Red Sox Among Front-Runners To Sign Third Baseman Alex Bregman

[moonslav59]

On 12/31/2024 at 11:55 AM, mvp 78 said:

They didn't miss the playoffs in '19, '20, '22, '23 or '24 because of his defense. 

No- never said we did.

The idea is to try to get better by first identifying your highest need areas, and then to try to fix a few.

It's not rocket science.

Of course we can still win with Devers at 3B, and 3B D is not our highest need ara.

[moonslav59]

On 12/31/2024 at 12:12 PM, Old Red said:

Are you just now figuring this out. Devers is not a good 3B, and he’s shown Nothing to think he’d be a good 1B. He’s not a Boomer Scott, or even Youck who moved over, and became good 1B. I think Devers has a fragile psyche, and would not want to do it anyway, and it would not turn out as good, or as easy as you think.

Be serious. You know how long I have been saying move devers off 3B. You've mocked me for that for years. Now, you ask if I just figured it out?

[Duran Is The Man]

On 12/31/2024 at 12:12 PM, Old Red said:

Are you just now figuring this out. Devers is not a good 3B, and he’s shown Nothing to think he’d be a good 1B. He’s not a Boomer Scott, or even Youck who moved over, and became good 1B. I think Devers has a fragile psyche, and would not want to do it anyway, and it would not turn out as good, or as easy as you think.

c'mon man. Moon has said this many many times in the past.

[moonslav59]

38 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

c'mon man. Moon has said this many many times in the past.

To me, the main issue with Devers D is his arm accuracy. That is not such a big issue at 1B.

No, he's not 6-4. No, we don't know how well he scoops bad throws, but he seems okay on grabbing hot shots and has shown decent range, at 3B.

Maybe he turns out to be as bad as Casas on D. It's hard to imagine him being worse, but if he's even, he can share time with Casas at 1B and DH, assuming Yoshida is traded or plays LF (not ideal.)

I have been saying this all winter long, and for years have been saying we should move him or think about it. I'm pretty sure I was one of the first posters to be in favor of moving him off 3B, but I'm not sure on that. I am sure I have talked about moving him off 3B for over 3 years.

[moonslav59]

Both Devers and Casas hit so well, they far outweigh their poor defense. It's not even close. 

I think Casas is one healthy season away from being a 40-120 batter.

Clearly 1B and 3B are not the reason we play .500 ball, but there is a way to keep their bats in the line-up, while greatly improving the corner IF defense.

Corner IF defense may not be the highest priority or even top 5, but it should be something we consider fixing, if we can find a way to do it, without creating a new issue, or causing the net value of our team to get worse.

I'm fine with keeping them where they are, if we address some other areas, adequately- like closer, catcher defense and a power RHB. Another RP'er might be my #4, but to me, corner IF is #5 and is high enough to consider finding ways to fix it, without losing the two bats- Devers and Casas from the line-up.

i've discussed, over and over how the Yoshida at DH FT issue causes a major headache, when considering a Devers-Casas timeshare at 1B/DH, and maybe that's reason enough to just run back that part of the 2024 team.

[Duran Is The Man]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

To me, the main issue with Devers D is his arm accuracy. That is not such a big issue at 1B.

No, he's not 6-4. No, we don't know how well he scoops bad throws, but he seems okay on grabbing hot shots and has shown decent range, at 3B.

Maybe he turns out to be as bad as Casas on D. It's hard to imagine him being worse, but if he's even, he can share time with Casas at 1B and DH, assuming Yoshida is traded or plays LF (not ideal.)

I have been saying this all winter long, and for years have been saying we should move him or think about it. I'm pretty sure I was one of the first posters to be in favor of moving him off 3B, but I'm not sure on that. I am sure I have talked about moving him off 3B for over 3 years.

you have talked about moving him....many times. i hope they sign Bregman and do it.

[moonslav59]

24 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

you have talked about moving him....many times. i hope they sign Bregman and do it.

I still think Bregman is not "the guy" who is the largest FA deal since Price in 2016.

