Red Sox 2025 Season Review/Offseason Preview Thread

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

The problem with Hamilton as a UTIL is that he's only good at 2b. They tried him in the OF and it wasn't good. He never looks great at SS when he's over there. 

Indeed. He also need to (re?) prove he could hit even RHP well enough to stick around. I'm not sure being a great PR'er has enough value to win a slot on anyone's 26, without something more than decent defense at 2B only and a .675 OPS vs RHPs platoon bat.

I'm glad we opened up a slot on the 40 by trading him. That JBJ trade just keeps on giving and giving!! LOL

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

Saying that you are committed to winning but remaining below average in percentage of revenue spent on salaries is IMO dishonest. If you say you are going to do something then do not do everything in your power to make it happen, barring disaster, thats dishonest. You know-like the "full throttle" comment from last year.

We are winning, right? Or is that a lie?

[FredLynn]

12 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We are winning, right? Or is that a lie?

Winning is being able to compete for a ring nearly every year. If we finish with 82 wins is that winning enough for you? Or squeaking into the playoffs only to be promptly eliminated in round one?

[mvp 78]

 

[FredLynn]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

 

Sounds like more excuses to me. The money is there to make us competitive. As the team now stands we will likely be bottom third in runs scored. Tough to compete for a ring that way.

[mvp 78]

 

[Hitch]

2 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

I'm going to say 2nd.  That was his primary position in the minors

Yeah. 131 out of 144 major league games at 3rd however. 

Reason I think he might stick at 3rd for us is that I think Cora will want to platoon Mayer with Romy. And you'd rather Romy at 2nd than 3rd. 

[Hitch]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

I think that value for Harrison is too low TBH. 

Yeah way too low for my money. 

I love the addition of the draft pick. 

[Hitch]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

 

Undeniable at this point. I can't say I'm looking forward to the offence, but it will be nice to see an actual decent infield defence for the first time in what feels like a decade. 

[drewski6]

Putting the 5'7 guy at 3rd and 6'3 guy at 2nd would look/feel weird to me but Im not against it.

[Hitch]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Putting the 5'7 guy at 3rd and 6'3 guy at 2nd would look/feel weird to me but Im not against it.

Yeah, it feels weird to me, too. It's more about the Romy games to me, you want him at 2nd, but maybe I'm overplaying it. 

[drewski6]

Just now, Hitch said:

Yeah, it feels weird to me, too. It's more about the Romy games to me, you want him at 2nd, but maybe I'm overplaying it. 

I dont hate Durbin moving over from 2nd to 3rd so Romy can play second against lefties. I also wouldnt be super surprised if Romy DH'd vs lefties.  The one thing I do know, is any decision that the team makes today about who is playing where and who comes out vs lefties....They arent going to marry that decision and it can (and probably will) change as guys get hot/cold , dinged up...

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Putting the 5'7 guy at 3rd and 6'3 guy at 2nd would look/feel weird to me but Im not against it.

That he was a good glove at the hot corner in '25 will let me overlook it. He also didn't have crazy splits. 

You know they are just going to have Durbin play 2b vs RHP and 3b vs LHP... 

[drewski6]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

That he was a good glove at the hot corner in '25 will let me overlook it. He also didn't have crazy splits. 

You know they are just going to have Durbin play 2b vs RHP and 3b vs LHP... 

I think its quite likely, I can also see Romy DH'ing vs lefties.  Could move a LF'er to RF (Duran or Anthony) and sit Abreu vs LHP (just because theyve done this for years) or sit Duran vs LHP. Not saying they will, saying I dont "know" they'll move Durbin around, but I think its as likely or likelier than any configuration and I think it makes sense and I dont hate it.  Its probably likeliest they start the year this way with Durbin bouncing back and forth depending on if Mayer or Romy is in game, but we may never know how they would have started full health (someone could pick up a minor injury in WBC). 

[Hitch]

I REALLY hope they don't do the bouncing back and forth thing. Give the players their positions and leave them play there night in and night out. 

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, FredLynn said:

Winning is being able to compete for a ring nearly every year. If we finish with 82 wins is that winning enough for you? Or squeaking into the playoffs only to be promptly eliminated in round one?

Never said it was "enough" for me. I want a ring as badly as anybody.

I think we are on the right path. Call me a homer or an eternal optimist, but I nor my wife view me as such. She sometimes chides me for always thinking of the worst things that can happen.

