Red Sox 2025 Season Review/Offseason Preview Thread

[a700hitter]

 

[moonslav59]

18 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Red Sox are the ONLY AL Team to not sign a SINGLE FA and one of only 2 in all of MLB

That won't last, but I do wonder if Brez might just sign 1-2 minor FAs and make one more big trade.

[JoeBrady]

37 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Red Sox are the ONLY AL Team to not sign a SINGLE FA and one of only 2 in all of MLB

They signed FA Vinnie Capra.

[moonslav59]

Just now, JoeBrady said:

They signed FA Vinnie Capra.

Minor League deal

[moonslav59]

36 minutes ago, a700hitter said:

 

Donovan has 2 arbs left. This year is estimated to be about $6M. I think BTV has his value at $32M. 

Sox Players

$46 Duran

$25 Bello

$22 Crawford

$19 Campbell

$18 Casas & Witherspoon

$8 Romero

$7 Harrison

$6 Eyanson

[Randy Red Sox]

18 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

They signed FA Vinnie Capra.

Minor league deal. They have not signed a single major league contract via FA

[Randy Red Sox]

39 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

That won't last, but I do wonder if Brez might just sign 1-2 minor FAs and make one more big trade.

Breslow is sure emptying the farm

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Minor League deal

But that was not a stipulation of Randy's assessment.  Many teams might have signed FAs, but not many have signed any important FAs.  Of the top-50 FAs, only a very few teams have added an outside FA.  A couple of teams have FAs that accepted a QO, and a couple of teams have re-signed their own FAs, but maybe only 8 teams have signed a top-50 FA from another team.

[moonslav59]

36 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Breslow is sure emptying the farm

Not really. He has added some, too, but it has gotten worse.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

But that was not a stipulation of Randy's assessment.  Many teams might have signed FAs, but not many have signed any important FAs.  Of the top-50 FAs, only a very few teams have added an outside FA.  A couple of teams have FAs that accepted a QO, and a couple of teams have re-signed their own FAs, but maybe only 8 teams have signed a top-50 FA from another team.

We are the only AL team not to sign a MLB FA

[Hugh2]

Not specifically Sox related but does anyone else find it odd that there has seemingly been ZERO reporting on this years top free agent Kyle Tucker????

[mvp 78]

8 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

We are the only AL team not to sign a MLB FA

How many trades? 

They are basically trading for contracts instead of signing them. 

[Old Red]

15 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

How many trades? 

They are basically trading for contracts instead of signing them. 

Shorter, and cheaper way to go. The Red Sox like it that way.

[mvp 78]

29 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Shorter, and cheaper way to go. The Red Sox like it that way.

WEEI used to talk about "Trader Danny" for Danny Ainge. We clearly got a Trader Craig on our hands. 

[harmony]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

How many trades? 

They are basically trading for contracts instead of signing them. 

Have the Red Sox adopted the Seattle Mariner model of the past decade?😉

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, harmony said:

Have the Red Sox adopted the Seattle Mariner model of the past decade?😉

God, I hope not. It's led to only an average of 84 wins over the past 10 seasons (2020 proration) and only two playoff appearances. 

Sox have averaged 88 wins even with the '20-'24 doldrums. 

[harmony]

40 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

God, I hope not. It's led to only an average of 84 wins over the past 10 seasons (2020 proration) and only two playoff appearances. 

Sox have averaged 88 wins even with the '20-'24 doldrums. 

The Seattle Mariners were an absolute mess 10 years ago but have posted 90, 90, 88, 85 and 90 wins over the past five seasons (88.6 average) while the Red Sox posted 25 fewer victories with 92, 78, 78, 81 and 89 wins (83.6 average). Last season the Red Sox closed the significant gap of the previous three seasons.

The Red Sox and Mariners have reasons to be optimistic about 2026. In last week's preliminary ZiPS projections, columnist Dan Szymborski speculated: "There's a high probability the Mariners enter 2026 with the most projected wins in the American League, at least according to ZiPS."

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2026-zips-projections-seattle-mariners/

No need to address the payroll differences.😉

Today Szymborski concluded: "At least according to ZiPS, the Red Sox have a roster that ought to have them competing with the best in the AL."

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2026-zips-projections-boston-red-sox/

[mvp 78]

13 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

They signed FA Vinnie Capra.

They've signed a few MiLB guys. 

Osvaldo Berrios

Vinny Capra

Alec Gamboa

[mvp 78]

None of the above guys are listed on FanGraphs tracker of about 275 top FA's. 

[moonslav59]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

How many trades? 

They are basically trading for contracts instead of signing them. 

