The .500 Boston Red Sox

[vjcsmoke]

On 6/24/2025 at 9:37 AM, Hitch said:

My concern with this is the deadline. If we're around 2/3 games out we'll try thread the needle again, when in fact I think we should sell off. I absolutely do not want us to, but I also have no faith the team can shake off this .500 tag and get it done this year. 

Chapman would bring some significant pieces back. Incredibly I think we might get something for Beuhler. If Gio can give another 3/4 good performances, he will be interesting to teams. Then you have Duran/Abreu. And the top prize, Bregman if they're not looking to extend him and take out the opt out. 

There's a lot of pieces that can be got in return for that list, but they either have to be contributors at the MLB level next year, or prospects flipped to do so. Simply getting more prospects just ins't going to move the needle.

This off season is looking bare on free agents that fit our needs. I don't want to give up on this year, but .500 just isn't getting it done and I'd rather we proper retool for next year. 

Flipping some expiring deals to set up for the future makes sense to me. Red Sox will sadly miss the postseason yet again, but that fate was pretty much decided once they moved Devers in the deal to San Francisco.

I'll keep tracking them, but I don't think we're better than the 4th team in the AL East.

[Bellhorn04]

2 hours ago, vjcsmoke said:

Flipping some expiring deals to set up for the future makes sense to me. Red Sox will sadly miss the postseason yet again, but that fate was pretty much decided once they moved Devers in the deal to San Francisco.

I'll keep tracking them, but I don't think we're better than the 4th team in the AL East.

Devers has stunk so far for the Giants.  This was not the Mookie Betts trade.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

47 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Devers has stunk so far for the Giants.  This was not the Mookie Betts trade.

One of the many reasons it was not is that Breslow made sure he got pitching back in return.

Bloom really got hosed by the Dodgers, who always have a wealth of good pitching prospects stockpiled. The Price he paid made the Mookie trade even worse.

[Bellhorn04]

27 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

One of the many reasons it was not is that Breslow made sure he got pitching back in return.

Bloom really got hosed by the Dodgers, who always have a wealth of good pitching prospects stockpiled. The Price he paid made the Mookie trade even worse.

That was indeed a hose job.  I suspect that Henry had a lot to do with it.  I think he held off the trade as long as possible to avoid hurting ticket sales, and he probably insisted on the Price dump.

[Hugh2]

3 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

That was indeed a hose job.  I suspect that Henry had a lot to do with it.  I think he held off the trade as long as possible to avoid hurting ticket sales, and he probably insisted on the Price dump.

The trade would probably be viewed a lot differently if Jeter Downs panned out. 

[Bellhorn04]

42 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

The trade would probably be viewed a lot differently if Jeter Downs panned out. 

It would have taken some serious panning out.  Downs wasn't even Bloom's first choice, he pivoted to Downs because they didn't like Graterol's medicals.

[Larry Cook]

252 games later and we are a .500 team 

[Maxbialystock]

12 hours ago, vjcsmoke said:

Flipping some expiring deals to set up for the future makes sense to me. Red Sox will sadly miss the postseason yet again, but that fate was pretty much decided once they moved Devers in the deal to San Francisco.

I'll keep tracking them, but I don't think we're better than the 4th team in the AL East.

I do not at all accept the notion that Devers departure doomed the Sox to mediocrity this season.  In fact, with him gone and Bregman on the IL, the Sox hitting has picked up.  When Bregman returns, it will get better still.  

What seems to have helped are the following:  Rafaela's hitting has taken off with an OPS of .739 and rising; Story is hitting slightly better;  the two rookies, Anthony and Mayer, can hit; the Toro/Gonzalez thing at 1b is working and hitting better than Casas did.  

The problem, however, is with the pitching.  And after the ASG the Sox play a bunch of tough teams.  

[Bellhorn04]

2 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

252 games later and we are a .500 team 

I think we might be turning a corner for the better, Larry.  We'll see.

[Larry Cook]

27 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I think we might be turning a corner for the better, Larry.  We'll see.

I feel really good about this team now. Just 1 starting pitcher from being really good