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.

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, 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. 

It depends on whether or not they think Story's abysmal hitting was the result of his injury.  He had a .741 last year.  If they think he can even supply a .700, they will stick with him, imho.

[Bellhorn04]

33 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

It depends on whether or not they think Story's abysmal hitting was the result of his injury.  He had a .741 last year.  If they think he can even supply a .700, they will stick with him, imho.

Story seems like he might be right on the verge of not being able to hit major league fastballs any more.  The combination of age and injury and inactivity sure doesn't help.

[a700hitter]

When Mayer or Story return, I don’t think they should take the starting jobs from  Cheng or Seigler.  They play good situational baseball, put the ball in play, play good D and make things happen.  I like what they bring to the team.

[vegasbob]

13 minutes ago, a700hitter said:

When Mayer or Story return, I don’t think they should take the starting jobs from  Cheng or Seigler.  They play good situational baseball, put the ball in play, play good D and make things happen.  I like what they bring to the team.

Mayer will rehab in Worcester then find out he got a 1 way ticket or got traded. 

[notin]

42 minutes ago, a700hitter said:

When Mayer or Story return, I don’t think they should take the starting jobs from  Cheng or Seigler.  They play good situational baseball, put the ball in play, play good D and make things happen.  I like what they bring to the team.

I love Cheng and Seigler.  Seigler is slumping a bit but Boston needs to keep them both…

[moonslav59]

Story was around .580 last early June, but turned it around.

I'm not so sure Sox management has written him off for his slow start to 2026, which was an even smaller sample size. Maybe for this reason or the contract.

I'm not for handing him the job back. I'm just pretty sure the Sox will give him every shot to be the SS again. At worst, he will get a shot at 2B. Sad, but true.

If Cora was still the man, I'd be more certain Story will be  back. I'm not sure how Tracy thinks, or if Brez is pulling certain strings.

[moonslav59]

5 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

It depends on whether or not they think Story's abysmal hitting was the result of his injury.  He had a .741 last year.  If they think he can even supply a .700, they will stick with him, imho.

Story hit .839 in his last 96 games of 2025 (since June 7th.)

That may carry too much weight for Brez & Co.

Maybe it carries just the right amount of weight.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, vegasbob said:

Mayer will rehab in Worcester then find out he got a 1 way ticket or got traded. 

A trade could very well happen.

(I hope it's not one we regret.)

[moonslav59]

I'm not sure how much longer I can talk myself from inching over to the buy side of the fence.

This has sure turned into an exciting season, and the game are fun to watch.

To see how we have done this with so much of our depth playing FT and filling 3/5ths of the rotation is truly a stunning thing to witness.

[moonslav59]

Least losses in AL

40 TBR

43 NYY

45 CWS

46 CLE

48 BOS & TEX

49 SEA & MIN

51 HOU & BAL

___________________

Run Differential

+90 NYY

+43 CWS

+39 BOS

+24 DET

+20 TBR

+16 SEA

[moonslav59]

16-2 in the last 18 games.

Nobody saw this coming, despite some clues we were not as bad as our previous record indicated.

I'm not sure how long we can keep this up. I'm pretty sure we will have a rough patch or two, before the season ends, but I don't see many of the WC contenders looking like they are better.

The Yanks and Rays look beatable, too.

It's those 3-4 NL teams that look so far away. Maybe I should start believing in the crapshoot playoff idea.

[notin]

31 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Least losses in AL

40 TBR

43 NYY

45 CWS

46 CLE

48 BOS & TEX

49 SEA & MIN

51 HOU & BAL

___________________

Run Differential

+90 NYY

+43 CWS

+39 BOS

+24 DET

+20 TBR

+16 SEA

Detroit is 44-52, but +24 in run differential…

[cp176]

19 hours ago, drewski6 said:

I like that Maine beer, I think they call it "lunch" its pricey but very good.

Very good and very powerful.

[cp176]

17 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

We aren't going to get much for Duran, Bello, KC, Romero types.

Thinks lats year, when everybody complained about not doing enough (My self included.) Teams insisted on Tolloe or Early. Anthony or Mayer, too, but not many here wanted any of those 4 traded.

I think AZ wanted Early for a 2 month rental in Merrill Kelly.

To get a really meaningful add, think Early, Arias or Eyanson.

Giving up any of their top quality young pitchers in my mind could be likened to a criminal offense.   

[cp176]

8 minutes ago, cp176 said:

Giving up any of their top quality young pitchers in my mind could be likened to a criminal offense.   

Pitching, defense, and a healthy dose of small ball, something we haven’t seen in years, looks like real baseball again to me.  

[notin]

15 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Story seems like he might be right on the verge of not being able to hit major league fastballs any more.  The combination of age and injury and inactivity sure doesn't help.

I think the inactivity helps, considering activity usually injures him…

[Hugh2]

3 hours ago, cp176 said:

Giving up any of their top quality young pitchers in my mind could be likened to a criminal offense.   

Well, how else do you bring hitting in at the deadline?

[notin]

14 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Well, how else do you bring hitting in at the deadline?

Tradable players in my eyes (IME?) include Duran, Mayer, Eyanson, Witherspoon, Phillips.  Preferably not all of them.  I’d include Story but he isn’t likely to bring back much, unless Atlanta goes for my Story/Sean Murphy swap…

[UtahSox]

10 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

16-2 in the last 18 games.

Nobody saw this coming, despite some clues we were not as bad as our previous record indicated.

I'm not sure how long we can keep this up. I'm pretty sure we will have a rough patch or two, before the season ends, but I don't see many of the WC contenders looking like they are better.

The Yanks and Rays look beatable, too.

It's those 3-4 NL teams that look so far away. Maybe I should start believing in the crapshoot playoff idea.

I mean you can’t sell because you don’t think you can beat the dodgers…. 29 teams would be selling. 
 

We are in WC spot. Jake Bennett is a revelation, bullpen has been nails. Getting on base more, when we get guys on base, we are taking bags, making contact moving runners over. IMO we still need more big fly in the lineup if we are going to compete in October but the pitching is great. Chad Tracy is incredible….. 

My fear is Breslow will talk himself out of any big move, thinking he will get ‘25 Story back, and eventually Roman. If we do get a big bat….. 🙏 could be special. 
 

[Hugh2]

10 minutes ago, notin said:

Tradable players in my eyes (IME?) include Duran, Mayer, Eyanson, Witherspoon, Phillips.  Preferably not all of them.  I’d include Story but he isn’t likely to bring back much, unless Atlanta goes for my Story/Sean Murphy swap…

So top quality young pitchers doesn’t include prospects.