A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I don’t think Cora has a loyalty issue at all. What you may think is a better option like Raffy at 1B, which I disagree with, and I think Cora saw it the same way. I never have believed Cora didn’t talk to Raffy about it, because of loyalty. No I wouldn’t have put Bogey at 2B either for Story, and Cora didn’t do it either, and I don’t think Cora was worried about rocking any boat. What backfired about Raffy is not having his bat in the lineup, and now NO Bregman either, so we agree on a backfire. I’ll finish on this that I’m not even a big Cora fan just like I was never a Devers Forevers guy.👋

All well documented.

I will say that had Devers been moved to 1B years ago, maybe he'd still be here, and maybe even "forevers."

[drewski6]

7 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I'll play devil dog advocate.: most posters and many fans (my son included) can't stand the thought of Masataka Yoshida on the 2026 Red Sox. Be careful what you wish for.

First, this offense might be ok: Anthony might be a star, Contreras might hit 25 homers for the first time, Story might play another full year, Rafaela and Abreu might repeat clutch, and Duran might still be here.

We can only hope.  Returning Red Sox 2024-2025 RBIs: Duran 159, Rafaela 138, Abreu 127, Story 106

But even all that may not be enough. Even if it is, this line-up is laden with strikeout whiffers.

This is at least where Yoshida can help. We all know Masa can't go yard or run fast or throw hard or stop liners from smashing lights on the Monster. But he can hit... for non-returning Romans, his career batting average is the highest on the team and his K-rate is the lowest.

Maybe he's finally healthy from a shoulder injury and surgery which may very well have sapped his strength. People forget last year Yoshi hit .333 in September and October and .571 in the playoffs, where his single up the middle should've eliminated the Yankees (except a baserunner going on the pitch didn't score from 2nd).

The Sox owe it to themselves to at least see how he does in the WBC before crossing him off as an option.

 

He'd be training his ass off to play 1b if I was in charge.  Because more positions helps him stay on the 26 man , and if hes on the 26 man, Id give him a chance to get hot.

I agree.

Masa's main problem (outside of his control) is that we dont have any real elite hitters and those guys can really carry you. They give you the freedom to build your infield (or the rest of your infield if the masher himself is an infielder) with a defense first mentality.  They let you roll the dice on a DH with a wide range of outcomes or gamble on a youngster.  If you have a great 1-4 in your lineup you can kinda do what you wanna do.

But without it , you have to be very efficient.  And that might push an outfielder over to DH. Now that weve chosen the route of super pitching, hitting neglect - we'll need Durans drive with his legs, hungry approach, and extra base hits.  And we'll need Masa too, so somebody is going to have to sit while we wait for an injury to fix it (and fix it it will, behind enemy lines great efficient post). But I suspect  (honestly) that who that somebody is who sits (while we wait for an injury) is not going to be the same person every night.  And you'll have a different lineup for a while.  Yoshida I suspect will be given a chance to heat up and eventually some players will and that plus the inevitable injury bug will sort it out. I do really think learning first base helps). For example if Narvaez is hurt, I might put Contreras behind the plate and Yoshi at 1b. Hes also prob my backup 1b should contreras gets hurt.  

Im still rooting for him.  He looks cool. He seems cool. I think hell get a chance to heat up.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

18 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Im still rooting for him.  He looks cool. He seems cool. I think hell get a chance to heat up.

I was actually surprised after the playoffs that the first thing on some posters' minds was to get Yoshida off the roster. "He just doesn't fit!" 

Why not, because he doesn't swing and miss all night? Did anyone actually see the putrid batting order in the Wild Card series, the one with Bregman?

[moonslav59]

If Casas is healthy, he might be better than Masa at DH or 1B.

It just might be time to ask every team what amount would you pay to take Masa off our hands, and take the best offer.

Unless he's hitting .800 for another team, I can't see anyone ever saying, "I wish we didn't trade Masa."

I undertsand.750-.800 is better than several batters in our projected line-up, and our offense is a weakness, but I don't see him as a 1B option. It's DH or the shorter corner OF. We have enough good hitters at those two slots to move on from Yoshida.

[moonslav59]

10 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I was actually surprised after the playoffs that the first thing on some posters' minds was to get Yoshida off the roster. "He just doesn't fit!" 

Why not, because he doesn't swing and miss all night? Did anyone actually see the putrid batting order in the Wild Card series, the one with Bregman?

I don't know about anyone else, but I was on pins and needles last October as I waited for Masa's next playoff AB.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I was on pins and needles last October as I waited for Masa's next playoff AB.

Mock away, but you knew at least he'd make contact. How were you feeling when half a dozen other guys stood in the box waiting to flail away? 

