A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[drewski6]

Just now, UtahSox said:

As receive: prospects (from Astros) and Bello + Early you still full send? 

Me? Yes

I think we are overpaying at that point, but the fit is too good to pass.  Maybe we keep one of the prospects from astros for in season trade chip

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

 

HOU is not trading Yordan.

Rats

[drewski6]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

Springer only DHd because of an injury that kept him out of the OF.  Toronto gave lots of money to Santander and his sub-.600 OPS to be the DH.

Ohtani, Alvarez, Rooker.  And I ‘ll include Stanton.  Off the top of my head, elite bats at DH might not be so common.  

Maybe Yandy Diaz?

Forgot Schwarber but hes not getting traded.

[moonslav59]

BTV accepts Abreu & Narvaez for Paredes, Yainer Diaz & Byran King.

Do you?

Diaz & Paredes hit about 25 Hrs per 650.

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Rats

BTV accepts Abreo for Paredes and Kevin Alvarez.

This, too:

Abreu, DHam & Wong 

for

Paredes, K Alvarez & B King.

[moonslav59]

BTV accepted this one a few days ago...

Sandoval, Harrison & Azocar for Hoerner

Fan rating 5-2 yes for BOS and 3-3 yes for CHC.

[iortiz]

They had the opportunitty to address the 2B & power-bat holes through FA AND keep their current prospects to keep developing and they didn't. Seems like they are going to test the current youngsters for once and for all especially Campbell and Mayer along with Abreu and Rafaella, and see who can really stick moving forward. The way I see it the WS window is officially open for the next 5 years. My guess is they are going to go for all until next year hoping some of these youngsters are for real and see which holes they still have to address.

Said that, on paper this is still a good team, especially at pitching, --not very good though-- to at the very least make the playoffs via WC, but there's no way they are legit to contend for the WS now. Offense is significantly worse (without Devers and Bregman) and the pitching is also significantly better (with Gray and Suárez) than last year. 

[UtahSox]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

BTV accepted this one a few days ago...

Sandoval, Harrison & Azocar for Hoerner

Fan rating 5-2 yes for BOS and 3-3 yes for CHC.

Hell, yes, on this deal. Hoerner fits line up insanely well. 

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

BTV accepts Abreu & Narvaez for Paredes, Yainer Diaz & Byran King.

Do you?

Diaz & Paredes hit about 25 Hrs per 650.

What would the Sox do at Catcher???

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

BTV accepted this one a few days ago...

Sandoval, Harrison & Azocar for Hoerner

Fan rating 5-2 yes for BOS and 3-3 yes for CHC.

ok

[UtahSox]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

BTV accepted this one a few days ago...

Sandoval, Harrison & Azocar for Hoerner

Fan rating 5-2 yes for BOS and 3-3 yes for CHC.

B Rooker for Abreu + Witherspoon

N Hoerner for Sandoval + Harrison + Romero 

you making those 2 deals? Our roster would be insanely improved… we still have to figure out what to do with Mata. 

[notin]

26 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

As receive: prospects (from Astros) and Bello + Early you still full send? 

Hell no…

[notin]

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

What would the Sox do at Catcher???

Yanier Diaz is a catcher…

[JoeBrady]

43 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

If it was Bello for Paredes, a third team would be needed- someone with an extra OF'er.

HOU is not trading Yordan.

Yordan is a great hitter but too injured for my tastes.

[moonslav59]

26 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

What would the Sox do at Catcher???

Yainer is a better hitting catcher than Narvaez rates to be.

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, UtahSox said:

Not mine…. And I’ll even put my max offer trades out there to be criticized. Unlike beta Breslow, I know you have to give something up to get really good players back.

1. K Marte for Abreu/ Duran +Bello +Harrison +Romero

2. N Hoerner for Bello + Crawford/ Harrison/ Romero 

3. (New) B Rooker for Abreu + Bello/ Harrison/ Crawford/ Witherspoon

4. Shaw + ___ for Rafaela/ Abreu/ Duran

5. Sign Andujar have me depressed for a couple weeks. Then move on.

6. E Tovar for Abreu + Bennett + Harrison

7. Isaac Paredes + ____  for Abreu

8. Go into the season with this exact roster.

i’ve never once looked at the BTV stuff you guys do. I always find it interesting, but when I throw out a trade, I shoot from the good ole hip.

#4........what is your 2026 outfield????

[mvp 78]

31 minutes ago, notin said:

Yanier Diaz is a catcher…

I was thinking Alvarez was in the deal, not Diaz. 

[Hugh2]

1 minute ago, Hugh2 said:

#4........what is your 2026 outfield????

Add. 

THat package is giving 70 surplus value to Chicago.  That's like Chicago receiving a whole Garet Crochet extra in value.  To fill in the void and make it even Chicago would have to give up Pete Crow-Armstrong who is an elite CF on his own.  

