Red Sox 2025 Season Review/Offseason Preview Thread

[Cameron Tran]

just a thought that popped up. If Duran gets traded, does anyone know who gets moved to left? I assume it would be Roman, as Wilyer is a 2 time gold glove in a tough right field, but left with the monster is tricky

[Hitch]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

I would think, if there will be an auto reset after 2026, it would incentivize going over in '26.

It appears to be the plan. Go over next year without too much of an issue. Stay over the year after as its Year 1 again. Then Story and Yoshida are off the books at least.

[Hitch]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

If the Sox really want to improve, they have to spend large on two guys.

Resign Bregman, sign Alonso, trade for Ryan.

Resign Bregman, sign Bichette, trade for Ryan.

Resign Bregman, sign Cease, trade for Diaz.

Sign Bichette and Alonso, trade for Ryan.

 

Yup. Needs to be one of this combo, or something very similar to it.

[Hitch]

24 minutes ago, Cameron Tran said:

just a thought that popped up. If Duran gets traded, does anyone know who gets moved to left? I assume it would be Roman, as Wilyer is a 2 time gold glove in a tough right field, but left with the monster is tricky

Yeah, Roman for sure.

[moonslav59]

Just now, Hitch said:

Yup. Needs to be one of this combo, or something very similar to it.

Except the 2B and 3B gets that squeezes Mayer and neglects 1B.

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Except the 2B and 3B gets that squeezes Mayer and neglects 1B.

Let Mayer get squeezed. A great prospect forces his way onto a team like Roman did. 

[moonslav59]

If we go over the tax line, we might as well go $19M over, or close to that.

Having $55-60M instead of $35-40M would mean a major extra addition.

2 x $25-35M players 

or

$30M (Alonso, Bregman, Bichette, Schwarber) + 15M (Suarez, Polanco)+ 10-15M (M Kelly?)

[moonslav59]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Let Mayer get squeezed. A great prospect forces his way onto a team like Roman did. 

But why leave 1B to Casas/Romy/Campbell?

 

[Hitch]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Except the 2B and 3B gets that squeezes Mayer and neglects 1B.

I'm okay with Romy at 1st. 

My personal choice would be Alonso and another. Mayer can play 3rd or 2nd. 

[Hitch]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

But why leave 1B to Casas/Romy/Campbell?

 

Why not? We can't get huge players (and salaries) at every position. 

[mvp 78]

21 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

But why leave 1B to Casas/Romy/Campbell?

 

Campbell isn't a 1b going forward. He'll be in the OF mix. 

If Brezzz determines the best additions are Bo and Breggie, then it's still an upgrade from last season. Bo will be better than Mayer in '26. Mayer still has some work to do (offspeed/LHP) and that can happen in AAA if need be. Plus hard to rely on Mayer since he's never been healthy for a full season. 

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, Hitch said:

Why not? We can't get huge players (and salaries) at every position. 

Hoskins should be pretty cheap, but putting Bo at 2b slides Romy into a near everyday role at 1b. It's not the end of the world. Schwarber doesn't play 1b anyway. 

I mean, why are we penciling in Alonso anyway? I thought we could never compete with NYM in a bidding war!!!

[Hitch]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Hoskins should be pretty cheap, but putting Bo at 2b slides Romy into a near everyday role at 1b. It's not the end of the world. Schwarber doesn't play 1b anyway. 

I mean, why are we penciling in Alonso anyway? I thought we could never compete with NYM in a bidding war!!!

I'm perfectly okay with that alignment. 

We're not in a bidding war with the Mets as far as I can see and read. 

[mvp 78]

21 minutes ago, Hitch said:

We're not in a bidding war with the Mets as far as I can see and read. 

Not yet! But just you wait! Once big money Cohen gets involved, a smol bean like John Henry stands no chance! 

[notin]

39 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Hoskins should be pretty cheap, but putting Bo at 2b slides Romy into a near everyday role at 1b. It's not the end of the world. Schwarber doesn't play 1b anyway. 

I mean, why are we penciling in Alonso anyway? I thought we could never compete with NYM in a bidding war!!!

Do the Mets really want Alonso?   They only gave him one year last year...

[mvp 78]

Rule 5 roster add deadline is next week. FanGraphs blogged about the AL today.

From FanGraphs:

Boston Red Sox
Current Count: 40
Must-Add Prospects: None
Current 40-man Bubble: One or two of utilitymen David Hamilton and Nick Sogard, 1B Nathaniel Lowe, SP Cooper Criswell, 2B Vaughn Grissom, MIRP Chris Murphy
Fringe Prospects: SP David Sandlin, SP Hayden Mullins, SP Jedixson Paez (inj), SP Yordanny Monegro (inj), SP Dalton Rogers, OF Miguel Bleis, SIRP Caleb Bolden, OF Allan Castro, MIRP Jack Anderson, SIRP Eduardo Rivera
Trade Candidates: OF Jarren Duran, 1B Triston Casas

Boston doesn’t have a crunch so much as their roster is quite imbalanced. Look at all the young, controllable pitching they have on their 40-man already (be sure to scroll to the minor league group) even before any of this year’s crop of candidates is added. It’s possible the Red Sox will just add a guy or two from my list above and retain basically all of their current position players, but I also consider them a candidate to trade some pitching to address their need at first base.