That's how bad that batting order was in the playoffs, when Boston sent a Quadruple A line-up to challenge the defending AL champs.

[moonslav59]

Just now, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Mock away, but you knew at least he'd make contact. How were you feeling when half a dozen other guys stood in the box waiting to flail away? 

That's how bad that batting order was in the playoffs, when Boston sent a Quadruple A line-up to challenge the defending AL champs.

Trade him, now.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

What you may think is a better option like Raffy at 1B, which I disagree with, and I think Cora saw it the same way.

I'm a Devers agnostic, but there is almost no chance I'd have switched him to 1B in mid-season.

[notin]

3 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I'm a Devers agnostic, but there is almost no chance I'd have switched him to 1B in mid-season.

Same.  I’d have done it 3 years ago…

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Would you trade Duran for CJ Abrams?

BTV accepted it as well as Duran + Crawford.

Story to 2B and Mayer to 3B.

It's hard not to like a guy that was suspended for being at a casino at 9AM on game day.  And unfortunately, a lefty.  And I don't think you'll like him at SS.  And he finished the year poorly.

That said, he's got a huge ceiling.  I would do it and hope for the best.

[Old Red]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I was on pins and needles last October as I waited for Masa's next playoff AB.

Better than the 2 lefty killers Romy, and Ref Man going 1-14.Sure could have used Raffy.

[Duran Is The Man]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Same.  I’d have done it 3 years ago…

me too. never understood why, apparently, Cora never even tried to get him to move. it's not like his 3b skills just started going downhill, they sucked from Day One.

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

me too. never understood why, apparently, Cora never even tried to get him to move. it's not like his 3b skills just started going downhill, they sucked from Day One.

Me too? They had the 1B of the future there in Casas who they tried to lock up long term, so no need at all.

[notin]

40 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Me too? They had the 1B of the future there in Casas who they tried to lock up long term, so no need at all.

That’s not a good excuse to accept a weak defender, especially in a league that has a DH…

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Same.  I’d have done it 3 years ago…

I think we both were saying this years ago.

It couldn't have hurt to get him ready a few years back. Practicing 3B defense wasn't helping.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

Me too? They had the 1B of the future there in Casas who they tried to lock up long term, so no need at all.

Casas should have been viewed as the DH of the future. His 1B D was even worse than Devers at 3B.

[Old Red]

27 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Casas should have been viewed as the DH of the future. His 1B D was even worse than Devers at 3B.

You guys throw out all these suggestions that Bloom, and Cora obviously didn’t do, so I wonder why they didn’t see it that way. They were either bad ideas, or especially Cora must be really incompetent.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, Duran Is The Man said:

me too. never understood why, apparently, Cora never even tried to get him to move. it's not like his 3b skills just started going downhill, they sucked from Day One.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some improvement, and I thought I saw some.  But then it just flattened out.

[JoeBrady]

5 minutes ago, Old Red said:

You guys throw out all these suggestions that Bloom, and Cora obviously didn’t do, so I wonder why they didn’t see it that way. They were either bad ideas, or especially Cora must be really incompetent.

The pros look long-term.  As you said, Casas was the 1B of the future and Devers was the 3B of the future.  There is an expectation that they will improve.  Both Duran and Romy were painful to watch when they first came up.  One became good and one became acceptable.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

You guys throw out all these suggestions that Bloom, and Cora obviously didn’t do, so I wonder why they didn’t see it that way. They were either bad ideas, or especially Cora must be really incompetent.

Maybe they are bad ideas. I'm open to the idea that I can and have been wrong.

I gave some reasons that have merit, IMO.

Casas is the worst defensive 1B in MLB. He's also a China Doll that could possibly stay healthier playing DH, despite the fact that he hurts himself flossing his teeth.

Devers was horrible at 3B, but much of his issues were throwing, which isn''t as big an issue at 1B. He seemed to be pretty quick at 3B (not fast) and had a decent glove. I happen to think he'd be better at 1B than 3B, and add to that, how much worse can he be than the worst in MLB?

I'm fine if Cora, Brez, Bloom and you and others disagree, but can you honestly say my idea makes little or no sense, at all?

(And once more, my suggestions and opinions are not predictions, so just because it didn't happen doesn't mean it was the "wrong idea." The SFG did move Devers to 1B and perhaps forevers.! LOL)

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some improvement, and I thought I saw some.  But then it just flattened out.

The thing about Devers is he did get a little better for a year or so, and he sometimes went some pretty long stretches where he looked better and possibly "improving," then he'd have a bad fielding slump. I'm not sure if it was lack of focus or being easily distracted. One puzzling comment came out during the whole cluster hoople, he actually said he thought he was a good 3Bman.

He wasn't.

Casas is even worse at 1B.

