A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[Old Red]

58 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Maybe someday we can get a sweet guy to GM. He'll know how to stroke everyone's ego into a few last place finishes.

I'll take the geek who has a well thought out plan and knows what he's doing. Maybe a few playoff gigs.

Let’s be fair here we can’t get all sweet guys to GM like DD was, and besides all the sweet guys are in ownership Sam, TW, and JH. Come on man!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

For a team built on pitching and D -- the main reason the Sox were able to stay in games... not just in the streak but the whole season -- we should all be feeling queasy right now about shortstop.

Demoting Cheng to make room for Mead leaves only Monasterio as an ok SS on the roster. For a pitch-to-contact reliever like Breslow, it's awkward. Are we now counting on returns from either Mayer, who was nothing special, or Story, who was not even average?

Or is a trade for a SS on the way? If it's Neto, a way better player on offense than with the glove, just remember the Angels have averaged 93 losses per season with him as the primary shortstop, and are on pace to drop that many again this year.

[UtahSox]

10 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

For a team built on pitching and D -- the main reason the Sox were able to stay in games... not just in the streak but the whole season -- we should all be feeling queasy right now about shortstop.

Demoting Cheng to make room for Mead leaves only Monasterio as an ok SS on the roster. For a pitch-to-contact reliever like Breslow, it's awkward. Are we now counting on returns from either Mayer, who was nothing special, or Story, who was not even average?

Or is a trade for a SS on the way? If it's Neto, a way better player on offense than with the glove, just remember the Angels have averaged 93 losses per season with him as the primary shortstop, and are on pace to drop that many again this year.

It has to be Lindor unless you’re leveraging the farm. If it’s half as good as so many RS fans think it is you can’t risk it for 2-3 years of Neto/ Elly Cruz etc.

[mvp 78]

There is a change of scenery guy that has been a good defender that could come cheap. 

Could be cheap enough to just get you through this stretch run and replace him next season. He's still young and has options too. 

[notin]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

There is a change of scenery guy that has been a good defender that could come cheap. 

Could be cheap enough to just get you through this stretch run and replace him next season. He's still young and has options too. 

And you want to trade with the Yankees!!?

Volpe will be a Brave in 7 days. Or a Met. Book it…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

There is a change of scenery guy that has been a good defender that could come cheap. 

Could be cheap enough to just get you through this stretch run and replace him next season. He's still young and has options too. 

Would Breslow welcome back an old teammate to play short if the guy came heavily subsidized?

Ironically, I think the kid only played third back when Brez pitched for the Sox.

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Would Breslow welcome back an old teammate to play short if the guy came heavily subsidized?

Ironically, I think the kid only played third back when Brez pitched for the Sox.

Bogey's defense has been pretty SUSPECT recently. Not sure I'd want to match him up with Mead. Would be cool to have him at Fenway though.

[notin]

8 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Would Breslow welcome back an old teammate to play short if the guy came heavily subsidized?

Ironically, I think the kid only played third back when Brez pitched for the Sox.

Pablo Sandoval?

Bogaerts did play SS in Boston with Breslow.  10 out of 10 points for nostalgia.  But if the issue is Story might be too weak to pair with Mead up the middle, Bogaerts feels more like another problem as opposed to a solution…

 

[Old Red]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Bogey's defense has been pretty SUSPECT recently. Not sure I'd want to match him up with Mead. Would be cool to have him at Fenway though.

I agree. Nice reunion, but nostalgia can only carry you so far.

[moonslav59]

Demoting Cheng does change the team and its focus, but I don't think something like Neto's defense at SS is the reason the Angels keep losing (to GG.)

It would have been hard to demote Siegler over Cheng, despite his inability to play SS, and Mead looking like the FT 2Bman. Monasterio is a RHB and a better bat, but by adding RHB Mead maybe the need for a RHB is not so strong anymore. BTW, the team splits hint towards needing LHBs:

.776 v LHPs

.682 v RHPs

Maybe we should have demoted Monasterio. When IDK and Story return, some tough choices will have to be made. Personally, I would not hand a job to Story, but it will happen, for sure.

