Red Sox sign Ranger Suarez. 5 years $130 Million

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

The issue is not that they haven’t been talked about, but that the Red Sox don’t have any of them.

I see no issue.  I see something that could become an issue, but right now, we are exactly one player away from having our 26-man roster.  With 6 weeks to go.  And I'd bet that Breslow has some parameters set on guys like Paredes, Baty, etc.

[moonslav59]

25 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Why do you keep saying by all accounts? There is a big difference between all accounts, and all accounts I heard. Notin didn’t provide a different source at all, but how you interpret that account can lead to different conclusions like saying failed negotiation tactics instead of just the money. The RED Sox playing Go Fish while other teams were playing hold em. That’s what other people are taking away from this. I’ve already said that money, and no trade played a part in this, but just like others I also say that Bregman, and his negotiating also played a role. Like I have mentioned more than one other venue have discussed this, and not one that I heard said it was all about money, and all those other venues have more knowledge than me, or you. #12 did not shine in this one.

You said "by all accounts" and all accounts do not agree on the points you made, so I pointed that out.

You obviously won't ever answer if you agree Brez bungled, botched or whatever you want to call it. You hide behind "others said it not me" and act like truth is determined my majority opinion on sites you pay attention to, only.

You won't cite your sources. You won't own what you post.

You won't even answer a simple question: do you personally think Brez botched the negotiations? If yes, give specifics an what you think he did wrongly and why it had to be him and not JH drawing the line on some aspects that kept Breggie from signing here, like the money, the no trade clause and the deferments.

Saying all the sites you listen to say the same thing is not fact and not specifically saying what you think and what Brez did wrong based on what he was allowed to offer.

The fact that nobody knows what he was allowed to offer automatically means he cannot not be fully blamed for botching anything, until we know for sure the limits. You won't respond to this point, either.

Then, you go on and on saying I am defending Brez and then denying i am defending him. WE DONT KNOW JACK- so blame cannot and should not be handed out like it is fact. He could be 100% to blame, we just don't know. No amount of think tank groupspeak changes anything,

 

[notin]

16 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

You said "by all accounts" and all accounts do not agree on the points you made, so I pointed that out.

You obviously won't ever answer if you agree Brez bungled, botched or whatever you want to call it. You hide behind "others said it not me" and act like truth is determined my majority opinion on sites you pay attention to, only.

You won't cite your sources. You won't own what you post.

You won't even answer a simple question: do you personally think Brez botched the negotiations? If yes, give specifics an what you think he did wrongly and why it had to be him and not JH drawing the line on some aspects that kept Breggie from signing here, like the money, the no trade clause and the deferments.

Saying all the sites you listen to say the same thing is not fact and not specifically saying what you think and what Brez did wrong based on what he was allowed to offer.

The fact that nobody knows what he was allowed to offer automatically means he cannot not be fully blamed for botching anything, until we know for sure the limits. You won't respond to this point, either.

Then, you go on and on saying I am defending Brez and then denying i am defending him. WE DONT KNOW JACK- so blame cannot and should not be handed out like it is fact. He could be 100% to blame, we just don't know. No amount of think tank groupspeak changes anything,

 

If the Sox had done nothing, the position that Breslow bungled the negotiations becomes more supportable.

But it is possible his attitude was “If Bregman doesn’t want our deal, we move on to Ranger Suarez.”  
 

I have no problem with that…

[moonslav59]

28 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I see no issue.  I see something that could become an issue, but right now, we are exactly one player away from having our 26-man roster.  With 6 weeks to go.  And I'd bet that Breslow has some parameters set on guys like Paredes, Baty, etc.

IKf we don't get "that guy" I'll be joining in on the choir, but yes, 6 weeks to get one guy should not be reason to crying that the sky is falling.

Suarez

Gray

Contreras

Oviedo

Returning players like Crawford, Sandoval and hopefully full seasons from Anthony, Mayer, Harrison, Slaten and others could help, too. Of course, several players will get hurt, some of whom I just mentioned might be on the IL.

Other teams have key players starting the season on the IL or who have long histories of injury or have shown recent decline due to age. Our team is no different, and we are actually younger than most of our closest competition, so expect growth could be higher for us.

