Red Sox 2025 Season Review/Offseason Preview Thread

[Randy Red Sox]

16 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

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.

this trade makes the IKF signing look even dumber. Mayer if healthy needs to play everyday somewhere.

[Kimmi]

On 2/5/2026 at 1:54 AM, Randy Red Sox said:

he did today

I think our team is more or less complete and looking good. Maybe a bullpen arm?

 

[Kimmi]

2 hours 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 tend to agree with this.  I understand the benefits of versatility, but with younger players like Mayer and Durbin, I think it's beneficial to give them a set position rather than bouncing them back and forth.

I feel the same way about having a set position in the batting order.  Baseball players are such creatures of habit.

I think Campbell might have fared better if they hadn't moved him around, both defensively and in the line up.

[moonslav59]

48 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

thanks for these other examples.

I would not call the Bregman heavily deferred contract a failed 1 year contract as we likely miss the playoffs without him.

The worst Brez only FA signings:

$21M/1 Buehler

$10M/2 Hendriks

_________________

Meh signings:

$38.5M/2 Giolito

___________________

 

TBD: Sandoval, Suarez, Kiner-Falefa

___________________

Best FA signings:

$11M/1 Chapman

$2.3M/1 Wilson

_______________________________________

Extensions: Crochet, Chapman, Anthony, Rafaela, Bello, Campbell

_____________________________________

Worst Trades:

Devers for scraps

Sale for Grissom

The deadline deals in '24 for Garcia & Sims

Scraps for DMay

TBD:

Priester for Holobetz plus (Yorke for Priester)

several players for Sonny Gray

same for Willson Contreras

Ziehl for Sandlin & Hicks (Schreiber for Sandlin) and many minor trades this winter.

Fajardo for Bosser (Fajardo later traded)

Moran for Gasper

Best:

Several prospects for Crochet

Harrison plus for Durbin

Ammons for Slaten

2 pitchers for O'Neill

Dugo for Weissert & Fitts

Jordan for Matz

[FredLynn]

3 hours 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.

I think we are marginally better this year, maybe by 2-3 games in the W column. I also think Mayer can do much better and that there’s a chance that Casas could also contribute. But there was more money that could have been spent to make the team a solid contender for a ring, and I know you feel the same way.

[moonslav59]

Pirates sign Ozuna for $10.5M/1 with $1.5M buyout on $16M year two. Essentially $12M/1 or $26.5M/2.

Some mentioned him as the possible big RHB we need toDH, but his numbers really dropped off, last year at age 34.

The Masa problem kept us from even talking about him.

[Old Red]

4 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

this trade makes the IKF signing look even dumber. Mayer if healthy needs to play everyday somewhere.

IKF is a good glove backup especially if Story goes down, or Mayer for that matter.

[Duran Is The Man]

32 minutes ago, Old Red said:

IKF is a good glove backup especially if Story goes down, or Mayer for that matter.

i agree. IKF is a better backup than DHam.

[JoeBrady]

6 hours 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. 

1,286 IPs at 2b in the minors.  That was his primary position.

[JoeBrady]

10 hours ago, FredLynn said:

As the team now stands we will likely be bottom third in runs scored.

FG projects a 102.4 wRC+.  We should be above-average, though less than top-10.

[JoeBrady]

5 hours ago, Kimmi said:

I think our team is more or less complete and looking good. Maybe a bullpen arm?

 

A BP arm, and maybe finding a trade partner with an overpaid RH DH.  I'm still trying to find a way to get O'Neill back in exchange for Yoshida.  Maybe attach enough of a minor prospect to entice trading their problem for our problem.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

IKF is a good glove backup especially if Story goes down, or Mayer for that matter.

Agreed, and he probably won't hit .550 like DHam.

Rodgers is great non 40 man depth, too.

I like how Brez worked these last 2 days, despite not getting a big bat I hoped for.

Who knows? Maybe Durbin outhits Paredes, Shaw and Hoerner. He could even outhit Breggie.

Bregman's OPS from age 27-30: ,795

Durbin's OPS at age 25: .721

It's not that far-fetched. Maybe by 2027 or 2028 is more likely.

[FredLynn]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

FG projects a 102.4 wRC+.  We should be above-average, though less than top-10.

The franchise makes enough money to put us in the top five and a serious competitor for a ring.

[mvp 78]

16 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

this trade makes the IKF signing look even dumber. Mayer if healthy needs to play everyday somewhere.

IKF is a backup that plays great defense and is a good clubhouse guy. Sounds like a good fit for this roster. 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

IKF is a backup that plays great defense and is a good clubhouse guy. Sounds like a good fit for this roster. 

While $6M sounds like a lot, just don't call JH a high-spender.

[drewski6]

9 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

While $6M sounds like a lot, just don't call JH a high-spender.

It doesnt sound like a lot to me, even for a bench player.  2.0 WAR , which I consider a low-end starting position player / cusp starting position player are getting qualifying offers and like 22m.

