Red Sox 2025 Season Review/Offseason Preview Thread

[Old Red]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Astros get the Imai prize!

$18M x 3 years.

He's just 27 years old.

Opt-outs after each year. What a deal.

[moonslav59]

51 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Con Man is a step down from Alonso IMO, but comes at a cheaper price for a shorter period of time. I’m sure some will compare their stats for the next couple of years. I have No focus on where Gray ranks in the rotation, but only as one of the starters. 1-2 significant adds. Where have I heard that before? As I said before regarding Breggie that he could be better this year, but he also could be worse, so even the status quo is nowhere near a certainty if he is resigning.

Of course nothing is certain. Some liked Buehler way better than adds like Kluber, Richards and Wacha, and he cost way more than they did. Getting better on paper is just that: paper, but it's what GMs have to do or try to do.

I have to say Gray + Oviedo looks way more likely to have a good to great 2026 seasons than Buehler + Sandoval, Gio + Fitts, Wacha+Hill, Paxton + Kluber and Richards + Perez did. What ends up happening is another story.

I'd have preferred Alonso to Contreras, and my hope was that the money saved would allow us to improve somewhere else, instead. (The Gray money equals Buehler, so that slot doesn't count, to me.)

It comes down to how we address 3B or 2B. I agree, bringing Bregman back looks like a sideways move that could go worse or less likely- better than 2025. He would be an improvement over DHam, for sure, unless he gets hurt.

I think we should expect...

C: slight improvement as Narvaez may step back a little on O but improve on D and Wong cant do much worse on O. (Contreras adds some very nice depth)

1B- major improvement.

2B- looks the same for now (assuming Mayer at 3B)

SS- might expect regression, here.

3B- looks like a major regression from Breggie to Mayer

LF- same

CF- same

RF- same

DH- worse, as we lost Devers & Ref.

SP- slightly better

RP- worse w/o Bernardino, Wilson, Murphy and others.

As of now, we are not "better."

[JoeBrady]

26 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Opt-outs after each year. What a deal.

It's an odd risk.  Imai will either prove to be a real SP, and opt out, or he'll look like a very expensive RP.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

Opt-outs after each year. What a deal.

$18M is a lot for an almost total unknown.

5-11 and 155 is not the Brez prototype pitcher, anyway.

[Larry Cook]

So far this offseason, bres-slow has only traded away fringe roster players. 
 

why would he start trading guys that actually contributed a good bit in 2025? 

[notin]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Of course nothing is certain. Some liked Buehler way better than adds like Kluber, Richards and Wacha, and he cost way more than they did. Getting better on paper is just that: paper, but it's what GMs have to do or try to do.

I have to say Gray + Oviedo looks way more likely to have a good to great 2026 seasons than Buehler + Sandoval, Gio + Fitts, Wacha+Hill, Paxton + Kluber and Richards + Perez did. What ends up happening is another story.

I'd have preferred Alonso to Contreras, and my hope was that the money saved would allow us to improve somewhere else, instead. (The Gray money equals Buehler, so that slot doesn't count, to me.)

It comes down to how we address 3B or 2B. I agree, bringing Bregman back looks like a sideways move that could go worse or less likely- better than 2025. He would be an improvement over DHam, for sure, unless he gets hurt.

I think we should expect...

C: slight improvement as Narvaez may step back a little on O but improve on D and Wong cant do much worse on O. (Contreras adds some very nice depth)

1B- major improvement.

2B- looks the same for now (assuming Mayer at 3B)

SS- might expect regression, here.

3B- looks like a major regression from Breggie to Mayer

LF- same

CF- same

RF- same

DH- worse, as we lost Devers & Ref.

SP- slightly better

RP- worse w/o Bernardino, Wilson, Murphy and others.

As of now, we are not "better."

So is 162 games from Anthony (or 150) better or worse or equal to 144 games of Devers plus Anthony?

And then what about Yoshida? Who from last year are you comparing to our hottest hitter down the stretch?

[Old Red]

58 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

So far this offseason, bres-slow has only traded away fringe roster players. 
 

why would he start trading guys that actually contributed a good bit in 2025? 