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Would Breslow welcome back an old teammate to play short if the guy came heavily subsidized?

Ironically, I think the kid only played third back when Brez pitched for the Sox.

I see no way SD comes up with enough coin to make it a viable trade.  I'd be asking for $150M in salary relief.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Maybe we should have demoted Monasterio. When IDK and Story return, some tough choices will have to be made. Personally, I would not hand a job to Story, but it will happen, for sure.

I'm not sure Cheng can hit well enough to stick, and Monasterio and Seigler have been doing well.

I'd wait on Story until I was sure he could hit, or until Monasterio and/or Seigler have played their way out.

[moonslav59]

57 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I see no way SD comes up with enough coin to make it a viable trade.  I'd be asking for $150M in salary relief.

That wouldn't be enough for me.

[moonslav59]

51 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I'd wait on Story until I was sure he could hit, or until Monasterio and/or Seigler have played their way out.

Once Story reaches the end of his rehab stint, he'll have to be activate to the 26. There can be no wait beyond that time.

Handing him a starting role is another issue. I'm pretty sure Tracy makes him a FT'er or near FT'er as soon as he is physically able to do so. (That could be day one.)

Now that we have Mead at 2B and only so many of our many infielders can't even play SS, the options are pretty thin:

IKF

Monasterio-Cheng

Mayer

Story

Sogard

No Siegler, Romy, Mead or Eaton at SS. If Mead could DH or play LF, we could find room for one more of these guys.

Ideally, if we trade for Lindor, we'd force Story onto the Mets- maybe even Story and Mayer. (I don't see Duran being traded this summer. I guess is they want Mead at DH or LF, they might.)

[JoeBrady]

15 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Ideally, if we trade for Lindor, we'd force Story onto the Mets

I'm done with all that now that we have Mead.  Make do with the current alignment.  If we feel the need to make a move, upgrade a LF RH bat and/or add someone like Weaver from the Mets.  Don't over-think and don't overpay.

[moonslav59]

Just now, JoeBrady said:

I'm done with all that now that we have Mead.  Make do with the current alignment.  If we feel the need to make a move, upgrade a LF RH bat and/or add someone like Weaver from the Mets.  Don't over-think and don't overpay.

We have Story, Mayer and Arias, along with the fill-in platoon of Cheng-Monasterio PLUS IFK.

No way we trade for a SS, but I still dream of getting a real one someday.

[Larry Cook]

With Bennett and Tolle having innings limitations, would bres-slow be interested in bringing back wacha??

[JoeBrady]

20 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

With Bennett and Tolle having innings limitations, would bres-slow be interested in bringing back wacha??

What does the rotation and the 26-man become if we bring in any of the SPs people are proposing?  My issue with the concept is that I like all 13 of our pitchers.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

What does the rotation and the 26-man become if we bring in any of the SPs people are proposing?  My issue with the concept is that I like all 13 of our pitchers.

Some pitchers could be demoted to AAA for a few days.

We'd have had to do the same thing had we kept Early and he returned, anyway.

[JoeBrady]

27 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Some pitchers could be demoted to AAA for a few days.

We'd have had to do the same thing had we kept Early and he returned, anyway.

But which pitchers?  I am trying to see the appeal,  I understand trying to minimize the young pitchers IPs, but outside of just shutting them down, I don't see how that works.

[moonslav59]

10 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

But which pitchers?  I am trying to see the appeal,  I understand trying to minimize the young pitchers IPs, but outside of just shutting them down, I don't see how that works.

It's the same problem we would have had when Early came off the IL (or Crochet and others.) It's not an easy choice.

One obvious idea is to just demote Tolle or Bennett to AAA, where they won't really pitch, for 10-15+ days, so we get their IP limited that way. That allows for 25-30+ days for the new pitcher added to be on the 26.

