A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II

[notin]

On 5/24/2025 at 4:59 PM, moonslav59 said:

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.

Small point, but I’d call Rafaela the second base defensive CF in MLB.  Pete Crow-Armstrong has managed to supersede his defensive hype in my eyes…

[moonslav59]

4 hours ago, notin said:

Small point, but I’d call Rafaela the second base defensive CF in MLB.  Pete Crow-Armstrong has managed to supersede his defensive hype in my eyes…

Maybe the best defensive Sox CF'er in the 5 decades I've been watching.

[moonslav59]

Sox DFA'd Newcomb and reinstated Penrod from the 60 Day IL, sending him to Woo.

17 hits and 5 BBs in his last 13.1 IP gets you a ticket outta town. The A's sent cash to BOS to acquire Newcomb.

[vegasbob]

10 hours ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

6 immediate Red Sox changes stand between disaster and saving the season

I don't know Cody  or Fansided but at least he has listed 6 suggestions for potential positive change with the 2025 Red Sox .  His earlier story on having to move Trevor Story is also well pointed.  

If Red Sox field and FO management ( YKIYK) do not make internal moves quickly to reposition this team then they will secure the 4th season at .500 or less because the great August-September collapse still awaits them.

They simply have to take direct action to shake this malaise up.  

[vegasbob]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Sox DFA'd Newcomb and reinstated Penrod from the 60 Day IL, sending him to Woo.

17 hits and 5 BBs in his last 13.1 IP gets you a ticket outta town. The A's sent cash to BOS to acquire Newcomb.

What are the plans for the cash ??   The idea of the Sacramento-Las Vegas A's sending money to Boston is almost funny, if it wasn't so sad.

[moonslav59]

Just now, vegasbob said:

What are the plans for the cash ??   The idea of the Sacramento-Las Vegas A's sending money to Boston is almost funny, if it wasn't so sad.

I think we expected to get nothing. Maybe this will pay the uber fare for an Anthony call-up.

[harmony]

9 hours ago, notin said:

Small point, but I’d call Rafaela the second base defensive CF in MLB.  Pete Crow-Armstrong has managed to supersede his defensive hype in my eyes…

Here is one center field ranking:

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?lg=all&qual=y&season=2025&season1=2025&ind=0&stats=fld&pos=cf&type=1&sortcol=22&sortdir=default&pagenum=1

[Old Red]

1. This team has been a circus, and a clown show since the start of Spring Training with the Raffy saga that still carries on today especially with all the Devers Forevers loyal followers, and fans who’ve given Raffy nothing, but their full support. Even JH had to take some time out of his busy schedule to get involved, and lend his expertise. Masa got shipped off in exile to collect his $18M per year gift that Bloom gave him. Then you got the saga of the chosen ones Mayer, and Anthony on how to get them up to Boston.Mayer finally got freed from Woo, but only after an injury to Bregman, but meanwhile Brez is exhausting every effort to find a way for Anthony to get there. Outside of an injury Brez is still looking for that 3rd option in the fork in the road. A losing team with a loyal following, whom I applaud the diehards who actually watch this s*** show on a nightly basis.👏

 

[Old Red]

Let’s get some updated standings that Moon is famous for, but only can manage to do on a part time basis.

Div games back in the loss column.

1. 10 GB

2. 3 GB

3. 2 GB

Wildcard games back in the loss column 

1. 6 GB

2. 5 GB (2 teams)

3. 3 GB (2 teams)

4.  3 teams 1-2  games back for the last spot. 
 

4th place in the division 

8 teams ahead of them for the wildcard in the loss column 

Nothing to worry about here folks, because Cora is on it, and says the team is competing well, and they’ve got to do better. RIGHT?

[mvp 78]

13 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Maybe the best defensive Sox CF'er in the 5 decades I've been watching.

People said the same thing about JBJ. 

[mvp 78]

8 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I think we expected to get nothing. Maybe this will pay the uber fare for an Anthony call-up.

It was so that the A's could get him before another team claimed him for free. 

[mvp 78]

8 hours ago, harmony said:

Here is one center field ranking:

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?lg=all&qual=y&season=2025&season1=2025&ind=0&stats=fld&pos=cf&type=1&sortcol=22&sortdir=default&pagenum=1

Looks about right to me. I haven't seen enough of Taylor over the years to comment on his play. 

[notin]

13 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Maybe the best defensive Sox CF'er in the 5 decades I've been watching.

Small point, but you liked Bradley more.

 

Not kidding, but between Bradley, Kike and Rafaela, Sox have gotten some really good CF defense in recent years…

[notin]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Looks about right to me. I haven't seen enough of Taylor over the years to comment on his play. 

Normally I expect Brenton Doyle to be higher on the list, but I can give his 2025 a pass, all things considered…

[moonslav59]

21 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

People said the same thing about JBJ. 

Including me.

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, notin said:

Small point, but you liked Bradley more.

 

Not kidding, but between Bradley, Kike and Rafaela, Sox have gotten some really good CF defense in recent years…

I didn't even know Rafaela, when I liked JBJ so much.

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, notin said:

Small point, but you liked Bradley more.

 

Not kidding, but between Bradley, Kike and Rafaela, Sox have gotten some really good CF defense in recent years…

There was an inundation of JBJ is the greatest CFer "of all time" posts on here whenever he'd make an above average play. This was while he was playing in the same division as Keirmaier who was as good if not better. Even Pillar had years with the Jays where he looked as good as JBJ from what I remember. 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

There was an inundation of JBJ is the greatest CFer "of all time" posts on here whenever he'd make an above average play. This was while he was playing in the same division as Keirmaier who was as good if not better. Even Pillar had years with the Jays where he looked as good as JBJ from what I remember. 