Let me say this about that. I doubt very much that the Red Sox have any plans of rotating 4 outfielders around anywhere.

[Larry Cook]

8 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Let me say this about that. I doubt very much that the Red Sox have any plans of rotating 4 outfielders around anywhere.

So bres-slow is waiting for some team to offer a top of the rotation starter for one of our outfielders! 
and boras is waiting for bres-slow to go to 6 years on a Bregman deal!!  
 

who blinks first???

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

So bres-slow is waiting for some team to offer a top of the rotation starter for one of our outfielders! 
and boras is waiting for bres-slow to go to 6 years on a Bregman deal!!  
 

who blinks first???

Duran will not bring a top of the rotation starter, and I don’t believe he is in their long range plans, so I think he’s more expendable then the rest. 

[Larry Cook]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Duran will not bring a top of the rotation starter, and I don’t believe he is in their long range plans, so I think he’s more expendable then the rest. 

2024 Duran is worth a top of the rotation starter 

2025 Duran. Not so much! 
 

Bres-slow playing the long game apparently 

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

2024 Duran is worth a top of the rotation starter 

2025 Duran. Not so much! 
 

Bres-slow playing the long game apparently 

I believe right now Bres is trying to to go the shortest, and least expensive route he possibly can.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

So far this offseason, bres-slow has only traded away fringe roster players. 
 

why would he start trading guys that actually contributed a good bit in 2025? 

We did lose Bregman, Gio, Ref, Lowe and Wilson to free agency, and he did trade Devers midseason.

Brez has been active with trades, but yes, most were fringy types:

Dobbins, Fitts & Perales

Bernardino, Murphy & Guerrero

Clarke, Travies & Fajardo

Aita & Hoppe

Jh Garcia, Grissom & Riemer

[Randy Red Sox]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I doubt STL takes Crawford and DHam for Donovan. I think Crawford is over-rated.

They might take Crawford, Sandlin & DHam, but that's three 40 man players for one. We'd likely have to give up a prospect instead of Sandlin (Mullins?) or DHam (Cespedes, Bleis or Castro?)

i don't think Donovan is as big a get as what it will cost to get him. Pass--save JH the $$ 

[Randy Red Sox]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

I believe right now Bres is trying to to go the shortest, and least expensive route he possibly can.

you can take that to the bank

[Randy Red Sox]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

So bres-slow is waiting for some team to offer a top of the rotation starter for one of our outfielders! 
and boras is waiting for bres-slow to go to 6 years on a Bregman deal!!  
 

who blinks first???

hopefully not the Sox on the latter.  Let Bregman get his LT deal somewhere else

[Larry Cook]

6 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

hopefully not the Sox on the latter.  Let Bregman get his LT deal somewhere else

I think bres-slow is trying very hard to do whatever he can to get Bregman signed. 

[moonslav59]

13 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

I think bres-slow is trying very hard to do whatever he can to get Bregman signed. 

He can try all he wants, but if he's not allowed to or wont go 5+ years, it probably won't matter.

If someone offers $150M/4, is it worth offering him $135-140M/4? (Brez may not even go 4 years, anyway.)

[Randy Red Sox]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He can try all he wants, but if he's not allowed to or wont go 5+ years, it probably won't matter.

If someone offers $150M/4, is it worth offering him $135-140M/4? (Brez may not even go 4 years, anyway.)

i don't want him to go 4. Bregman is all about the money. let him go. You won't hear me cry about not bringing him back.  I guess the 40 million we gave him for 2/3 of the 2025 season wasn't enough for him. DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE A$$ ON THE WAY OUT ALEX !!!

[Larry Cook]

24 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He can try all he wants, but if he's not allowed to or wont go 5+ years, it probably won't matter.

If someone offers $150M/4, is it worth offering him $135-140M/4? (Brez may not even go 4 years, anyway.)

I think we are already at 4 years. Will we go to 6 years??  Or will the cubs get him 

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

So bres-slow is waiting for some team to offer a top of the rotation starter for one of our outfielders! 

