the Sox wanting to put him on the IL to start the year because he can't field? Don't like it! 

They want to IL Yoshida because he can't DH -- not with Raffy in the dugout.

But think hard, Red Sox fans, before you answer this: say it's extra innings in Fenway, and Boston starts an inning with its ghost runner on second base... the first batter due up is Hamilton vs. a tough southpaw reliever like Tanner Scott who is death on lefty swingers... since the Sox never bunt, which guy would you choose to pinch hit -- Devers or Yoshida? In other words, who is most likely to make contact and move the runner to third?

I'm not saying Raffy isn't the better slugger, but it doesn't suck to have a guy like Masa in an offense full of whiffers (and Bregman).

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

They want to IL Yoshida because he can't DH -- not with Raffy in the dugout.

But think hard, Red Sox fans, before you answer this: say it's extra innings in Fenway, and Boston starts an inning with its ghost runner on second base... the first batter due up is Hamilton vs. a tough southpaw reliever like Tanner Scott who is death on lefty swingers... since the Sox never bunt, which guy would you choose to pinch hit -- Devers or Yoshida? In other words, who is most likely to make contact and move the runner to third?

I'm not saying Raffy isn't the better slugger, but it doesn't suck to have a guy like Masa in an offense full of whiffers (and Bregman).

Masa is a good baseball player in a bad situation (team that doesn't want him and a ballpark that doesn't suit him). 

[Bellhorn04]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Masa is a good baseball player in a bad situation (team that doesn't want him and a ballpark that doesn't suit him). 

Also worth noting that fWAR says he's not actually good.

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

But think hard, Red Sox fans, before you answer this: say it's extra innings in Fenway, and Boston starts an inning with its ghost runner on second base... the first batter due up is Hamilton vs. a tough southpaw reliever like Tanner Scott who is death on lefty swingers... since the Sox never bunt, which guy would you choose to pinch hit -- Devers or Yoshida? In other words, who is most likely to make contact and move the runner to third?

 

I'd PH Romy.

I don't think  PH'er only should take up a slot on the 26.

When Yoshida can play LF, or we decide to move Devers to 3B, I can see the reasoning for having Yoshi on the IL.

Maybe Yoshia can play Fenway's LF and just have the cut off man run to 50 feet away from him

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I'd PH Romy.

I don't think  PH'er only should take up a slot on the 26.

When Yoshida can play LF, or we decide to move Devers to 3B, I can see the reasoning for having Yoshi on the IL.

Maybe Yoshia can play Fenway's LF and just have the cut off man run to 50 feet away from him

His arm isn't that bad, and the year he played it was just as strong as Duran's, but Masa always hit the cutoff. Yoshida doesn't have the wheels to cover a lot of ground, but for some reason people forget he was fundamentally sound out there.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

His arm isn't that bad, and the year he played it was just as strong as Duran's, but Masa always hit the cutoff. Yoshida doesn't have the wheels to cover a lot of ground, but for some reason people forget he was fundamentally sound out there.

Last I heard, he was only throwing 30 feet due to his injury recovery.

To start the year, I doubt he can play any LF, except in BOS.

I'm the guy who has been saying we will likely see Yoshida in LF more than we thought, this year- just not in the first few weeks.

[drewski6]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Last I heard, he was only throwing 30 feet due to his injury recovery.

To start the year, I doubt he can play any LF, except in BOS.

I'm the guy who has been saying we will likely see Yoshida in LF more than we thought, this year- just not in the first few weeks.

Sure, but we've spoken a lot about the first few weeks, so its easy for that point to get lost.

[mvp 78]

18 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Also worth noting that fWAR says he's not actually good.

"Don't care." - Jay Cutler

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

6 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Sure, but we've spoken a lot about the first few weeks, so its easy for that point to get lost.

Agreed. But anyone who watched his methodical bat flip on the follow-through of another home run vs. the Yankees yesterday knows Yoshida can help the line-up.

And for the dislikers, if he still can't throw, he has a lot less trade value this spring, at least.

[moonslav59]

15 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Sure, but we've spoken a lot about the first few weeks, so its easy for that point to get lost.

Yes. I was following the recent talk about Yoshida starting the season on the IL (or not.) If he can't play LF for the first 15 days, then he should be on the IL, since devers will DH FT.

After 15 days, let's see how far Yoshida can throw.

[drewski6]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

Yes. I was following the recent talk about Yoshida starting the season on the IL (or not.) If he can't play LF for the first 15 days, then he should be on the IL, since devers will DH FT.

After 15 days, let's see how far Yoshida can throw.

Agreed, we'll see how Devers, Yoshida, Roman, Bregman, Campbell, Story, Abreu, Hamilton, Mayer are doing (health-wise and skill-wise) and we will make adjustments.

The further out you look, the cloudier it gets (my opinion) and its also my opinion that its fine.  We dont need to know right now where guys will settle in, and there will continue to be adjustments for injuries and other factors as well.

We have a lot of versatility and some old school folks may not like that , thinking that its best to have guys who know their position, and stability - but I think that versatility is more important than set roles/positions.

[Bellhorn04]

31 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Yes. I was following the recent talk about Yoshida starting the season on the IL (or not.) If he can't play LF for the first 15 days, then he should be on the IL, since devers will DH FT.

After 15 days, let's see how far Yoshida can throw.