This looks like a damn good 13 man pitchings staff:

Crochet, Suarez, Gray, Bello & Oviedo/Sandoval/Crawford/Harrison

Chapman & Whitlock project to be one of the best one-two punches in all of MLB. The rest of the pen has some questions, but I think it matches up pretty well with the vast majority of MLB teams: Slaten, Weissert, Harrison/Crawford/Sandoval/Oviedo plus Watson/Moran/Hicks/Kelly/Sandlin and Uberstine/Drohan and others. Then there are Tolle and Early who represent some serious upside wildcards that few other teams have the luxury to start in AAA.

The line-up and defense have a hole or two, but don't most? Defense looks suspect at 3B, SS and maybe 2B, but the OF might be the best in MLB on D. We look fine at 1B and catcher.

The offense lacks a true clean-up hitter, and when we look at our 4 ring teams, they seemed to have two great middle order batters, so we naturally feel a sense of hopelessness unless this issue is fixed. I feel worried, too. Very concerned. I dislike hoping on rookies to carry a team. "Hope" is not a strategy. It should not be "the plan."

While I do think we should see an overall improvement from our vast number of our pre-prime and prime batters. Only Story and Contreras are not on the upside of their careers, but neither is post prime enough to think they cannot have a very nice season.

Anthony 22, Mayer 23, KC 24, Rafaela 25, Casas 26, Abreu & Narvaez 27, DHam 28 and Duran & Romy 29 represent 10 players that could have career years in 2026. Some will likely have off years. Some may stay the same, but overall, we should really expect more than we got in 2025.

If we can add someone like Paredes, I think our offense should be good enough to see help our team win 3-5 more games. The hopes of our youth improving greatly could boost that total to 5-10 more wins.

 

[Old Red]

16 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

You said "by all accounts" and all accounts do not agree on the points you made, so I pointed that out.

You obviously won't ever answer if you agree Brez bungled, botched or whatever you want to call it. You hide behind "others said it not me" and act like truth is determined my majority opinion on sites you pay attention to, only.

You won't cite your sources. You won't own what you post.

You won't even answer a simple question: do you personally think Brez botched the negotiations? If yes, give specifics an what you think he did wrongly and why it had to be him and not JH drawing the line on some aspects that kept Breggie from signing here, like the money, the no trade clause and the deferments.

Saying all the sites you listen to say the same thing is not fact and not specifically saying what you think and what Brez did wrong based on what he was allowed to offer.

The fact that nobody knows what he was allowed to offer automatically means he cannot not be fully blamed for botching anything, until we know for sure the limits. You won't respond to this point, either.

Then, you go on and on saying I am defending Brez and then denying i am defending him. WE DONT KNOW JACK- so blame cannot and should not be handed out like it is fact. He could be 100% to blame, we just don't know. No amount of think tank groupspeak changes anything,

 

You  didn’t point out anything. You, or Notin just have a different interpretation of what AJP said to fit your narrative that #12 couldn’t be a reason for failed negotiation tactics by playing go fish. I also never said the opinions on the likes of ESPN, and MLB networks were all facts, but I’ll take those opinions as more of a fact than what is said on here. Blame is handed out all the time on here whether you like it, or not. You don’t have to know all the facts to lay blame at all. #12 played GO FISH, and that’s the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so.👋

[moonslav59]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

If the Sox had done nothing, the position that Breslow bungled the negotiations becomes more supportable.

But it is possible his attitude was “If Bregman doesn’t want our deal, we move on to Ranger Suarez.”  
 

I have no problem with that…

I actually like that progression of plans, if that is what it was.

When I look at the dollar amounts of each deal, I like the Suarez deal better, so I'm having a hard time viewing this as a Brez botch or Brez bungle.

That's not to say he didn't make some mistakes or misjudgments in the Breggie negotiations, and even if he did, it's not like he's the only GM that ever misjudged and lost out on a signing.

I'm glad we didnt pay $165M or more for Breggie. That's my bottom line. If Brez has serious issues with negotiations, that is a problem. It can be a big problem. He did miss out on adding key pieces last summer, after saying he wanted to add quality players. Matz worked out well, but D May fell way short. I have to think he wanted more, but not getting more does not prove he negotiated badly. It could just mean he refused to overpay grossly, and no significant mistakes were made. Maybe he botched a key deal or two. We may never know.

I look at our roster at the end of 2023. I look at our farm, especially the pitching. I look at the overall system, direction and winning trend, an I see it as being mostly positive. It could have been better, but I'm happy we look better and the future looks even brighter.

We need one more significant player added to the infield. I suppose Brez may be judged primarily on how he fills that need, but the Suarez, Gray, Contreras and other additions should be a big part of the final judgment, too.

How well Bregman, Devers, Hicks, Harrison and others do going forward will be heavily discussed, too.