That being said, he checks 2- maybe 3 boxes off my top 6 highest needs list:

3. RHB (not the best RHB out there but fits the need)

5. 3B defense

6. 1B defense (assuming Devers is better than Casas at 1B D.)

Is that worth $160M/6 or $180M/7? (You know what we spend on him means that it won't be spent, later.)

Is this team better?

Sign Scott & Grichuk and trade Abreu for Herrera. (It's way cheaper, shorter commitments and checks the 3 top boxes:

1. Closer

2. Catcher defense

3. RHB

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I think Casas is one healthy season away from being a 40-120 batter.

I think of him more as someday having a career year in batting average -- something like a Cecil Cooperish .330, but with 27 HRs.

His Netflix breakfast with Crawford, where Tris discusses the differences of "one more hit per week" portrays him as a thinking-man's hitter... but in a specialty where a guy can sometimes think too much.

[moonslav59]

10 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I think of him more as someday having a career year in batting average -- something like a Cecil Cooperish .330, but with 27 HRs.

His Netflix breakfast with Crawford, where Tris discusses the differences of "one more hit per week" portrays him as a thinking-man's hitter... but in a specialty where a guy can sometimes think too much.

I could see that. Maybe .320  35  120

[notin]

35 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I could see that. Maybe .320  35  120

I could make that happen by cutting him off my fantasy team…

[notin]

55 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I still think Bregman is not "the guy" who is the largest FA deal since Price in 2016.

That being said, he checks 2- maybe 3 boxes off my top 6 highest needs list:

3. RHB (not the best RHB out there but fits the need)

5. 3B defense

6. 1B defense (assuming Devers is better than Casas at 1B D.)

Is that worth $160M/6 or $180M/7? (You know what we spend on him means that it won't be spent, later.)

Is this team better?

Sign Scott & Grichuk and trade Abreu for Herrera. (It's way cheaper, shorter commitments and checks the 3 top boxes:

1. Closer

2. Catcher defense

3. RHB

I keep telling you - we’re signing Bregman.  It’s a much better plan than trading Casas for Herrera and Arenado.  I mean, try and figure out the Sox lineup with Arenado and no Casas.  Who hits 3-5?  Story? Yoshida? Abreu? Pretty docile lineup if you ask me…

[moonslav59]

53 minutes ago, notin said:

I keep telling you - we’re signing Bregman.  It’s a much better plan than trading Casas for Herrera and Arenado.  I mean, try and figure out the Sox lineup with Arenado and no Casas.  Who hits 3-5?  Story? Yoshida? Abreu? Pretty docile lineup if you ask me…

I do think we get Bregman. I just wonder, "why him?" Of all the good players who were FAs after Price, this is the guy we target? I'm just really underwhelmed, despite the fact that adding him improves numerous weak areas on the team.

I'm not for trading Casas for Arenado and Herrera, unless they take Yoshida +$8M x 3 from us.

I was thinking Abreu, Cespedes and Fitts for Herrera & Helsley.

[Nick]

If the idea is to play Anthony and Campbell this year at LF and 2B, I would save the 'money' for next year's FA class.

Unfortunately, we still have too many questions with this roster especially from injury standpoint.

 

Technically, we're 'getting' new players from free agency, minors and the injury list.

Anthony

Campbell

Crochet

Whitlock

Casas

Giolito.

Buehler

Champman

Hendriks

Sandoval

I'm sure I'm missing couple of more names.

My point is we have enough 'new' players that needs to be molded with returning players.

Get a cheap right handed bat, another reliever and call it the day

[moonslav59]

43 minutes ago, Nick said:

If the idea is to play Anthony and Campbell this year at LF and 2B, I would save the 'money' for next year's FA class.

Unfortunately, we still have too many questions with this roster especially from injury standpoint.

 

Technically, we're 'getting' new players from free agency, minors and the injury list.

Anthony

Campbell

Crochet

Whitlock

Casas

Giolito.

Buehler

Champman

Hendriks

Sandoval

I'm sure I'm missing couple of more names.

My point is we have enough 'new' players that needs to be molded with returning players.

Get a cheap right handed bat, another reliever and call it the day

We have added much more than it appears, and we also lost O'Neill, K Jansen, Pivetta, D Jansen and Martin.

