A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[JoeBrady]

11 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

So basically we give up Connolly Early a MLB ready #3 starter for Mead and then 5 days later Nationals trade a LHB (which we need badly) for a couple top 20 prospects. Make this sh** make sense

Just me looking at the minutiae:

• Garcia is no longer a capable 2B.  If the NYY move Jazz to 3B to accommodate Garcia, it'll be interesting.
• Garcia has only 1.3 years left, while 4.3 years left.
• The RS likely have an opinion on Early that suggests some issues.  I had recommended trading him last year since his production out-paced his previous profile..

[JoeBrady]

5 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

I was under the impression the Sox were looking for a RH bat at the time they traded for Mead. 

It's impossible to know what makes sense without knowing their game plan. 

• They might be satisfied with Seigler.
• They might be planning on a RH LF/DH, moving Romy back to 2B.
• They might not believe in Garcia.  Before this year, Garcia had a .709 OPS with very little variance.  Maybe he's broken out, maybe not.
• His production has flatted out over his last 17 games.
• Maybe his .414 OPS at the Fens concerns them.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

This line-up can tolerate a whiffer like Neto or Goodman if they're regular HR threats. Can't shake the feeling now that if Neto's coming, it's bye-bye Arias. 

The mystery to me is why they're playing Arias at 2B in Woo -- is it to showcase his versatility to suitors? It can't be because the Sox may need to evenutally call him up, and can't possibly move Monasterio off shortstop... can it?

But if the Angels are trading their SS for Arias, then why showcase him at 2B?

There's also a good chance Brez can't take that plunge and just ends up swapping future Rule Vs for Geno Suarez and Gleybar Torres... and you know what? Even those moves won't be so bad, because they're at least MLB reinforcements.

Just don't add an arm, Craig. BATS....

 

[JoeBrady]

9 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Just don't add an arm, Craig. BATS....

The fun part about fans' adamancy in general is that half of us a bat, half want a pitcher, some want a 2B, some a SS, and some a LF.  And some want a lefty and some want a righty.  I'm will to wait to see what happens and how it works out.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

I was under the impression the Sox were looking for a RH bat at the time they traded for Mead. 

Maybe it was 50-50 then, although Talk Sox was 75-25 for a LHB.

Mead may return, so a LHB is 75-25, now.

The team does way worse vs RHP, and we face RHPs about 70% of the time. Seems like a no-brainer.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, UtahSox said:

Pirates lost again. What would it take to get Brandon Lowe??

I'm driving the B Lowe band wagon.

I don't usually put much stock in these kinda numbers, but...

1.138 at Fenway career

He's been a TOR and BAL killer, too but just .660 v the Yanks.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

The fun part about fans' adamancy in general is that half of us a bat, half want a pitcher, some want a 2B, some a SS, and some a LF.  And some want a lefty and some want a righty.  I'm will to wait to see what happens and how it works out.

As Yogi might have said, half want a bat, half want an arm and 90% want both.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, UtahSox said:

So basically we give up Connolly Early a MLB ready #3 starter for Mead and then 5 days later Nationals trade a LHB (which we need badly) for a couple top 20 prospects. Make this sh** make sense

WSH wanted a MLB pitcher and some prospects.

We gave em one.

[mvp 78]

2 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

This line-up can tolerate a whiffer like Neto or Goodman if they're regular HR threats. Can't shake the feeling now that if Neto's coming, it's bye-bye Arias. 

The mystery to me is why they're playing Arias at 2B in Woo -- is it to showcase his versatility to suitors? It can't be because the Sox may need to evenutally call him up, and can't possibly move Monasterio off shortstop... can it?

But if the Angels are trading their SS for Arias, then why showcase him at 2B?

There's also a good chance Brez can't take that plunge and just ends up swapping future Rule Vs for Geno Suarez and Gleybar Torres... and you know what? Even those moves won't be so bad, because they're at least MLB reinforcements.

Just don't add an arm, Craig. BATS....

 

Get Arias reps at 2b now so that he could play there when Story is at SS in a few weeks.

[moonslav59]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Get Arias reps at 2b now so that he could play there when Story is at SS in a few weeks.

Rather move Story to 2B.

[moonslav59]

I'm thinking the Sox make two significant trades.

One for a rental.

One for a multi-year guy.

One pitcher.

One LHB w power.

Maybe multi year Detmers or Soriano and rental BLowe?

Maybe multi year Liam Hicks and rental Gausman?

Multi year Abrams and rental Mize or Griffin? (Too expensive?)

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Rather move Story to 2B.

Me too. I just think the Sox don’t move him midseason. 

