A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[Hugh2]

Rafaela losses almost all his value by switching to 2B.  It seems we want every solution on earth other than just going out and getting a 2B or 3B???

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Cant disagree.  Like 5GG said, I dont think we can trade any of our four plus bats (duran, abreu, anthony, contreras) because I think you 8 capable starting pitchers and 15 capable hitters (I think we have more than 4 capable hitters, but not more than four "plus" hitters)

So Im just more against trading Duran than you are. But I do believe you that you like the guy even though you consider options that include trading him.  Theres a world I trade Duran, there are more worlds that you trade Duran.  Im just more hesitatnt to it than you.

But I see your points and they are reasonable.  Duran is not a perfect leader, I know that.  I do love a mental health rebound story. Greinke is one as well.  Also, I was captain trade duran 2 years ago and ive eaten my crow over there. Not here but in my text messages.

Rafaela is my favorite Sox player, and I even have suggested trading him, so as not to hurt the offense. I think we agree more than not.

I'd prefer not trading Bello, Tolle or Early for a decent infielder, and trading anyone less valuable will likely not get a guy we really think will give us a big boost.

Crawford + DHam?

Harrison or Oviedo or Sandoval + Mullins?

Is that enough?

[moonslav59]

Just now, Hugh2 said:

Rafaela losses almost all his value by switching to 2B.  It seems we want every solution on earth other than just going out and getting a 2B or 3B???

This is why I think we will do something significant, but not likely big enough to satisfy Drew and Fred. (Maybe not me, either.)

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

12 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

The reality is, this team is one good IF move away from being very very very good. 

It's great you're that optimistic, but Honus Wagner isn't available.

Seriously, I thought my post based on last year's returning bats was being realistic.

We'd all love the handful of decent returnees to repeat their '25 stats, and the young guys to improve, and the hurt guys to come back better than ever. But is all that realistic?

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Anyone do Duran for Matt Shaw?

BTV has em about even.

How about Duran, Bello & Masa +$8M out of $36M owed for Shaw and Suzuki?

I'd say Shaw is 3rd on my list behind Paredes and Baty.  This is assuming that he will be more expensive.  I like his overall resume, but his EV and bat speed are questionable.  I'd do it just for fit purposes, but not keen on it.

[moonslav59]

18 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I'm on record here that Duran won't be a successful full-time DH. Too much energy to waste sitting in the dugout waiting for another at bat.

Plus, I sense a guy like him is better sprinting all night all over the diamond -- on and off to leftfield, moving on defense on every pitch, running down balls in flight or bouncing in the gaps, backing up plays... rather than thinking too much about doing the one thing in sports with the highest rate of failure.

All the more reason to trade him.

No way am I DH'ing Abreu or Rafaela, so Duran can run around misjudging fly balls. I also think Anthony is much better on defense.

[JoeBrady]

49 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Unlike Hicks, just play Masa out until a better DH option comes around. If Casas gets back to 100% and Masa is still hitting league average or below, just cut bait. If Casas and Masa are both hitting, maybe you are able to deal Masa and eat 50% of the contract. 

I agree.  Masa isn't really a problem-the roster is.

[drewski6]

19 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Rafaela losses almost all his value by switching to 2B.  It seems we want every solution on earth other than just going out and getting a 2B or 3B???

Trading Duran OR Abreu when they are half our offense

Im all 4 Bello for Paredes

[moonslav59]

5 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I agree.  Masa isn't really a problem-the roster is.

And it can be instantly fixed with an OF'er for Paredes + BKing trade.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Trading Duran OR Abreu when they are half our offense

Im all 4 Bello for Paredes

I'd prefer that, too. Masa is a separate issue.

[drewski6]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

All the more reason to trade him.

No way am I DH'ing Abreu or Rafaela, so Duran can run around misjudging fly balls. I also think Anthony is much better on defense.

Its very hard to trade Duran and improve the offense.  I dont think Masa just comes in and replaces Duran at the plate.  Duran is an offensive driver to me, and Masa is just trying to draw a walk or push a single through the infield and then play station to station and to me they are universes apart.

I dont want Masa hitting in the top 4 of the lineup.  

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

And it can be instantly fixed with an OF'er for Paredes + BKing trade.

Id rather trade a pitcher and if Houston doesnt want a pitcher, Id rather move on.

Id offer Bello, Early, and Harrison for Marte before I offered Abreu for Paredes and Billy Jean King.

[JoeBrady]

50 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

A fine example he set when he got suspended for inappropriate comments on the field

He seemed pretty apologetic.  He apologized to both the catcher and ump immediately.  He knew he was wrong, and that's important.

[drewski6]

We have 4 good hitters, abreu for paredes + and we have (checks notes)....4 good hitters

WEve got enough pitching for 2 entire rotations and enough hitting for 4/9 a lineup

Trading a bat for a bat is not the answer (my opinion)

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

I dont want Masa hitting in the top 4 of the lineup.  

He wouldn't, and I'm for trading Duran or Abreu for someone like Paredes (plus King,) so he's a top 4 line-up guy.

Does this cure the "roster imbalance?"

1. L Anthony LF/RF

2. R Contreras 1B

3. L Abreu RF or L Duran LF

4. R Paredes 3B

5. R Story SS (Of course I'd prefer Duran or Abreu here, but the RHB Paredes add doesn't change this slot.)

6. L Masa/Casas DH or R Romy/Campbell DH

7. R Narvaez C

8. L Mayer 3B/ R Romy 3B

9. R Rafaela C

Add LHP B King to the pen.

