A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[FredLynn]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

If Story comes back, maybe he can play 2B with Seigler. We have to get a SS that forces Tracy to make that move.

A Monasterio-Cheng platoon is far away from that.

They shouldn't be thinking of ADDING anyone at all. We are far from being contenders. I would rather get prospects, draft picks, and improve our own draft position than get players now that realistically will not make much of a difference in terms of competing for a ring. Not this year.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

They shouldn't be thinking of ADDING anyone at all. We are far from being contenders. I would rather get prospects, draft picks, and improve our own draft position than get players now that realistically will not make much of a difference in terms of competing for a ring. Not this year.

Be Serious. There is a zero chance you think we will be contenders in 2027 or 2028, when those years come.

We just has a playoff team that added Contreras, Gray and Suarez, and you projected we'd miss the playoffs.

If you think we'll add more than that or do even better, this coming winter, with your buddies at GM and owner, I'll politely ask, "are you serious?"

[FredLynn]

18 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Be Serious. There is a zero chance you think we will be contenders in 2027 or 2028, when those years come.

We just has a playoff team that added Contreras, Gray and Suarez, and you projected we'd miss the playoffs.

If you think we'll add more than that or do even better, this coming winter, with your buddies at GM and owner, I'll politely ask, "are you serious?"

Of course it depends on who we add over the winter. Since we aren’t serious contenders for a ring right now the rational plan is to plan for a time when we can win a ring. It would require Henry opening his purse and dumping our incompetent GM-but it’s possible for the franchise to be competitive in 2027-8.

[moonslav59]

7 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Of course it depends on who we add over the winter. Since we aren’t serious contenders for a ring right now the rational plan is to plan for a time when we can win a ring. It would require Henry opening his purse and dumping our incompetent GM-but it’s possible for the franchise to be competitive in 2027-8.

For you to ever think we are a highly competitive team, some impossible things need to happen. No more or less impossible than us buying this summer and winning a ring.

If we are the amount of pieces away you think we are, and we lose Gray, Contreras and Chapman get older, we'd need an way too much AND even the best GM in MLB would have to hit on 90% of his significant moves to get us where you think we need to be,

IMO, we are closer than you think, but maybe farther away than I think. The lack of major starpower bats is a major stumbling block. We agree on that. I'm not sure adding Jeffers and Lowe would be enough. We'd likely need Anthony, too and some pitcher to return from the IL to take up the slack of our limited IP starters, going forward.

That's a lot of "if," and that is why I am still slightly on the "sell" side of the fence. Selling Gray for a future piece addresses the issue I brought up about needing even more for 2027 than we need now.

This is no easy choice to make. I know people hate to hear this, but if we don't sell, we should just see what the best we can get for the Romero, Phillips, Holobetz, Cespedes types- just like the past deadline that most everyone bitched about.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

If Story comes back, maybe he can play 2B with Seigler. We have to get a SS that forces Tracy to make that move.

A Monasterio-Cheng platoon is far away from that.

I'm just not sure the Sox are likely to get a solid SS that is good enough to force a move of Story. 

[moonslav59]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

I'm just not sure the Sox are likely to get a solid SS that is good enough to force a move of Story. 

There is no way we even get Yordan. This whole trade is a pipedream, even before adding Pena.

Something for just Pena is possible, and with all the talk of Lindor or Adames, I do wonder, but I think you are right. The view Story as our SS for 2026 and probably 2027, too.

 

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

There is no way we even get Yordan. This whole trade is a pipedream, even before adding Pena.

Something for just Pena is possible, and with all the talk of Lindor or Adames, I do wonder, but I think you are right. The view Story as our SS for 2026 and probably 2027, too.

 

I think there's a real chance they eat Story's contract this offseason with Arias being so close. God, I hope so anyway. 

Getting Duran, Story and Masa off this roster would make this team better and it's what I was calling for last offseason. Masa is fine enough if you're going to play him everyday, but they aren't willing to. Therefore, bye bye MCI. 

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I think there's a real chance they eat Story's contract this offseason with Arias being so close. God, I hope so anyway. 

Getting Duran, Story and Masa off this roster would make this team better and it's what I was calling for last offseason. Masa is fine enough if you're going to play him everyday, but they aren't willing to. Therefore, bye bye MCI. 

Even if they give Arias the KC treatment out of ST'ing, I see them playing Story at 2B or Arias at 2B and Story stays at SS. (UGH!!! LEEE! I know.)

I agree on just cutting ties with Yoshida, but right now, he's better than other options at DH v RHPs.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Even if they give Arias the KC treatment out of ST'ing, I see them playing Story at 2B or Arias at 2B and Story stays at SS. (UGH!!! LEEE! I know.)

I agree on just cutting ties with Yoshida, but right now, he's better than other options at DH v RHPs.

DH should just be an easy spot to upgrade in the offseason IMO. Find a better long term solution. Get rid of the pain points on the roster. 

[moonslav59]

38 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

DH should just be an easy spot to upgrade in the offseason IMO. Find a better long term solution. Get rid of the pain points on the roster. 

Agreed, Trading for a SS/2B and catcher should be easier, too.

We may need to replace Gray, too.