Red Sox 2025 Season Review/Offseason Preview Thread

[drewski6]

But I 100% agree netiher Polanco nor Kim are worth crying about, its too early in the offseason for that.  Maybe if spring training was starting next week, rosters were mostly set (so teams arent looking to trade a whole lot) and this was our last chance to add WAR > 2 players externally. Then maybe a little panic would be warranted.  But certainly not right now over Polanco or Kim

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Too much for Kim TBH.

If healthy, Kim is a very good at $20M.  From 2021-24, Kim averaged a 4.5 bWAR/162 games.

[harmony]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

They do a really bad job with prospects. 

Baseball Trade Values likes the Washington Nationals:

https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades?page=1&realTrades=1&q=Nationals

Scroll down.

😏

[JoeBrady]

7 minutes ago, harmony said:

Baseball Trade Values likes the Washington Nationals:

https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades?page=1&realTrades=1&q=Nationals

😏

Minor league deals are almost impossible to analyze.  Even for well-known prospects with a lot of visibility and coverage, the range is outcomes is huge.

[mvp 78]

29 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

If healthy, Kim is a very good at $20M.  From 2021-24, Kim averaged a 4.5 bWAR/162 games.

He's never played 162 in a season in his life. 

[mvp 78]

 

[Michigan Adam2]

Maybe Sox go in a totally different direction and sign framer Valdez and then trade for hitters with their excess in SP. 

[mvp 78]

17 minutes ago, Michigan Adam2 said:

Maybe Sox go in a totally different direction and sign framer Valdez and then trade for hitters with their excess in SP. 

Don't like that guy! 

[FredLynn]

11 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

There Cynics and maybe even a club of them, but then there is one single, site doomsayer.

Its a tough job sometimes, but someone has to do it. Meanwhile, I have been right more often than wrong.

[harmony]

3 hours ago, Hitch said:

 

General reports on the trade seem to be - Red Sox have got the certain starter with higher floor. Nationals have got the possible starter/possible bull pen piece with higher ceiling. 

Feels about right. 

A Washington Nationals podcaster reacts to the trade:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EznnTRRWJY

 

[mvp 78]

48 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Its a tough job sometimes, but someone has to do it. Meanwhile, I have been right more often than wrong.

Red Sox have been above .500 since you've joined the site pumpsie and won two WS, so NO. 

[mvp 78]

Duran is a pretty big upgrade here. 

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

He's never played 162 in a season in his life. 

He played 150 & 152 before he got injured.

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Duran is a pretty big upgrade here. 

especially over "adolis" garcia

*edit: I honestly thought his name was aroldis garcia and this was a typo from matt gelb, but im the dunce.

[drewski6]

his name has always been adolis garcia? am i having a mandella effect moment?

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Red Sox have been above .500 since you've joined the site pumpsie and won two WS, so NO. 

careful, everytime you sass him back he punts on another year. One time, he and i were going back and forth (and i do like the guy) but we were getting into it and i knew i struck a nerve becasue

"next year and the year after is going to be rough" became, we're gonna stink for 2026,2027,2028

And im like "did you jsut now punt on 2028?"

[mvp 78]

18 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

his name has always been adolis garcia? am i having a mandella effect moment?

Yes.

[mvp 78]

16 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

careful, everytime you sass him back he punts on another year. One time, he and i were going back and forth (and i do like the guy) but we were getting into it and i knew i struck a nerve becasue

"next year and the year after is going to be rough" became, we're gonna stink for 2026,2027,2028

And im like "did you jsut now punt on 2028?"

Similarly, according to moon's annual calculations, we still may be heading to THE cliff, coming out of A cliff or heading to ANOTHER cliff. 

[Larry Cook]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Duran is a pretty big upgrade here. 

What is desperate Dave thinking?? 

[mvp 78]

21 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

What is desperate Dave thinking?? 

"What's Bregman's phone number again?"

[a700hitter]

I heard that the Red Sox are the only team not to sign a free agent so far this offseason.  They have been very active at doing nothing.

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Similarly, according to moon's annual calculations, we still may be heading to THE cliff, coming out of A cliff or heading to ANOTHER cliff. 

Yes we are heading to THE (financial) cliff, coming out of A cliff (bar) and headingto ANOTHER cliff(ord the big red dog)

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Similarly, according to moon's annual calculations, we still may be heading to THE cliff, coming out of A cliff or heading to ANOTHER cliff. 

Also: Cliff Lee

[drewski6]

I can solve our #2 pitcher woes: 1) trade duran for cliff lee and 2) trade bello for a time machine.  Get 2011 cliff lee.

[drewski6]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Duran is a pretty big upgrade here. 

