A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[moonslav59]

Just now, Hitch said:

Absolutely, I have no issues with that. We have to get it right this winter. 

May I ask this, if we don't add a major bat to replace Devers, not to mention Bregman, will you think this was some sort of sham by leading us to believe they would replace him In kind?

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Some even whine about whining!

I'm just over here posting with my cute baby face and can't be bothered. 👶

[Hitch]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

May I ask this, if we don't add a major bat to replace Devers, not to mention Bregman, will you think this was some sort of sham by leading us to believe they would replace him In kind?

No, I don't think it'll be a sham. I don't think they're saying things and rubbing their hands together after we believe it, pinching their chubby little flanks and laughing at us. I just think they're inept as in upper management - Bloom's moves, and Werner and Kennedy running their mouths.

We have made a catalogue of mistakes in the past 7 years. I don't think it's because of anything other than just utter ineptness. And Henry won't send good money after bad,

Now, we've mostly got good money following good, so he has to come through. 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

26 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Keep in mind things were pretty smoothed over at the time of the trade and we were on a winning streak, and Devers was red hot.

It had to be done, maybe because of grudges.

Yup -- the grudge Henry held for being forced by fandom to sign Raffy for $300 mil. 

I'm still the only fan who has ever suggested that signing Bregman -- for one year -- was well worth $40 mil to someone in the front office if it helped get them out of the Devers contract.

Just think of how much they saved! Just think of how much they told us they'd now have to reinforce the roster! (oh, wait -- we have to build a tower behind the Green Monster...)

[moonslav59]

Just now, Hitch said:

No, I don't think it'll be a sham. I don't think they're saying things and rubbing their hands together after we believe it, pinching their chubby little flanks and laughing at us. I just think they're inept as in upper management - Bloom's moves, and Werner and Kennedy running their mouths.

We have made a catalogue of mistakes in the past 7 years. I don't think it's because of anything other than just utter ineptness. And Henry won't send good money after bad,

Now, we've mostly got good money following good, so he has to come through. 

 

I think they knew after 2018 that serious spending limits were coming. They may have legitimately thought we could still "contend" at a good enough level for a while, even after the 2020 cluster. 2021 reaffirmed that belief. At some point, however, I think they started putting on a show, which is what I call the sham. They were saying one thing and doing another. The "full throttle" statement was but one of many misleading statements, and when they all are put together, their message did not come close to their actions. Then, all the "Sox are in on" this guy and that and always falling short and settling on the Klubers and Richards.

I think it was intentional deceptions, and many teams do this to various extremes. They may have actually believed they were in on Soto, but when you come up short so often, it just adds to the fan discontent.

When they do spend, it seems like the minimal overture needed at just the exact time a revolt is about to occur.

They lose Betts and Bogey plus others, and pretty much had to extend Devers.

After 2021, and losing so many key players, they added what kinda looked like a large and long deal for Story, but it was sort of not.

Yoshida was not large and long, either.

The natives were restless, last winter, more so after the whole Soto false hopes, and the sign Bregman to the highest Sox AAV ever, but the one year deal looks kida hollow, now. 

They dump Devers as they extend other, but with no Devers, Bregman, Gio and Buhler, doesn't it seem like we have gotten nowhere since this time, last year?

[drewski6]

7 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Yup -- the grudge Henry held for being forced by fandom to sign Raffy for $300 mil. 

I'm still the only fan who has ever suggested that signing Bregman -- for one year -- was well worth $40 mil to someone in the front office if it helped get them out of the Devers contract.

Just think of how much they saved! Just think of how much they told us they'd now have to reinforce the roster! (oh, wait -- we have to build a tower behind the Green Monster...)

whispers: signing extensions is done to save money down the road (lol)

Its almost like: look at me, Im not cheap! I spend! I bought this coupon book!

But my original point was about Breslow because the trade was more out of left field then people seem to remember.  They werent fighting with him about position at the time.  It was all settled, Devers was raking, and things were looking up. We were winning.  Then the trade was out of nowhere. And honestly, and I know Im in the minority here, but I think the trade was done because Breslow will trade you if you dont do what Breslow tells you!  Rather than JH. I do think JH approved it and part of that was because he didnt hate getting out of the contract.  But I think Breslow was the driving force for reasons that were not exclusively financial.  Nor exclusively to help the team.

I think Breslow had a hair across his ass and traded Breslow for selfish reasons.  Ive seen Breslow sit there defiantly with awful body language like a child and this isnt his first clash.

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

whispers: signing extensions is done to save money down the road (lol)

Its almost like: look at me, Im not cheap! I spend! I bought this coupon book!

