A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[JoeBrady]

19 hours ago, notin said:

And plenty of us said Gray was easily a number two.  No accolades there?  
 

Honestly Fred just wanted the team to spend more money.  That was his primary gripe, supported by his frequent repetition of the Sox ranking on percentage of revenue spent on payroll, a fairly useless metric.  Repeated questions about who the Sox would bench if they signed Alonso and traded for Contreras went unanswered.  Especially if you play by the April rules and don’t know Roman Anthony gets injured…

The issue wasn't the acquisitions.  Breslow had a great off-season.  The issue was the guys that we carried over from 2025.

• Narvaez  .553
• Story   .547 & IL
• Anthony  .675 & IL
• Crochet   6.30 & IL
• Bello    6.34 & AAA

And since nobody suggested that we replace those 5 guys, nothing was going to change.

[mvp 78]

15 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

The issue wasn't the acquisitions.  Breslow had a great off-season.  The issue was the guys that we carried over from 2025.

• Narvaez  .553
• Story   .547 & IL
• Anthony  .675 & IL
• Crochet   6.30 & IL
• Bello    6.34 & AAA

And since nobody suggested that we replace those 5 guys, nothing was going to change.

Narvaez - Breslow acquisition

Anthony - Breslow extension

Crochet - Breslow acquisition/extension

Bello - Breslow extension

Nothing may have changed, but Breslow's still in charge of running the overall team. If the team is in last place, it's still his fault. 

 

[drewski6]

Some are calling this the worst red sox team of all time, when you contextualize the team against the backdrop of the hilariously weak AL, I think you can make a point relative to expectations.

Would probably need this context though, because I dont think its the worst ever without the context of a bad AL, coming off a playoff appearance....

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Some are calling this the worst red sox team of all time, when you contextualize the team against the backdrop of the hilariously weak AL, I think you can make a point relative to expectations.

Would probably need this context though, because I dont think its the worst ever without the context of a bad AL, coming off a playoff appearance....

They were originally in the conversation with '92 because of the offensive stink. They are worse than '92 and worse than the pathetic '20 team (that team had Sale and ERod on the shelf). People are going back to the 1965 team for comparisons now. That is pre-modern era IMO. I believe the Sox can be split between pre and post 1967 for various reasons (ongoing success on field, attendance). 

[mvp 78]

 

[moonslav59]

4 hours ago, cp176 said:

Gray, Contreas(sp), Suarez, were not bad signings.   Signing more 4444 players when basically that is what you have in your system was ridiculous.  Relying on metrics, trying to sign players that seem to fit in a specific ballplark as opposed to trying to sign good baseball players in general doesn’t seem  too bright to me.  With respect to Breslow, Kennedy, etc., I would have to say “are you stupid or are you just uncoachable.?”  Stubbornness and the constant ridiculous optimism that they throw our way makes me think that they are uncoachable which is far worse than stupid.  

Most fans and posters were optimistic about 2026 on opening day, too. Not so much in previous years, when Kennedy & Co were smiling and saying "full throttle."

(BTW, minor note: Gray and Willson were trades. Durbin, Oviedo & others were also trades. Suarez, IKF & Coulombe were signings.)

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, drewski6 said:

Some are calling this the worst red sox team of all time, when you contextualize the team against the backdrop of the hilariously weak AL, I think you can make a point relative to expectations.

Would probably need this context though, because I dont think its the worst ever without the context of a bad AL, coming off a playoff appearance....

True. What makes this season odd is our 6th place in AL Run Differential. That adds another context that suggests we are having bad luck or have some sort of mental issue in close games.

[mvp 78]

20 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

True. What makes this season odd is our 6th place in AL Run Differential. That adds another context that suggests we are having bad luck or have some sort of mental issue in close games.

Run differential is kinda meaningless when a lot of the differential is due to the Sox having a great pitching staff with an offense that is not being able to put up any runs. Of course they'd have an ok differential. Even their comebacks are constantly falling sort because of their lack of offensive firepower. Who cares about them climbing back from being down 0-3 to tie it up 3-3 only to lose 4-3. It just helps dum dum Pythagorus. 

This team stinks because they put zero effort into having a lineup with any testosterone in it. 

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Run differential is kinda meaningless when a lot of the differential is due to the Sox having a great pitching staff with an offense that is not being able to put up any runs. Of course they'd have an ok differential. Even their comebacks are constantly falling sort because of their lack of offensive firepower. Who cares about them climbing back from being down 0-3 to tie it up 3-3 only to lose 4-3. It just helps dum dum Pythagorus. 

This team stinks because they put zero effort into having a lineup with any testosterone in it. 

Yabba dabba doo Flintstone Schwaber would have added some too. As someone has said you are what your record says you are. It doesn’t matter all the whys, and why nots.

[notin]

2 hours ago, drewski6 said:

Some are calling this the worst red sox team of all time, when you contextualize the team against the backdrop of the hilariously weak AL, I think you can make a point relative to expectations.

Would probably need this context though, because I dont think its the worst ever without the context of a bad AL, coming off a playoff appearance....

Worst? Probably not.  Most disappointing? Easily…

[notin]

40 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Run differential is kinda meaningless when a lot of the differential is due to the Sox having a great pitching staff with an offense that is not being able to put up any runs. Of course they'd have an ok differential. Even their comebacks are constantly falling sort because of their lack of offensive firepower. Who cares about them climbing back from being down 0-3 to tie it up 3-3 only to lose 4-3. It just helps dum dum Pythagorus. 

This team stinks because they put zero effort into having a lineup with any testosterone in it. 