[moonslav59]

19 minutes ago, Old Red said:

You  didn’t point out anything. You, or Notin just have a different interpretation of what AJP said to fit your narrative that #12 couldn’t be a reason for failed negotiation tactics by playing go fish. I also never said the opinions on the likes of ESPN, and MLB networks were all facts, but I’ll take those opinions as more of a fact than what is said on here. Blame is handed out all the time on here whether you like it, or not. You don’t have to know all the facts to lay blame at all. #12 played GO FISH, and that’s the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so.👋

Another non answer. 

I don't have a narrative other than we don't know, so no AJP does not fit my narrative. He clearly is not saying Brez botched or didn't batch anything, so what are you reading into his comments that I am missing?

I pointed out that "all accounts" are not saying or even implying Brez botched the Breggie negotiations. You can choose to think AJP fits into "all accounts." if you want, but to me it does not. He doesn't "fit my narrative," and he surely doesn't fit yours or your "other peoples words," either.

Are you laying blame on Brez or not? Just answer. Tell us what he specifically did wrong other than "reading the room wrongly." which is not anything specific. 

Not believing the Cubs made a better offer could very well have happened, and I suppose that is "misreading the room," but if he wasn't ever going to offer more or give the no trade clause, it doesn't matter.

I thought to you the bottom line was results. You are glad we didn't pay Breggie what he got, so the end result should be viewed as positive, yet you move the goalposts to the perceived process failure on this one- not the end result.

Sure, it's worrisome if Brez is a bungler. I do worry, if he overanalyzes things and doesn't realize that sometimes overpaying is needed to improve the team. That is probably a common thing many or all GMs do, at times.

He doesn't seem paralyzed to inaction, like Bloom appeared to be most of the time. He's got a lot done for a bungler and botcher. Most has been positive, so maybe he's just lucky for a 12th round guy.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I actually like that progression of plans, if that is what it was.

When I look at the dollar amounts of each deal, I like the Suarez deal better, so I'm having a hard time viewing this as a Brez botch or Brez bungle.

That's not to say he didn't make some mistakes or misjudgments in the Breggie negotiations, and even if he did, it's not like he's the only GM that ever misjudged and lost out on a signing.

I'm glad we didnt pay $165M or more for Breggie. That's my bottom line. If Brez has serious issues with negotiations, that is a problem. It can be a big problem. He did miss out on adding key pieces last summer, after saying he wanted to add quality players. Matz worked out well, but D May fell way short. I have to think he wanted more, but not getting more does not prove he negotiated badly. It could just mean he refused to overpay grossly, and no significant mistakes were made. Maybe he botched a key deal or two. We may never know.

I look at our roster at the end of 2023. I look at our farm, especially the pitching. I look at the overall system, direction and winning trend, an I see it as being mostly positive. It could have been better, but I'm happy we look better and the future looks even brighter.

We need one more significant player added to the infield. I suppose Brez may be judged primarily on how he fills that need, but the Suarez, Gray, Contreras and other additions should be a big part of the final judgment, too.

How well Bregman, Devers, Hicks, Harrison and others do going forward will be heavily discussed, too.

I agree with this take, though the price for Bregman never bothered me because 1) few players can replace his combined impact on offense, defense, and dugout/clubhouse/batting cage influence,,, and mostly 2) saving money by not overpaying is no guarantee with this club that it will be repurposed when needed -- especially when it comes to the trade deadline and parting with prospect investments to fill serious needs for the stretch run.

[moonslav59]

Here is what AI says about opinions on how Brez handled the Breggie negotiations:

 

Opinions on Craig Breslow’s handling of negotiations with Alex Bregman, which saw the star third baseman sign a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in January 2026, are deeply divided, ranging from criticism of perceived lowballing to defense of fiscal responsibility. 

Criticisms of Breslow and Negotiations:

• Failed to Land "Golden Goose": Many fans and analysts expressed severe disappointment that the Red Sox lost a key producer, viewing it as another failure to secure top-tier talent.
• Sub-par Offer Structure: Reports indicate the Red Sox's final offer was around 5 years/$165 million, which was $10 million less than the Cubs' deal. Furthermore, Boston's offer included "heavy deferrals" and did not include a full no-trade clause, making it less attractive than Chicago's offer.
• Misreading the Market: There is sentiment that the front office failed to properly read the market, resulting in a "close-but-no-cigar" outcome.
• Lack of Urgency: Critics argue that after trading away Rafael Devers (previously, for, in part, to make room for a team overhaul), losing Bregman puts the team in a tough position, with some viewing it as a lack of commitment to winning from ownership. 

