Article: Bryce Harper Isn't the First Base Solution the Red Sox Need

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, notin said:

You think Painter (who has already had 1 TJ) is worth more than 4 years of an outfielder who has posted 13.3 bWAR in the last 2 seasons? Will Painter be worth 13.3 bWAR total in the next 4 seasons?

I think some folks drastically undervalue Duran…

Prospects have been overvalued for a long time, especially top guys like Painter. 

[drewski6]

12 minutes ago, notin said:

You think Painter (who has already had 1 TJ) is worth more than 4 years of an outfielder who has posted 13.3 bWAR in the last 2 seasons? Will Painter be worth 13.3 bWAR total in the next 4 seasons?

I think some folks drastically undervalue Duran…

Or overrate Painter

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

I like Hamilton a lot.  He has a 3.7 bWAR in 471 ABs over the past 2 years, can run, field, and at least owns a SS glove for an odd start.  His only real issue, and it's big, is that he cannot hit lefties.

But vs RHPs?

.618 in '25

.729 in '24 (an outlier?)

.667 career (434 PAs)

His bat problem extends beyond being a strict but strong side platoon.

[JoeBrady]

58 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He's been untradeable so far and is a blocker on the roster. 

He doesn't block anyone.  We have 4 outfielders that should never be considered DH's.  Trade one for pitching and the OF/DH is set.

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

He doesn't block anyone.  We have 4 outfielders that should never be considered DH's.  Trade one for pitching and the OF/DH is set.

Casas is a terrible 1B. Refsnyder is a terrible OFer. They haven't been able to move Duran/Abreu yet. Having a DH guy on the bench kills roster flexibility. 

[JoeBrady]

21 minutes ago, notin said:

You think Painter (who has already had 1 TJ) is worth more than 4 years of an outfielder who has posted 13.3 bWAR in the last 2 seasons? Will Painter be worth 13.3 bWAR total in the next 4 seasons?

I think some folks drastically undervalue Duran…

It's only 3 seasons according to BR.  If this was vintage Painter, I probably make that move.  Would you trade Abreu for Bubba Chandler?  Chase Burns?  I'd make either of those moves.

[drewski6]

2 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

It's only 3 seasons according to BR.  If this was vintage Painter, I probably make that move.  Would you trade Abreu for Bubba Chandler?  Chase Burns?  I'd make either of those moves.

Are we getting bregman back and schwarber? If not, im not trading any bat for pitching.

[drewski6]

any plus bat, i mean.  cuz if we lose bregman and dont get a big bat then its cedanne who HAS to go. You cant go with

RA
Duran
Story
Yoshida
Romy (1b)
Nav
Mayer
Cedanne
Hamilton

You cant, right? Right? (looks around nervously)

[drewski6]

Thats a no thanks on the season for me

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Are we getting bregman back and schwarber? If not, im not trading any bat for pitching.

They are NOT getting Schwarber. If they sign Bregman, it's the one big deal they make this offseason, unless they trade for a #2 and extend. 

[JoeBrady]

19 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Or overrate Painter

FWIW, before the TJS, I considered Painter the 2nd best pitching prospect behind Skenes, and not that far behind Skenes either.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

any plus bat, i mean.  cuz if we lose bregman and dont get a big bat then its cedanne who HAS to go. You cant go with

RA
Duran
Story
Yoshida
Romy (1b)
Nav
Mayer
Cedanne
Hamilton

You cant, right? Right? (looks around nervously)

They'll bring somebody in. It just may be an underwhelming name. 

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, JoeBrady said:

FWIW, before the TJS, I considered Painter the 2nd best pitching prospect behind Skenes, and not that far behind Skenes either.

He still is a very good prospect, but he was at the tippy top back then. 

[moonslav59]

20 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

He doesn't block anyone.  We have 4 outfielders that should never be considered DH's.  Trade one for pitching and the OF/DH is set.

The OF depth would also be fine by trading one. We'd still have Garcia and Campbell as well as Refsnyder likely willing to return if offered a decent contract. (The Sox also view Yoshida as an OF option, despite our objections.)

[drewski6]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

They are NOT getting Schwarber. If they sign Bregman, it's the one big deal they make this offseason, unless they trade for a #2 and extend. 

Okay, say we resign Bregman and flip Abreu for pitching. No other notable moves.

You liking the lineup?