After that, it has to be a RP'er, unless Sandoval is struggling and we put him on the IL (phantom or not.) It won't be Chapman, Whitlock, Slaten and probably Weissert & Guerrero. Watson cannot be demoted due to Rule 5 rules. That leaves Moran & Bello, who are both doing  very well from the pen. I suppose you could play musical chairs with them and Bennett plus Tolle to patch together a seamless 2 months for the added pitcher to be on the 26 the whole time.

Normally, these things work themselves out, because teams never go 2 months with no pitcher hitting the IL. How many times do we say, "We need to plan for injuries." Well, this is that.

Another idea would be to include a pitcher in a trade or just trade Sandoval to another team to make room for Gausman, Lugo, Castillo or ______.

[moonslav59]

Pre-deadline schedules:

BOS: 3 @ ATH & 3 @ LAD

TBR: 3 v TEX & 3 v CWS

NYY: 3 @ CWS & 3 @ CHC

CWS: 3 v NYY & 3 @ TBR

CLE: 2 @ CIN & 3 v AZ

Nobody really has it easy,

[moonslav59]

Sox remaining schedule:

3 at ATH

3 at LAD

OFF

3 v CWS

3 v ATH

4 at TOR

3 at PIT

3 v AZ

OFF

3 v SFG

3 at MIA

OFF

4 at NYY (including DBL HDR)

3 v SEA

4 at BAL

3 v LAA

OFF

3 v KCR

OFF

3 at TEX

3 at TBR

OFF

3 v CLE

3 v CHC

It's nice that we have 3 off days before 5 of our last series, but this is not an easy schedule.

[moonslav59]

Would anyone trade Delzine & Cespedes for Alcantara?

(Would MIA?)

Alcantara has another year of control.

[mvp 78]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Would anyone trade Delzine & Cespedes for Alcantara?

(Would MIA?)

Alcantara has another year of control.

Alcantara's effectiveness just isn't what it was prior to the injury. Maybe he is a bit better in BOS with this defense behind him and they'd probably reduce his 4 seam usage. It's probably the right price though. 

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Alcantara's effectiveness just isn't what it was prior to the injury. Maybe he is a bit better in BOS with this defense behind him and they'd probably reduce his 4 seam usage. It's probably the right price though. 

I'd like him more for the chance of improvement in 2027 than what he gives this year, but he can eat innings in '26.

Lugo and Castillo might not be better than Sandoval-Bello.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

I'd like him more for the chance of improvement in 2027 than what he gives this year, but he can eat innings in '26.

Lugo and Castillo might not be better than Sandoval-Bello.

Chance to improve at age 31? 

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Chance to improve at age 31? 

Yes, because it takes time to recover from major injuries.

He did improve from 2025 to 2026 (120 in ERA and 22 in FIP)

He leads the league in IP, which can be a good thing (innings eater?) or a bad thing (chance to burn out or get hurt?)

I like him over rentals like 35.5 y/o Gausman or multi year guys like 33.5 y/o Castillo, near 37 y/o Lugo and some others mentioned.

I'm looking for SP'er health without the need to empty the farm. I'm open to better suggestions.

[JoeBrady]

38 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Would anyone trade Delzine & Cespedes for Alcantara?

(Would MIA?)

Alcantara has another year of control.

I'd be shocked if Miami made that move.  He's no longer vintage Alcantara, but I think he is still a #3 or better.

ed:  Maybe the $21M due in 2027 might seem like too much for Miami?

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I'd be shocked if Miami made that move.  He's no longer vintage Alcantara, but I think he is still a #3 or better.

ed:  Maybe the $21M due in 2027 might seem like too much for Miami?

He's the franchise leader in strike outs. He is 15.1 IP away from being the leader in IP. Maybe they want to keep him around another year just because they have churned through too many guys?