A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, bkzwhitestrican said:

I think the Yanks are more good than great this year, but the majority of the AL has been downright bad so it's making them look great by comparison. Looking around the league, you could argue that 8 of the 10 best teams in baseball are in the NL (Dodgers, Phillies, Mets, Padres, Cubs, Giants, Braves, Cardinals in the NL, Tigers and Yanks in the AL). 

I agree, and the difference between the best 3-4 AL teams and the 4-10 teams is pretty small in the AL.

All it takes is one more major injury or a losing streak, and you could be where we are in just a few weeks (or even days.)

[Maxbialystock]

50 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I agree, and the difference between the best 3-4 AL teams and the 4-10 teams is pretty small in the AL.

All it takes is one more major injury or a losing streak, and you could be where we are in just a few weeks (or even days.)

In May, all things are still possible.  Perhaps unlikely, but possible.  

[moonslav59]

Right now, we look crappy, so it's hard to think this team can be a winner, but yes, things change, especially in baseball.

I see no signs of life, but I've been surprised, before... for good and bad.

[Larry Cook]

The starters have to pitch better if we have any chance to move up. The bullpen has a lot of miles on it already 

the lineup needs hitters other than Devers, abreau and Bregman contributing 

[moonslav59]

44 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

The starters have to pitch better if we have any chance to move up. The bullpen has a lot of miles on it already 

the lineup needs hitters other than Devers, abreau and Bregman contributing 

Before the season is over, we may see 11 SP'ers, all who have shown some sort of promise or past history of having some skills.

Crochet, Buehler, Houck (not lately)

Bello, Crawford, Giolito (not lately)

Fitts, Dobbins, Newcomb

Criswell and Sandoval

(Not even mentioning Whitlock and Wink.)

We just need 4-5 be good to very good.

[Duran Is The Man]

9 hours ago, bkzwhitestrican said:

I think the Yanks are more good than great this year, but the majority of the AL has been downright bad so it's making them look great by comparison. Looking around the league, you could argue that 8 of the 10 best teams in baseball are in the NL (Dodgers, Phillies, Mets, Padres, Cubs, Giants, Braves, Cardinals in the NL, Tigers and Yanks in the AL). 

i'd argue the Mariners are probably better than the Cardinals. and maybe the Braves. spot on otherwise.

[Duran Is The Man]

On 5/18/2025 at 4:03 PM, moonslav59 said:

Correct. Darren Lewis ran for DH Manny Ramirez with 2 outs in the 8th. He scored as the team had 9 straight hits, including his HR!

1 PA, 2 Runs scores, 1 HR- no time in the field, as he was the DH on the bench for the 9th inning.

April 18, 2001 vs the Rays

that's crazy.

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

Didn't know where else to post this but I just thought it was a cool pic.

The caption said it was 1950.

[mvp 78]

Should have spent more time working on DEFENSE and less time fishing and maybe they would have won in '46! 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Should have spent more time working on DEFENSE and less time fishing and maybe they would have won in '46! 

Hitting .200 in the WS didn't help either.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

Hitting .200 in the WS didn't help either.

Not bad, considering Ted was drilled by a pitch off the elbow in an exhibition game five days before the '46 Series. The swelling was so painful he couldn't even swing a bat until Game 1.

Doctors didn't give cortisone shots for aches back then. The only shots available were supplied by Johnnie Walker.

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

17 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Not bad, considering Ted was drilled by a pitch off the elbow in an exhibition game five days before the '46 Series. The swelling was so painful he couldn't even swing a bat until Game 1.

Doctors didn't give cortisone shots for aches back then. The only shots available were supplied by Johnnie Walker.

my point was his bat was just as responsible as his glove.

[mvp 78]

 

[Kimmi]

On 5/16/2025 at 11:56 PM, moonslav59 said:

If he's not better than Mayer or Anthony, it doesn't matter. Hell, he may end up being a DH platoon with Refsnyder, but only if we can get Devers to pick up a 1Bman's mitt.

He should not play the OF, despite the hold up being his throwing arm. He's not better than Duran, Rafaela, Abreu/Refsnyder, and IMO, I'd bet on Anthony being better. (Even Campbell in CF is a better option.)

I guess we trade him for pennies on the dollar or just DFA him, if nobody wants him at $1M-5M a year.

You'd play him over who I just mentioned?

Yoshida really needs to be the DH.  Devers should be our 1B.  Outside of that, I don't have an answer to where he should play.  I don't think he should play the OF.  However, I don't see the Red Sox DFAing him.  

