A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[Randy Red Sox]

39 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Most of the good relievers are off the market, so I think they are mostly done shopping for pitching. 

Maybe they can find a good bargain at the beginning of Spring, but other teams do the same thing.

i think they will sign a couple of P to M/L deals and add a bat late in the offseason on a 1 yr deal as the cycle continues.

[moonslav59]

From what I can gather on BTV as a nonmember, this might work...

To BOS: Donovan 33, Bubic 16 & Pasquantino 13 (+$4M from STL)

To KCR: Duran 46 & Contreras -14 (+$4m from BOS)

To STL: Hicks -18, Crawford 22  & Casas 18 

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

That is an incredibly  impressive stat. Thanks for posting 

He also led MLB in Hard Hit %. 

[moonslav59]

To BOS: Lodolo 31, Donovan 33 & Contreras -18

To CIN: Rafaela 36

To StL: Crawford 22, Casas 18, Masa -18

[moonslav59]

To BOS: Paredes 12

To HOU: Rafaela 36, Hicks -18

______________________

To BOS: Hunter Greene 82

To CIN: Mayer 55, Campbell 19 & Harrison 7 

____________________

To BOS: Contreras -14

To STL: Yoshida -26 & Casas 18

[moonslav59]

B Lowe & Mangum to PIT

Mike Borrows to HOU

Jacob Melton & A Brito to TBR

[moonslav59]

How about K Campbell & DHam to HOU for Paredes & Brice Mathews?

[Old Red]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

How about K Campbell & DHam to HOU for Paredes & Brice Mathews?

DHam?🤭

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

How about K Campbell & DHam to HOU for Paredes & Brice Mathews?

LOL, yes. 

[Old Red]

57 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

To BOS: Paredes 12

To HOU: Rafaela 36, Hicks -18

______________________

To BOS: Hunter Greene 82

To CIN: Mayer 55, Campbell 19 & Harrison 7 

____________________

To BOS: Contreras -14

To STL: Yoshida -26 & Casas 18

No on anything with Hicks , or NOshida, and Casas together. Just, because Bloom blew everyone out of the water, and shut down the bidding for Masa’s services in record time with the Red Sox doesn’t mean he’d want him now.🙈

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, Old Red said:

DHam?🤭

Not sure why he fascinates you so much, but HOU is giving us two IF'ers for 1 and it's a 2 for 2 forty man roster swap.

[moonslav59]

MLB.com projects the Sox rotation as 2nd best in MLB and the pen 5th best.

https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-position-breakdown-as-of-december-2025

If the season started today, they have Ceddanne at 2B, Mayer at 3B and the rest as expected.

C: 23rd ranked

1B: 17th

2B: T 14th

SS: 27th

3B: 23rd (Pretty sad infield)

LF: T6th

CF: 8th

RF: 7th (Pretty nice OF)

DH 12th

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Not sure why he fascinates you so much, but HOU is giving us two IF'ers for 1 and it's a 2 for 2 forty man roster swap.

You think all the guys you’re trying to get rid of other teams actually want.

 

[mvp 78]

28 minutes ago, Old Red said:

No on anything with Hicks , or NOshida, and Casas together. Just, because Bloom blew everyone out of the water, and shut down the bidding for Masa’s services in record time with the Red Sox doesn’t mean he’d want him now.🙈

Pretty sure he learned his lesson. 

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

1B: 17th

2B: T 14th

SS: 27th

3B: 23rd (Pretty sad infield)

😭

Not going to get it done, John.

[moonslav59]

5 minutes ago, Old Red said:

You think all the guys you’re trying to get rid of other teams actually want.

 

He would not pass through waivers.

Maybe HOU has no want for DHam and might take Sogard, instead or nobody else. It's just conjecture.

BTW, 2024-2025

3.6 bWAR

1.8 fWAR (31st among 2Bmen with 500+ PAs)

Not bad for a sub.

[moonslav59]

12 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Pretty sure he learned his lesson. 

He did get to "dump" Contreras in my scenario.

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He did get to "dump" Contreras in my scenario.

But your scenarios aren’t most likely to ever happen, and that spaghetti you keep throwing still doesn’t stick., but keep trying.😉

[moonslav59]

Just now, Old Red said:

But your scenarios aren’t most likely to ever happen, and that spaghetti you keep throwing still doesn’t stick., but keep trying.😉

I'm not trying to get one that they actually do, so keep on trying to figure out other posters' motivations.

I did get the Cody Ross signing right way back in the day! LOL!

[moonslav59]

Kind of a quiet winter, so far. Plenty of moves- just not many big ones...