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

It doesnt sound like a lot to me, even for a bench player.  2.0 WAR , which I consider a low-end starting position player / cusp starting position player are getting qualifying offers and like 22m.

I was being sarcastic, but I do think $6M is a lot for a "small market team" to spend on a non starter.

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I was being sarcastic, but I do think $6M is a lot for a "small market team" to spend on a non starter.

Which small market team are we taking about? Is it in the same room as us? 

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Which small market team are we taking about? Is it in the same room as us? 

The "small market team" that is a top 5 team in revenue.

[moonslav59]

19 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

this trade makes the IKF signing look even dumber. Mayer if healthy needs to play everyday somewhere.

That's the big "if" and there is also a big "if" on Story staying healthy.

We don't need to play I K-F everyday to make him earn that $6M.

Here were the innings at 2B-SS-3B in 2025:

2B: 472 KC, 402 DHam, 288 Romy, 165 Rafaela, 65 Sogard, 57 Mayer (Campbell will likely bs in AAA, DHam is gone, Romy is hurt & Rafaela should play FT CF as Cora pointed out.)

3B: 972 Bregman, 249 Mayer, 102 Toro, 73 Eaton, 39 Sogard, 2 Romy, 1 DHam (Breggie & Toro are gone.)

SS: 1149 1371 Story, 69 DHam, 5 Sogard, 3 Mayer

[mvp 78]

35 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The "small market team" that is a top 5 team in revenue.

Not a "small market" but a "small wallet" team? The market is huge, the wallet is always empty for some reason? Wonder where that money is?!?!?

[vegasbob]

So after the reveal that Romy Gonzalez is limited ( temporarily?) by shoulder issues from late September,  does anyone really think that will be the only physical issue that comes into play during ST  as the 26 man roster gets settled ?   

Breslow did not get the Big Bopper , who with 26 Hr's, could only affect 1 game per week, but he did load up on flexible guys who can field a competitive team nightly, if the pitching performs to plan. 

I'm ready to see them play and then analyze some of the results.

[Hitch]

1 minute ago, vegasbob said:

 

I'm ready to see them play and then analyze some of the results.

So close now. I don't know why, but this off season has seemed to fly by. Thankfully! 

[mvp 78]

12 minutes ago, Hitch said:

So close now. I don't know why, but this off season has seemed to fly by. Thankfully! 

Really? 

[Hitch]

24 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Really? 

Yeah, it's gone by in the blink of an eye for me. 

[FredLynn]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Not a "small market" but a "small wallet" team? The market is huge, the wallet is always empty for some reason? Wonder where that money is?!?!?

The Henrys need their lobster breakfast every morning.

[FredLynn]

45 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

So after the reveal that Romy Gonzalez is limited ( temporarily?) by shoulder issues from late September,  does anyone really think that will be the only physical issue that comes into play during ST  as the 26 man roster gets settled ?   

Breslow did not get the Big Bopper , who with 26 Hr's, could only affect 1 game per week, but he did load up on flexible guys who can field a competitive team nightly, if the pitching performs to plan. 

I'm ready to see them play and then analyze some of the results.

Gonzalez is behind schedule with his rehab. 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Not a "small market" but a "small wallet" team? The market is huge, the wallet is always empty for some reason? Wonder where that money is?!?!?

Of course we are not "small market." It was a jab at you know who.

Again, the wallet is not empty. We spent more than over 2/3rds of the teams and maybe 3/4 this winter and maybe even since the Devers extension.

We signed our first long term deal in a while. We extended 4 kids to long term deals in the last 2 years. We extended Deves and crochet to big deals. While the Buehler deal was yet another one and done deal, it was for $21M - the 3rd highest pitcher AAV in Sox history. 2 year deals to Gio, Sandoval and Chapman.

We've swung a missed on a few, but we are swinging and spending.

Yes, I agree we could and should spend more. I agree the revenue vs spending ranking is troubling and telling, but the wallet is not "empty," unless you mean right now, after spending so much.

[FredLynn]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Of course we are not "small market." It was a jab at you know who.

Again, the wallet is not empty. We spent more than over 2/3rds of the teams and maybe 3/4 this winter and maybe even since the Devers extension.

We signed our first long term deal in a while. We extended 4 kids to long term deals in the last 2 years. We extended Deves and crochet to big deals. While the Buehler deal was yet another one and done deal, it was for $21M - the 3rd highest pitcher AAV in Sox history. 2 year deals to Gio, Sandoval and Chapman.

We've swung a missed on a few, but we are swinging and spending.

Yes, I agree we could and should spend more. I agree the revenue vs spending ranking is troubling and telling, but the wallet is not "empty," unless you mean right now, after spending so much.

No, we are NOT a small market team.

Ownership just spends like one.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

No, we are NOT a small market team.

Ownership just spends like one.

OMG!

That was my mocking point! 

BTW, name even one mid market team that spend like we have in the last 2 years.

Cue sound of cricketts.