We don't need much, but I think I'd change "another reliever" to a "lockdown closer" and "cheap RHB" to a legit RHB- better if he can play plus D at C or 3B. 

[mvp 78]

Red Sox have the top 2b prospect in the game and should be ready on Opening Day.

No, let's sign Bregman to play 2b for 5 years!!!

[moonslav59]

49 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Red Sox have the top 2b prospect in the game and should be ready on Opening Day.

No, let's sign Bregman to play 2b for 5 years!!!

I don't want us to sign Bregman for 2B, but if we do sign him, I doubt he'd stay at 2B for 4-6 years. (I hope not, at all.)

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I don't want us to sign Bregman for 2B, but if we do sign him, I doubt he'd stay at 2B for 4-6 years. (I hope not, at all.)

If they sign him for at or more than the HOU offer, it's a mistake. 

[notin]

16 hours ago, Nick said:

If the idea is to play Anthony and Campbell this year at LF and 2B, I would save the 'money' for next year's FA class.

Unfortunately, we still have too many questions with this roster especially from injury standpoint.

 

Technically, we're 'getting' new players from free agency, minors and the injury list.

Anthony

Campbell

Crochet

Whitlock

Casas

Giolito.

Buehler

Champman

Hendriks

Sandoval

I'm sure I'm missing couple of more names.

My point is we have enough 'new' players that needs to be molded with returning players.

Get a cheap right handed bat, another reliever and call it the day

Anthony in LF, Duran in CF and Abreu/Rafaela in RF is a good all-around OF with some  safety built in if Anthony struggles.  Just return Duran to LF and Rafaela to CF full time.  Of course this flies against the team declaration about playing Rafaela in CF “as much as possible.” 
 

Campbell has a shot at 2b, but so do Grissom and Hamilton, and there won’t be enough UI roster spots for everyone …

[notin]

21 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

If they sign him for at or more than the HOU offer, it's a mistake. 

What about a $200mill contract that is $200 a year for one million years? With deferrals?

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Red Sox have the top 2b prospect in the game and should be ready on Opening Day.

No, let's sign Bregman to play 2b for 5 years!!!

Bregman makes sense to me.....it's Bregman at 2nd that doesn't.  He's a gold glover at 3B and you have one of the worse defensive third baseman. 

It makes all the sense in the world to play him there and slide Devers to DH. 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

If they sign him for at or more than the HOU offer, it's a mistake. 

He's not the guy I'd pick to be the largest FA signing since Price, and I'd rather we just sign the lesser-costing FA, Tanner Scott, but Bregman would check 2 boxes off my high priority list, assuming they play him at 3B, so I can see the pluses.

I do agree that $156M/6 is an overpay, but just about every meaningful FA contract is, IMO.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

Bregman makes sense to me.....it's Bregman at 2nd that doesn't.  He's a gold glover at 3B and you have one of the worse defensive third baseman. 

It makes all the sense in the world to play him there and slide Devers to DH. 

But, unless you play Yoshida & Ref in LF, you are essentially paying Bregman his contract + Yoshida + Ref's contracts. I do think the 3B upgrade on D would outweigh the downgrade in LF D, but now you are lessening the full effectiveness of the deal, unless we can unload Yoshida.

I seem to be one of the only posters okay with a Yoshida-Ref LF platoon, Duran in CF and an Abreu-Rafaela platoon in RF, if it means upgrading 3B defense and improving our ability to hit LHPs.

Bregman will be a massive overpay, but that does not mean I hate the idea of signing him at $160/6 or $175/7.

[Old Red]

16 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

But, unless you play Yoshida & Ref in LF, you are essentially paying Bregman his contract + Yoshida + Ref's contracts. I do think the 3B upgrade on D would outweigh the downgrade in LF D, but now you are lessening the full effectiveness of the deal, unless we can unload Yoshida.

I seem to be one of the only posters okay with a Yoshida-Ref LF platoon, Duran in CF and an Abreu-Rafaela platoon in RF, if it means upgrading 3B defense and improving our ability to hit LHPs.