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Me too. I just think the Sox don’t move him midseason. 

Well, the IL stint gives it a good chance to move him over while in rehab.

He did fine when we moved him to 2B to accommodate the weaker defensive SS in Bogey.

[MADSTORK]

Impressive vs Ohtani

 

[moonslav59]

More impressive that the Stork showed up during a winning stretch.

[UtahSox]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Get Arias reps at 2b now so that he could play there when Story is at SS in a few weeks.

If that’s our MIF in September I’m disappointed. 

[notin]

2 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

If that’s our MIF in September I’m disappointed. 

Only briefly.  Story likely suffers a debilitating paper cut while flipping the calendar at the end of August…

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, notin said:

Only briefly.  Story likely suffers a debilitating paper cut while flipping the calendar at the end of August…

That makes it sound like Story's injuries have been cheezy.

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

If that’s our MIF in September I’m disappointed. 

We can't bet on Monasterio-Seigler-IKF-Story-Cheng-Sogard-Mayer. If we could add em all up and divide by two, maybe.

[Old Red]

The Dodgers have $1.1B in deferred money tied up just for shits, and giggles.🤫

[Hugh2]

7 hours ago, notin said:

Only briefly.  Story likely suffers a debilitating paper cut while flipping the calendar at the end of August…

Idk man, I work with paper….some of those paper cuts can be brutal

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

Abreu continues to take strike one.  Seems like with 90% of his at bats he is behind in the count, often he fouls off the 2nd pitch and finds himself at 0-2 constantly.  Swing the bat please.

 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

8 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

We can't bet on Monasterio-Seigler-IKF-Story-Cheng-Sogard-Mayer. If we could add em all up and divide by two, maybe.

Look, this run has been great -- but we know what to expect from our "star" hitters: frequent pop and whiffs from Contreras and Abreu, and infrequent both from Yoshida (but consistent contact).

As for Rafaela, maybe he sustains his slugging right through autumn this season, unlike last year, when he rocked the summer then slumped:

(2025: June/July 11 HR, 29 RBI, .285/.800ish vs. Aug/Sept 2 HR, 14 RBI, .224/.600ish)

... but just in case, Brez knows what we and he needs. And I'm still holding him to his word last offseason. I praised him for adding Mead, but now he needs to fill that void again.

[mvp 78]

14 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

Just me looking at the minutiae:

• Garcia is no longer a capable 2B.  If the NYY move Jazz to 3B to accommodate Garcia, it'll be interesting.
• Garcia has only 1.3 years left, while 4.3 years left.
• The RS likely have an opinion on Early that suggests some issues.  I had recommended trading him last year since his production out-paced his previous profile..

Only 13 of Garcia's 23 HR would have been out at Fenway. 

[mvp 78]

9 hours ago, UtahSox said:

If that’s our MIF in September I’m disappointed. 

I just don't know what else they'll do with Story TBH. I don't think they'll move him to 2b midseason. I don't think they'll be able to trade him at the deadline. I really doubt they'll DFA before the end of the year. All three of those options are viable this offseason IMO. 

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

Idk man, I work with paper….some of those paper cuts can be brutal

They forced me into retirement.  Pencil-sharpening is a skill that requires fine motor control, and I was lone surviving accountant on this planet that liked using pencils.  Can't get a sharp pencil if you have wounds on your fingertips.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

The Dodgers have $1.1B in deferred money tied up just for shits, and giggles.🤫

I keep wondering what that will look like with a new labor agreement.  

[JoeBrady]

9 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

We can't bet on Monasterio-Seigler-IKF-

I could bet on them.  They could probably be a little low-end by playoff caliber teams, but I don't think they'd be black holes.  If I had a straight choice between those three, or a Story/Mayer combo, right now I would choose those three.

[Hugh2]

2 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

They forced me into retirement.  Pencil-sharpening is a skill that requires fine motor control, and I was lone surviving accountant on this planet that liked using pencils.  Can't get a sharp pencil if you have wounds on your fingertips.

I joke, but I actually did slice my finger open and developed a really bad infection.  I ended up on antibiotics for a couple weeks, couldn't bend my finger, had to have it cut open and part of the tip and a bunch of skin died. 

Paper cuts are real, and dangerous #Papercutawareness

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I could bet on them.  They could probably be a little low-end by playoff caliber teams, but I don't think they'd be black holes.  If I had a straight choice between those three, or a Story/Mayer combo, right now I would choose those three.

Doesn't every team have bench/role players? I think the Sox relied on too many of them early on and the results weren't there. We would have seen less of them if Masa was the everyday DH. 

I agree that I'd take them over Story and Mayer.