 

10 trades in less than 5 weeks!!!!

Hoppe for Heyman

Bernardino for B Ward

Murphy for Ro. Hernandez

Guerrero for T Gray

(Plus, non-tendered Lowe & Wink, DFA'd Criswell & lost Paez to Rule 5.)

Fitts & Clarke for S Gray

Jh Garcia & Travieso for Oviedo, Samaniego and A Guzman

Grissom for I Jackson

Riemer for R Watson (Rule 5)

Perales for J Bennett

Dobbins, Fajardo & Aita for Contreras

That's 14 players traded away in less than 5 weeks! 12 players added- likely 4 to make the 26 man roster.

[Larry Cook]

15 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Red Sox are the ONLY AL Team to not sign a SINGLE FA and one of only 2 in all of MLB

If we resign Bregman, will you feel better? 

[Bellhorn04]

Resign/re-sign - one of the weirdest words in the English language.

[FredLynn]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

 

10 trades in less than 5 weeks!!!!

Hoppe for Heyman

Bernardino for B Ward

Murphy for Ro. Hernandez

Guerrero for T Gray

(Plus, non-tendered Lowe & Wink, DFA'd Criswell & lost Paez to Rule 5.)

Fitts & Clarke for S Gray

Jh Garcia & Travieso for Oviedo, Samaniego and A Guzman

Grissom for I Jackson

Riemer for R Watson (Rule 5)

Perales for J Bennett

Dobbins, Fajardo & Aita for Contreras

That's 14 players traded away in less than 5 weeks! 12 players added- likely 4 to make the 26 man roster.

Some of these players will improve the roster. Most are meh. None of them will put us over the top to compete for a ring. Its obviously not a priority for Henry any more.

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Some of these players will improve the roster. Most are meh. None of them will put us over the top to compete for a ring. Its obviously not a priority for Henry any more.

You may be right, but 2-3 moves can and should help the team, but as of now, I agree we have not done enough to get us "over the top."

I'm not certain we are done. I'll hold off being so certain about JH having no winning priority until the winter is over. The one piece of evidence I have is what JH allowed, last winter- just after extending Devers to 10 years and an AAV nearly 50% higher than the previous Sox record contract:

Bregman shattered the AAV record contract by a Sox signing or extension

Buehler was the highest AAV paid to a FA SP'er since Price and 3rd highest among all SP'ers in Sox history. This was also accompanied by the Sandoval deal. While both failed (Sandoval, so far) it did show a "priority" to spend to try and win. The Chapman signing and extension was no dumpster dive, either.

Now, Breggie, Devers and Gio (Buehler too) are gone, and JH's intentions are back to the forefront, again, but there is no way any of know what he will do to replace their contracts. I don't blame you for assuming he won't spend, but you sound like more than assuming. You sound very certain, and I think that is unfounded.

I hope you are wrong, and I think you hope so, too.

[Kimmi]

22 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Some GM will give Breggie 4 and maybe even 5.

No doubt.  He might even get 6.

[Kimmi]

22 hours ago, harmony said:

Rob Refsnyder is going to  Seattle on a one-year, $6.25 million contract with another $250,000 in incentives:

https://x.com/ChrisCotillo/status/2003217858822832466

 

Good for Seattle.  I really hoped the Sox would bring him back.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, Kimmi said:

No doubt.  He might even get 6.

If it’s 6 years we have zero chance, 5 years maybe 10% chance, 4 years maybe 25% and 3 years maybe 50% tops, but I doubt he takes 3, if longer offers are out there.

[Kimmi]

20 hours ago, Hitch said:

Whether you'll get answers I don't know, but I think there are many, many people that think that.

Well there are certainly many, many posts stating that Henry is greedy and/or cheap.  I really can't fault anyone for thinking that.  I just have a different opinion on that matter.

[Randy Red Sox]

5 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

God, I hope not. It's led to only an average of 84 wins over the past 10 seasons (2020 proration) and only two playoff appearances. 

Sox have averaged 88 wins even with the '20-'24 doldrums. 

we will win 88-92 again this year but not come close to a WS. Everyone knows these trades are for players that cost far less than from the FA market.

[Kimmi]

20 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Gray COULD pitch like a #2 or he may pitch like he did for the NYY several years ago when he was in his prime and it wasn't pretty.

I do not disagree Randy.  Let's hope we get the #2 version of Gray, but there really is no way of knowing.  Perhaps Bello can step it up and be a bona fide #2?

Our rotation can potentially be very strong.  It could also potentially be mediocre after Crochet.  I'd still like to see another top of the rotation starter added.  For me, that's a higher priority than adding another big bat.