Defenses of Breslow and Strategy:

• Avoiding Overpay: Some perspectives suggest 5/$175M was an overpay, and that passing on the deal was a wise move, as Bregman may not maintain that level of production.
• Focus on Alternatives: Supporters argue that the team is not in a "Bregman-or-nothing" situation, noting that money can be better utilized for other, potentially higher-upside, acquisitions like Bo Bichette.
• Strong Offseason Moves: The team has made other key additions, such as trading for pitchers like Sonny Gray, suggesting a focus on building a stronger overall team rather than spending on one player.
• Ownership Constraints: Some observers place the blame on ownership's financial constraints rather than Breslow's negotiating ability, suggesting he would have matched the offer if allowed. 

Breslow himself acknowledged the disappointment, stating, "Any time you are active in trying to bring a player in, it's disappointing to lose out," while maintaining that the team is committed to improving the roster for 2026. 

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I agree with this take, though the price for Bregman never bothered me because 1) few players can replace his combined impact on offense, defense, and dugout/clubhouse/batting cage influence,,, and mostly 2) saving money by not overpaying is no guarantee with this club that it will be repurposed when needed -- especially when it comes to the trade deadline and parting with prospect investments to fill serious needs for the stretch run.

I have said I would not have been upset had we matched or exceeded the Cubs offer and landed Breggie. We would clearly be a much better team with Breggie at 3B and Mayer/Romy at 2B.

I wish he was on our roster.

I also am happy Suarez is on our current roster, and I'm pretty sure we could not have had both, so to me that is the bottom line.

Yes, it matters is Brez is a buffoon for not. Maybe he is. Maybe he's bungled his way into a lucky improvement of the 26 and 40 man roster. Time will tell on that, I suppose.

[moonslav59]

It should worry all Sox fans that our everyday player part of the team is projected to be ranked 21st by fangraphs- a reputable site.

It's concerning that we are 2 fWAR away from 15th. 3 fWAR from 12th and  5 fWAR from 10th. That's a lot of ground to make up to get to top 3rd tier (and just barely.)

Paredes is not adding 5 fWAR. We may not need to be top 10 or 12, but it is very concerning we are this far away from it. We can argue some fWAR projections seem obviously low, but they are for almost every player.

It should also be noted that we are about 6 fWAR ahead of the #10 team in pitching, the NYY. Overall, we are 7th in fWAR projections. 0.8 from #6 and 1.2 from #5. We are 2,3 from #4. A Paredes addition might jump us to #4 or 5.

In 2025, we placed...

#10 in everyday player fWAR (25.2)

#7 in pitching fWAR (18.4)

If we can get to 12th in offense/defense and 1st in pitching, that looks like a sizable improvement.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

20 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I have said I would not have been upset had we matched or exceeded the Cubs offer and landed Breggie. We would clearly be a much better team with Breggie at 3B and Mayer/Romy at 2B.

I wish he was on our roster.

I also am happy Suarez is on our current roster, and I'm pretty sure we could not have had both, so to me that is the bottom line.

Yes, it matters is Brez is a buffoon for not. Maybe he is. Maybe he's bungled his way into a lucky improvement of the 26 and 40 man roster. Time will tell on that, I suppose.

Hard to call anyone with Breslow's credentials and education a buffoon. I lean more towards cold and calculated (I won't say stiff, so I won't be fired). 

[JoeBrady]

44 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He doesn't seem paralyzed to inaction,

He might be the most active GM in the game right now.

[moonslav59]

39 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

He might be the most active GM in the game right now.

True. The roster transformation has been stunning by the numbers of players gone and added. While the numbers of top quality players added is not high, and some added like Bregman, are now gone, inaction is not Brez's issue, except maybe at deadlines.

The losses of higher quality players have been the focus of most of the talk and criticism, and justifiably so.

Devers, Sale, Bregman and to a lesser extent Giolito, Refsnyder, Priester, Wilson and inherited players like Turner, Jansen, Martin, Verdugo & Pivetta, who left for free agency total a hefty loss of talent.

The shift towards pitching from top to bottom has shown positive results to date, but much is still in the TBD area.

The everyday players are mostly holdovers from the Bloom era, and some were acquired under DD's reign. One noticeable aspect of this area of the roster is the many years of control to a large amount players, including some of our more younger players, including some unproven players. This looks like a good thing, but we'll find out in the upcoming years. (Note: many of our best pitchers are under team control for 2 or more years, as well.)

