Red Sox sign Alex Bregman

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

Raffy learned English?  Maybe just that one phrase?

 

[mvp 78]

What -9 DRS and -6 OAA does to a man. 

[Bellhorn04]

Holy crap.  They might have to trade him.

[mvp 78]

🤪

[mvp 78]

Just now, Bellhorn04 said:

Holy crap.  They might have to trade him.

Sox just need a therapist. I know some people down here if they need someone.

[moonslav59]

15 minutes ago, notin said:

Raffy learned English?  Maybe just that one phrase?

If Raffy becomes a dick ab out this, he will lose a lot of my respect, which has been bountiful, over the years.

He's gotta know he is not good on D, and Bregman is excellent.

[moonslav59]

What a mess.

[moonslav59]

Shoulda asked before signing Bregman.

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Shoulda asked before signing Bregman.

He's paid 300M. Let him pout and work through his feelings this year. Or just put him out at 3b and pull him midseason when he's in a funk and really watch it take him out...

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Rut row.

Got a text from a friend at the first practice. He said Bregman is taking infield at 3B, and Raffy is MIA; he actually wondered if Devers may be injured...

[moonslav59]

It's easy to just say, "Tell him he can put on a 1Bman's mitt or play DH, or both. You have no choice."

In reality, I'm not sure how much of an issue this would create. I don't see the "happy-go-lucky" Devers as a pouter, but I'm also not sure I'd want to try and find out.

We are a much better team with Bregman at 3B, and in some ways, it smooths the path for Campbell at 2B rather than the OF, of gasp.... SS.

I'd try hard to explain to him that he might think he's good on D, but 29 other 3Bman are better, including Bregman, who is top 5. Maybe don't tell him he sucks on D, but that Bregman is one of the best and is a longtime proven vet, who deserves to play his natural position, too.

If he remains adamant, maybe we need to ask what he'd do, if we force him to 1B or DH. How he responds might matter.

[moonslav59]

We really don't need this sort of drama.

Raffy needs to read the room.

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Rut row.

Got a text from a friend at the first practice. He said Bregman is taking infield at 3B, and Raffy is MIA; he actually wondered if Devers may be injured...

What the???

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We really don't need this sort of drama.

Raffy needs to read the room.

The Red Sox are back baby!!!!!

[Old Red]

20 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We really don't need this sort of drama.

Raffy needs to read the room.

Raffy acted the same way Cora thought he would. If Friday was the first time Raffy was talked to about moving off 3B then that’s is not a good plan IMO. Raffy feels he was betrayed, and lied to about being the long term 3B, and if that is the case I don’t blame him for acting like he is, and nor should it surprise anyone.

[mvp 78]

On why Bregman is at 3b today:

 

[moonslav59]

13 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Raffy acted the same way Cora thought he would. If Friday was the first time Raffy was talked to about moving off 3B then that’s is not a good plan IMO. Raffy feels he was betrayed, and lied to about being the long term 3B, and if that is the case I don’t blame him for acting like he is, and nor should it surprise anyone.

We just signed Bregman. The plan was for Devers to play 3B, before the signing.

Yes, they should have talked to him, when the signing became imminent, but when was that?

I'm not surprised he's upset, especially in light of his comment that he felt he was good on D, last year, and that surprises me.

He's gotta know Bregman is much better on D, even if he thinks  he's been "good."

Maybe, he'll come around, but I'm not so sure upsetting him with the question, before we knew Bregman was joining the team was the better idea. Chances are, he'd have had the same reaction, so what's the difference, unless it convinced us not to sign Bregman?

[mvp 78]

From MLB Trade Rumors article on the matter:

Cora again reiterated that the Red Sox haven’t made any decisions. “He’s going to work out as the third baseman. And we’re going to make decisions accordingly. Here, it’s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora,” the manager said. “It’s for the Boston Red Sox. Whatever decision we make is going to be for the benefit of the team.”

Interestingly, Cora acknowledged that the Red Sox promised Devers that he’d be their long-term third baseman at the time the sides agreed on a 10-year extension in January 2023. That agreement came under a previous front office regime, as then-chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was fired eight months later. Craig Breslow is now running baseball operations. Cora downplayed the significance of that promise as a result, saying it was under “different leadership. That was under Chaim” (relayed by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic). Of course, Cora was the manager at the time of the extension, so there hasn’t been a leadership change in the clubhouse.

Devers was asked whether he’d seek a trade if the Red Sox forced him to move off third base. He didn’t rule that out but said it hasn’t been a focus. “That’s a tough answer to give. I haven’t given it much thought. I’ve been here my entire career,” he said (via McCaffrey). “I haven’t asked myself that question. I’m open to listening. I’m not close to those conversations.”

[Old Red]

18 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We just signed Bregman. The plan was for Devers to play 3B, before the signing.

Yes, they should have talked to him, when the signing became imminent, but when was that?

I'm not surprised he's upset, especially in light of his comment that he felt he was good on D, last year, and that surprises me.

He's gotta know Bregman is much better on D, even if he thinks  he's been "good."

Maybe, he'll come around, but I'm not so sure upsetting him with the question, before we knew Bregman was joining the team was the better idea. Chances are, he'd have had the same reaction, so what's the difference, unless it convinced us not to sign Bregman?

