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

[Hugh2]

30 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

So at some point he'll be a platoon, but at some point he'll be a fulltime starter. How does that bet work? 

I'd still take that bet for the 2026 season, althought I'd be much more confident, like 100% confident that they're not going to start off that way. 

That's like, it's agusust, they're in a playoff race and Mayer is just absolutely AWFUL vs. LHP and the offense needs a boost. 

[moonslav59]

5 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

So hold up, they won't platoon a guy because they aren't doing it already?

But they'll take a kid who was regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball who NEEDS exposure to LHP and platoon him?

I think the logic is the opposite there.  If anything Platoon Duran. 

I wish they'd platoon Duran over Abreu, but they won't. It seems Cora values Duran, even at .600 v LHPs more than I do.

I do think they might platoon an awful batter vs LHPs. They started Abreu & Duran as a platoons. It's not something new.

[Hugh2]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

While I agree he will not start as a platoon, I'm not sure it's a certainty. Since he would bat vs all RHPs, that's usually 65-70% of all games, so it would still be like playing a full season at AAA to start just games vs RH's SP'ers. Plus, he could come in as a PH'er or defensive replacement for Romy or whoever to get playing time in games he does not start.

It's not such a growth stunter to platoon vs RHPs only.

No, I don't think you take one of the top prosepcts in all of baseball and almost immediately start off his career by sitting him vs. LHP.  He will never learn to hit LHP if he has it in him by doing that.  It's 100% a growth stunter if youre ceiling is an everyday player. 

THe Sox are betting on this youth movement, they can't have platoons.  Platoons are your plan b, never your plan A.  I just think it's insanely unlikely they do that. 

[notin]

23 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

No, I don't think you take one of the top prosepcts in all of baseball and almost immediately start off his career by sitting him vs. LHP.  He will never learn to hit LHP if he has it in him by doing that.  It's 100% a growth stunter if youre ceiling is an everyday player. 

THe Sox are betting on this youth movement, they can't have platoons.  Platoons are your plan b, never your plan A.  I just think it's insanely unlikely they do that. 

Really? With Alex Cora managing? He’d platoon his own mother if some other mom hit LHP better…

[mvp 78]

36 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Well Mayer is either on the team or not, so if he's not then he's certainly not platooning here. 

I think there's a big difference if he's set to be on the roster as a 2b or a 3b. If he's 3b, it's to be fulltime. If he's 2b, I bet he platoons with Romy.

[mvp 78]

35 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

So hold up, they won't platoon a guy because they aren't doing it already?

But they'll take a kid who was regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball who NEEDS exposure to LHP and platoon him?

I think the logic is the opposite there.  If anything Platoon Duran. 

I think we started to see Duran get platooned more and more in '25 because of his split concerns. My guess is that continues in '26. 

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

Really? With Alex Cora managing? He’d platoon his own mother if some other mom hit LHP better…

"Sorry mom, I gotta sub in the neighbor's pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year. You can still bring everything else you wanted to prepare." 

[Hugh2]

17 minutes ago, notin said:

Really? With Alex Cora managing? He’d platoon his own mother if some other mom hit LHP better…

Cora literally said he would play FT mostly, last year. 

[Hugh2]

15 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I think we started to see Duran get platooned more and more in '25 because of his split concerns. My guess is that continues in '26. 

That makes more sense, you're 28 and have been in the league for 5 years.  You kind of are what you are at that point.  Mayer is a young top prospect still developing perhaps at the MLB level.  If they believe in him, at the very least, he's getting a long look before he's platooned. 

[Hugh2]

18 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I think there's a big difference if he's set to be on the roster as a 2b or a 3b. If he's 3b, it's to be fulltime. If he's 2b, I bet he platoons with Romy.

If they're going to platoon Mayer, he has more value to the team in a trade.  Trade him. 

[moonslav59]

43 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

No, I don't think you take one of the top prosepcts in all of baseball and almost immediately start off his career by sitting him vs. LHP.  He will never learn to hit LHP if he has it in him by doing that.  It's 100% a growth stunter if youre ceiling is an everyday player. 

THe Sox are betting on this youth movement, they can't have platoons.  Platoons are your plan b, never your plan A.  I just think it's insanely unlikely they do that. 

I think it would be insane to start off a rookie RHB in a strict platoon- like Campbell or Garcia.

Of course, it's not an ideal way to help a rookie keep growing, but we have game to win. I could see them having Mayer sit vs half the LHP Starts, which is maybe once every 9 games.

Also, Romy is so damn good vs RHPs, that he could force their plan A (play Mayer FT) into a plan B pretty quickly and convincingly.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

That makes more sense, you're 28 and have been in the league for 5 years.  You kind of are what you are at that point.  Mayer is a young top prospect still developing perhaps at the MLB level.  If they believe in him, at the very least, he's getting a long look before he's platooned. 

Bt he's struggled mightily vs LHPs all through the minors. You don't just ignore that, when you want to win NOW!