There is no telling what Breslow is looking for.  I'm pretty sure he is looking way past 2026.  And he is likely looking at overall value.  I don't see any practical one-year players that would fit, but Breslow is probably looking at both pitchers and hitters, both veterans and prospects.

[JoeBrady]

30 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

I think we are already at 4 years. Will we go to 6 years??  Or will the cubs get him 

I'm not convinced the Cubs are in it.  They have 4 infielders.  1st and SS are almost definitely not changing.  They have Hoerner for one year, but even if they wanted to move on, neither Bregman nor Shaw are ideal candidates.  They could sign Bregman and trade Shaw, but I think they'd lose serious value.

I think Breslow sticks with 4 years/$100M, even if it's dressed up to look better than that.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

i don't want him to go 4. Bregman is all about the money. let him go. You won't hear me cry about not bringing him back.  I guess the 40 million we gave him for 2/3 of the 2025 season wasn't enough for him. DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE A$$ ON THE WAY OUT ALEX !!!

I agree and feel like 5 is too much for Bichette, despite his age.

Just get Suarez for 2 or Okamoto for 3.

If we trade an OF'er than go OF + #4/5 SP for a #2 SP.

[moonslav59]

58 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

I think we are already at 4 years. Will we go to 6 years??  Or will the cubs get him 

We might be at 4, but if we need to go 5, we are out, IMO.

[Randy Red Sox]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We might be at 4, but if we need to go 5, we are out, IMO.

PLEASE let him go to the Cubs

[moonslav59]

33 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

PLEASE let him go to the Cubs

At 5 or more years, for sure. (Maybe 4, too)

Same with Bichette at 5 or 6..

[Randy Red Sox]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

At 5 or more years, for sure. (Maybe 4, too)

Same with Bichette at 5 or 6..

I am sure JH will accommodate your wishes and not approve either signing

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, Randy Red Sox said:

I am sure JH will accommodate your wishes and not approve either signing

Just accommodate my wish for KMarte, Suarez or Okamoto and maybe a #2 SP.

[Hitch]

20 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

Lester's loss was pure idiocy.  But even when I wanted the RS to offer Bogaerts something just a little higher than Story, I always knew that could be problematic.  He's a likeable guy, so I'd have paid him, but we were only going to pay him or Devers to be our long-term 3B, and Devers was a lot younger.

Of course, when the Padres basically doubled what I thought was a generous offer, he was gone.

Yeah it was always going to sting a little with Bogey, but I'd have rather we kept him at higher rate than Story and actually have him in the team (unlike Story outside of this past year) and have his leadership around - I don't think the Devers situation happens if he's here for example. 

But yeah, when the Padres offer comes in - say goodbye.

Lester and Mookie are the big ones. Lester is when this ownership started getting weird for me. 2013 happens after they'd just dumped Gonzalez, Crawford et al, then signed a load of veterans to short term deals and bang - WS. All of a sudden long term deals are out and we can win with less risk. Then they spend the next two years in the basement, so revert to going big which leads to '18. Then we give up on that, and go back to small ball as they clearly felt burned by the Price contract, Sale extension and others, and decided to trade away a generational talent in Mookie just to clear salary space. But after another spell of mediocrity they then sign Story and Yoshida to long term deals (both of which has been a disaster so far) and now they appear hesitant to go long with anyone again (apart from youth). 

Their thinking just seems to be cyclical and not particualry connected. With the payroll we should be there or thereabouts every year. Yet we're boom or bust mainly with an in-between season here and there.

My biggest beef with this ownership is that they think they're too smart by half (they might be right in general) and want to win in a smart way to show the baseball world just how clever they are (which is extremely). But you look at the history since '13 and honestly, it doesn't look particularly joined up and seems to veer wildly between philosophies/directions of travel. 

Sacking the GM every 3/4 years hardly helps.

[Hitch]

18 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

even more likely--Sox aren't getting EITHER.  Watch for  Bello for Donovan deal instead.

Why do you keep going with this? I've not seen it mentioned anywhere bar by you. 

[Hugh2]

Fixed