Should Boston Pilfer A Division Rival to Replace Alex Bregman in Free Agency?

[moonslav59]

Just now, Old Red said:

How could I forget about Kike at SS? Story, and Casas missed so much times the past few years, and that’s why the Red Sox went through so many different players at those positions, and not, because Cora likes to platoon. 2B is a different kind of situation where no one has been able to play halfway decent to stay there, and not, because Cora likes to platoon. That’s my point.

Cora loved the Refsnyder platoon, so that kinda shows he's not against the idea.

He may not love platoons, but I do not think he dislikes them. Yes, many of the platoons are formed after a player is hurt, and he is trying to maximize the best he can get out of bench players who usually have serious flaws- like putrid splits, but he could have chose just one sub, if he hated platoons. One of Cora's traits is that he tried to find playing time for all the players on the 26, and if you wanna play a flawed sub, you are going to pick games where he is most likely to succeed, such as vs a beneficial armed pitcher.

In 2018, we traded for Pearce, who was used mostly as a platoon, until he played so well, Cora could not sit him. I think they started 2019 with HRam platooning at 1B. (I could be wrong.) In 2020, I think Dalbec and Pillar were semi-platooned. Ref started platooning in 2022. Romy started platooning in 2024, but he was forced to play vs RHPs, this year, and actually did okay.

[mvp 78]

17 minutes ago, Old Red said:

How could I forget about Kike at SS? Story, and Casas missed so much times the past few years, and that’s why the Red Sox went through so many different players at those positions, and not, because Cora likes to platoon. 2B is a different kind of situation where no one has been able to play halfway decent to stay there, and not, because Cora likes to platoon. That’s my point.

He has gone through a lot of players, but also likes to platoon guys. 

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Cora loved the Refsnyder platoon, so that kinda shows he's not against the idea.

He may not love platoons, but I do not think he dislikes them. Yes, many of the platoons are formed after a player is hurt, and he is trying to maximize the best he can get out of bench players who usually have serious flaws- like putrid splits, but he could have chose just one sub, if he hated platoons. One of Cora's traits is that he tried to find playing time for all the players on the 26, and if you wanna play a flawed sub, you are going to pick games where he is most likely to succeed, such as vs a beneficial armed pitcher.

In 2018, we traded for Pearce, who was used mostly as a platoon, until he played so well, Cora could not sit him. I think they started 2019 with HRam platooning at 1B. (I could be wrong.) In 2020, I think Dalbec and Pillar were semi-platooned. Ref started platooning in 2022. Romy started platooning in 2024, but he was forced to play vs RHPs, this year, and actually did okay.

I’m not disputing Cora likes to platoon at all, but just saying there are other reasons for the moves he makes than just, because he likes platoons. I would think he would have rather had a healthy Story, and Casas the last three years instead of having a revolving door at SS, and 1B. Also would rather have a stable starter at 2B that has been a turnstile.

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

He has gone through a lot of players, but also likes to platoon guys. 

No disagreement on that. Both are true.

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

He has gone through a lot of players, but also likes to platoon guys. 

It is a way to get more players involved and placed in more situations where they are more likely to succeed.

I'm not sure why so many seem to dislike that theory. Of course, we'd all prefer to have an all star line-up, where nobody has bad splits or ever needs to be PH for or platooned, but in reality, even the very best teams use platoons to great success.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I’m not disputing Cora likes to platoon at all...

Did we misinterpret this...

Cora likes to platoon. 2B is a different kind of situation where no one has been able to play halfway decent to stay there, and not, because Cora likes to platoon. That’s my point.

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It is a way to get more players involved and placed in more situations where they are more likely to succeed.

I'm not sure why so many seem to dislike that theory. Of course, we'd all prefer to have an all star line-up, where nobody has bad splits or ever needs to be PH for or platooned, but in reality, even the very best teams use platoons to great success.

If Story, and Casas hadn’t been injured so much the past three years how many of the players that went through SS, and 1B would have?

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

If Story, and Casas hadn’t been injured so much the past three years how many of the players that went through SS, and 1B would have?

Not nearly as many. That has nothing to do with Cora liking or disliking platoons. Sure, it probably increased them, but so what?

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Did we misinterpret this...

Cora likes to platoon. 2B is a different kind of situation where no one has been able to play halfway decent to stay there, and not, because Cora likes to platoon. That’s my point.

Yes. If the Red Sox had a stable healthy 2B would the Red Sox gone through 11 of them in 2024, or as many 2B who played there last year, or does Cora just like revolving doors, and turnstiles just to get more players involved?

[notin]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Yes. If the Red Sox had a stable healthy 2B would the Red Sox gone through 11 of them in 2024, or as many 2B who played there last year, or does Cora just like revolving doors, and turnstiles just to get more players involved?

Couldn’t it be both?

