A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II

[Maxbialystock]

45 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

We are officially winless since Anthony went on the disabled list 

😃

[Maxbialystock]

A Realistic View is always a great thread to come back to. 

With the rotation struggling and 3 of our best hitters--Bregman, Anthony, and Abreu--either struggling or on the IL, I'm reminded of a Bette Davis line from All About Eve:  "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night."  

[oldtimer]

6 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

A Realistic View is always a great thread to come back to. 

With the rotation struggling and 3 of our best hitters--Bregman, Anthony, and Abreu--either struggling or on the IL, I'm reminded of a Bette Davis line from All About Eve:  "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night."  

We need some thump in the lineup. Too many weak hitters, Too bad Password didn't get more of a look when he was brought up. He has the potential to help but not the experience. 

[cp176]

7 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

Same guy I remember.   Best or 2d best hitter in MLB history.  

You saw it too.  I watched that other guy at the end of his career.  His ability to hit defied his age.   

[mvp 78]

17 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

4-6 weeks could mean 2026.

In 2020, Austin Meadows had a similar injury (same grade strain) and was back prior to 4 weeks. If on a similar timeline, Roman would get Regular Season AB's. 

There is SOME hope. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Hitting a baseball in the majors is harder than ever. Batters in the first half of last century didn't have to face integrated pitching staffs or fresh arms throwing in the 90s coming out of the bullpen at night half the time. There were no such things as analytics departments breaking down video or check-the-check.

Anthony looks great, a guy who can work a pitcher and slug a pitcher. He also struck out about 6 times every 20 at bats. As for another tall lefty swinger, the MLB's all-time On Base leader -- Ted Williams (career .482) -- in 19 years, for every 20 ABs, he struck out... once.

For a more recent comparison, here are the Red Sox' two best homegrown players this century, who both debuted at age 21:

Mookie Betts...........291 BA in 52 G, 5 HR, 18 RBI, .368/.444/.812, 14.6 K-rate, 2.3 WAR

Roman Anthony: .292 BA in 71 G, 8 HR, 32 RBI, .396/.463/.859, 27.7 K-rate, 3.1 WAR

That's encouraging... and he's extended.

 

[moonslav59]

24 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

In 2020, Austin Meadows had a similar injury (same grade strain) and was back prior to 4 weeks. If on a similar timeline, Roman would get Regular Season AB's. 

There is SOME hope. 

I've given up hoping on Sox IL players returning. When is the last time one hit his return date target?

[mvp 78]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I've given up hoping on Sox IL players returning. When is the last time one hit his return date target?

Nick Burdi's right foot contusion in July? 

[Bellhorn04]

14 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I've given up hoping on Sox IL players returning. When is the last time one hit his return date target?

Bregman?  

[mvp 78]

14 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Bregman?  

Maybe? There was no set timetable with him and he was getting better then he wasn't then he was then he wasn't. Hard to say what the initial outlook was or how long his quad strain was going to take to heal. A moderate strain is 4-6 weeks and he was out 7. 

[moonslav59]

32 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Nick Burdi's right foot contusion in July? 

Was that right before the DFA'd him?

[moonslav59]

30 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Bregman?  

I seem to remember a lot of "no timetable" talk about his injury, but yes, he did not seem to go longer than expected. So, one or two out of 20-25?

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Was that right before the DFA'd him?

He was activated from the injury and played in 3 games before being DFA'd. 

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He was activated from the injury and played in 3 games before being DFA'd. 

So, yes, pretty close. 

So the one guy who met the timetable was probably the one guy we really didn't need to do so.

[moonslav59]

It's going to be hard winning the whole thing without Anthony, but stranger things have happened.

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

It's going to be hard winning the whole thing without Anthony, but stranger things have happened.

Just making the playoffs will be a success IMHO.  And needless to say that's not guaranteed yet.  

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

It's going to be hard winning the whole thing without Anthony, but stranger things have happened.

Braves won without Acuna in '21. 

But that summer Atlanta's GM acquired four sluggers who combined for 12 postseason home runs.

Two of them were the World Series MVP and NLCS MVP.

That's getting things done.

[moonslav59]

36 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Braves won without Acuna in '21. 

But that summer Atlanta's GM acquired four sluggers who combined for 12 postseason home runs.

Two of them were the World Series MVP and NLCS MVP.

That's getting things done.

None of the players and prospects they traded have amounted to squat, since then, but the Braves have slipped, recently.

