A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[notin]

24 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Sox would have pivoted to Swansby. 

At over $177 mill?

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

At over $177 mill?

[moonslav59]

57 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

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 did not mean it as revisionist or a knock on Story. I liked the Story signing, at the time.

I was just speaking to the point of having a limited budget from DD's last season to today.

The major signings from the Sale/Bogey/Nate deals to the Devers deals were Story and Yoshida. I doubt we'd have signed Schwarber and Story.

[notin]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He gets less exciting once you realize his first name is James…

[moonslav59]

37 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Or Masa since the DH position was taken.

That came after the 2022 budget, but yes. (It was just 1 year later.)

He was much less costly than Story & Kyle, too.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

That came after the 2022 budget, but yes. (It was just 1 year later.)

I know.

Not one domino shall fall. 

[moonslav59]

20 minutes ago, notin said:

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…

 

He stayed much more healthy with PHI.

His pre-PHI numbers were very good: ,836.

Per 650: .237  38  90

w PHI: .869 but... er 650:

 229 45  100

 

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I know.

Not one domino shall fall. 

Yes.

I seriously doubt JH would have allowed Kyle & Trevor signings in 2022.

[notin]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Yes.

I seriously doubt JH would have allowed Kyle & Trevor signings in 2022.

Had they extended Schwarber during the season, he might have been cheaper…

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

Had they extended Schwarber during the season, he might have been cheaper…

Yes, and $79M/5 was not much AAV added, and no Wacha $7M, Hill $5M and Strahm $3M might have been enough to balance it enough for JH. Then, we don't add Yoshida in 2023 and make up for the bad pitching or no Story signing from 2022 by signing a SS/2Bman.

[notin]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Yes, and $79M/5 was not much AAV added, and no Wacha $7M, Hill $5M and Strahm $3M might have been enough to balance it enough for JH. Then, we don't add Yoshida in 2023 and make up for the bad pitching or no Story signing from 2022 by signing a SS/2Bman.

They might have gotten him for much less.  Don’t forget he was just months past being non-tendered and settling for a one year cheap deal on a s***** team…

[JoeBrady]

On 6/21/2026 at 2:17 PM, notin said:

Signing Alonso means benching one of Anthony, Duran, or Abreu.  Which one gets benched?

That was always going to be the problem with acquiring a DH.  Replacing a Duran or an Anthony for a $30M player, was never going to make sense in the off-season.

[JoeBrady]

On 6/21/2026 at 3:51 PM, notin said:

I don’t consider trading Suarez because he has 4 years left, and he is doing well.  But I can be bought…

Unless you are talking about a team icon like Papi, Yaz, etc., then no one is off-limits.  I love watching Ranger pitch, but it never hurts to listen.

[JoeBrady]

On 6/21/2026 at 3:53 PM, notin said:

Not that long ago, David Hamilton was doing “so much better” in Milwaukee

Sample size is not a real thing in RS discussions.

[JoeBrady]

18 hours ago, notin said:

Doubtful Breslow gets fired

He won't get fired.  The biggest problems we have, by far, is with the players that were on the team in 2025 (Narvaez, Story, Anthony, Crochet & Bello).

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

 

Duran should be the automatic lead-off hitter.  i don't see anyone being close.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

That was always going to be the problem with acquiring a DH.  Replacing a Duran or an Anthony for a $30M player, was never going to make sense in the off-season.

Once we traded for Willson, yes.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

Duran should be the automatic lead-off hitter.  i don't see anyone being close.

His OBP is pathetic. I see several better choices.