But my original point was about Breslow because the trade was more out of left field then people seem to remember.  They werent fighting with him about position at the time.  It was all settled, Devers was raking, and things were looking up. We were winning.  Then the trade was out of nowhere. And honestly, and I know Im in the minority here, but I think the trade was done because Breslow will trade you if you dont do what Breslow tells you!  Rather than JH. I do think JH approved it and part of that was because he didnt hate getting out of the contract.  But I think Breslow was the driving force for reasons that were not exclusively financial.  Nor exclusively to help the team.

I think Breslow had a hair across his ass and traded Breslow for selfish reasons.  Ive seen Breslow sit there defiantly with awful body language like a child and this isnt his first clash.

Henry flew to Kansas City because Devers called out chief baseball officer Craig Breslow the previous day for asking him to replace the injured Triston Casas at first base. Despite Breslow and manager Alex Cora calling the session "productive," Devers still wouldn't acquiesce. As Breslow and team CEO/president Sam Kennedy put it, Devers and the Red Sox couldn't "find alignment" on what was best for the organization, resulting in the homegrown star's departure.

So, why couldn't Devers and the Red Sox find common ground during the meeting with Henry?

 “They wanted me to play first base" Devers said, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. "I told [Henry] ... eventually, yes. I could play first base but maybe next year. It was not my fault that players get hurt. I felt like if another player got hurt, they would move me again.”

Devers called out Breslow and told him to do his job. Henry gave Devers a shot to mend fences. Devers wasn't interested because he already felt slighted by Breslow and didn't feel like Breslow made an attempt to work with him. At that point, Henry gave Breslow the green light to deal him. Reports are that the Braves offered Ozuna, Murphy and prospects, but probably requested some of the contract to be paid. 

[drewski6]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Henry flew to Kansas City because Devers called out chief baseball officer Craig Breslow the previous day for asking him to replace the injured Triston Casas at first base. Despite Breslow and manager Alex Cora calling the session "productive," Devers still wouldn't acquiesce. As Breslow and team CEO/president Sam Kennedy put it, Devers and the Red Sox couldn't "find alignment" on what was best for the organization, resulting in the homegrown star's departure.

So, why couldn't Devers and the Red Sox find common ground during the meeting with Henry?

 “They wanted me to play first base" Devers said, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. "I told [Henry] ... eventually, yes. I could play first base but maybe next year. It was not my fault that players get hurt. I felt like if another player got hurt, they would move me again.”

Devers called out Breslow and told him to do his job. Henry gave Devers a shot to mend fences. Devers wasn't interested because he already felt slighted by Breslow and didn't feel like Breslow made an attempt to work with him. At that point, Henry gave Breslow the green light to deal him. Reports are that the Braves offered Ozuna, Murphy and prospects, but probably requested some of the contract to be paid. 

I agree.  Breslow cant handle criticism.  And Devers shouldnt have called him out like that and Devers was being a defiant jerk himself, but the pattern is there with Breslow as well.  Im not surprised they couldnt coexist.

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

I agree.  Breslow cant handle criticism.  And Devers shouldnt have called him out like that and Devers was being a defiant jerk himself, but the pattern is there with Breslow as well.  Im not surprised they couldnt coexist.

A lot of blame pie to go around for many people. 

[Old Red]

The Red Sox were never a better team last year without Raffy’s bat in the lineup. Could Raffy have been a BIG help in the postseason last year against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium? Yes, Yes, and Yes.🙈

[moonslav59]

Good points by all the last few posts.

As much as I try to avoid the blame game, it's part of human nature and a big part of our culture.

Mistakes were made by many, and some were mistakes of omission. regardless of who was most or least to blame, I do feel it reached the point where the trade needed to happen.

I wish we'd not taken Hicks, but maybe we'd have had to add someone else valuable or not gotten Harrison.

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Good points by all the last few posts.

As much as I try to avoid the blame game, it's part of human nature and a big part of our culture.

Mistakes were made by many, and some were mistakes of omission. regardless of who was most or least to blame, I do feel it reached the point where the trade needed to happen.

I wish we'd not taken Hicks, but maybe we'd have had to add someone else valuable or not gotten Harrison.

They wanted Hicks! I think they could have done the trade and not have taken on Hicks if they wanted to. 

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

They wanted Hicks! I think they could have done the trade and not have taken on Hicks if they wanted to. 

That's what I've heard, but I'm not sure I believe it without some context.

They might have said Harrison and Bello for Devers or you can have Tibbs and Hicks, too.

Brez said, "We like Hicks."

[moonslav59]

Anybody interested in soon to be 33 year old Kodai Senga?

