A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

LOL.

Maybe we should not "tinker" by adding a solid 4 slot batter, or else we'll mess up Bregs.

I'd say leave well enough alone if well enough is playing .500 ball.

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

What  position is Roman playing?

Roman LF

Rafaela 2B in this lineup

Sox need to sit somebody and Duran is Cora's boy. Seems unlikely, but I'd be looking towards moving on from him. 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Roman LF

Rafaela 2B in this lineup

Sox need to sit somebody and Duran is Cora's boy. Seems unlikely, but I'd be looking towards moving on from him. 

So Story is either traded or is the highest paid utility infielder in MLB.

[drewski6]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

People think Cora is all about sabermetrics, yet he stuck with the worst defensive corner IF'ers for years, and does not follow a lot of modern philosophies.

I don't think OBP has gone out of style with "saber," yet it seems like many "modern" GMs no longer value it as much.

OBP is very much out of style

[moonslav59]

50 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Duran

Raffy

Breggie

Roman

Wilyer

Campbell

Mayer

Narvaez

Rafaela

I'd be fine with this, but would prefer Anthony 3rd and Devers (or Bregman) 4th.

 

[mvp 78]

25 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

So Story is either traded or is the highest paid utility infielder in MLB.

Either way, the Sox will be paying him. 

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

I'd be fine with this, but would prefer Anthony 3rd and Devers (or Bregman) 4th.

You'd go: LHB/LHB/LHB to start the order? 🧑‍⚕️

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Either way, the Sox will be paying him. 

Moon will have to convince Cora to fly with this.

[Old Red]

5 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Then make him leadoff, where at the very least he gets 1 less PA.

Devers is up to 43 RBI now, and only 1 RBI behind Judge for the league lead, and all from the 2 slot in the batting order, and your suggestion is to to move him down in the batting order. Please don’t put your suggestion in Cora’s suggestion box. On second thought do it. I’m sure Cora could use a good laugh.🤭🙈

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

38 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Devers up to 43 RBI now, and only 1 RBI behind Judge for the league lead, and all from the 2 slot in the batting order, and your suggestion is to to move him down in the batting order. Please don’t put your suggestion in Cora’s suggestion box. 🤭🙈

Update. Devers is now leading MLB with 47 RBI.

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Update. Devers is now leading MLB with 47 RBI.

I was just getting ready to update. Not only leave Devers at DH, but suggestions to move him out of the 2 hole where he’s done all this damage was as wrong a time as it can be to even suggest it. OMG! OMG! 🤭🙈

[moonslav59]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

You'd go: LHB/LHB/LHB to start the order? 🧑‍⚕️

I've said my choice 5 times. You talk telling me about the extra year rule 5 times.

Here's 6:

L Duran

R Bregman

L Anthony

L Devers

R/L Refsnyder/Abreu

Who knows, after the top 5.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

Devers is up to 43 RBI now, and only 1 RBI behind Judge for the league lead, and all from the 2 slot in the batting order, and your suggestion is to to move him down in the batting order. Please don’t put your suggestion in Cora’s suggestion box. On second thought do it. I’m sure Cora could use a good laugh.🤭🙈

You brought up the extra AB thing, not me. Just following your logic to the end.

(I don't want Devers 1st.)

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

You brought up the extra AB thing, not me. Just following your logic to the end.

(I don't want Devers 1st.)

Yes, I brought up the extra AB thing after your spaghetti suggestion on taking Raffy out of the 2 hole who now leads all of baseball in RBI all from the 2 hole.

[moonslav59]

Top MLB OPS (50+ PAs)

1.253 I Herrera 

1.229 Judge

1.087 Freeman

1.053 Ohtani

1.005 C Kelly

.985 Refsnyder

.972 Devers (4th among qualified played)

.963 Schwarber

(Ole Matthew Lugo is at .961 in 33 PAs)

14. Bregman .938 (10th Qualified)

56. Abreu .847 (33rd)

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Yes, I brought up the extra AB thing after your spaghetti suggestion on taking Raffy out of the 2 hole who now leads all of baseball in RBI all from the 2 hole.

It's not a demotion to bat 4th.

It's not about punishing him.

