A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Besides naming Chapman the closer, "big surprise," Cora had named Slaten, Whitlock, Hendriks and Wilson, earlier, but yesterday he named Weissert and Kelly. One slot remains, I'm thinking maybe Criswell, but maybe it's lefty Bernardino. Newcomb is the 5th starter.

Abreu is "100% on the opening day roster."

Bernardino for now. If one of the starters gets blown up early, they'll need to use Newcomb in a bulk role and may have to call up Criswell. 

[Hugh2]

22 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

With Mayer and Anthony waiting in the wings, there's not a lot of room for more position player prospects on the big team in the foreseeable future.

While this may be true, a lot can change in a few years. 

Bregman can opt out. Maybe Story has a great year and opts out, maybe he has another injury riddled season and looks like shouldn't be in the starting player conversation again.  Maybe Rafaela/Duran have serious regressions.  Someone could get traded, a few guys could get traded, people get injured.  ETC ETC. 

 

 

[Hugh2]

Lets just hope Chapman goes K/BB/K/BB/K and not BB/K/BB/K/H/K

[Hugh2]

I have mixed feelings on this bullpen. 

I do have concerns about the lack of clearly defined roles, yet at the same time between the Boston team and the depth in Woo they may have more talent and depth in their pen than they've had in a long time.  I won't be surprised if they've settled into a nice groove with a set up/closer/high leverage tandem that works great by June. Or not...

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

While this may be true, a lot can change in a few years. 

Bregman can opt out. Maybe Story has a great year and opts out, maybe he has another injury riddled season and looks like shouldn't be in the starting player conversation again.  Maybe Rafaela/Duran have serious regressions.  Someone could get traded, a few guys could get traded, people get injured.  ETC ETC. 

Go back to 2018. Where was the room to add players then? It all fell apart really quick and the whole team turned over except for Raffy. 

[harmony]

12 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I'm not sure SEA got much better, but everyone else got worse in their division and in much of the AL.

After trailing the Mariners in each of the past three seasons by a combined 27 games, the Red Sox may well be closing the gap.

Or not.😉

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I have mixed feelings on this bullpen. 

I do have concerns about the lack of clearly defined roles, yet at the same time between the Boston team and the depth in Woo they may have more talent and depth in their pen than they've had in a long time.  I won't be surprised if they've settled into a nice groove with a set up/closer/high leverage tandem that works great by June. Or not...

The roles haven't been clearly defined to US. Maybe they've been clearly defined internally? 

Chapman CL

Slaten Set up

Whitlock Fireman 

Wilson L1 (6/7)

Bernardino L2 (5/6/7)

Kelly (7/8) high leverage

Weissert (6/7) medium leverage

Hendriks (5/6) low leverage until his stuff is back

At some point, one of these guys will be swapped out for a bulk innings guy (Newcomb or other).

 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

5 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I have mixed feelings on this bullpen. 

I do have concerns about the lack of clearly defined roles, yet at the same time between the Boston team and the depth in Woo they may have more talent and depth in their pen than they've had in a long time.  I won't be surprised if they've settled into a nice groove with a set up/closer/high leverage tandem that works great by June. Or not...

I don't trust any of them except Whitlock -- if only we could trust him to stay healthy. He's a key guy right now.

I'd like to believe the star-studded rotation will go deeper into games to help preserve the pen, but knowing how careful Cora and Co. will be with the possibly fragile starters, that's unlikely.

Boston's pitching looks improved, but it's hard to call it a strength with three starters are already on the IL, and a suspect bullpen. The offense is going need to outbash -- and make more contact -- than opponents.

[Hugh2]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The roles haven't been clearly defined to US. Maybe they've been clearly defined internally? 

Chapman CL

Slaten Set up

Whitlock Fireman 

Wilson L1 (6/7)

Bernardino L2 (5/6/7)

Kelly (7/8) high leverage

Weissert (6/7) medium leverage

Hendriks (5/6) low leverage until his stuff is back

At some point, one of these guys will be swapped out for a bulk innings guy (Newcomb or other).

 

 

Well, seeing how baseball starts today we are going to have that questioned answered pretty darn quickly

[Hugh2]

4 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I don't trust any of them except Whitlock -- if only we could trust him to stay healthy. He's a key guy right now.

I'd like to believe the star-studded rotation will go deeper into games to help preserve the pen, but knowing how careful Cora and Co. will be with the possibly fragile starters, that's unlikely.

Boston's pitching looks improved, but it's hard to call it a strength with three starters are already on the IL, and a suspect bullpen. The offense is going need to outbash -- and make more contact -- than opponents.

I have faith that Slaten is going to be really good too.  I think Chapman is going to be who Chapman is. 

It doesn't look like any of the starters out are seriously injured, more like starting later, although I do have a little bit more concern with Crawford.  Who might end up back in the bullpen by the end of April.  I think he would be lights out there. 