NYM reportably are shopping him.

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

They wanted Hicks! I think they could have done the trade and not have taken on Hicks if they wanted to. 

In their defense, it is remarkably strange how Hicks can throw 105 mph and be so bad

[Hitch]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I think they knew after 2018 that serious spending limits were coming. They may have legitimately thought we could still "contend" at a good enough level for a while, even after the 2020 cluster. 2021 reaffirmed that belief. At some point, however, I think they started putting on a show, which is what I call the sham. They were saying one thing and doing another. The "full throttle" statement was but one of many misleading statements, and when they all are put together, their message did not come close to their actions. Then, all the "Sox are in on" this guy and that and always falling short and settling on the Klubers and Richards.

I think it was intentional deceptions, and many teams do this to various extremes. They may have actually believed they were in on Soto, but when you come up short so often, it just adds to the fan discontent.

When they do spend, it seems like the minimal overture needed at just the exact time a revolt is about to occur.

They lose Betts and Bogey plus others, and pretty much had to extend Devers.

After 2021, and losing so many key players, they added what kinda looked like a large and long deal for Story, but it was sort of not.

Yoshida was not large and long, either.

The natives were restless, last winter, more so after the whole Soto false hopes, and the sign Bregman to the highest Sox AAV ever, but the one year deal looks kida hollow, now. 

They dump Devers as they extend other, but with no Devers, Bregman, Gio and Buhler, doesn't it seem like we have gotten nowhere since this time, last year?

No it doesn't feel like we've gotten nowhere. 

Since this time last year: we have traded for, and extended, one of the very best pitchers in the world. We have developed, for what feels like the first time in a long time, exciting starting pitching. We have built a lot of depth. We have developed and locked down one of the most exciting young players in the game. We have built a formidable pen. 

For the first time in as long as I can remember, it feels like if we nail the acquisitions on 1st base, 3rd base, and get a #2, (just 3 positions) we have a change at winning it all. You can try and frame it as getting nowhere before actually giving them a chance to sign the players they need to fill those holes if you want, but I cant think of a more stupid and useless way to look at it.

Now if they don't nail these acquisitions and/or go cheap, then sure, hammer them, they'll deserve it. But give them the time to make these moves first, Jesus.

 

In terms of them being intentional deceptions, honestly I think you're miles off. People always think there's some 4D chess being played, and dastardly people are making dastardly plans. I always like to think of the great quote by Jennifer Lawrence's character in 'Don't Look Up' - "You guys, the truth is way more depressing. They are not even smart enough to be as evil as you're giving them credit for."

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I've filmed behind the scenes at a huge sporting organisation for the past 4 years, and worked for, and interviewed, a billionaire that makes Henry look like a pauper. If I told you some of the things I've seen and/or heard over the years you'd think I was lying.  And not just lying, but making up conversations that can't possibly be true. You only need to look at Musk's twitter posting to see how a man can be both incredibly accomplished and brilliant, and simultaneously one of the stupidest men alive. Everyone is fallible.

When Werner came out and said 'full throttle' I can imagine Henry facepalming. I don't for one second think they agreed to get that message out and then let the fans down as some classing deception. Why on earth would they?

Honestly, the sooner you come to the realisation that everyone is just winging it, everyone, winging the f*** out of it, the more the world starts to make sense in these crazy times.

I do believe Henry doesn't want to waste money, and would love to win cheaper if he can to prove how brilliant he is, but he wants to win first and foremost, and as well as this, there has been huge mistakes made by this organisation in the past 7 years, huge, and we're only now coming out the other end at long last. If he doesn't jump on it, he will rightly be hammered for it. But I don't think there's been, or will be, any sham, just ineptness on a huge scale across multiple departments at the highest levels of the Sox up until this point. Let's hope Breslow is up the job, I believe he is.

As an aside, at Liverpool where he has had much smarter people working at the same level (Gordon is the kind of Exec Henry wish he had in Kennedy), they have had a decade of success and near misses. 

The Sox have just been poorly run. It's really that simple for me.

[drewski6]

20 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Anybody interested in soon to be 33 year old Kodai Senga?

NYM reportably are shopping him.

Yes, im interested in any pitcher that throws a splitter and a forkball is close enough

[drewski6]

4 minutes ago, Hitch said:

No it doesn't feel like we've gotten nowhere. 

Since this time last year: we have traded for, and extended, one of the very best pitchers in the world. We have developed, for what feels like the first time in a long time, exciting starting pitching. We have built a lot of depth. We have developed and locked down one of the most exciting young players in the game. We have built a formidable pen. 