So we're going to put a DH on the IL even though he's clearly healthy enough to hit.  Unusual.

[Old Red]

6 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

So we're going to put a DH on the IL even though he's clearly healthy enough to hit.  Unusual.

Exactly. Trade him, or release him. Even if healthy I don’t see him picking up a glove again despite what Cora says. 

[vegasbob]

16 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Plus the OF pretender, Yoshida?

With Yoshida as an expensive DH,  and Devers slipping into his role as a really expensive DH, and apparently no platooning at 1B , Breslow finds himself backed into a corner ,  roster wise and financially .    

Between now and July 31,  I would expect this to get resolved  via injuries, Casas's performance,  and Bregman's durability .    Barring those contingencies, Craig needs to make a deal someway to unclog the DH/payroll conundrum

[moonslav59]

30 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

So we're going to put a DH on the IL even though he's clearly healthy enough to hit.  Unusual.

Not when you have devers at DH, FT.

The idea of a back-up DH (only)  is what's unusual.

[Old Red]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

Not when you have devers at DH, FT.

The idea of a back-up DH (only)  is what's unusual.

Sounds like bad roster construction to me.

[Bellhorn04]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Not when you have devers at DH, FT.

The idea of a back-up DH (only)  is what's unusual.

Yeah, what I'm really wondering is if MLB would see it as a "phantom IL" abuse thing.  They sort of cracked down on that a bit with the former Mets GM, right? 

[vegasbob]

7 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Sounds like bad roster construction to me.

Here's some odd roster construction.  Up to 11 potential and actual MLB infielders in camp , yet not a clear cut 2Bman.     6 Of'er's , with more on the way , capable of playing now or soon at MLB level , but 2 DH's , who cannot field well, among the highest paid players on the team.  

The 2025 season and next off season needs to have some difficult choices to make.  Hopefully performance will separate the wheat from the chaff , and some guys will get moved on to other opportunities.

[moonslav59]

44 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Sounds like bad roster construction to me.

Having two guys who look to be DH only is not ideal, but Devers is a DH only, now, because of an injury. He can play 3B, or better yet, back-up 3B. I still think he can be better than casas at 1B defense, but that is unknown, and I have heard no mention of that idea among any Sox brass.

Yoshida is passable in short corner OF parks, but he should be a DH only. His current throwing issues makes him a DH only, now.

It does look like Bloom promising Devers 3B, going forward and thinking Yoshida can play LF were both mistakes that led us here.

(This is the reason I must have suggested 20 Yoshida trades over the winter.)

Having too many middle infielders or outfielders is one thing, and it's not bad, but 2 DH onlys, not counting Ref, is not a good thing.

 

[moonslav59]

39 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yeah, what I'm really wondering is if MLB would see it as a "phantom IL" abuse thing.  They sort of cracked down on that a bit with the former Mets GM, right? 

Yoshida has real health issues. I think he's still throwing at 30 feet, so that is legit, IMO. They can also just option him to AAA, which is what they would do over an IL. Let him DH at AAA.

[Old Red]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

Having two guys who look to be DH only is not ideal, but Devers is a DH only, now, because of an injury. He can play 3B, or better yet, back-up 3B. I still think he can be better than casas at 1B defense, but that is unknown, and I have heard no mention of that idea among any Sox brass.

Yoshida is passable in short corner OF parks, but he should be a DH only. His current throwing issues makes him a DH only, now.

It does look like Bloom promising Devers 3B, going forward and thinking Yoshida can play LF were both mistakes that led us here.

(This is the reason I must have suggested 20 Yoshida trades over the winter.)

Having too many middle infielders or outfielders is one thing, and it's not bad, but 2 DH onlys, not counting Ref, is not a good thing.

 

Expensive DH’s at that.

[moonslav59]

Just now, Old Red said:

Expensive DH’s at that.

No doubt! Almost $50M on 2 guys who can only DH to start the season!

[moonslav59]

39 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

Here's some odd roster construction.  Up to 11 potential and actual MLB infielders in camp , yet not a clear cut 2Bman.     6 Of'er's , with more on the way , capable of playing now or soon at MLB level , but 2 DH's , who cannot field well, among the highest paid players on the team.  

The 2025 season and next off season needs to have some difficult choices to make.  Hopefully performance will separate the wheat from the chaff , and some guys will get moved on to other opportunities.

Those are good choices to be made. At some point, a good or very good player will have to be traded, which can help us fill a void somewhere else- like Catcher or Pitcher.

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Yoshida has real health issues. I think he's still throwing at 30 feet, so that is legit, IMO. They can also just option him to AAA, which is what they would do over an IL. Let him DH at AAA.

Masa has NO issues with swinging a bat that I’ve heard of, and that’s pretty much all he should do. Roster construction does not warrant a trip to the IL IMO.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

Sounds like bad roster construction to me.

Someone needed to be traded this offseason even if for pennies on the dollar. 

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Masa has NO issues with swinging a bat that I’ve heard of, and that’s pretty much all he should do. Roster construction does not warrant a trip to the IL IMO.

It does not! If I was Masa's agent, I'd be sending him to the MLBPA.

[Old Red]

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Someone needed to be traded this offseason even if for pennies on the dollar. 

According to reports the Red Sox were trying to include Masa with Casas to Seattle.