With all the changes made, this feels like the players on the roster and in the farm now, are Brez guys or guys he likes. I get a sense that the make-over is near complete, and maybe just tweaks will be made in the coming years. Maybe we will finally see some continuity many of us have craved since the dismantling of that mega 2018 team.

[mvp 78]

18 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Here is what AI says about opinions on how Brez handled the Breggie negotiations:

 

Opinions on Craig Breslow’s handling of negotiations with Alex Bregman, which saw the star third baseman sign a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in January 2026, are deeply divided, ranging from criticism of perceived lowballing to defense of fiscal responsibility. 

Criticisms of Breslow and Negotiations:

• Failed to Land "Golden Goose": Many fans and analysts expressed severe disappointment that the Red Sox lost a key producer, viewing it as another failure to secure top-tier talent.
• Sub-par Offer Structure: Reports indicate the Red Sox's final offer was around 5 years/$165 million, which was $10 million less than the Cubs' deal. Furthermore, Boston's offer included "heavy deferrals" and did not include a full no-trade clause, making it less attractive than Chicago's offer.
• Misreading the Market: There is sentiment that the front office failed to properly read the market, resulting in a "close-but-no-cigar" outcome.
• Lack of Urgency: Critics argue that after trading away Rafael Devers (previously, for, in part, to make room for a team overhaul), losing Bregman puts the team in a tough position, with some viewing it as a lack of commitment to winning from ownership. 

Defenses of Breslow and Strategy:

• Avoiding Overpay: Some perspectives suggest 5/$175M was an overpay, and that passing on the deal was a wise move, as Bregman may not maintain that level of production.
• Focus on Alternatives: Supporters argue that the team is not in a "Bregman-or-nothing" situation, noting that money can be better utilized for other, potentially higher-upside, acquisitions like Bo Bichette.
• Strong Offseason Moves: The team has made other key additions, such as trading for pitchers like Sonny Gray, suggesting a focus on building a stronger overall team rather than spending on one player.
• Ownership Constraints: Some observers place the blame on ownership's financial constraints rather than Breslow's negotiating ability, suggesting he would have matched the offer if allowed. 

Breslow himself acknowledged the disappointment, stating, "Any time you are active in trying to bring a player in, it's disappointing to lose out," while maintaining that the team is committed to improving the roster for 2026. 

Useless. 

[mvp 78]

17 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Hard to call anyone with Breslow's credentials and education a buffoon. I lean more towards cold and calculated (I won't say stiff, so I won't be fired). 

Maybe too calculated at times. I think the new Sox FO rely too heavily on models vs scouting. We'll have to see how that holds up after a few years.

It's also a little silly to start trying to parse out where to lay blame between Breslow vs JH or whatever (not directed at you). Easier to just say, the FO (Bres/Sam/Theo/JH/Werner) weren't able to sign Bregman because they valued him at one level, didn't really budge off of it and didn't want to waive the no trade clause. We know that to be a fact. If the Sox moved on afterwards, I guess we need to judge the value on the next move vs what they missed out on with Bregman. 

1. How do they replace Bregman at 3b and what does it mean for 2b?

2. How does Suarez's contract hold up? 

I think that's all that matters. Trying to figure out WHO to blame over the Sox not landing Bregman is near impossible until Speier is able to write his next tell all book. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

12 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Maybe too calculated at times. I think the new Sox FO rely too heavily on models vs scouting. We'll have to see how that holds up after a few years.

It's also a little silly to start trying to parse out where to lay blame between Breslow vs JH or whatever (not directed at you). Easier to just say, the FO (Bres/Sam/Theo/JH/Werner) weren't able to sign Bregman because they valued him at one level, didn't really budge off of it and didn't want to waive the no trade clause. We know that to be a fact. If the Sox moved on afterwards, I guess we need to judge the value on the next move vs what they missed out on with Bregman. 

1. How do they replace Bregman at 3b and what does it mean for 2b?

2. How does Suarez's contract hold up? 

I think that's all that matters. Trying to figure out WHO to blame over the Sox not landing Bregman is near impossible until Speier is able to write his next tell all book. 

I'm not looking who specifically to blame, because relying on analytics over eyewitness scouts may just be the company model adopted after watching Moneyball a dozen times. 

Same thing with not giving star players a no-trade clause. This front office is full of lifers with a pattern of dumping longterm salaries, which they may like at the time of the signing -- or, I dunno, maybe just offer as PR stunts so guys like us will like them... 