[Hugh2]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Bt he's struggled mightily vs LHPs all through the minors. You don't just ignore that, when you want to win NOW!

you're better off trading him first.  I never heard of a guy being regarded so highly and then almost immediately with little exposure and little development being platooned. 

You say "you don't just ignore that" but you have to realize that you're the one suggesting they do something that teams just don't do.  He's never really had a lot of time or AB's vs. LHP at any level either.  You don't just give up on someone with all star talent like that in such a small sample size. 

Again.....they will not start him off as a platoon player next year.  You can book that. 

[Old Red]

55 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

No, I don't think you take one of the top prosepcts in all of baseball and almost immediately start off his career by sitting him vs. LHP.  He will never learn to hit LHP if he has it in him by doing that.  It's 100% a growth stunter if youre ceiling is an everyday player. 

THe Sox are betting on this youth movement, they can't have platoons.  Platoons are your plan b, never your plan A.  I just think it's insanely unlikely they do that. 

I agree 100% with all of this. I know Mayer has lost a lot of developmental time due to injuries the past few years, but he’s been one of the chosen ones since he was drafted, and if all he is going to be is a platoon player than he shouldn’t have been one of the chosen ones in the first place. I would stick him at SS full time, and move Story to 2B, and fill the other IF spots from there.

[Hugh2]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I agree 100% with all of this. I know Mayer has lost a lot of developmental time due to injuries the past few years, but he’s been one of the chosen ones since he was drafted, and if all he is going to be is a platoon player than he shouldn’t have been one of the chosen ones in the first place. I would stick him at SS full time, and move Story to 2B, and fill the other IF spots from there.

Yes exactly.  And Mayer is still considered one of the most talented and promising youngsters in the game.  If you plan on just platooning him you're doing your team a great disservice by not trading him for better value. 

But I think the thing to do is stick him SS and Story at 2nd just like you said.  If his defense is plus to better then even if he only marginally gets better vs. LHP he's a full time starter.  You don't move off a good defender from SS for a platoon.  SS is not really a platooning position. 

[mvp 78]

27 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Cora literally said he would play FT mostly, last year. 

He had to because of the injuries at 1b and 3b causing a lack of IF bodies. If they re-sign Breggie for 3b and sign Hoskins for 1b, Mayer will definitely slow roll it out of ST in a platoon with Romy. 

[mvp 78]

25 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

If they're going to platoon Mayer, he has more value to the team in a trade.  Trade him. 

If they trade him, they then have to go out and find a replacement and the FA options are poor. 

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Yes exactly.  And Mayer is still considered one of the most talented and promising youngsters in the game.  If you plan on just platooning him you're doing your team a great disservice by not trading him for better value. 

You wouldn't get better value by trading him. 

[Hugh2]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He had to because of the injuries at 1b and 3b causing a lack of IF bodies. If they re-sign Breggie for 3b and sign Hoskins for 1b, Mayer will definitely slow roll it out of ST in a platoon with Romy. 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this.  But I fully plan on gloating when Mayer is NOT a platoon player. 

Do we have precedent for this?

[Hugh2]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

You wouldn't get better value by trading him. 

So how does a guy go from top 10-15 prospect in all of baseball to a platoon player in value in just one season?

[Hugh2]

What would an offseason be without me taking a stand against everyone and being right in the end. 

Last year it was going over the first LT threshold.  This year it will be Marcelo Mayer being your full time SS to start the season. 

[mvp 78]

57 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this.  But I fully plan on gloating when Mayer is NOT a platoon player. 

Do we have precedent for this?

A precedent for you gloating? 

[mvp 78]

57 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

So how does a guy go from top 10-15 prospect in all of baseball to a platoon player in value in just one season?

His value remains in his overall season. I never said he's a career platoon guy, just that he'd get platooned this year. 

[mvp 78]

59 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

What would an offseason be without me taking a stand against everyone and being right in the end. 

Last year it was going over the first LT threshold.  This year it will be Marcelo Mayer being your full time SS to start the season. 

Taking a stand against everyone? You've already had people agree with you. 

[Hugh2]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

His value remains in his overall season. I never said he's a career platoon guy, just that he'd get platooned this year. 

See, I just think it's 100% reversed.  THat's like saying you break in a stud starting pitching prospect as a reliever. 

Which actually DOES happen, but they don't keep a guy there.  That's why I used Peyton Tolle as an example.  Yes, they put him in the pen at the end of last year but they're not going to keep him there this year. 

2026 is a new season.  They're starting off 0-0, that's not the time of year teams get cute and do desperate things.  If he does get platoned, it will not be until after they've given him a long look.  

He still needs to develop at the MLB level and platooning him is effectively putting his development on hold.  I would be about as surprised as I've been about anything I've seen the last several years if they go into the season planning him to be a platoon.  Like, insanely surprised.  It doesn't make sense. 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

you're better off trading him first.  I never heard of a guy being regarded so highly and then almost immediately with little exposure and little development being platooned. 