[drewski6]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

They'll bring somebody in. It just may be an underwhelming name. 

how underwhelming?

[JoeBrady]

23 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

But vs RHPs?

.618 in '25

.729 in '24 (an outlier?)

.667 career (434 PAs)

His bat problem extends beyond being a strict but strong side platoon.

He had 6 HR?s in 158 ABs v righties with a 41/13 K/W.  With his speed, that will play up.  Just for fun, compare these two sets of numbers.

Player A 311 ABs, 5 HRs, 103/18 K/W

Player B 471 ABs 14 HRs, 127/35 K/W

One is the first two seasons of Hamilton and one is the first two seasons of Duran.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

They'll bring somebody in. It just may be an underwhelming name. 

That's what I am most afraid of.

Bregman returning may not even keep us status quo on offense, which we sort of a weak area in 2025.

We need a big boost and a Bregman return does not do that.

Hoping on 650 PAs from Bregman & Anthony only adds about 500 PAs from their 2025 totals, and is a bit of a gamble that they will repeat 2025 numbers over 1300 PAs.

Can we count on Story and Duran to repeat 2025? They were our next two big bats.

Then there is the Devers loss. He did get 334 PAs in 2025- the most of any Sox player at DH and 8th ranked in PAs despite an early June dump.

The offense situation need is dire. Breggie, Hoskins and a returning Ref is not enough, and if we trade Duran for pitching, it may not even be equal.

[drewski6]

8 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

FWIW, before the TJS, I considered Painter the 2nd best pitching prospect behind Skenes, and not that far behind Skenes either.

FWIW , Duran was an ironman with an MVP level WAR and under team control during that same time.

Have you ever, um, looked at Andrew Painter? I mean really look at him? Cuz hes a string bean.

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, JoeBrady said:

He had 6 HR?s in 158 ABs v righties with a 41/13 K/W.  With his speed, that will play up.  Just for fun, compare these two sets of numbers.

Player A 311 ABs, 5 HRs, 103/18 K/W

Player B 471 ABs 14 HRs, 127/35 K/W

One is the first two seasons of Hamilton and one is the first two seasons of Duran.

yes because everyone has breakouts and year to year grown like duran

Duran went from borderline bust to borderline mvp. I wouldnt expect that to like ever happen again.

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Okay, say we resign Bregman and flip Abreu for pitching. No other notable moves.

You liking the lineup?

It's the same lineup that slumped at the end of last season. 💪

[drewski6]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

That's what I am most afraid of.

Bregman returning may not even keep us status quo on offense, which we sort of a weak area in 2025.

We need a big boost and a Bregman return does not do that.

Hoping on 650 PAs from Bregman & Anthony only adds about 500 PAs from their 2025 totals, and is a bit of a gamble that they will repeat 2025 numbers over 1300 PAs.

Can we count on Story and Duran to repeat 2025? They were our next two big bats.

Then there is the Devers loss. He did get 334 PAs in 2025- the most of any Sox player at DH and 8th ranked in PAs despite an early June dump.

The offense situation need is dire. Breggie, Hoskins and a returning Ref is not enough, and if we trade Duran for pitching, it may not even be equal.

Agreed, please consider my crossouts above haha

[drewski6]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

It's the same lineup that slumped at the end of last season. 💪

So Pumpsie was right all along and we should be building for 2029?

[drewski6]

This doesnt feel like starting from a base of a team that made the postseason last year, does it?

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

how underwhelming?

O'Hearn if we're lucky, Wilmer Flores if we're unlucky.

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

So Pumpsie was right all along and we should be building for 2029?

Don't listen to him. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

O'Hearn if we're lucky, Wilmer Flores if we're unlucky.

"The Rock says that if its Big Show vs HHH in the main event at wrestlemania, than wrestelmania is going to suck"

Feel like that applies

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Okay, say we resign Bregman and flip Abreu for pitching. No other notable moves.

You liking the lineup?

If liking it means at best an early exit from the playoffs, maybe.

[moonslav59]

11 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

FWIW , Duran was an ironman with an MVP level WAR and under team control during that same time.

Have you ever, um, looked at Andrew Painter? I mean really look at him? Cuz hes a string bean.

Pedro was a pinto bean.

[drewski6]

The rock says, if all you do is bring back bregman , and then on top of that, trade either Duran or Abreu for pitching, then next years lineup is going to suck!