Red Sox 2025 Season Review/Offseason Preview Thread

[JoeBrady]

15 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He was hurt at the end of the season last year and didn't go in the playoffs. Maybe there is a lingering issue? 

That was my guess as well.  You can tell by the reactions of some players how they feel about their arm.  IMHO, Woodruff took the QO and Bieber took the player option because they had doubts their arm could pass the physical.  If healthy, both guys would be multi-year $20M+ candidates.

[moonslav59]

55 minutes ago, notin said:

Is Giolito asking for the world plus the next one or something?  There’s no reason for him to be still unsigned…

I think there are injury concerns with Gio.

[mvp 78]

34 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I think there are injury concerns with Gio.

Gotta be.

[drewski6]

Some guys price themselves out of their pay day, see Jordan Montgomery.

[drewski6]

Gio may have turned down contracts that he wish he didnt.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, drewski6 said:

Gio may have turned down contracts that he wish he didnt.

Could be.

Has he had an observed throwing session?

[notin]

3 hours ago, drewski6 said:

Some guys price themselves out of their pay day, see Jordan Montgomery.

But he signed a deal in time to miss the entire contract with an injury…

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, notin said:

But he signed a deal in time to miss the entire contract with an injury…

He earned $45M in '24 and '25 because of his season in '23. Not sure he was going to get anything this year. Maybe he could have received a larger offer if he signed earlier in the offseason that year, but we don't really know for sure. If you looked at his track record, all the teams that didn't want to pay him a large contract were correct. 

[Bellhorn04]

On 2/24/2026 at 9:09 AM, notin said:

Actually WAPM proved more accurate than time travel for short term predictions, all within one season.  But wasn’t so good at spanning the years.

If it was, I’d have published those tactics or sold my services around MLB by now…

I liked WAFL - Wins Above Felipe Lopez.

[moonslav59]

The Jays just signed Scherzer, which assures another WS trip.

LOL.

[mvp 78]

31 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I liked WAFL - Wins Above Felipe Lopez.

Red Sox Legend slander

[alsoason]

Wong HAS to go, putz just reminds us we no longer have Mookie Betts, anyone breathing is an upgrade.⚾

[moonslav59]

Starling Marte signs with KCR for $78M/4.

[moonslav59]

On 2/26/2026 at 1:00 PM, alsoason said:

Wong HAS to go, putz just reminds us we no longer have Mookie Betts, anyone breathing is an upgrade.⚾

Wong is not an issue as a back-up catcher.

We could do better, but he's established with the staff. I think he'll hit better than 2025 but not as well as 2024. His defense has improved.

Our back-up at 1B may be a bigger issue, especially if Casas & Romy do not get healthy.

I like our bench, except for the Masa misfit. Two left-handed DHs with one who can't play any position well is not ideal.

[JoeBrady]

39 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Starling Marte signs with KCR for $78M/4.

That should've sounded wrong as you wrote it.

[Bellhorn04]

My man Noah Song got a Hold today!  He's not really my man, that's kind of a Talksox inside joke, because I freaked out rather badly when Dombrowski snatched him in the Rule 5 draft.  I chalk it up to my innate Red Sox superstition.  Still it would be kind of cool if he makes it to the bigs.  He seems to have a lot of determination.

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

That should've sounded wrong as you wrote it.

Yup.

[moonslav59]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Starling Marte signs with KCR for 1 year deal.

 

[notin]

17 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Wong is not an issue as a back-up catcher.

We could do better, but he's established with the staff. I think he'll hit better than 2025 but not as well as 2024. His defense has improved.

Our back-up at 1B may be a bigger issue, especially if Casas & Romy do not get healthy.

I like our bench, except for the Masa misfit. Two left-handed DHs with one who can't play any position well is not ideal.

Wong has experience at 1b as well, as do Gasper and Siegler…

 

 

 

[JoeBrady]

13 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I freaked out rather badly when Dombrowski snatched him in the Rule 5 draft. 

I'm an agnostic on DD, but that was borderline criminal.  Song had no chance of making the Phillies.  He had no chance of making anyone's roster.  DD did this to try to hurt the RS and couldn't have cared less what the impact on Song would be

[Old Red]

13 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

My man Noah Song got a Hold today!  He's not really my man, that's kind of a Talksox inside joke, because I freaked out rather badly when Dombrowski snatched him in the Rule 5 draft.  I chalk it up to my innate Red Sox superstition.  Still it would be kind of cool if he makes it to the bigs.  He seems to have a lot of determination.