Bryce Harper?  Or is that going to lead to another plane altercation like when eck got accosted on the team plane? Or are we smart enough to keep Bryce away from pap.  Or maybe just let em go? Baseball needs a fight.  Granted thats not the one I had in mind.

Who you taking in that one?  Feel like Bryce if he can get in close but thats no guarantee cuz pap has a good amount of reach advantage.  Or the "extension"*

*remember we were talking the other day how they always make up new names for stuff to try to sound smart?  Like how they use to say "releases the ball closer to the plate" now they say "has good extension".  In basketball they call it wingspan.  In boxing they call it reach. How many different words/phrases for "long arms" do we really need?

[Kimmi]

22 hours ago, Nick said:

I am going to quit wishing for something that may never come.

We'll need to continue to develop young talent and sign them early to an extension. 

That seems to be our modus operandi. 

I guess I should be more concerned with plethora of injuries.

I get it.  It's hard to be disappointed in our offseason wishes.  Personally, I am in favor of developing young talent and locking them up early.  I would rather do that than spend a ton on a free agent who will eventually age out of his contract worth.

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Bryce Harper?  Or is that going to lead to another plane altercation like when eck got accosted on the team plane? Or are we smart enough to keep Bryce away from pap.  Or maybe just let em go? Baseball needs a fight.  Granted thats not the one I had in mind.

Who you taking in that one?  Feel like Bryce if he can get in close but thats no guarantee cuz pap has a good amount of reach advantage.  Or the "extension"*

*remember we were talking the other day how they always make up new names for stuff to try to sound smart?  Like how they use to say "releases the ball closer to the plate" now they say "has good extension".  In basketball they call it wingspan.  In boxing they call it reach. How many different words/phrases for "long arms" do we really need?

There was some noise about a Harper trade early in the offseason, but that evaporated really quick. 

[Kimmi]

22 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I agree. For all we know Anthony, Mayer and Casas could outshine most of the big bats signed this winter, and I'm talking just for 2026. Going forward, they might be the wiser bet to do better, but I still think Schwarber and Alonso have 2-3 big years in them and feel their 2-3 year numbers will eclipse lesser FAs signed and any in system players on the Sox, except maybe Anthony.

We already got 300+ good PAs from Anthony, so if he gives us 650+ in 2026, it's a nice boost, but it's not a total boost.

Signing Bichette would replace Bregman and maybe Ref's total PAs, and may not even match their combined production.

I do like depth, especially with pitching, but trading Duran still leaves Campbell as depth and I know Brez & Co still see Masa as a LF option. (I'd prefer he stay an emergency option, but...)

Masa in LF would have allowed Casas to DH, had we signed Alonso. Or, Casas at 1B and Schwarber at DH. In both cases, Duran was available to trade for a solid #2 (Ryan, Lodolo, Ragans, ___?) or a 2Bman (KMarte, BLowe + Y Diaz?)

I'm not thrilled with the idea, but I think we'd have enough depth with Romy onboard, and if we wanted to, we could sign Ref for one more season. He loves Boston, and Boston loves him!

I would have liked to have either Schwarber or Alonso on our team.  I agree that they will likely be very good for another 2-3 years.  That said, there is a reason that Anthony, Mayer, and don't forget Campbell were all ranked so highly as prospects.  I understand that top prospects don't always pan out, but they are certainly worth taking a chance on, IMO, especially when you figure in cost.

I really prefer not to use Masa in left field.  I'd like to have Refsnyder back.  I'd have him take some more reps at 1B too.

[Kimmi]

22 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

The "full throttle" was so absurdly over-the-top and disingenuous that everything that comes after is doubted and should be. Plus, much of what they said after that has not come true.

It's been a never-ending spiraling sham.

I don't disagree.

[Kimmi]

20 hours ago, Duran Is The Man said:

they could easily afford Alonso, but they chose not to. most likely they thought his cost was too high. this is the problem....Henry still thinks it's 2005 when it comes to payroll. the contract Alonso signed with the Orioles was not absurd and ranks as the 41st highest in MLB in terms of overall dollars. the Red Sox highest contract (in overall dollars) belongs to Garret Crochet at $170M. this is just 36th in the league. in my mind, it's inexcusable for a team like the Red Sox with the revenue they have to not be more aggressive. it they had the revenue of the Rays or Marlins or Pirates, i'd understand. in fact, there are 22 teams that spend a greater share of their revenue on payroll than the Sox, including the A's, Rockies, Royals, Twins and Mariners.

I agree that the Red Sox could have at least matched the Orioles offer for Alonso.  Again, it's a year longer than I would have liked, but it's not absurd.  I'm going to hate having Alonso playing against us in an O's uniform.