Bregman will be a massive overpay, but that does not mean I hate the idea of signing him at $160/6 or $175/7.

That’s because I don’t think there is ANY plan by Cora to do a platoon in LF of Yoshida/Ref Man. Nor do I think the Red Sox signed the RAF Man to the contract they did to be a platoon player either. Neither would Duran play CF over Raf Man.🙈🤭

[notin]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

That’s because I don’t think there is ANY plan by Cora to do a platoon in LF of Yoshida/Ref Man. Nor do I think the Red Sox signed the RAF Man to the contract they did to be a platoon player either. Neither would Duran play CF over Raf Man.🙈🤭

Hopefully the Red Sox are not so stupid as to define a player’s role by his contract…

[Old Red]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

Hopefully the Red Sox are not so stupid as to define a player’s role by his contract…

Up to this point I don’t think the Red Sox are as concerned about what everyone knows that the D isn’t good to do anything about it. In fact with the likes of Franchy Strangeglove at 1B, Arroyo in RF, and Kike staying at SS a lot longer than he should have it looks like the opposite of trying to fix the D. When is the last time the Red Sox had a good veteran glove man ready as a backup for the IF?

[Bellhorn04]

16 minutes ago, notin said:

Hopefully the Red Sox are not so stupid as to define a player’s role by his contract…

It's never exactly like that, I don't think, but the guy you're paying a lot of money is usually going to get a longer leash...

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It's never exactly like that, I don't think, but the guy you're paying a lot of money is usually going to get a longer leash...

Agree, and I just think a contract a team signs a player to gives you an idea of what the plans are for that player, and that is why I said I don’t think the plans are for the RAF Man was to. be a platoon player. Of course circumstances could change that plan.

[Bellhorn04]

Further to that longer leash thing, there are 2 ways to look at it:

-The cynic says the money guy gets it because the team doesn't want to admit they wasted the money...

-The idealist says the money guy gets it because the team wouldn't have paid him all that money if they didn't think highly of him...

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Further to that longer leash thing, there are 2 ways to look at it:

-The cynic says the money guy gets it because the team doesn't want to admit they wasted the money.

-The idealist says the money guy gets it because the team wouldn't have paid him all that money if they didn't think highly of him.

Agree on both. Just like with Bello. I don’t think they signed him to that contract to be the so called 5th, or 6th starter as I’ve heard suggested on here.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

That’s because I don’t think there is ANY plan by Cora to do a platoon in LF of Yoshida/Ref Man. Nor do I think the Red Sox signed the RAF Man to the contract they did to be a platoon player either. Neither would Duran play CF over Raf Man.🙈🤭

It's not like the "RAF Man" is making mega bucks, and plans often change. They didn't sign Yoshida to be the DH, either, but things changed.

You seem to be overlooking the fact that Duran played more CF than Rafaela in 2024 by 18 games, so RAF could play SS. I'm not so sure it's far-fetched for him to play RF, when Abreu sits. Duran did an excellent job in CF.

CF stats:

3 errors in 631 innings Rafaela (5 Outs Above Avg and 12 DRS)

1 error in 810 innings Duran (7 Outs Above Avg and 17 DRS)

I do think they want Rafaela to play FT, and if he does show he can hit, they could still find a way for him to play 150+ games without being the FT CF'er. He could play RF vs LHPs, as someone has to. He could alternate his games vs RHPs between CF, 2B, SS and maybe some in RF, if Abreu gets hurt. We know Story is no ironman. Our 2B situation improved over the second half of 2024, as DHam & Romy did much better than EValdez/Grissom/Reyes to start the season, but are any sure bets to play a lot in 2025? There is also no guarantee that even if the plan did turn out to be Yoshida/Ref in LF, that they will start 162 games, there.

I'm not happy with the idea of those two playing 150+ games in LF, either, and I'm sure Cora cringes at the thought, but he should also cringe at the thought of Bregman at 2B, Devers at 3B and Casas at 1B, when it could be Bregman at 3B with Casas/Devers sharing 1B/DH. To me, that is worse. To Brez and Cora, maybe not. I get that.