IMO, we got a lot better in 2025. I had hopes we could improve by about the same amount, this winter, and in some areas, we did vastly better than I expected (rotation, 1B & infield depth,) but we fell a little short on one big bat and way short on the second big bat I hoped for. In just one week, our defense went from meh to very nice, depending on who is playing. It's too bad the best defensive team we can play might be close to our worst offensive team, but Durbin & Rodgers should/could hit better than DHam/Sogard/Eaton and even Mayer. They both are good defenders. (Rodgers has a GG.) I K-F is a GG winner, and may hits as least as well/badly as the carry-over 3 I just mentioned.

I think this team, on paper, is better than 2025's, despite the downtick or break even on offense part.

The rotation and starter depth is second to none.

The pen looks solid.

The defense looks top 10, now.

The offense looks, to me, like #14 to 18th, with an upside of barely reaching top 10, but a floor of maybe #19th, unless we get hit hard by injuries. Our L-R situation is improved.

Most of our better players are under team control for 3+ years.

You can doom & gloom all you want, but I'm not getting sucked into that vortex.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, drewski6 said:

I think its quite likely, I can also see Romy DH'ing vs lefties.  Could move a LF'er to RF (Duran or Anthony) and sit Abreu vs LHP (just because theyve done this for years) or sit Duran vs LHP. Not saying they will, saying I dont "know" they'll move Durbin around, but I think its as likely or likelier than any configuration and I think it makes sense and I dont hate it.  Its probably likeliest they start the year this way with Durbin bouncing back and forth depending on if Mayer or Romy is in game, but we may never know how they would have started full health (someone could pick up a minor injury in WBC). 

I think if Duran sits vs LHPs, we'll see the other 3 OF'er playing. I doubt Romy plays much OF, unless there is an injury.

More likely he platoons at 2B w Mayer and DH w Duran/Masa/Casas (all LHBs.)

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

I think if Duran sits vs LHPs, we'll see the other 3 OF'er playing. I doubt Romy plays much OF, unless there is an injury.

More likely he platoons at 2B w Mayer and DH w Duran/Masa/Casas (all LHBs.)

Thats what I meant.  It may not be Mayer sitting vs lefties, it could be Duran or Abreu in which case Romy would DH.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hitch said:

I REALLY hope they don't do the bouncing back and forth thing. Give the players their positions and leave them play there night in and night out. 

I know they haven't named Durbin's position (3B or 2B,) yet, but I hope it's 3B. Te early return metrics show he's much better at 3B.

I prefer mayer at 2B, so we could platoon Romy there, if needed. (I don't want Romy at 3B.) That keeps it simple.

I'd DH Duran near FT, only playing him in the OF, when a better defender needs some rest.

The subs would be the only ones bouncing around, under this plan.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Thats what I meant.  It may not be Mayer sitting vs lefties, it could be Duran or Abreu in which case Romy would DH.

Yes. I could see all three (Mayer 40%, Duran 35% & Abreu 25%) sitting 25-40% of the games we face LHPs.

When Anthony needs a breather, he can sit vs a LHPs, too or maybe DH a few games to keep his bat in the line-up and well-rested.

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Never said it was "enough" for me. I want a ring as badly as anybody.

I think we are on the right path. Call me a homer or an eternal optimist, but I nor my wife view me as such. She sometimes chides me for always thinking of the worst things that can happen.

IMO, we got a lot better in 2025. I had hopes we could improve by about the same amount, this winter, and in some areas, we did vastly better than I expected (rotation, 1B & infield depth,) but we fell a little short on one big bat and way short on the second big bat I hoped for. In just one week, our defense went from meh to very nice, depending on who is playing. It's too bad the best defensive team we can play might be close to our worst offensive team, but Durbin & Rodgers should/could hit better than DHam/Sogard/Eaton and even Mayer. They both are good defenders. (Rodgers has a GG.) I K-F is a GG winner, and may hits as least as well/badly as the carry-over 3 I just mentioned.

I think this team, on paper, is better than 2025's, despite the downtick or break even on offense part.

The rotation and starter depth is second to none.

The pen looks solid.

The defense looks top 10, now.

The offense looks, to me, like #14 to 18th, with an upside of barely reaching top 10, but a floor of maybe #19th, unless we get hit hard by injuries. Our L-R situation is improved.

Most of our better players are under team control for 3+ years.

You can doom & gloom all you want, but I'm not getting sucked into that vortex.

