A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Hitch said:

I'd do that deal all day, but yeah, I don't think anyone is taking on that cash.

It's really hard to judge how teams would see Campbell right now. There's still the minor player of the year sheen there, but they will have the same scouting reports that we see...

For the most part, MiLB PotY guys end up having very good careers. 

[moonslav59]

25 minutes ago, notin said:

Anthony’s service time is a moot point, since he signed an extension…

Correctomundo.

[Hitch]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

For the most part, MiLB PotY guys end up having very good careers. 

That doesn't mean much to me when he can't field a position and his hit tool is still is very suspect.

I'd prefer someone else figure it out and we use the money to get the players in we need. 

[moonslav59]

Quite a list there, MVP.

[mvp 78]

14 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Quite a list there, MVP.

Names prior to Jeffries: Mike Marshall, Ron Kittle, Dwight Gooden, Mike Beilecki, Jose Canseco. Just saying that Campbell may have a pedigree that we shouldn't give up on just yet. 

 

[moonslav59]

Let's hope KC approaches these levels.

[Larry Cook]

Looks like Greene is not on the trade market anymore!!! 
 

Ryan may be bres-slow’s only option 

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, Larry Cook said:

Looks like Greene is not on the trade market anymore!!! 
Ryan may be bres-slow’s only option 

Pablo Lopez

Mitch Keller

Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera

Nick Lodolo

MacKenzie Gore

Freakin' Chris Sale

Maybe...

Sonny Gray (add Willson Contreras for Hicks)

KC SP'er? Lugo, Wacha, Bubic?

 

[harmony]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Pablo Lopez

Mitch Keller

Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera

Nick Lodolo

MacKenzie Gore

Freakin' Chris Sale

Maybe...

Sonny Gray (add Willson Contreras for Hicks)

KC SP'er? Lugo, Wacha, Bubic?

 

What if Seattle offered right-hander Luis Castillo for Triston Casas?😀😀😀

This year Castillo posted 2.6 fWAR over 180.2 innings while Casas posted a negative 0.6 fWAR in 29 games.

[moonslav59]

Looking at some telling stats, I wonder if these guys could be trade/FA targets:

xFIP (150+ IP and under 4.00)

3. Sale 2.80 (3rd in ERA-)

5. Gray 2.95 (77th ERA-)

15. F Valdez 3.22 (29th ERA-)

16. Eovaldi 3.28 (13th ERA-)

18. Flaherty 3.34 (64th)

19. R Suarez 3.44 (25th ERA-)

23. Cease 3.50 (73rd ERA-)

25. Lopez 3.51 (48th)

28. Ryan 3.56 (38th)

29, Burnes 3.59 (10th ERA-)

31. Rasmussen 3.70 (8th ERA-)

33. M King 3.70 (17th ERA-)

36. E Cabrera 3.76 (69th)

37. Lodolo 3.76 (45th)

41. Gore 3.82 (67th)

42. M Kelly 3.83 (43rd)

47. Gallen 3.90 (85th)

49. Singer 3.93 (47th)

52. Castillo 3.96 (61st)

53. Eflin 3.98 (98th)

70. M Keller 4.12 (74th)

[moonslav59]

12 minutes ago, harmony said:

What if Seattle offered right-hander Luis Castillo for Triston Casas?😀😀😀

This year Castillo posted 2.6 fWAR over 180.2 innings while Casas posted a negative 0.6 fWAR in 29 games.

I gotta ask, where is this coming from?

Every time I suggest a trade for a SEA SP'er, you say they aren't on the block, or they don't need so and so.

[harmony]

38 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I gotta ask, where is this coming from?

Every time I suggest a trade for a SEA SP'er, you say they aren't on the block, or they don't need so and so.

That was last offseason when Luis Castillo had a no-trade clause that will expire this upcoming January 1.

One Seattle offseason plan, shared to this forum on Sunday, included a trade of Castillo.

https://talksox.com/forums/topic/90239-red-sox-2025-season-reviewoffseason-preview-thread/page/37/#comment-3047844

 

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, harmony said:

That was last offseason when Luis Castillo had a no-trade clause that will expire this upcoming January 1.

One Seattle offseason plan, shared to this forum on Sunday, included a trade of Castillo.

https://talksox.com/forums/topic/90239-red-sox-2025-season-reviewoffseason-preview-thread/page/37/#comment-3047844

 

Just a few weeks ago, you said SEA is not trading a SP'er.

[Larry Cook]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Pablo Lopez

Mitch Keller

Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera

Nick Lodolo

MacKenzie Gore

Freakin' Chris Sale

Maybe...

Sonny Gray (add Willson Contreras for Hicks)

KC SP'er? Lugo, Wacha, Bubic?

 

Any trade that brings us sale, without giving up Anthony, Mayer, Tolle or early, should be pursued by bres-slow. 
 

[moonslav59]

Just now, Larry Cook said:

Any trade that brings us sale, without giving up Anthony, Mayer, Tolle or early, should be pursued by bres-slow. 
 

I wouldn't give much. Grissom and Hicks, maybe.

LOL

[harmony]

23 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Just a few weeks ago, you said SEA is not trading a SP'er.

???

https://talksox.com/forums/topic/90239-red-sox-2025-season-reviewoffseason-preview-thread/page/25/#comment-3045050

[Larry Cook]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

I wouldn't give much. Grissom and Hicks, maybe.