For the first time in as long as I can remember, it feels like if we nail the acquisitions on 1st base, 3rd base, and get a #2, (just 3 positions) we have a change at winning it all. You can try and frame it as getting nowhere before actually giving them a chance to sign the players they need to fill those holes if you want, but I cant think of a more stupid and useless way to look at it.

Now if they don't nail these acquisitions and/or go cheap, then sure, hammer them, they'll deserve it. But give them the time to make these moves first, Jesus.

 

In terms of them being intentional deceptions, honestly I think you're miles off. People always think there's some 4D chess being played, and dastardly people are making dastardly plans. I always like to think of the great quote by Jennifer Lawrence's character in 'Don't Look Up' - "You guys, the truth is way more depressing. They are not even smart enough to be as evil as you're giving them credit for."

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I've filmed behind the scenes at a huge sporting organisation for the past 4 years, and worked for, and interviewed, a billionaire that makes Henry look like a pauper. If I told you some of the things I've seen and/or heard over the years you'd think I was lying.  And not just lying, but making up conversations that can't possibly be true. You only need to look at Musk's twitter posting to see how a man can be both incredibly accomplished and brilliant, and simultaneously one of the stupidest men alive. Everyone is fallible.

When Werner came out and said 'full throttle' I can imagine Henry facepalming. I don't for one second think they agreed to get that message out and then let the fans down as some classing deception. Why on earth would they?

Honestly, the sooner you come to the realisation that everyone is just winging it, everyone, winging the f*** out of it, the more the world starts to make sense in these crazy times.

I do believe Henry doesn't want to waste money, and would love to win cheaper if he can to prove how brilliant he is, but he wants to win first and foremost, and as well as this, there has been huge mistakes made by this organisation in the past 7 years, huge, and we're only now coming out the other end at long last. If he doesn't jump on it, he will rightly be hammered for it. But I don't think there's been, or will be, any sham, just ineptness on a huge scale across multiple departments at the highest levels of the Sox up until this point. Let's hope Breslow is up the job, I believe he is.

As an aside, at Liverpool where he has had much smarter people working at the same level (Gordon is the kind of Exec Henry wish he had in Kennedy), they have had a decade of success and near misses. 

The Sox have just been poorly run. It's really that simple for me.

I agree right hand not knowing what left hand is doing and generaly dysfunction more likely than evil genius 4d chess deception.

However, breslow does talk to us like we're idiots.

[drewski6]

Just now, drewski6 said:

I agree right hand not knowing what left hand is doing and generaly dysfunction more likely than evil genius 4d chess deception.

However, breslow does talk to us like we're idiots.

and maybe to his yale brain, most of us are. not me , tho, i got into MIT (but went to bentley cuz they gave me a full ride on merit)

[Hitch]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

I agree right hand not knowing what left hand is doing and generaly dysfunction more likely than evil genius 4d chess deception.

However, breslow does talk to us like we're idiots.

I might be giving Breslow too much credit, but he sometimes comes off to me as a man that is fully and absolutely fed up with circus around baseball. I get the impression he loathes the press, or at least having to do that part of his job. 

[mvp 78]

16 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

In their defense, it is remarkably strange how Hicks can throw 105 mph and be so bad

Because he doesn't know where it's going. 

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, Hitch said:

I might be giving Breslow too much credit, but he sometimes comes off to me as a man that is fully and absolutely fed up with circus around baseball. I get the impression he loathes the press, or at least having to do that part of his job. 

It's why he needs to hire a GM. 

[Hitch]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

It's why he needs to hire a GM. 

Yes, agreed. Also, completely speculative again, but he seems like a man that finds it hard to trust people. Which may explain why he's not hired anyone yet. Or maybe he hates to delegate. Or it's none of these things.

But, yes, would be a good step.

[moonslav59]

57 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

However, breslow does talk to us like we're idiots.

Have you read some posts, here?

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Have you read some posts, here?

No read. Just post.

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

No read. Just post.

We can tell. ;)

[moonslav59]

To me, signing Bregman or Bichette is about the same and a sideways move. Bichette is younger and will get more years, but the AAV might be close. Sign one (or Polanco) and then Alonso or Schwarber, and we;; just be a trade for a #2 away from being a top 5-6 contender.

[Larry Cook]

19 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

of course so far we haven't

Didn’t we spend a chunk of the money extending Anthony 

[drewski6]

15 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Didn’t we spend a chunk of the money extending Anthony 

to save from having to spend more money a few years from now. If your big purchase is a coupon book, are you really spending?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

It's why he needs to hire a GM. 

Someone f***ing pliable.