The game isn’t played on paper. The rotation does have plenty of depth, but that doesn’t mean it will be as good as it looks. I’m not counting on Chapman to be anywhere near as good as last year, so Whit may have to be counted on for more, so I’m not so sold on the pen as some. The D looks better, but Story, and Mayer will be a key there. Having enough power bats is still a concern to me. I’m not glooming, and dooming, but waiting, and seeing, and hoping for a Gomer.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, Old Red said:

The game isn’t played on paper. 

Agreed. I think I've said that a dozen times, this winter.

I'd rather look deep on paper than not.

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, Old Red said:

 The rotation does have plenty of depth, but that doesn’t mean it will be as good as it looks. 

Agreed. I thought last years was very good, too, and it was. We even felt we could spare priester, it looked so deep, but we ended up adding Tolle & Early before planned and had to trade for D May and start de Leon, late in the season.

No doubt- depth on paper is precarious.

Last year, our #2 (Houck) sucked and then missed his las 22 starts. Our #5/6 (Crawford) missed the whole season. Our #4/5/6 (Sandoval) missed the whole season. One of our plus de[th starter, Dobbins, pitched very well, then missed half the season with an injury. Newcomb, Fitts and other spot starters did not do all that well. The two additions- Buehler and DMay sucked.. Gio & Bello did fine.

It's largely unknown, and we've recently traded some of that depth away (Harrison, Dobbins. Fitts, Perales & Clarke,) but we still look pretty good down to our #8 & 9 guys:

1. Crochet

2. Suarez

3. Gray

4. Bello 

5/6 Oviedo

5/6/7 Crawford

5/6/7 Sandoval

8/9 Tolle & Early

[moonslav59]

18 minutes ago, Old Red said:

. I’m not counting on Chapman to be anywhere near as good as last year, so Whit may have to be counted on for more, so I’m not so sold on the pen as some. 

The pen does have some concerns, and the depth is lacking, unless we can use our starters there. That assumes few SP'er injuries, and these days, that's nearly impossible to expect.

Slaten returns, but we lost Wilson & Bernardino.

Moran, Watson & Kelly are questionable.

[moonslav59]

20 minutes ago, Old Red said:

The D looks better, but Story, and Mayer will be a key there.

Actually, the defense might be better, if either is not playing.

I K-F is a GG 3Bman and very good at SS and 2B.

Rodgers is a GG 2Bman.

Durbin might be a better defensive 3Bman than Mayer (not 2B though.)

The other infielders look good on D, too.

[moonslav59]

22 minutes ago, Old Red said:

 Having enough power bats is still a concern to me. I’m not glooming, and dooming, but waiting, and seeing, and hoping for a Gomer.

To me, the power question and overall offense performance is our biggest worry, at this point.

[mvp 78]

30 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I know they haven't named Durbin's position (3B or 2B,) yet, but I hope it's 3B. Te early return metrics show he's much better at 3B.

???

He's played 40 innings at 2b in MLB. He's played 1,000 innings at 3b in MLB. You can't say anything about how he'd fare at one position or another based solely on the metrics because of SSS issues. 

[mvp 78]

From BA: 

He can play second or third base capably, and he can even fill in at shortstop in an emergency. Durbin is 5-foot-7 and his value offensively is largely tied to his small strike zone, his excellent plate discipline and above-average bat control. He is extremely difficult to strike out and if a pitcher makes a mistake, he can pull it for extra bases. Fenway Park’s Green Monster should be a nice match for Durbin, as his extra-base juice is almost entirely to the pull side.

How he fits for the Red Sox will be an interesting discussion. With Marcelo Mayer also ready to contribute and Trevor Story set at shortstop, Durbin could slide to second base, or the Red Sox could move Mayer primarily to second base and let Durbin serve as the Alex Bregman replacement at third.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

???

He's played 40 innings at 2b in MLB. He's played 1,000 innings at 3b in MLB. You can't say anything about how he'd fare at one position or another based solely on the metrics because of SSS issues. 

Okay. I should have said he's showed he can play 3B very well, but hasn't proven anything at 2B, yet.

Mayer at 2B is a question mark, too.

[Randy Red Sox]

16 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Richards $10M/1

Kike $10M/1

Kluber $10M/1

Buehler $21M/1

All the two year deals given to injured pitchers were more like 1 year deals: Paxton, Hendiks & Sandoval.

The Gio deal actually broke that mold, but then he got hurt year one, anyway. 

thanks for these other examples.