[dgalehouse]

Signing Yoshida was a mistake. There is nothing you can do about it now. But he is a pretty good hitter and they should be getting more use out of him than they are.   As it is, he is just wasting away in I.L.ville. 

[moonslav59]

Are any teams desperate for a DH only player?

Even if there are one or two, how much would Yoshida get on the open FA Market?

$3.3M x 3?

$4.5M x 3?

If we could get $10-15M in salary relief, let's just cut ties.

There is no hurry, as we still have 1-2 players we could move to the 60 day IL, but eventually, it will need to be done.

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

12 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Are any teams desperate for a DH only player?

The angels, brewers, blue jays and the nats all have DH's with an OPS under .700.

 

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

The angels, brewers, blue jays and the nats all have DH's with an OPS under .700.

 

My guess is that the Sox aren't willing to eat enough of the salary to make a trade yet. 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

My guess is that the Sox aren't willing to eat enough of the salary to make a trade yet. 

And none of those teams are really in contention at this point unless you consider the jays who are only .5 in back of the sox to be in contention.

[moonslav59]

Since we have no immediate roster crunch, since we have 2 guys we can easily move to the 60 IL, there is no hurry. He does provide DH depth, but the way I see it, if we lose Devers for the season and need Yoshi, we are toast, anyway.

The million dollar question is why is Yoshi not DH'ing on some minor league team? Has Brez been asked this?

It's not like "working on building up arm strength" is a 24/7 process.

If he was hitting .900 in AAA, maybe his value increases. It's already as low as can be, so what's to lose? (That's the $1 question.)

[Bellhorn04]

13 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Since we have no immediate roster crunch, since we have 2 guys we can easily move to the 60 IL, there is no hurry. He does provide DH depth, but the way I see it, if we lose Devers for the season and need Yoshi, we are toast, anyway.

The million dollar question is why is Yoshi not DH'ing on some minor league team? Has Brez been asked this?

It's not like "working on building up arm strength" is a 24/7 process.

If he was hitting .900 in AAA, maybe his value increases. It's already as low as can be, so what's to lose? (That's the $1 question.)

And no offense but it's a pointless question.  They have their reasons and are probably not being totally straight with us.  Kind of like a government or something.   

[moonslav59]

Just now, Bellhorn04 said:

And no offense but it's a pointless question.  They have their reasons and are probably not being totally straight with us.  Kind of like a government or something.   

Some of us are curious why Yoshi could DH in ST'ing but isn't or can't now.

I guess it is pointless, in that it makes no difference to the team, but has anyone even asked it?

[mvp 78]

Now Duran needs to stop hitting so many directly into the ground. 

[Larry Cook]

And story is still playing everyday???? Strikeouts every other at bat and negative defensive runs saved!!!!!

 

[mvp 78]

10 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

And story is still playing everyday???? Strikeouts every other at bat and negative defensive runs saved!!!!!

With Campbell, at least there's hope he can turn it around. Story? I don't see it. 

[Hitch]

On 5/21/2025 at 1:26 PM, mvp 78 said:

My guess is that the Sox aren't willing to eat enough of the salary to make a trade yet. 

I'd guess that it's more down the face hardly anyone will want Yoshida at this point in time.

[notin]

On 5/21/2025 at 7:14 AM, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

The angels, brewers, blue jays and the nats all have DH's with an OPS under .700.

 

The Angel (Soler) and the Jays  (Santander) both just spent fill their DH role and are both unlikely new solutions just yet. Milwaukee might but Boston woul probably expect Boston to eat most/all of that deal.  Washington might deal, but the Sox are definitely taking back current DH Josh Bell in that deal.

 

Better off just keeping Yoshida (who has options) just in case  something  goes wrong…

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, notin said:

The Angel (Soler) and the Jays  (Santander) both just spent fill their DH role and are both unlikely new solutions just yet. Milwaukee might but Boston woul probably expect Boston to eat most/all of that deal.  Washington might deal, but the Sox are definitely taking back current DH Josh Bell in that deal.

 

Better off just keeping Yoshida (who has options) just in case  something  goes wrong…

Masa plus half his contract for Bell? Done. 

[notin]

38 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Masa plus half his contract for Bell? Done. 

Bell definitely fills that need the Sox have for a .557 OPS in the lineup…

[mvp 78]

14 minutes ago, notin said:

Bell definitely fills that need the Sox have for a .557 OPS in the lineup…

It's higher than Andrew Vaughn's!