I'd take the over on the 2025 Boston Red Sox bullpen. 

 

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, harmony said:

After trailing the Mariners in each of the past three seasons by a combined 27 games, the Red Sox may well be closing the gap.

Or not.😉

The Mariners helped the Sox out by spending more time worrying about concessions offerings than adding to their offense. 

 

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Well, seeing how baseball starts today we are going to have that questioned answered pretty darn quickly

We always overstate the meaning of the first game or two of the year. 

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, Hugh2 said:

I'd take the over on the 2025 Boston Red Sox bullpen. 

The "over" on what? 

[Hugh2]

10 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The "over" on what? 

I'm not using any exact metric here (E.G. Zip projections) Rather  I was just expressing my generally optimism in the sox bullpen given the talent in there. 

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, Hitch said:

I think (re: hope) that Chapman may be invigorated by unexpectedly getting a chance to close again for a contender.  There'll be plenty of heart attacks but I'm hopeful he will surprise us in a good way.

I've been pretty tough on our closer situation, but I do have hopes we can be decent, and a lot depends on Chapman. Walk a few- K a few more. Bringing him in with bases loaded will be scary, but there is hope he gets the Ks.

The way I look at it, I have to think our pen would be a solid plus, if every guy we have, now, was pushed down one notch on the high leverage depth chart.

1. Solid closer

2. Chapman- 8th inning and occasional closer

3. Slaten- 8th inning

4. Hendriks- 7th & 8th

5. Whitlock- 2-3 innings/high leverage

6. Criswell- 2-3 innings/mid leverage

7. Wilson

8. Kelly or Weissert

What a difference a solid closer would make for the rest of the pen- not just the closer role upgrade.

 

[Bellhorn04]

59 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

We always overstate the meaning of the first game or two of the year. 

Like the first 3 games of 2021.

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Like the first 3 games of 2021.

I think we learned that Richards shouldn't have been in that rotation. We can ignore an offense starting slow.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

It's always a time for optimism before the first pitch of the year, but why does anyone think Chapman will regain his status as closer for a contender -- four years after his last All-Star season? Since then, he's been at his best as a set-up man.

Chapman looked great in Spring Training, but this will be his fifth team in the past four years. There's a reason none of the previous four made any attempt to bring him back.

So here's my optimism for 2025: after the still-early months that have Red Sox fans riding a roller coaster (the kind that induces more than agita), the team will become a contender when the bullpen transitions to Justin Slaten as closer.

Then Breslow will really go for it, by trading for another reliever who is actually good this year -- and not someone who used to be...

 

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

It's always a time for optimism before the first pitch of the year, but why does anyone think Chapman will regain his status as closer for a contender -- four years after his last All-Star season? Since then, he's been at his best as a set-up man.

Chapman looked great in Spring Training, but this will be his fifth team in the past four years. There's a reason none of the previous four made any attempt to bring him back.

You answered your own question then. He looked great in Spring Training and we're trying to be optimistic after 3 down seasons. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

15 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

You answered your own question then. He looked great in Spring Training and we're trying to be optimistic after 3 down seasons. 

Then I won't paste the link to the horrifying youtube vid of him entirely serving up walk-off or game-tying HRs, but I will say this: about 75% of them were off sliders. PT Breslow and Bailey Circus take note...

[mvp 78]

Seby Zavala accepted his assignment to AAA.

Red Sox released Grant Gambrell.

[mvp 78]

Murphy and Penrod to 60 day IL

[mvp 78]

Hendriks to 15 day IL

[mvp 78]

 

[mvp 78]

Masataka Yoshida - 10 day IL

Brayan Bello - 15 day IL

Kutter Crawford - 15 day IL

Lucas Giolito - 15 day IL

[mvp 78]

Dude is going to go to LA, learn a cutter and pitch the final out of the WS now. 

[drewski6]

Lof of solid "giving and getting" last couple pages.  Punches and counterpunches. Good stuff, all

[moonslav59]

Opening Day Roster:

1. Duran LF

2. Devers DH

3. Bregman 3B

4. Casas 1B

5. Story SS

6. Campbell 2B

7. Abreu RF

8. Wong C

9. Rafaela CF

Bench: Narvaez, Refsnyder, DHam & Romy

Rotation: Crochet, Buehler, Houck, Fitts & Newcomb

Bullpen: Chapman, Slaten, Whitlock, Criswell, Wilson,  Weissert, Kelly & Bernardino

 

10 Day IL:  Masataka Yoshida 

15 Day IL: Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Lucas Giolito, Liam Hendriks

60 Day IL: Sandoval, Murphy, Penrod

[mvp 78]

Only 11 of these guys were on last year's Opening Day roster. 

 

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Hendriks to 15 day IL