You say "you don't just ignore that" but you have to realize that you're the one suggesting they do something that teams just don't do.  He's never really had a lot of time or AB's vs. LHP at any level either.  You don't just give up on someone with all star talent like that in such a small sample size. 

Again.....they will not start him off as a platoon player next year.  You can book that. 

Where did I come close to saying I'm giving up on him?

In one breath, you say he's hardly had any ABs vs lefties, and that's because there are only about 30% of them, and in the next breath act like he'll be ruined, if we sit him in half of those 30% of the games as I suggested they might try (not MUST DO.) That's 15% of his games- maybe.

I actually agree they will not start him off as a platoon, despite the fact that they already essentially did in 2025. (He started 86% of his games in 2025 vs a RH'd starter.) He missed 3 games at the end of June (2 vs R and 1 V L, but they sat him only vs lefties in the other games he missed. (He did not start the first game with the Sox vs a RHP, as it was the first game of a double header vs 2 RHPs.)

It's more uncommon to a rookie play 158 games a season than one who is not played in every game possible and be strategically sat vs pitchers that the manager thinks he may struggle against- like a L-R situation.

Again, I doubt the straight platoon him out of the gate, but I do think Cora may rest him vs lefties more than someone like Duran, Since we have a guy who has done great vs lefties and also plays 2B and 3B, I think it's possible Romy starts haf the games when we face a lefty taking Mayer's spot and the other half at 1B or 2B/3B/DH, here and there. Romy would give the team a better chance at winning. Cora ended up playing Romy vs RHPs and seems to like him.

I'm sure he likes mayer, too and wants him to play FT. I do, too. I'd like to see Abrey play FT, as well, but I was fine with Ref playing instead. The two choices aren't play Mayer 155+ games or trade him. He likely won't make 145, even if they hand him a FT position. Wanna bet on a 145 game over/under?

[Hugh2]

13 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Taking a stand against everyone? You've already had people agree with you. 

I'm being over dramatic GDit

[Hugh2]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

Where did I come close to saying I'm giving up on him?

In one breath, you say he's hardly had any ABs vs lefties, and that's because there are only about 30% of them, and in the next breath act like he'll be ruined, if we sit him in half of those 30% of the games as I suggested they might try (not MUST DO.) That's 15% of his games- maybe.

I actually agree they will not start him off as a platoon, despite the fact that they already essentially did in 2025. (He started 86% of his games in 2025 vs a RH'd starter.) He missed 3 games at the end of June (2 vs R and 1 V L, but they sat him only vs lefties in the other games he missed. (He did not start the first game with the Sox vs a RHP, as it was the first game of a double header vs 2 RHPs.)

It's more uncommon to a rookie play 158 games a season than one who is not played in every game possible and be strategically sat vs pitchers that the manager thinks he may struggle against- like a L-R situation.

Again, I doubt the straight platoon him out of the gate, but I do think Cora may rest him vs lefties more than someone like Duran, Since we have a guy who has done great vs lefties and also plays 2B and 3B, I think it's possible Romy starts haf the games when we face a lefty taking Mayer's spot and the other half at 1B or 2B/3B/DH, here and there. Romy would give the team a better chance at winning. Cora ended up playing Romy vs RHPs and seems to like him.

I'm sure he likes mayer, too and wants him to play FT. I do, too. I'd like to see Abrey play FT, as well, but I was fine with Ref playing instead.

You can't learn to hit lefties if you sit vs. lefties.  If you platoon him you're putting his development on hold. 

That's a bad ideal. 

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

You can't learn to hit lefties if you sit vs. lefties.  If you platoon him you're putting his development on hold. 

That's a bad ideal. 

I agreed it's not ideal.

There are other factors involved, like...

1. His health and ability to play over 145 games (maybe even 100+) If we are going to sit him in 20 games, why not 20 out of the 40-45 times we'll face a lefty?

2. Assume he sits 25 out of the 45 games we face a lefty. He'd still break his record for most games played in a season, but it would be "ruining" his development, according to you. He'd still face 20 LH'd starters and countless LH'd RP'ers and probably get more PAs vs LHPs than ever before, if he makes it a full season healthy.

3. We have a guy named Romy, who kills lefties. I think Cora wants Masa as the FT DH, and if we bring Bregman back or sign another FT 3B and or 1Bman, then Romy has 0-1 slots to platoon at. I'm just suggesting he platoon some with Mayer. Romy should start 100% of games ve LHPs and even bat top 6. We need to put the best team on the field, and if slows Mayer's growth in batting vs LHPs by a smidgeon, so be it. he likely needs the rest, anyway.

[mvp 78]

38 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

See, I just think it's 100% reversed.  THat's like saying you break in a stud starting pitching prospect as a reliever. 

Which actually DOES happen, but they don't keep a guy there. 

Yeah, so like how Crochet was brought up. Do that to Mayer, but with platooning.