[drewski6]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Maybe? There was no set timetable with him and he was getting better then he wasn't then he was then he wasn't. Hard to say what the initial outlook was or how long his quad strain was going to take to heal. A moderate strain is 4-6 weeks and he was out 7. 

And still winces when he runs

[drewski6]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

None of the players and prospects they traded have amounted to squat, since then, but the Braves have slipped, recently.

Yes, the Braves make me dismiss any whining about injury.

A 21 yr old mid-season call-up, granted hes not only that but still, shouldnt have been relying
Mayer was not looking like he was good enough to be on the playoff roster
Houck had fallen apart last year
Casas was awful and may be less athletic than I am. Getting hurt stepping on a bag is no surprise
A bunch of depth pitchers

Meanwhile the braves lose their best hitter and best hitter last year.  Yankees lose their best pitcher.

We have injuries, sure.  But i dont accept them as an excuse. And I dont mean that injuries should never be used as an excuse or some kind of platitude like "every team has them"

I mean, ours specifically, are not bad relative to what other teams have had over last 3 years (Dodgers, Yankees, Braves).

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

None of the players and prospects they traded have amounted to squat, since then, but the Braves have slipped, recently.

Since '21:

101 wins

104 wins

89 wins and WC appearance

.450 win %

If anything, the Braves are an example of pitching volatility for better and worse.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Since '21:

101 wins

104 wins

89 wins and WC appearance

.450 win %

If anything, the Braves are an example of pitching volatility for better and worse.

Yes. I did not expect them to drop so much, this year.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, drewski6 said:

Yes, the Braves make me dismiss any whining about injury.
 

Living near Houston, The Astros are the poster child for a winning team despite major injury issues, every season, particularly SP'ers. (They have also let many big stars walk but keep winning.)

[notin]

On 9/3/2025 at 1:24 PM, moonslav59 said:

The NL does not share the parity the AL does. They have 3-4 teams much better than the others. 

The AL is more bunched up near mediocrity.

Mediocrity is not "weak."

I think MIL, PHI and LAD look better than all AL teams and the SDP might be, too.

Do you disagree?

I absolutely disagree.  Milwaukee has been very good for the last two months, and their record shows it.  But Whats the basis for deciding Philly and LA are better than all AL teams?  Is it their equvalent W-L record?  Their combined 3-3 against Boston that demonstrates their superiority?  Or maybe their combined 0-6 record vs Houston is what places them above the AL.

The Dodgers in particular are questionable.  0-6 against the Angels? They might not be the force you think they are…

[notin]

5 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

None of the players and prospects they traded have amounted to squat, since then, but the Braves have slipped, recently.

Shea Langeliers would like a word with you…

[Larry Cook]

Cannot wait to see Tolle in Arizona. Arizona has three or four really good major league hitters 

[mvp 78]

22 minutes ago, notin said:

I absolutely disagree.  Milwaukee has been very good for the last two months, and their record shows it.  But Whats the basis for deciding Philly and LA are better than all AL teams?  Is it their equvalent W-L record?  Their combined 3-3 against Boston that demonstrates their superiority?  Or maybe their combined 0-6 record vs Houston is what places them above the AL.

The Dodgers in particular are questionable.  0-6 against the Angels? They might not be the force you think they are…

What’s the Sox record vs LAA?

[Bellhorn04]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Living near Houston, The Astros are the poster child for a winning team despite major injury issues, every season, particularly SP'ers. (They have also let many big stars walk but keep winning.)

They have absolutely been the model MLB team over the last decade, based on a combination of success and payroll management.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, notin said:

I absolutely disagree.  Milwaukee has been very good for the last two months, and their record shows it.  But Whats the basis for deciding Philly and LA are better than all AL teams?  Is it their equvalent W-L record?  Their combined 3-3 against Boston that demonstrates their superiority?  Or maybe their combined 0-6 record vs Houston is what places them above the AL.

The Dodgers in particular are questionable.  0-6 against the Angels? They might not be the force you think they are…

So, a team's record vs the Angels is the best way to determine who is better?

I see a clear divide between PHI & LAD and the top AL teams all bunched together:

A MIL

B LAD & PHI

B- TOR, DET, NYY, BOS, SEA, HOU,plus 3 NL teams CHC, SDP, NYM

[moonslav59]

56 minutes ago, notin said:

Shea Langeliers would like a word with you…

I thought the conversation was about the 2021 trade deadline deals.