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Not nearly as many. That has nothing to do with Cora liking or disliking platoons. Sure, it probably increased them, but so what?

Just that it takes away many of the moves that Cora had to make, or platoon. Once again I’m not saying Cora doesn’t like to platoon, but there is more than one reason on why he does platoon, and not just, because he likes to. 👋

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

Couldn’t it be both?

👍Yes. That’s all I’m saying.

[moonslav59]

Just now, Old Red said:

👍Yes. That’s all I’m saying.

Okay. Got it.

One could just as easily said ...

not, because Cora dislikes to platoon. That’s my point.

as saying....

not, because Cora likes to platoon. That’s my point.

It kinda sounded like you think he dislike more than likes, but I'm glad you cleared that up. Yes, injuries have created more platoon opportunities- also just having our chose 2B suck outright. Arauz didn't get hurt. E Valdez didn't get hurt- he just had awful splits. Chavis, marco, Grissom, Reyes. peraza, Nunes (2019) and others. 

Sometimes, it was hard to know who our starting 2Bman was supposed to be on opening day. That's how bad it was. It was some of those situations where Cora chose a platoon, because he "liked" that over a straight play with a crappy player FT. It wasn't an injury in many cases, too.

[Hugh2]

42 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I can’t see Story going to 3B. 2B definitely if Cora will make the move.

I would prefer him at 2nd, BUT if they don't resign Bregman or go out and get someone like Bichette, I don't really see who else can do that? 

Here is an interesting fact that I didn't know until recently. 

Trevor Story, Alex Bregman, and even F.A. Bo Bichette all have the same exact arm strength. All 3 averaged exactly 82.3 MPH on their throws.  So, the more I thought about it, the more I changed my mind on the issue.

I wouldn't hate Mayer at third, and of course if the Sox signed someone like Bichette, Bregman, or unkown trade candidate then that completely changes the equation.  

But just going by the roster now, with zero additions. Then the 2026 infield would be Story/Mayer/Romy/Casas.

That kind of scares me. Sure maybe Casas gets healthy and has an OPS above .800, and Story and Mayers stay healthy and the magic doesn't end with Romy but that's a lot of ifs.  I think the Red Sox need to add one premium infielder this offseason. 

[Hugh2]

Does Cora like to Platoon? 

How many platoons have we seen where Cora plays the RHH vs. the RHP and the LHH vs. the LHP?  

I like Cora as a manager, but he doens't properly platoon his platoon players all the time. 

[Hitch]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

It makes me more confident that they won't get a guy attached to a QO, but will re-sign Breggie and trade for a starter. 

Yeah, agreed, as in not wating to sign a player with a QO.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

If Cora had a starting eight like the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds, then he probably wouldn't platoon. Or the 1969-71 Orioles. But once free agency began, those clubs knew they couldn't pay all their stars, so they had to adjust.

Baltimore manager Earl Weaver -- who helped invent analytics when he tracked batting splits for his batters, and pitching splits for his pitchers -- began to platoon at certain positions and still won.

He learned, after losing in '69 to Mets manager Gil Hodges, who platooned half his line-up all the way to a title.

Modern mid-market teams like Boston are always looking for utility men who can play multiple positions with some semblance of competence, because they're a lot cheaper than paying high profile stars stuck in one spot.

[mvp 78]

31 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

But just going by the roster now, with zero additions. Then the 2026 infield would be Story/Mayer/Romy/Casas.

That kind of scares me. Sure maybe Casas gets healthy and has an OPS above .800, and Story and Mayers stay healthy and the magic doesn't end with Romy but that's a lot of ifs.  I think the Red Sox need to add one premium infielder this offseason. 

It's not a playoff roster if they don't sign anyone. 

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Modern mid-market teams like Boston 

What the hell..........................................

[Hugh2]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

It's not a playoff roster if they don't sign anyone. 

I know, it was an expirement.....I think it worked.  We need to add to the infield team. 

[Behindenemylines]

On 11/4/2025 at 7:56 AM, notin said:

That 2024 Padres outfield (Profar, Merrill, Tatis) was entirely comprised of shortstops as well.

The Sox might just have to live with Story’s declining defense.  It is only two years and tolerating decline is part of signing free agents…

The Sox always have the option of moving Story to second and playing Mayer at short. Remember his first season with Sox he played a solid second base. Unlike some players I think Story would make the move if it helps the team. I think a switch of the two could be the upgrade of infield defense they are looking for

 

On 11/4/2025 at 7:56 AM, notin said:

That 2024 Padres outfield (Profar, Merrill, Tatis) was entirely comprised of shortstops as well.

The Sox might just have to live with Story’s declining defense.  It is only two years and tolerating decline is part of signing free agents…

Shortstop are usually the most athletic players on the field so that's why teams always draft them. Moving them to the outfield is easy then. Rafaela is another example of that.