A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[Jean-Sébastien Blouin]

Arias and Bannon, who are having a good start to the season in AA, would it be the time to bring them up with the team to see what they can do?

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

I agree with the first part, but I do think its worse now. 

To me, the worst was after we lost Betts and did not replace his and many more to follow's salaries, in kind.

We got so low, that the recent uptick in spending is like bringing a squirt gun to a raging fire, but adding guys like Suarez, Contreras and Gray appeal more to me than Mazza, Godley,Kickham and Jose Peraza.

I get how sucking year after year has an accumulating effect, but that sucked more to me.

[drewski6]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Well said.

I still watch just about every pitch of every games, but that's just because I have OCD.

I do still enjoy watching many aspects of the game and try to focus on a few players I see as having hopes of becoming much better, I do think some of our players are vastly underperforming what maybe they can still give us, but I'm not holding my breath or predicting enough of them improve enough to get us anywhere.

The fact that rest of the AL sucks and a bad team or two will likely squeak into the playoffs and maybe one could be us is nothing fun to root for.

I have no issue with you enjoying the games, watching the games, being optimistic for a turnaround or even making excuses for Breslow.  

But when I am asked to find examples of people rallying against criticizing Breslow and you are like "well, I think the moves he made were better than the ones that we suggested, so I think its hollow to criticize him" and its in response to people criticizing Breslow...I think its a fair example.

Nothing against ya, but these comments are defending Breslow

I think Breslow should get s*** canned today?

Do you?

If not, thats okay.  But whatever argument you make against firing breslow counts as defending breslow.

Its okay, you can do it.  

[mvp 78]

Just now, Jean-Sébastien Blouin said:

Arias and Bannon, who are having a good start to the season in AA, would it be the time to bring them up with the team to see what they can do?

No. Big difference between AA and MLB. Brannon has a lot of swing and miss and would be eaten alive. Arias has been hot, but still needs to show that this hot month and a half isn't an aberration. He'll get called up to AAA first with maybe a very late season callup to BOS. Brannon has a much longer path to go. He's missed a lot of time due to injury and doesn't have good defense to fall back on. Even if he keeps mashing, he's not close to BOS. His power is LEGIT though. 

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

If not, thats okay.  But whatever argument you make against firing breslow counts as defending breslow.

Its okay, you can do it.  

They can't fire him because nobody will apply for the job. They are simply stuck with him through next season unless they are going to promote an internal candidate. 

Saying that shouldn't count as defending Breslow. 

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, Jean-Sébastien Blouin said:

Arias and Bannon, who are having a good start to the season in AA, would it be the time to bring them up with the team to see what they can do?

I'm not one to think players are ruined by rushing them, but I don't see the use with these two.

Maybe give some from Romero, KC, Ward, Sogard, Eaton, Capra & Seigler a look-see, but jumping guys who have just joined AA ball might not be a great idea.

That being said, I'd like watching the games more.

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

I have no issue with you enjoying the games, watching the games, being optimistic for a turnaround or even making excuses for Breslow.  

But when I am asked to find examples of people rallying against criticizing Breslow and you are like "well, I think the moves he made were better than the ones that we suggested, so I think its hollow to criticize him" and its in response to people criticizing Breslow...I think its a fair example.

Nothing against ya, but these comments are defending Breslow

I think Breslow should get s*** canned today?

Do you?

If not, thats okay.  But whatever argument you make against firing breslow counts as defending breslow.

Its okay, you can do it.  

I don't think saying Breslow's choices were better than our awful choices is defending him. It's more about how s***** we were. Being slightly better than s***** is not a defense.

[moonslav59]

Note: This is neither a defense or a criticism of Breslow, but this is the roster and farm he inherited:

EOY Roster for 2023

Sale (IL) Kluber (IL) Bello, Pivetta, Crawford, Houck, Paxton

Jansen, Martin (IL) Whitlock, Winckowski, Bernardino, Schreiber, Blier, Joely, Llovera, Murphy,  Jacques, Brasier, Kelly, N Robertson

Wong, McGuire (Ronald Hernandez)

Dalbec (Casas)

EValdez, P Reyes/Urias (McDonough)

Story, Arroyo (Koss/ Kike was traded away)

Devers (Sogard)

Yoshida/Refsnyder

Duran

Verdugo/Duvall

Turner

Farm by rankings: Anthony, Mayer, Teel, Rafaela, Bleis, Yorke, Perales, Abreu, Wikelman, Cespedes, Zanetello, Meidroth, Castro, Jo garcia, Drohan, Hickey, Paulino, Romero, Jordan, Monegro, DHam,... Dobbins, E R-C, Guerrero...Mata...Arias

Things were not all that great, and the farm was not looking all that great, either. JH did start allowing more spending, but not a big jump.