Sonny Gray & $10M for Fitts & Clarke

Johan Oviedo, Tyler Samaniego & Adonys Guzman for J Garcia & Travieso

Ryan Watson (Rule5) for Riemer & lost J Paez to Rule 5 selection

Jake Bennett for Perales

Tristan Gray for Guerrero

Ronny Hernandez for Murphy

Isaiah Jackson for Grissom

Braiden Ward for Bernardino

Luke Heyman for Hoppe

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Kind of a quiet winter, so far. Plenty of moves- just not many big ones...

Sonny Gray & $10M for Fitts & Clarke

Johan Oviedo, Tyler Samaniego & Adonys Guzman for J Garcia & Travieso

Ryan Watson (Rule5) for Riemer & lost J Paez to Rule 5 selection

Jake Bennett for Perales

Tristan Gray for Guerrero

Ronny Hernandez for Murphy

Isaiah Jackson for Grissom

Braiden Ward for Bernardino

Luke Heyman for Hoppe

In order of how I think they'll work out:

1. S Gray

2. Bennett

3. T Gray (Guerrero may do well for Rays tho)

4. Oviedo et al (trade was fine, just will pitch like Sox Pivetta, Guzman may be decent)

5. Jackson (anything for Grissom was a plus)

6. Heyman

7. Watson (I think he's a rule 5 guy that gets returned TBH)

8. Hernandez

9. Ward (nothing there)

[Old Red]

30 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I'm not trying to get one that they actually do, so keep on trying to figure out other posters' motivations.

I did get the Cody Ross signing right way back in the day! LOL!

Why would anyone try to get one the Red Sox would actually do when it’s evident more fun to play make believe.🤫

[Old Red]

25 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Kind of a quiet winter, so far. Plenty of moves- just not many big ones...

Sonny Gray & $10M for Fitts & Clarke

Johan Oviedo, Tyler Samaniego & Adonys Guzman for J Garcia & Travieso

Ryan Watson (Rule5) for Riemer & lost J Paez to Rule 5 selection

Jake Bennett for Perales

Tristan Gray for Guerrero

Ronny Hernandez for Murphy

Isaiah Jackson for Grissom

Braiden Ward for Bernardino

Luke Heyman for Hoppe

I still think the Red Sox are dickering with Bregman, but the biggest hangup is in the length of the contract, and we all know the Red Sox don’t want to go any longer than they have to, and the shorter the better, but we also know BorASS has other ideas.

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I still think the Red Sox are dickering with Bregman, but the biggest hangup is in the length of the contract, and we all know the Red Sox don’t want to go any longer than they have to, and the shorter the better, but we also know BorASS has other ideas.

If the DBags are able to go up to 6 years (reported), the Sox have no shot. 

Time to work on that backup plan.

[Larry Cook]

39 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

 

7. Watson (I think he's a rule 5 guy that gets returned TBH)

Almost everybody thinks like you with Watson being returned. 
 

I have never seen him pitch, so I have no opinion 

[notin]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

You think all the guys you’re trying to get rid of other teams actually want.

 

That depends.  Do teams not want the player or not want the contract?

Hicks has never averages under 100mph when kept in the bullpen.  Sure he’s overpaid now, but if that can be set aside, I could see plenty of teams giving him a chance.  Every team in MLB will use 4 or 5 RPs worse than Hicks at some point.

Hamilton isnt a horrible player.  He is a very good defensive 2b with useful speed and a minimum wage salary.  At worst, he’s serviceable.  He could peak at being a useful role player.  Teams won’t give you a #2 starter for him, but he’s a good ancillary piece that plenty of teams could use.  Including Boston.  Hes not as bad as some on here keep insisting.

Yoshida can hit, but he’s tough to move with no position.  He’s either in Boston, Worcester, or on the waiver wire.  It’s hard to see a trade unless it’s for a contract NO ONE wants to take back…

[notin]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

If the DBags are able to go up to 6 years (reported), the Sox have no shot. 

Time to work on that backup plan.

If the DBacks sign Bregman, does that make Marte more available?

[Larry Cook]

7 minutes ago, notin said:

If the DBacks sign Bregman, does that make Marte more available?

Passan or another writer said if arizona signs Bregman, they lose leverage on any Marte trade 

[notin]

4 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

Passan or another writer said if arizona signs Bregman, they lose leverage on any Marte trade 

They gain it all back and then some if enough teams are interested…

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

MLB.com projects the Sox rotation as 2nd best in MLB and the pen 5th best.

https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-position-breakdown-as-of-december-2025

If the season started today, they have Ceddanne at 2B, Mayer at 3B and the rest as expected.

C: 23rd ranked

1B: 17th

2B: T 14th

SS: 27th

3B: 23rd (Pretty sad infield)

LF: T6th

CF: 8th

RF: 7th (Pretty nice OF)

DH 12th

15th in position players, 2nd best rotation, and #5 BP?  Pretty good for a team that still has their powder dry.