LOL

Sale’s stuff was amazing last season. As good if not better than skubal’s. 
 

he has 1 year left on his contract. Atlanta is not contending this year. 
 

we will have to overpay, but this is the number 2 that bres-slow desperately needs! 
 

trade for sale and sign king! 
 

crochet

sale

king

bello

sandavol/dobbins/early/tolle 

Works series type rotation. 

 

 

[Duran Is The Man]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Pablo Lopez

Mitch Keller

Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera

Nick Lodolo

MacKenzie Gore

Freakin' Chris Sale

Maybe...

Sonny Gray (add Willson Contreras for Hicks)

KC SP'er? Lugo, Wacha, Bubic?

 

saw this on X.....

 

[Hugh2]

8 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Any trade that brings us sale, without giving up Anthony, Mayer, Tolle or early, should be pursued by bres-slow. 
 

Chris Sale has obviously found himself again in Atlanta, perhaps he was always that guy and just needed to get healthy.  Perhaps 4 years of injury after injury was just a fluke.  But he's still going to be a 37 year old pitcher next year.  He's still going to be at that age where any year guys completely fall off of cliffs.  

We need ceiling, but we also need consistency and dependability at the top of the rotation as well. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

9 hours ago, Duran Is The Man said:

saw this on X.....

 

Great list to evaluate.

Based on groundball rates (and presumed swing-and-miss stuff) -- for a team with a crappy infield defense- -- here are the best and worst fits in order...

Best fits: Abbott, Greene, Gore, Ryan, Cease, Peralta.

Worst fits: Framber, Bassitt, Alcantara, Suarez, Keller, Kelly.

[moonslav59]

14 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Sale’s stuff was amazing last season. As good if not better than skubal’s. 
 

he has 1 year left on his contract. Atlanta is not contending this year. 
 

we will have to overpay, but this is the number 2 that bres-slow desperately needs! 
 

trade for sale and sign king! 
 

crochet

sale

king

bello

sandavol/dobbins/early/tolle 

Works series type rotation. 

 

 

I'm not for trading for any one year pitcher. See my comments on Skubal.

[moonslav59]

6 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

Chris Sale has obviously found himself again in Atlanta, perhaps he was always that guy and just needed to get healthy.  Perhaps 4 years of injury after injury was just a fluke. 

And, he still missed the end of every season with ATL.

[moonslav59]

Duran for prospects, then prospects for Ryan.

Sign Alonso and Polanco (Mayer to 3B) or Suarez (Mayer to 2B.)

Bring back Ref & Matz.

1. L Anthony LF

2. S Polanco 2B

3. L Abreu RF/ R Story SS

4. R Alonso 1B

5. R Story SS/Abreu RF

6. L Yoshida/ R Refsnyder/Romy DH

7. L Mayer/ R Romy 2B/3B

8. Narvaez C

9. Rafaela CF

SP: Crochet, Ryan, Bello, 2 from: Sandoval, Harrison, Dobbins, Crawford, Tolle, Early, Perales, Fitts

RP: Chapman, Whitlock, Slaten, Weissert, Matz, Bernardino, Murphy/Criswell/Wink/Moran, Hicks + a converted SP'er or two (Kelly, Sandlin, Mullins)

[Hugh2]

44 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

And, he still missed the end of every season with ATL.

I'm too lazy to look it up now but didn't he only pitch something like 39 innings in the second half last year? And now he's going to be 37. 

 

Looked it up, it was 36.1 innings. 

[drewski6]

8 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

Chris Sale has obviously found himself again in Atlanta, perhaps he was always that guy and just needed to get healthy.  Perhaps 4 years of injury after injury was just a fluke.  But he's still going to be a 37 year old pitcher next year.  He's still going to be at that age where any year guys completely fall off of cliffs.  

We need ceiling, but we also need consistency and dependability at the top of the rotation as well. 

Both last year and the year before concluded with Sale hurt.  Hes still getting hurt in Atl.

[drewski6]

Im not against trading for Sale, I just wouldnt count on him surviving the season.

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

I'm too lazy to look it up now but didn't he only pitch something like 39 innings in the second half last year? And now he's going to be 37. 

 

Looked it up, it was 36.1 innings. 

ANd the year before that, he won the cy young and everyone was like omg.  Then he couldnt pitch in the postseason. He would have, people think, had they made it out of the first round.  But back to the wall and their ace was not available.  People dont seem to realize this for some reason.  Prob cuz "we got hosed" is a better narrative.

Im not against trading for Sale, but I dont think hes anything different than what he was.  Wirey dudes usually break down. Not all, but most.

[Larry Cook]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

I'm too lazy to look it up now but didn't he only pitch something like 39 innings in the second half last year? And now he's going to be 37. 

 

Looked it up, it was 36.1 innings. 

Sale broke a rib diving for a pop up against Philly I think! 
 

 Sale’s stuff is amazing. We have 3 or 4 high quality kids knocking on the door! 
 

seems like the perfect bridge pitcher for us 

[Hugh2]

16 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Sale broke a rib diving for a pop up against Philly I think! 
 

 Sale’s stuff is amazing. We have 3 or 4 high quality kids knocking on the door! 
 

seems like the perfect bridge pitcher for us 

I don't think we dont' need a bridge pitcher.  We need a rock, a solid #1 #2 to slide in behind Crochet, someone who is younger than 30 and can help head the 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation for the next several years. 

[drewski6]

Sale makes a lot of sense as a deadline add more than an add at this point in time.  1. He'll be 7m as opposed to 18m, 2. if hes healthy at the deadline he has a much better shot at making it through the season because less runway between then and playoffs vs now and playoffs