It's about giving him more RBI chances.

I've also said, this is not a major issue, and line-up changes have minimal impact, but thanks for the angel hair comments.

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It's not a demotion to bat 4th.

It's not about punishing him.

It's about giving him more RBI chances.

I've also said, this is not a major issue, and line-up changes have minimal impact, but thanks for the angel hair comments.

I didn’t even think that your recent suggestion of dropping Raffy down to the 4th spot had anything to do with it being a punishment, or a demotion. What I can’t seem to fathom is how you think that right now, and even up to now this season would give Raffy more RBI chances batting 4th. Your scientist doing the studies that you are relying on so much must have skipped the Red Sox so far this year. The Red Sox are the only team I’m concerned about, and not what the rest of the league is doing based on studies, and science. I doubt very much that Raffy would we leading all of baseball right now with 47 RBI if he had batted 4th all year. Just a spaghetti suggestion if there was one.👋

[moonslav59]

22 hours ago, Old Red said:

I didn’t even think that your recent suggestion of dropping Raffy down to the 4th spot had anything to do with it being a punishment, or a demotion. What I can’t seem to fathom is how you think that right now, and even up to now this season would give Raffy more RBI chances batting 4th. Your scientist doing the studies that you are relying on so much must have skipped the Red Sox so far this year. The Red Sox are the only team I’m concerned about, and not what the rest of the league is doing based on studies, and science. I doubt very much that Raffy would we leading all of baseball right now with 47 RBI if he had batted 4th all year. Just a spaghetti suggestion if there was one.👋

Batting second is often after the 8 or 9 slot batters made an out and did not get on base. The 4 slot hitter almost always gets more RBI chances. That is not some wild position to hold.

I've also said I'd be fine with Devers staying 2nd and move Bregman to 4th. My main beef is with using the 3 slot for one of our best 2 hitters, and even that beef is over something very minimal. It hardly matters.

I'm trying to think of ways to improve our 4 slot, and the point was made while assuming Anthony would be joining the line-up. I guess batting him 4th is okay with Abreu/Ref up 5th, but I'd prefer Devers, and if not him, Bregman.

You can doubt all you want about RBI totals, but I'm thinking he'd have more with Bregman in front of him. (Anthony, too.)

[moonslav59]

Penrod pitched a scoreless inning for the FCL Sox, today.

[Maxbialystock]

On 5/23/2025 at 1:06 PM, mvp 78 said:

Roman LF

Rafaela 2B in this lineup

Sox need to sit somebody and Duran is Cora's boy. Seems unlikely, but I'd be looking towards moving on from him. 

"Cora's boy" had the 4th highest WAR in MLB last season--8.7.    Some like to say that was a false positive--as Ellsbury's 2011 season certainly was.  But the Sox didn't give Ellsbury a 7 year $150M contract.   Right now Duran's OPS is .757, which is above average on this Sox team.  

Duran ain't the problem on this team--as much as I would love to see Anthony brought up.  

Right now the six highest WAR's on the Sox are Bregman 3.0, Devers 2.3, Narvaez 1.9, Abreu 1.8, Rafaela 1.8, and Duran 1.0.  In there are all 3 outfielders who are backed up by Refsnyder's OPS of .985.  So I'm not sure where Anthony fits on this team right now.   His best positon is almost certainly left field because he likes range to play CF and the arm to play RF.  

 

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

"Cora's boy" had the 4th highest WAR in MLB last season--8.7.    Some like to say that was a false positive--as Ellsbury's 2011 season certainly was.  But the Sox didn't give Ellsbury a 7 year $150M contract.   Right now Duran's OPS is .757, which is above average on this Sox team.  

Duran ain't the problem on this team--as much as I would love to see Anthony brought up.  

Right now the six highest WAR's on the Sox are Bregman 3.0, Devers 2.3, Narvaez 1.9, Abreu 1.8, Rafaela 1.8, and Duran 1.0.  In there are all 3 outfielders who are backed up by Refsnyder's OPS of .985.  So I'm not sure where Anthony fits on this team right now.   His best positon is almost certainly left field because he likes range to play CF and the arm to play RF.  