[drewski6]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

To me, the worst was after we lost Betts and did not replace his and many more to follow's salaries, in kind.

We got so low, that the recent uptick in spending is like bringing a squirt gun to a raging fire, but adding guys like Suarez, Contreras and Gray appeal more to me than Mazza, Godley,Kickham and Jose Peraza.

I get how sucking year after year has an accumulating effect, but that sucked more to me.

The difference is that we could trade all of our best players, have the lowest salary in the league and finish 0-162.  But thats a baseball gripe.

Breslow told his guys: you will do what we pay you to do. And did not give his players a chance to vent, ask.  It was very authoritarian. The difference here is that is going beyond just baseball gripes and entering the world of not treating people well gripes.  Ethics gripes.  To find a comparison to what Breslow has done, I think you need to go back to how they handled Tito and planted stories about him pill popping.  Cuz again, in that circumstance we are going beyond baseball gripes.  So I guess I do agree that this ugliness goes back further than Breslow but man, did I really hope, we were past that kind of stuff.

I would never turn on the red sox for their record or payroll.  Ive turned on them because Breslow treats people badly.  And I am a man of morals and ethics who really really really hates fascist/authoritarian YOU WILL DO WHAT WE PAY YOU TO DO type stuff

What I wanted is when Breslow said to the team, you are paid to go play baseball, that is what you will do, we will not take questions....Is for the team to walk out.  Not take the field.  

And Breslows whole nature is authoritarian.  You ever hear him interview? Hes always talking about how hes the president and hes the final decision maker and hes the boss and hes the judge, jury, and executioner and he makes all the decisions. Im a vice president of a consulting company , I dont talk like that.  Ive heard of directors talking to their staff like that.  "IM THE DIRECTOR AND WHAT I SAY GOES" and usually, those people , get sacked.  Cuz thats bad leadership.  And if you are talking like that, its usually because you are ineffectual.

Breslow is a bad communicator, a bad leader, short on ethics, short on respect, and treats people poorly. And he has costed the RS a lot, including my fandom.

Now I wouldnt expect a lot of people here to care about me not being a RS fan currently, but a lot of my personal friends do, and they have asked: please come watch a game with me or please I need someone to banter with.  And I say, "Ill come over and hang with you and ur kids, but Im deeply disappointed with the rs right now because [everything i just said]"  And most of my friends are like would you come back to sox fandom if they sold the team? And I say, I dont even need all that.  Just breslow gone.  And they have told me, well both of the people who I have had this conversation with have told me: thats fair.

So thats where I am.

[drewski6]

27 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

They can't fire him because nobody will apply for the job. They are simply stuck with him through next season unless they are going to promote an internal candidate. 

Saying that shouldn't count as defending Breslow. 

Saying that we cant fire Breslow creates an air of immunity that I dont believe should exist.  I do like when you call him bad.  But to me, I believe there is a line that I feel he crossed that there is no coming back from.

If one of my directors who reports to me spoke to a front line analyst the way Bres spoke to his players, I would fire that director on the spot.  You will respect your fellow humans.  I dont care if they are the janitor! You will respect humans or I will not be associated with you.

Everyone has their line, Breslow crossed mine.

[JoeBrady]

57 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Saying some of his moves worked out good and or better than out choices,

It's more accurate to say that none of the likely moves would've worked out, at least where we are now.

• Contreras over Alonso is a no-brainer.
• Marte for either Tolle or Early, plus Mayer, is a non-starter
• Bichette is a non-starter.
• E. Suarez is a non-starter.
• Bregman would be a negative so far.
• One could argue in favor of Duran/Paredes, but my understanding is that Houston wanted Abreu, which is once again, a non-starter.

One could cherry-pick a couple of signings that were never going to happen, or never considered, but among the more popular moves discussed in here, none would've worked out.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

I’ve said before that I applaud the diehards who watch every game.👏

I've put up with tons worse than this.

[Duran Is The Man]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Who plays 1b? 

yes.

[Duran Is The Man]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

I agree. Usually I take the Red Sox off the back burner after the Bruins, and Celtics are done, but not this year. Watching the WNBA is more exciting to me.

watching a high school chess tournament is more exciting than these losers.