Run differential is probably still a pretty accurate predictor most of the time.  But the Sox have a better different than the Padres, who have the same good staff and impotent offense and a much better record…

[a700hitter]

Which genius GM let him walk?  I am sure that there  are plenty of excuses here for him, but signing Schwarber was a no-brainer.

[drewski6]

19 minutes ago, notin said:

Worst? Probably not.  Most disappointing? Easily…

Disappointing to me, may suggest that the roster isnt fatally flawed, and I would disagree with that.  But disappointing could also mean relative to expectations (not because of the roster but more so due to bad AL, that we are already so many years into a "rebuild")....I would agree disappointing is a key word in that sense.

Just dont excuse this joke of a roster brought to you by an absolute clown of a GM who cant even answer direct questions

[drewski6]

19 minutes ago, notin said:

Run differential is probably still a pretty accurate predictor most of the time.  But the Sox have a better different than the Padres, who have the same good staff and impotent offense and a much better record…

not nearly as impotent tho.  

[drewski6]

I may be bordering on campaigning vs just calling em as I sees em, but I just really really really really think that Breslow is an absolute clown and not only a bad GM but a bad person.

And I just think that any attempt to excuse this sinking team (in his third year, with an increased budget) is fool-talk.  This is his team.  And he cant get bats.  He can ship em out but cant bring em in.

[mvp 78]

33 minutes ago, a700hitter said:

Which genius GM let him walk?  I am sure that there  are plenty of excuses here for him, but signing Schwarber was a no-brainer.

I think most everyone on here agrees that Schwarber should have been re-signed for '22. They could have hidden him somewhere defensively for one year and then he would have been fulltime DH going forward. 

I think most people on the board said the same thing back then too. 

[mvp 78]

 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Run differential is kinda meaningless when a lot of the differential is due to the Sox having a great pitching staff with an offense that is not being able to put up any runs. Of course they'd have an ok differential. Even their comebacks are constantly falling sort because of their lack of offensive firepower. Who cares about them climbing back from being down 0-3 to tie it up 3-3 only to lose 4-3. It just helps dum dum Pythagorus. 

This team stinks because they put zero effort into having a lineup with any testosterone in it. 

Good points, but other teams cant even come close and then lose.

They have negative run diffs and are ahead of us. I think that adds context when saying we are worse than they are. 

I'm not saying it's enough to say we are better, but we are very close to being equally as bad as several teams ahead of us in the standings. A Crochet and or Anthony addition could jump us over a few teams.

I know... who cares, if we finish 9th or 10th in the AL vs 14th or 15th?

Even 6th, 7th or 8th is no great achievement in a crappy league. I get it.

[a700hitter]

22 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I think most everyone on here agrees that Schwarber should have been re-signed for '22. They could have hidden him somewhere defensively for one year and then he would have been fulltime DH going forward. 

I think most people on the board said the same thing back then too. 

Okay, So a rare unanimous demerit for the idiot GM.  Was that the same idiot that traded Mookie for a bag of balls?

[moonslav59]

28 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I think most everyone on here agrees that Schwarber should have been re-signed for '22. They could have hidden him somewhere defensively for one year and then he would have been fulltime DH going forward. 

I think most people on the board said the same thing back then too. 

Assuming the budget demands remained somewhat the same, it would have meant no Story signing. Yipee!

[drewski6]

40 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Assuming the budget demands remained somewhat the same, it would have meant no Story signing. Yipee!

Thats revisionist for me, I dont remember hating the story deal when it was inked.  But kudos to you if you had immediate concerns.

I thought w story they were trying to overlap w boegarts in teh short term and have a really good infield one way or the other

But i was beyond pissed that we let schwarber go. He was a playoff hero and i remember thinking: what else did this guy need to do to stay

 

[drewski6]

its possible if we kept kyle , bloom is till here and has 2 championships.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, a700hitter said:

Okay, So a rare unanimous demerit for the idiot GM.  Was that the same idiot that traded Mookie for a bag of balls?

You weren't a history major? 

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Assuming the budget demands remained somewhat the same, it would have meant no Story signing. Yipee!

Or Masa since the DH position was taken.

[mvp 78]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Or Masa since the DH position was taken.

Sox would have pivoted to Swansby. 

[mvp 78]

24 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

its possible if we kept kyle , bloom is till here and has 2 championships.

No. 

[Bellhorn04]

5 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

The issue wasn't the acquisitions.  Breslow had a great off-season.  The issue was the guys that we carried over from 2025.

• Narvaez  .553
• Story   .547 & IL
• Anthony  .675 & IL
• Crochet   6.30 & IL
• Bello    6.34 & AAA

And since nobody suggested that we replace those 5 guys, nothing was going to change.

FWIW the conspiracy theory is that Breslow is the man dictating the organization's hitting approach and the organization's hitting approach is misguided and rigid and players are frustrated with it and all that stuff.

[Bellhorn04]

26 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

its possible if we kept kyle , bloom is till here and has 2 championships.

2 championships?  Oh the joys of the wayback machine trip through the alternate universe.

[mvp 78]

16 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

FWIW the conspiracy theory is that Breslow is the man dictating the organization's hitting approach and the organization's hitting approach is misguided and rigid and players are frustrated with it and all that stuff.

Is that a conspiracy? The pull air stuff didn't get crammed down our throats until his tenure. 

[notin]

45 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

its possible if we kept kyle , bloom is till here and has 2 championships.

That was a weird transaction year for Schwarber.  At age 28, he was:

1. non-tendered by the Cubs, 

2. only able to get a 1 year $7mill deal with the Nationals

3. missed time with injuries

4. Got  traded to Boston in July for some guy named Aldo Ramirez

and then signed his first multiyear deal with Philly and took off from there…