I guess you throw Yoshida in LF and just have Armstrong and Anthony round out CF/RF.

Not the worse ideal, but insanely unrealistic in my book. 

[JoeBrady]

35 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

B Rooker for Abreu + Witherspoon

N Hoerner for Sandoval + Harrison + Romero 

you making those 2 deals? Our roster would be insanely improved… we still have to figure out what to do with Mata. 

The first one is a big overpay.  IMHO, Abreu is a better player than Rooker.

On the 2nd, the Cubs will want a top-100-ish prospect.

[notin]

13 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

#4........what is your 2026 outfield????

I think he only means to trade one of them.  The slash means options.

The big issue with that deal is the Cubs have a really good starting OF.  They’re probably the only team where Rafaela is a potential step down in CF defense.  (Arguments can be made for Minnesota as well.)

The Cubs only position question mark is DH, which looks like it might be handled by roly poly Miguel Ballesteros.  Suzuki did DH last year but he reportedly did not like it and he is a pretty good outfielder. (Matt Shaw might see at bats here?)

And no, they’re not trading Hoerner for Yoshida…

[mvp 78]

C Wong/Narvaez

1B Contreras

2B Hamilton/Romy

SS Story

3B Mayer/Eaton

OF Anthony/Rafaela/Duran/Abreu

DH Masa

SP Crochet/Suarez/Gray/Bello/Oviedo

RP Chapman/Slaten/Whitlock/Weissert/Harrison/Moran/Watson/Crawford

Don't see anything else happening at this point. 

 

[Old Red]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

1. No

2. No

Aren’t the Cubs set for outfielders?

[mvp 78]

18 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Aren’t the Cubs set for outfielders?

Theoretically, they have 3 OFers and a DH already. They'd probably prefer pitching, but I will not speak for what that org really wants from the BoSox.

[moonslav59]

59 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

#4........what is your 2026 outfield????

He's just trading 1 not all 3.

We have 4 OF'ers.

Trade Duran: LF Anthony, CF Deddanne, RF Abreu

Trade Abreu: LF Duran, CF Ceddanne, RF Anthony

Trade Rafaela: LF Duran (Anthony) CF: Duran (Anthony) RF Abreu

4th OF: Campbell or Masa

[moonslav59]

44 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

C Wong/Narvaez

1B Contreras

2B Hamilton/Romy

SS Story

3B Mayer/Eaton

OF Anthony/Rafaela/Duran/Abreu

DH Masa

SP Crochet/Suarez/Gray/Bello/Oviedo

RP Chapman/Slaten/Whitlock/Weissert/Harrison/Moran/Watson/Crawford

Don't see anything else happening at this point. 

 

The 2 open slots on the 40 offer some hope.

[moonslav59]

40 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Aren’t the Cubs set for outfielders?

If Suzuki DHs, I think they have room. Ballesteros could DH. (I doubt he beats out Busch for 1B.)

They lost Tucker, but still have...

LF: Happ (Shaw?)

CF: Crow-Armstrong

RF: ____ or Suzuki, Alcantara or M Shaw

Maybe Abreu, Harrison & Sandoval for Shaw?

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, notin said:

I think he only means to trade one of them.  The slash means options.

The big issue with that deal is the Cubs have a really good starting OF.  They’re probably the only team where Rafaela is a potential step down in CF defense.  (Arguments can be made for Minnesota as well.)

The Cubs only position question mark is DH, which looks like it might be handled by roly poly Miguel Ballesteros.  Suzuki did DH last year but he reportedly did not like it and he is a pretty good outfielder. (Matt Shaw might see at bats here?)

And no, they’re not trading Hoerner for Yoshida…

The slash is an underscore, and it’s on the CUBS side of the equation. 
 

that makes more sense, but it’s worded like Shaw plus (some other guy) for these three outfielders.

obviously an absurd fantasy trade, but adding Crow-Armstrong would make it equal (ish) value and would honestly give me pause.

i probably still say no.

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The 2 open slots on the 40 offer some hope.

Maybe they sign Justin Wilson? Nothing else really out there via FA. 

[UtahSox]

12 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

The slash is an underscore, and it’s on the CUBS side of the equation. 
 

that makes more sense, but it’s worded like Shaw plus (some other guy) for these three outfielders.

obviously an absurd fantasy trade, but adding Crow-Armstrong would make it equal (ish) value and would honestly give me pause.

i probably still say no.

Yes + means plus 

/= or 

id never consider all 3

[notin]

47 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Theoretically, they have 3 OFers and a DH already. They'd probably prefer pitching, but I will not speak for what that org really wants from the BoSox.

Their weakest position is probably catcher. Not our easiest deal.

Pitchers and prospects, I guess…