I’ve never been a Devers Forevers guy, and I’ve said more than once that IMO Devers was signed where Bogey, and Mookie wasn’t, because he was the last man standing. Raffy doesn’t care IMO that Bregman is a better 3B just like Bogey didn’t care that Story was a better SS. The Red Sox was Bogey’s team, and the Red Sox are Raffy’s team, and they both won championships with the Red Sox. Bregman is pretty much on 3 one year contracts, and Raffy might not want to move for an outsider who may be in Boston for only 1 year, or most likely any other reason either. Like I said Raffy feels betrayed, and lied to, and for Cora to say Bloom isn’t here now who made the promise to Raffy doesn’t change anything in Raffy’s mind. I hope Raffy sticks to his guns, and no I don’t think that makes him a bad teammate. All this noise is great for all the talk shows, and outside venues. Raffy is not a good 3B, but that hasn’t bothered me as much as it has you, and others. I believe MVP said the Red Sox haven’t been a losing out of the postseason team the last 3 years, because Raffy has been at 3B, and that’s why it hasn’t bothered me as much, and I don’t believe now that where Raffy plays will make, or break the season.

[Old Red]

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

From MLB Trade Rumors article on the matter:

Cora again reiterated that the Red Sox haven’t made any decisions. “He’s going to work out as the third baseman. And we’re going to make decisions accordingly. Here, it’s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora,” the manager said. “It’s for the Boston Red Sox. Whatever decision we make is going to be for the benefit of the team.”

Interestingly, Cora acknowledged that the Red Sox promised Devers that he’d be their long-term third baseman at the time the sides agreed on a 10-year extension in January 2023. That agreement came under a previous front office regime, as then-chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was fired eight months later. Craig Breslow is now running baseball operations. Cora downplayed the significance of that promise as a result, saying it was under “different leadership. That was under Chaim” (relayed by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic). Of course, Cora was the manager at the time of the extension, so there hasn’t been a leadership change in the clubhouse.

Devers was asked whether he’d seek a trade if the Red Sox forced him to move off third base. He didn’t rule that out but said it hasn’t been a focus. “That’s a tough answer to give. I haven’t given it much thought. I’ve been here my entire career,” he said (via McCaffrey). “I haven’t asked myself that question. I’m open to listening. I’m not close to those conversations.”

Just listen to both interviews, which is MUCH better to get the tones, and implications.🙈

[moonslav59]

12 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

 

.... I’m not close to those conversations.”

This seems a bit encouraging.

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Raffy is not a good 3B, but that hasn’t bothered me as much as it has you, and others. I believe MVP said the Red Sox haven’t been a losing out of the postseason team the last 3 years, because Raffy has been at 3B, and that’s why it hasn’t bothered me as much, and I don’t believe now that where Raffy plays will make, or break the season.

Right, the reason the Sox missed the playoffs in 19,20, 22, 23 and 24 wasn't because of Raffy's defense. If Raffy was a GG defender and nothing else changed on those teams, they still miss the playoffs. 

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

This seems a bit encouraging.

"These things usually work themselves out" is an apt way to put it. Apatapati.

[moonslav59]

10 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Just listen to both interviews, which is MUCH better to get the tones, and implications.🙈

Agreed. There are parts I felt, "uh-oh," but others it seemed like he was not going to go to war over this.

The past regime promised him "long term 3B," and that was 2 years ago.

I think that was the plan, until Bregman entered the picture, but that doesn't really change Devers' perspective.

[dgalehouse]

I realize that things have changed and it's not like the old days, but I think at some point Cora has to put his foot down and say " I am the skipper here, you play where I assign you to play".  Do what is best for the team, not just one guy. 

[notin]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Agreed. We could end up "cycling" through 3-4 pitchers and still not find one that does well enough. Each one that fails means we are losing winnable games, and we cannot afford too many of those and still make the playoffs.

IMO, the 4 candidates for closer, Hendriks, Chapman, Slaten and Whitlock, all would look like very nice set-up men, and having 4 is a luxury not many teams have. Using one as a closer, lessens that number to 3 and forces Wink or Wilson into a higher leverage role than I like.

The problem is, I don't really see Robertson or Finnegan as a sure solution, either. They would just make it 5 guys trying out for the closer role, not 4. 5 is better than 4, and it would add one more quality set-up man and squeeze out our #8 RP'er, but we really need to trade for a lockdown closer to get one, at this point.

I see the odds of that happening as less than 1%, before opening day. Maybe we get one  at the deadline, if it's not too late, by then.

It sounds like the idea here odd the Closer is more important than the setup guys, but runs in the 7th and 8th innings count the same as runs in the 9th.

And since 1/3 of all saves start with facing one of the 6-7-8 hitters, that means the setup guys had to face the 3-4-5 hitters to start their inning.

I wouldn’t get too worked up about the closer, especially if you think the setup squad is good enough…

[jad]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

We really don't need this sort of drama.

Raffy needs to read the room.

I think the room needs to read Raffy:  he's the one I pay money to see.

 

[mvp 78]

25 minutes ago, dgalehouse said:

I realize that things have changed and it's not like the old days, but I think at some point Cora has to put his foot down and say " I am the skipper here, you play where I assign you to play".  Do what is best for the team, not just one guy. 

Yeah, we'll have to see where this goes. That Cora is having Bregman take fielding at 3B, even part time, during Spring Training says a lot about where Cora's head is at. All offseason, Cora was saying that Bregman would come in as 2B and Devers was the 3B.

[dgalehouse]

If it was Bloom that promised Devers he could stay at third, then it is just further proof that Bloom was in way over his head. He had no business promising a player something like that. It undermines the manager's authority. I think Breslow will be more supportive of Cora in this and other things. And that is how it should be.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

This is reminiscent of the offseason when the Sox thought they had ARod to replace Nomar, and in an interview Millar said he preferred ARod at shortstop... but then the trades didn't happen, Nomar pouted for half a season (not just from turning down a $60 million dollar offer he'd never sniff again), and Epstein had to trade him.

Now that Theo is back, maybe he advised all not to alienate Raffy until they knew for sure Bregman is signed, and then deal with it and resolve it in Spring Training -- before the games count. 

What is happening now may be part of the plan, or at least expected.