 

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

He wouldn't, and I'm for trading Duran or Abreu for someone like Paredes (plus King,) so he's a top 4 line-up guy.

Does this cure the "roster imbalance?"

1. L Anthony LF/RF

2. R Contreras 1B

3. L Abreu RF or L Duran LF

4. R Paredes 3B

5. R Story SS (Of course I'd prefer Duran or Abreu here, but the RHB Paredes add doesn't change this slot.)

6. L Masa/Casas DH or R Romy/Campbell DH

7. R Narvaez C

8. L Mayer 3B/ R Romy 3B

9. R Rafaela C

Add LHP B King to the pen.

 

Not impressed.  Go get a real DH and maybe.

[drewski6]

Like a Yordan Alvarez or a Brent Rooker 

[JoeBrady]

31 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Rafaela losses almost all his value by switching to 2B.  It seems we want every solution on earth other than just going out and getting a 2B or 3B???

That annoys me just a little bit.  Sometimes it's okay to get cute, and play short-term and stuff.  But this really feels like it needs a legitimate long-term solution.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Id rather trade a pitcher and if Houston doesnt want a pitcher, Id rather move on.

Id offer Bello, Early, and Harrison for Marte before I offered Abreu for Paredes and Billy Jean King.

I really thought Marte would put us top 3-4, and that was before we added Suarez.

I still do.

I might even offer more that for Marte- like adding Valera or Romero. Not sure that does it. They probably want Tolle, Early and Harrison... maybe Romy, too.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Not impressed.  Go get a real DH and maybe.

We still have the same issue with our 5 slot with Duran or not. I happen to like Paredes on O more than Duran. The 2 years to 3 is what makes me want King, too.

It's a sideways move on O, but balances the logjam and balances the roster.

[moonslav59]

5 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

That annoys me just a little bit.  Sometimes it's okay to get cute, and play short-term and stuff.  But this really feels like it needs a legitimate long-term solution.

A guy like Matt Shaw and his 4 years of control looks a lot better than 1 year of Hoerner, to me.

[Hugh2]

17 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Trading Duran OR Abreu when they are half our offense

Im all 4 Bello for Paredes

4 outfielders can only get at bats for 3 players, unless you DH one....in which case you already HAVE A DH. 

You still need an IF. 

The Theory in trading an outfielder was you had 4, instead of one riding the bench half the time you cash your chips in and get an IF.  It's almost like Moving Duran to 2B without actually moving Duran to 2B. 

YOu're totally ok with moving an outfielder on our team to 2B BUT NOT OK with trading one for a better IF?

and it didn't have to be Duran, could have been Rafaela or Abreu. 

[moonslav59]

7 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Not impressed.  Go get a real DH and maybe.

That was one reason I still liked getting E Suarez. We could still trade Duran for Paredes and King and have this:

R Paredes

L Anthony

R Contreras

R Suarez DH

L Abreu

R Story

L Mayer

R Narvaez

R Rafaela

 

 

[Hugh2]

22 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Trading Duran OR Abreu when they are half our offense

Im all 4 Bello for Paredes

I think the ideal of trading an OF for an IF is dead.  That was totally beginning of the offseason

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I think the ideal of trading an OF for an IF is dead.  That was totally beginning of the offseason

Nothing has changed, since then.

Some teams still need an OF'er.

We still need a 2B/3Bman.

Maybe a 3rd team will be needed.

[JoeBrady]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Like a Yordan Alvarez or a Brent Rooker 

Bello + Masa + $18M of Masa's salary.  It's not a roster fix, but the L/R is more palatable.

We get better hitting, better balance, and a $15M savings to devote to a 2b/3b.

[drewski6]

19 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We still have the same issue with our 5 slot with Duran or not. I happen to like Paredes on O more than Duran. The 2 years to 3 is what makes me want King, too.

It's a sideways move on O, but balances the logjam and balances the roster.

Im more interested in improving the offense than making the roster more "clean"/"everybody has a position"

Logjams are depth.

[drewski6]

20 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

4 outfielders can only get at bats for 3 players, unless you DH one....in which case you already HAVE A DH. 

You still need an IF. 

The Theory in trading an outfielder was you had 4, instead of one riding the bench half the time you cash your chips in and get an IF.  It's almost like Moving Duran to 2B without actually moving Duran to 2B. 

YOu're totally ok with moving an outfielder on our team to 2B BUT NOT OK with trading one for a better IF?

and it didn't have to be Duran, could have been Rafaela or Abreu. 

Im fine with trading Rafaela for a 2b, I could be fine with Abreu for a 2b but if you do the latter (Abreu for a 2b) that may not improve the offense as much as I think is needed.  So if you do that move, I may want to also go try to get a Brent Rooker, for example (if you trade Abreu).

The only time Im interested in getting a DH on the trade market is if a) we trade an outfielder for an infielder and b) that DH who we are getting would be the best hitter on the team.  Like a Yordan Alvarez or a Brent Rooker.

I would do W. Abreu, Bello, Harrison and Early for Paredes and Yordan Alvarez.

[drewski6]

When a DH is an elite hitter, and we have 0 elite hitters, I do not see that DH as only a DH. I see them as the anchor to our lineup/offense.

[Hitch]

As a back up to the back up to the back up, what was Duran like as a 2nd baseman back in the day? Is there any data about whether he was even decent at 2nd?