 

The obvious choice is DH, but we have one firmly entrenched there and apparently not willing to budge.

Another option could be to move the best defensive CF'er in MLB to middle infield, but that seems drastic.

[notin]

On 5/23/2025 at 12:28 PM, drewski6 said:

OBP is very much out of style

Ummmmm….. no

[Hitch]

25 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

"Cora's boy" had the 4th highest WAR in MLB last season--8.7.    Some like to say that was a false positive--as Ellsbury's 2011 season certainly was.  But the Sox didn't give Ellsbury a 7 year $150M contract.   Right now Duran's OPS is .757, which is above average on this Sox team.  

Duran ain't the problem on this team--as much as I would love to see Anthony brought up.  

Right now the six highest WAR's on the Sox are Bregman 3.0, Devers 2.3, Narvaez 1.9, Abreu 1.8, Rafaela 1.8, and Duran 1.0.  In there are all 3 outfielders who are backed up by Refsnyder's OPS of .985.  So I'm not sure where Anthony fits on this team right now.   His best positon is almost certainly left field because he likes range to play CF and the arm to play RF.  

 

Correct. You keep Duran in this line up. No matter the other moves.

[Hitch]

Guerrero up, too.

[moonslav59]

After tonight's game, we'll be 1/3 through the season and at .500 or +2.

Here are the WAR numbers (before today's game)

fWAR Player bWAR

2.5 Bregman (going on the IL) 3.0 bWAR

2.1 Devers (not easy for a DH only) 2.3

1.9 Crochet (the savior?) 2.21.7 Narvaez (steal of the winter?) 1.9

1.2 Abreu (slowed a bit) 1.8

1.1 Rafaela (tremendous D) 1.8

0.9 Duran (probably over 1.0, after today) 1.0

0.7 Newcomb (Hmm...) -0.2

0.6 Dobbins 0.4

0.5 Chapman 0.9

0.5 Slaten 0.0

0.5 Refsnyder (unreal for 54 PAs) 0.6

0.4 Whitlock & Wilson

0.3 Buehler & Weissert

0.2 Fitta, Bernardino, KC & Romy

0.1 DHam, Kelly, Wink, Liam, Bello & Gio

 

[iortiz]

1/3 of the season is in the books and we are nothing but a 500 team and arguably the easiest part of the schedule with it. 

We lost Casas who was a promising bat entering the season but who disappointed all after a month of baseball, and our best bat in Bregman will likely miss significant time. Story is finally healthy but his bat is plain dead right now with no signs of life moving forward although he’s streaky. Campbell started well but then entered into a slump, but he’s a rookie with a promising upside but it’s going to take time to develop his potential, maybe a year or two. 
 

IMO this team is going to be nothing but a 500 team or bit better than last year but a team that at the end of the day who is going to miss the POs again. It’s simply not ready to splash among the big boys. It’s going to take a couple of more years and probably a couple of additions here and there but most importantly that our top youngsters become the real deal. In order to make reality the latter we have to be patient but most importantly Breslow and Cora have to give them a significant amount of ABs starting now. Mayer and Campbell are up but they have to call Anthony ASAP and alternate duties with Duran, Rafaela and Abreu. They also have to develop somebody at 1B. Casas is done IMO. I say give the opportunity to Grissom at 1B, put Mayer at 3B (until Bregman returns), give Campbell 2B (and don’t screw his value) and platoon Story and Mayer when Bregman return. Keep Sogard, Gonzalez, Hamilton and Ref as utilities. 

Regarding the rotation, it has to be 
 

1. Crochet

2. Buehrle

3. Giolito

4. Fitts

5. Dobbins

Bello and specially Houck have to go to the BP. Going to be interesting when Crawford and Sandoval are ready. 

[Larry Cook]

Cora says fitts to make a rehab start today before being called up! 
 

does gurerro get sent to Worcester? 
does 4 inning bello go to the pen? 

[mvp 78]

21 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Cora says fitts to make a rehab start today before being called up! 
 

does gurerro get sent to Worcester? 
does 4 inning bello go to the pen? 

Guerrero is already back in WOO (swapped out with Kelly). 

Bello starts on Wed. 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

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