Had we not signed Masa, maybe Bloom or Brez would have made the double move- maybe not. I would have 3+ years ago, but that's just my opinion.

[JoeBrady]

19 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The thing about Devers is he did get a little better for a year or so,

His conditioning also wavered from year to year.  He'd take some criticism, and I think Cora spoke to him, but he never came to ST in good shape.  Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but never good.  It's a shame.  I'd see him make some very good plays when he was younger, but never consistently.

[Old Red]

34 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Maybe they are bad ideas. I'm open to the idea that I can and have been wrong.

I gave some reasons that have merit, IMO.

Casas is the worst defensive 1B in MLB. He's also a China Doll that could possibly stay healthier playing DH, despite the fact that he hurts himself flossing his teeth.

Devers was horrible at 3B, but much of his issues were throwing, which isn''t as big an issue at 1B. He seemed to be pretty quick at 3B (not fast) and had a decent glove. I happen to think he'd be better at 1B than 3B, and add to that, how much worse can he be than the worst in MLB?

I'm fine if Cora, Brez, Bloom and you and others disagree, but can you honestly say my idea makes little or no sense, at all?

(And once more, my suggestions and opinions are not predictions, so just because it didn't happen doesn't mean it was the "wrong idea." The SFG did move Devers to 1B and perhaps forevers.! LOL)

SF already have a pretty good 3B, so Devers wasn’t going to play 3B there anyway, Suggestions, opinions, and predictions oh my. Can all be good, bad, right, or wrong, and some can even come to fruition, and then again they won’t, or don’t.

[drewski6]

13 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

It's hard not to like a guy that was suspended for being at a casino at 9AM on game day.  And unfortunately, a lefty.  And I don't think you'll like him at SS.  And he finished the year poorly.

That said, he's got a huge ceiling.  I would do it and hope for the best.

I think 3 short years ago, I would have embraced a degenerate being at the casino at 9am, but with the influx of athletes themselves betting, and an ugly underbelly of greed getting exposed (across sports in general) - I see it as a red flag right now.

[drewski6]

8 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

His conditioning also wavered from year to year.  He'd take some criticism, and I think Cora spoke to him, but he never came to ST in good shape.  Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but never good.  It's a shame.  I'd see him make some very good plays when he was younger, but never consistently.

You need leaders to lead by example in the weight room, I agree though.  A team culture of strength , conditioning, and health is so important and sometimes lacking in baseball.

Casas was often out of shape, and really guys like sale and mayer shy away from the weight room too much (mayer has said he will embrace a strength building program).  Even Story.

If you are scrawny and getting hurt, try adding some muscle.  When I hurt my neck, I learned about how working out and adding muscle can protect vulnerable points of your body.

Devers kind of fell into a leadership role due to his contract and "last man standing" from previous core that he was ill suited for.  Really dont want your leaders refusing requests to help the team or showing up chubby.

We'll see who emerges as the leader now that Bregman is gone, my money is on Duran.  And he works out and is passionate and wants to win and Im glad hes still here.

[Old Red]

8 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

His conditioning also wavered from year to year.  He'd take some criticism, and I think Cora spoke to him, but he never came to ST in good shape.  Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but never good.  It's a shame.  I'd see him make some very good plays when he was younger, but never consistently.

I agree with this, but despite all of Raffy’s shortcomings the Red Sox still signed Raffy to a long term contract, and told him he’d be the 3B for the foreseeable future. What complicated things was Raffy actually thinking he was a good 3B.

[moonslav59]

44 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I agree with this, but despite all of Raffy’s shortcomings the Red Sox still signed Raffy to a long term contract, and told him he’d be the 3B for the foreseeable future. What complicated things was Raffy actually thinking he was a good 3B.

...further complications came when the guy who made the promise to Devers was replaced, and he assumed the promise rolled over to the next guy.

[moonslav59]

9 hours ago, Old Red said:

 Suggestions, opinions, and predictions oh my. Can all be good, bad, right, or wrong, and some can even come to fruition, and then again they won’t, or don’t.

Strawmen, misrepresentations and diversions, OH MY!

[Old Red]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

...further complications came when the guy who made the promise to Devers was replaced, and he assumed the promise rolled over to the next guy.

Try looking at it from Raffy’s point of view  for once, and you might come up with a different take. It didn’t matter who said it, but it was the Boston Red Sox who said. 

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I was actually surprised after the playoffs that the first thing on some posters' minds was to get Yoshida off the roster. "He just doesn't fit!" 

Why not, because he doesn't swing and miss all night? Did anyone actually see the putrid batting order in the Wild Card series, the one with Bregman?

He doesn't fit, because Cora isn't committed to DHing him 130 Games a year. In '24 when he was hitting well, Cora sat him frequently. It didn't make sense.