Third Baseman Ketel Marte Is On the Boston Red Sox's Radar

[moonslav59]

42 minutes ago, notin said:

That’s not being a Red Sox fan - that’s being a conspiracy theorist.

The Sox didn’t sign Bregman - whose deal was potentially for $120mill - to dump Devers.  Per B-R.com, Devers had roughly $240mill left on his deal spread out over 7 years. (Maybe more if there are deferrals.) So you’re saying the Sox signed Bregman for up to $120mill over 3 years plus took on $25mill in Jordan Hicks in order to turn Devers into a selfish teammate and justify dumping him?  And save maybe $14mill per year for 7 years?

Is that the argument?

I'm not sure it matters what was pre-planned or not.

Okay, we used up a bunch of cash to lock up Anthony & Campbell and pay the salaries of Gray and Contreras, but we have yet to replace Devers and Bregman, in kind.

Contreras does not replace even one of those two.

Maybe the 2025 and 2026 budgets are close enough to say we replaced the money, but subtract Hicks and it's not so close.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Whether you disagree with someone's idea is one thing, but all we do on fan forums is look at a few facts we're privy to and speculate. The very term "conspiracy theorist" could just sum up the one person using it to describe others.

For example, the Red Sox front office prides itself in its cutting edge intelligence departments and educational backgrounds. So, is it even feasible that a year ago not one single Assistant Vice President thought it might be prudent to discuss with the team's top star player that he might have a different role because they were acquiring a better fielder at his own position?

I may have called Raffy sensitive in the past, but I don't know that for sure because I don't know the man.

The only facts we do know is that Devers called on Breslow publicly to add more pitching at the previous trade deadline... and that Breslow fired a scout for calling him a f***ing stiff.

[moonslav59]

All I know is we need to replace the offense lost by the 1150+ PAs from Devers, Breggie, Ref & Lowe.

Contreras helps but can't do it all. Anthony should get more PAs, but someone else will get less.

.905 Devers (334 PAs)

.838 Ref (209)

.821 Breggie (495)

.790 Lowe (119)

I think we improved the rotation. The pen my not be as deep as I'd like it, but maybe Harrison & Crawford can take 80+ pen IP, each.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

All I know is we need to replace the offense lost by the 1150+ PAs from Devers, Breggie, Ref & Lowe.

Contreras helps but can't do it all. Anthony should get more PAs, but someone else will get less.

.905 Devers (334 PAs)

.838 Ref (209)

.821 Breggie (495)

.790 Lowe (119)

I think we improved the rotation. The pen my not be as deep as I'd like it, but maybe Harrison & Crawford can take 80+ pen IP, each.

I know you're more about quality than quantity, so it's not just the total plate appearances. You were also in the camp with most of us at the beginning of the offseason that this team is going backwards if it doesn't replace Bregman and Devers with two quality bats.

We have one: WiLLy C.

Unsigned quality free agent bats that don't strikeout 200 times a year include two lefty outfielders -- of which we have plenty -- and Bo Bichette, who wants $300 million.

Now what?

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, notin said:

Alonso is a one trick pony that a lot of people were calling a “perfect fit” for Boston.

I’d take Bregman back, but he’s hardly indispensable.

The only indispensable players are aces pitchers, or maybe just #1's.  Everyone else is just a slightly better or slightly worse than the next guy in line.  The difference between Bregman and Suarez last year was 0.3 fWAR.  Alonso v Contreras was 0.8, mostly on then numbers of PAs.

My point is that you can always replace someone.  The Padres got excoriated for trading Soto, but a look at the historical numbers made it look like a sure winner.  The key to me is that, if you acquiring a cheaper alternative, then you need to spend that savings smartly.

[Randy Red Sox]

3 hours ago, notin said:

I never believe that.  But I do believe it means “you want him? Impress me!”

yeah better to overpay in a trade for him than to simply spend some of JH's $$

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I know you're more about quality than quantity, so it's not just the total plate appearances. You were also in the camp with most of us at the beginning of the offseason that this team is going backwards if it doesn't replace Bregman and Devers with two quality bats.

We have one: WiLLy C.

Unsigned quality free agent bats that don't strikeout 200 times a year include two lefty outfielders -- of which we have plenty -- and Bo Bichette, who wants $300 million.

Now what?

I have wanted KMarte over Breggie and Bichette due to the "quality" position all along, but I do see the downside of losing Tolle or Early plus others. I'd do a trade, now.

That being said, I also think adding Gray, Contreras, Oviedo, Suarez and a RP is enough quality to make us clearly better than 2025. Maybe not enough to get us to top 6, but very close.

No way do I chose Bichette as the guy to go large and long on, despite his age.

I don't care about 250Ks, if the guy has an OPS+ of 120. (Suarez was 126 in 2015.) Paredes was 123. Vientos was 97 but 134 in '24. Donovan was 119 in '25, and no, he won't take a top 4 prospect to get.

[moonslav59]

39 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

The only indispensable players are aces pitchers, or maybe just #1's.  Everyone else is just a slightly better or slightly worse than the next guy in line.  The difference between Bregman and Suarez last year was 0.3 fWAR.  Alonso v Contreras was 0.8, mostly on then numbers of PAs.

My point is that you can always replace someone.  The Padres got excoriated for trading Soto, but a look at the historical numbers made it look like a sure winner.  The key to me is that, if you acquiring a cheaper alternative, then you need to spend that savings smartly.

Great points. I still think need a big O add.