I agree on Song especially being a ex Navy guy.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Wong has experience at 1b as well, as do Gasper and Siegler…

Good points, but neither can be viewed as a long term solution if Contreras hits a long IL stint, and Casas is not ready. (Also, Casas should be a DH only player.)

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

I'm an agnostic on DD, but that was borderline criminal.  Song had no chance of making the Phillies.  He had no chance of making anyone's roster.  DD did this to try to hurt the RS and couldn't have cared less what the impact on Song would be

I think DD saw something in Song when he first got him w the Sox, and took a flyer.

I'm glad we got Song back, but how far down is he on the pen depth chart, now?

It's hard to know how many SP'ers are on the pen depth chart (Sandoval, Crawford, Tolle, Early, Uberstine, Sikkema, Gamboa, Bennett...) but soxprospects.com has the AAA chart like this:

Samaniego (assumed the closer)

Devin Sweet & Seth Martinez (8th inning)

Tayron Guerrero before Song (7th inning)

[notin]

27 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I think DD saw something in Song when he first got him w the Sox, and took a flyer.

I'm glad we got Song back, but how far down is he on the pen depth chart, now?

It's hard to know how many SP'ers are on the pen depth chart (Sandoval, Crawford, Tolle, Early, Uberstine, Sikkema, Gamboa, Bennett...) but soxprospects.com has the AAA chart like this:

Samaniego (assumed the closer)

Devin Sweet & Seth Martinez (8th inning)

Tayron Guerrero before Song (7th inning)

Sure he saw something in Song when he drafted him multiple years ago - but he also should have been aware 1) Song had not pitched in multiple seasons and 2) he would have to keep a pitcher out of the game for multiple years on an MLB roster for a full season while attempting to compete for an NL East title.

Now maybe he tried to work out a trade to keep Song, which would have made sense, and really, was the ONLY course of action that made sense.  But if he tried, he never successfully enticed Bloom.  So then DD stubbornly proceeded to burn Song out in minutes and set his career back a couple years…

[moonslav59]

43 minutes ago, notin said:

Sure he saw something in Song when he drafted him multiple years ago - but he also should have been aware 1) Song had not pitched in multiple seasons and 2) he would have to keep a pitcher out of the game for multiple years on an MLB roster for a full season while attempting to compete for an NL East title.

Now maybe he tried to work out a trade to keep Song, which would have made sense, and really, was the ONLY course of action that made sense.  But if he tried, he never successfully enticed Bloom.  So then DD stubbornly proceeded to burn Song out in minutes and set his career back a couple years…

He certainly did Song no good.

BTW, he's Rule 5 eligible again, this December.

[notin]

5 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Good points, but neither can be viewed as a long term solution if Contreras hits a long IL stint, and Casas is not ready. (Also, Casas should be a DH only player.)

If Contreras goes down, Casas will play 1b.  If Contreras goes down before Casas returns, Sogard, Siegler, and/or Gasper will handle the position short term…

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, notin said:

If Contreras goes down, Casas will play 1b.  If Contreras goes down before Casas returns, Sogard, Siegler, and/or Gasper will handle the position short term…

Yes, but it remains one of our least good depth position.

Casas sucks at 1B, too.

[JoeBrady]

9 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I think DD saw something in Song when he first got him w the Sox, and took a flyer.

He had to keep Song on the roster for the entire season.  Song had 17 IPs in A-, hadn't pitched in 3 years, and was on the IL.  He wasn't going to take a slot in the Phillies BP.

[JoeBrady]

9 hours ago, notin said:

Now maybe he tried to work out a trade to keep Song,

Most teams had already passed on him.  If he has any trade value, the Nats, Rox, etc., would've claimed him and traded him.

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

He had to keep Song on the roster for the entire season.  Song had 17 IPs in A-, hadn't pitched in 3 years, and was on the IL.  He wasn't going to take a slot in the Phillies BP.

Maybe a super long shot, but yes, true.

It wasnt fair to Song.