There's a few posters who seem infatuated with CF defense over reality.

I mean, exactly how many plays do these "greatest CF'ers the red sox have ever had" make that most CF'ers don't make over the course of the season to try and make up for an anemic bat?

[Bellhorn04]

Just now, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

There's a few posters who seem infatuated with CF defense over reality.

I mean, exactly how many plays do these "greatest CF'ers the red sox have ever had" make that most CF'ers don't make over the course of the season to try and make up for an anemic bat?

That was the question with Bradley.  And he reached a point where the minus of his hitting clearly outweighed the plus of the defense.

Now it's the same question with Rafaela. 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

19 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

That was the question with Bradley.  And he reached a point where the minus of his hitting clearly outweighed the plus of the defense.

Now it's the same question with Rafaela. 

For me, I'd rather have the adequate fielder with the much better bat.

There's always the talk of "up the middle defense" yet the Yanks seemed to do pretty good with Jeter, Bernie and Posada up the middle and nobody was ever going to confuse that trio with perennial Gold Glover's.

 

[Bellhorn04]

We've handed out extensions to Bello, Rafaela, and Campbell, and at the present none of the 3 really make you feel comfortable they were good investments.  It's quite possible Rafaela would be treated differently if it wasn't for the extension. 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

11 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It's quite possible Rafaela would be treated differently if it wasn't for the extension. 

Or if he could actually hit the ball.

[mvp 78]

47 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

That was the question with Bradley.  And he reached a point where the minus of his hitting clearly outweighed the plus of the defense.

Now it's the same question with Rafaela. 

JBJ's bat was soooo much better than Rafaela's and we had an annual trade JBJ thread. 

[Old Red]

28 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

We've handed out extensions to Bello, Rafaela, and Campbell, and at the present none of the 3 really make you feel comfortable they were good investments.  It's quite possible Rafaela would be treated differently if it wasn't for the extension. 

And they tried to extend Casas too. Agree on RAF Man.

[Larry Cook]

Offensively, I see our problem being getting runners in scoring position home! We got three guys producing and six guys wasting our time! And 1 of the three producers is hurt now!! 
 

maybe Cora needs to shake up the lineup some and put Devers in the four hole! 
bring up Anthony and slot him in the second spot! Slide Mayer into the third spot!!  Move rafeala to short and sit story for a bit so he can figure himself out!!!!

narveaz can hit fifth!!!  

[mvp 78]

Just now, Larry Cook said:

Offensively, I see our problem being getting runners in scoring position home! We got three guys producing and six guys wasting our time! And 1 of the three producers is hurt now!! 
 

maybe Cora needs to shake up the lineup some and put Devers in the four hole! 
bring up Anthony and slot him in the second spot! Slide Mayer into the third spot!!  Move rafeala to short and sit story for a bit so he can figure himself out!!!!

narveaz can hit fifth!!!  

The lineup would be:

1. Duran LHB

2. Anthony LHB rookie

3. Mayer LHB rookie

4. Devers LHB 

I don't see Cora going for that. 

 

[moonslav59]

Cora has used Devers in the 4 slot (more often than the 2 slot in '24,) but I'm not sure he'll move him, this year.

Without Bregman, maybe some tinkering is needed.

I could see:

L Duran

L/R Abreu/Ref

L Mayer

L Devers

L Anthony

R Narvaez

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

15 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Cora has used Devers in the 4 slot (more often than the 2 slot in '24,) but I'm not sure he'll move him, this year.

Without Bregman, maybe some tinkering is needed.

I could see:

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

maybe Cora needs to shake up the lineup some and put Devers in the four hole! 

 

Doesn't cora have to ask for devers' permission first?

[Maxbialystock]

11 hours ago, Old Red said:

1. This team has been a circus, and a clown show since the start of Spring Training with the Raffy saga that still carries on today especially with all the Devers Forevers loyal followers, and fans who’ve given Raffy nothing, but their full support. Even JH had to take some time out of his busy schedule to get involved, and lend his expertise. Masa got shipped off in exile to collect his $18M per year gift that Bloom gave him. Then you got the saga of the chosen ones Mayer, and Anthony on how to get them up to Boston.Mayer finally got freed from Woo, but only after an injury to Bregman, but meanwhile Brez is exhausting every effort to find a way for Anthony to get there. Outside of an injury Brez is still looking for that 3rd option in the fork in the road. A losing team with a loyal following, whom I applaud the diehards who actually watch this s*** show on a nightly basis.👏

 

"Since the start of spring training,"  the problem has not been with Devers going to DH.  In fact he has flourished there.  And don't forget Devers hated giving up 3b, where he's played for 8 straight seasons.  Bregman, however, was a significant improvement and has done well for the Sox.   Now he's out for maybe two months and that's a huge blow to this team.  

JH doesn't have a busy schedule.  I think he went to KC to take the spotlight off Breslow who bypassed his manager to tell Devers he should play 1b.  

What I will agree with is that this team right now is inconsistent on the mound, at bat, in the field, and running the bases.   Maybe that's on Cora even though I think he's an excellent manager.  

[Maxbialystock]

2 hours ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

Doesn't cora have to ask for devers' permission first?

Very funny.  To Cora's credit, he convinced Raffy to embrace the DH position, where in fact he has been very successful--and that's where he should remain, at least for this season.  

Anyone could play 1b for the Sox as well as Casas was when he injured himself.