The trade option is definitely an opt-out for the front office.

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I'm not looking who specifically to blame, because relying on analytics over eyewitness scouts may just be the company model adopted after watching Moneyball a dozen times. 

Same thing with not giving star players a no-trade clause. This front office is full of lifers with a pattern of dumping longterm salaries, which they may like at the time of the signing -- or, I dunno, maybe just offer as PR stunts so guys like us will like them... 

The trade option is definitely an opt-out for the front office.

You weren't, others in the thread were which is why I wrote "(not directed at you)." 

I agree on your other points. The long term staffers must never swim upstream if they have stuck around this far. 

[JoeBrady]

52 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

relying on analytics over eyewitness scouts may just be the company model adopted after watching Moneyball a dozen times. 

Same thing with not giving star players a no-trade clause. This front office is full of lifers with a pattern of dumping longterm salaries,

Just a couple of things.

• I think every FO has a combination of scouting and models, and that's probably true of every sport.
• My personal, and untested, theory is that if you get rid of long-term free agents you have signed, halfway through the contract, you will almost always be right.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Trying to figure out WHO to blame over the Sox not landing Bregman is near impossible until Speier is able to write his next tell all book. 

Or, you won't be able to tell until his contract is over.  According to back-of-the-envelop calculus, Bregman was worth $125M/5.  If that model holds up, then it was right to not sign him.  Whether Breslow was sputtering, aloof, perfectly coherent or anything else, won't matter.

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

Or, you won't be able to tell until his contract is over.  According to back-of-the-envelop calculus, Bregman was worth $125M/5.  If that model holds up, then it was right to not sign him.  Whether Breslow was sputtering, aloof, perfectly coherent or anything else, won't matter.

Will he put up 15 fWAR? Does it matter since the Sox have a huge hole in the IF. If he puts up 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, it gets it done. It he only puts up 12 fWAR, maybe it is still worth it in the end for the short term though. Not every contract has to exceed the model. Story's surely won't. 

[JoeBrady]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Does it matter since the Sox have a huge hole in the IF.

It always depends on how we address the IF hole, and how we spend the money.  We likely won't know for a while how this will pan out.  A lot of fans want to contenders every year.  I agree.  But you can't do that if you overpay too often.  Just for fun:

• 2019 LAD $210M    2026 $572M including CBT
• 2021 Phillies $209M   2026 $363M
• 2021 NYM $207M    2026 $420M

You either have to be careful, or you're going to have hope for an owner with unlimited spending capacity.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

58 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

Just a couple of things.

• I think every FO has a combination of scouting and models, and that's probably true of every sport.
• My personal, and untested, theory is that if you get rid of long-term free agents you have signed, halfway through the contract, you will almost always be right.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I still think some front offices -- in their rush to pursue cutting edge technology and cutting staff in the field -- risk missing the personal interactions of astute scouts with top prospects that help determine intangibles that launch angles or arm extensions can't measure.

[mvp 78]

25 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

It always depends on how we address the IF hole, and how we spend the money.  We likely won't know for a while how this will pan out.  A lot of fans want to contenders every year.  I agree.  But you can't do that if you overpay too often.  Just for fun:

• 2019 LAD $210M    2026 $572M including CBT
• 2021 Phillies $209M   2026 $363M
• 2021 NYM $207M    2026 $420M

You either have to be careful, or you're going to have hope for an owner with unlimited spending capacity.

2019 BOS 243M 2026 268M

Seems like BOS isn't keeping up the pace? 

[mvp 78]

My grocery bill has had more inflation since 2019 than Sox payroll. 

[JoeBrady]

32 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

2019 BOS 243M 2026 268M

Seems like BOS isn't keeping up the pace? 

IMHO, they should keep up with player inflation.  You can shade it on both sides, depending on your assessment of your chances, but if you spent $200M 10 years ago, your hypothetical spending should be maybe $200M * (1.04^10), or $296M.

[notin]

40 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

My grocery bill has had more inflation since 2019 than Sox payroll. 

You need to stop paying for free agent steaks…

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, notin said:

You need to stop paying for free agent steaks…

I'm not even including the weeks when the whole family is with me and the grocery bill is somehow an additional $150. 

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

I'm not even including the weeks when the whole family is with me and the grocery bill is somehow an additional $150. 

Well, sure, if you are going to insist on feeding the entire family.

[moonslav59]

6 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Useless. 

It was pretty lame.