I like Paez as a prospect more than I do Monegro, but I think it’s more important for the Red Sox to roster Monegro to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. The timing of his 2025 Tommy John surgery puts him in line for a late-2026 return, potentially a convenient amount of time for a club to roster and retain him. Duran and Casas are listed as trade candidates because of rumors from the deadline period a few months ago.

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, Hitch said:

Why not? We can't get huge players (and salaries) at every position. 

I think we just need 2 big bats, and we CAN do it under the tax line, while trading for a #2 SP.

ON 1B, Casas is a hug Q Mark. Romy and Campbell are both RHBs and doubtful batters.

[Larry Cook]

5 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Except the 2B and 3B gets that squeezes Mayer and neglects 1B.

The thing that surprised me the most about Mayer was that his arm was not as strong as I thought! 
maybe it had something to do with the wrist injury though!  

[drewski6]

3 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

The thing that surprised me the most about Mayer was that his arm was not as strong as I thought! 
maybe it had something to do with the wrist injury though!  

Both the injuries and the lack of arm (from a 6'3 dude) have the same thing in common. Bro is allergic to lifting weights.  And Breslow called him out recently for it.

[drewski6]

Mayer says hes buying in , and hes gonna start lifting for the first time. We'll see.

[Larry Cook]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

Both the injuries and the lack of arm (from a 6'3 dude) have the same thing in common. Bro is allergic to lifting weights.  And Breslow called him out recently for it.

Really??  I did not see that!  Way to go Bres-slow!!! 

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, Larry Cook said:

Really??  I did not see that!  Way to go Bres-slow!!! 

“He needs to get bigger and stronger and be able to shoulder the workload of a full season,” Breslow said about Mayer, whose rookie season ended July 23 when he suffered a wrist sprain that led to surgery. “That’s what the conversations have centered around. To his credit, he’s committed to it. ... ”

[Larry Cook]

Not sure we need “2” big bats. 
 

but absolutely sure we need a high quality number 2 starter in the rotation and a replacement for giolita. (Ryan and sale?) 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

i like Paez as a prospect more than I do Monegro, but I think it’s more important for the Red Sox to roster Monegro to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. The timing of his 2025 Tommy John surgery puts him in line for a late-2026 return, potentially a convenient amount of time for a club to roster and retain him. Duran and Casas are listed as trade candidates because of rumors from the deadline period a few months ago.

That does it -- Monegro's perfect for Boston. If the Red Sox don't protect Monegro, they'll draft him in the Rule 5 and keep him all season just to pay him to rehab.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

6 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Not sure we need “2” big bats. 

We need about 2 times 2 big bats. 

Right now, we have 2 medium bats in Story and Abreu: 25 HRs and 22 HRs -- the only two who hit as many as 20 last year.

[Larry Cook]

1 minute ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

We need about 2 times 2 big bats. 

Right now, we have 2 medium bats in Story and Abreu: 25 HRs and 22 HRs -- the only two who hit as many as 20 last year.

I could see 1 big bat fire sure! We get a full year of Anthony and Mayer! Not sure if Casas ever comes back! 
I think we win with pitching defense and timely hitting!  
but none of that matters if we have tons of Injuries 

[moonslav59]

One top 5 power hitter + a pretty good hitter

or 

Two top 25 (or so) power hitters.

1. 3B or 2B

2. 1B (possibly DH)

[harmony]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

I could see 1 big bat fire sure! We get a full year of Anthony and Mayer! Not sure if Casas ever comes back! 
I think we win with pitching defense and timely hitting!  
but none of that matters if we have tons of Injuries 

FWIW FanGraphs projects Marcelo Mayer with 15 home runs next year in 532 plate appearances:

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/marcelo-mayer/29668/stats?position=3B

... and Roman Anthony with 18 home runs in 623 plate appearances:

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/roman-anthony/31812/stats?position=OF

 

[moonslav59]

32 minutes ago, harmony said:

FWIW FanGraphs projects Marcelo Mayer with 15 home runs next year in 532 plate appearances:

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/marcelo-mayer/29668/stats?position=3B

... and Roman Anthony with 18 home runs in 623 plate appearances:

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/roman-anthony/31812/stats?position=OF

 

,,,and only 39 for Cal.

[harmony]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

,,,and only 39 for Cal.

So more than Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony combined (in 513 fewer plate appearances)?☹️