A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[notin]

8 hours ago, MADSTORK said:

You don’t trade SP especially 25 and younger

Harrison Preister now Early for garbage!

Pitching is what got you back in race now you deplete the Staff with the talk of Crochet not returning this year.

one step forward two back

fools gold

 

 

Clearly the stork has forgotten how we got Harrison and Priester in the first place…

[moonslav59]

This recent trade really helped to balance the team, but I do not think Brez is done. The need for a pitcher to eat some innings is greater now than before the trade, and maybe we trade for a big salary, so it offsets the need for giving up a top prospects- someone like Lugo.

I'd still like to see us get a SS, but the 2B need is likely not high on the list, if on the list at all. I don't think this trade makes an Arias trade less likely, but I think we hold onto him, even if we deal for a SS.

Catcher is clearly above 2B now.

A SP'er is almost a given, even if it's someone like the 2025 Dustin May (eeek) trade. (BTW, he's not doing horribly this year.)

I'm not sure about the Neto rumors, of if this trade nullifies our pursuit, but this would be a formidable infield:

1B Contreras (Mead/Romy)

2B Mead (Romy/Seigler) or Durbin (Arias in '27?)

SS Neto (Cheng/Monasterio) Arias in '27?

3B Durbin or Mead

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Clearly the stork has forgotten how we got Harrison and Priester in the first place…

Or how much everybody here was so thrilled to have them. The Stork probably poo-poo'd the Yorke for Priester trade and the Devers for Harrison trade, too.

[moonslav59]

2026 OBP

.389 Contreras

.358 Wong (just 152 PAs)

.352 Mead

.341 Yoshida

.333 Siegler (115)

.326 Abreu

.322 Rafaela

Does this make Mead our lead-off hitter?

I'd say Siegler and Wong are not really options.

1. R Mead 2B/3B/DH/LF????

2. R Rafaela CF

3. L Abreu RF

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Yoshida DH/LF or L Romy DH/2B

6. R Durbin 3B/2B

7. L Duran LF or L Yoshida/ L Romy

8. S Monasterio/ R Cheng SS

9. R Narvaez or R Wong (I'd put L Duran here.)

 

[mvp 78]

I don’t see them moving Durbin off 3b.

[notin]

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I don’t see them moving Durbin off 3b.

Why not?  Is everything ok?  

Did a frozen iguana knock your glasses off?  Get bitten in the ocular nerve by a Burmese Python?  

Tell me it’s not swamp puppy related!!!

[notin]

19 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

2026 OBP

.389 Contreras

.358 Wong (just 152 PAs)

.352 Mead

.341 Yoshida

.333 Siegler (115)

.326 Abreu

.322 Rafaela

Does this make Mead our lead-off hitter?

I'd say Siegler and Wong are not really options.

1. R Mead 2B/3B/DH/LF????

2. R Rafaela CF

3. L Abreu RF

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Yoshida DH/LF or L Romy DH/2B

6. R Durbin 3B/2B

7. L Duran LF or L Yoshida/ L Romy

8. S Monasterio/ R Cheng SS

9. R Narvaez or R Wong (I'd put L Duran here.)

 

Personally I swap Yoshida and Mead there.  

But Tracy has recently blocked my texts, so my input is once again minimal…

[moonslav59]

26 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I don’t see them moving Durbin off 3b.

I guess Tracy has already said Mead to 2B.

YEAH!!!!

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, notin said:

Personally I swap Yoshida and Mead there.  

But Tracy has recently blocked my texts, so my input is once again minimal…

Mead does have more power and Yoshida's OBP is close and has improved over 2026, so I could see it.

I'm not sure about Yoshida batting first v LHPs.

[notin]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Mead does have more power and Yoshida's OBP is close and has improved over 2026, so I could see it.

I'm not sure about Yoshida batting first v LHPs.

Or batting at all vs LHP.  But that’s what Romy is for…