Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros Engaging in Trade Talks

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, JoeBrady said:

Change this to "now that Fred declined" (as I knew he would).

Anyone else interested?

I think I grew out of my "wanna bet" stage at 7 years old.

[JoeBrady]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

I didn’t decline. I changed the terms to make it relevant. Get some dumpster product and you would still win. Not falling for that.

You lost:  you can stop dancing now.  They aren't trading for a dumpster product and starting him at 2nd or 3rd.  You know that.

But the fun part is, I know you know that.

[JoeBrady]

Just now, drewski6 said:

I think I grew out of my "wanna bet" stage at 7 years old.

Not me.  Nothing is better for mental clarity and acuity than than having a stake in the game.  If anyone thought we were sticking with the current roster, they would take me up on my offer (assuming they no philosophical objection to wagering).

[FredLynn]

15 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

You lost:  you can stop dancing now.  They aren't trading for a dumpster product and starting him at 2nd or 3rd.  You know that.

But the fun part is, I know you know that.

My offer is still out there. I don’t accept your terms because they could trade for more mediocrity and since he isn’t currently on the roster that would fulfill YOUR terms. My terms are much better: I bet they won’t add anyone who would significantly improve our offense (as defined by a career OPS of .820 or better). 
Deal?

[FredLynn]

20 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

I think I grew out of my "wanna bet" stage at 7 years old.

I don’t mind betting on something relevant, but Brady’s terms are a sucker bet.

Mine are better.

[drewski6]

9 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

My offer is still out there. I don’t accept your terms because they could trade for more mediocrity and since he isn’t currently on the roster that would fulfill YOUR terms. My terms are much better: I bet they won’t add anyone who would significantly improve our offense (as defined by a career OPS of .820 or better). 
Deal?

career .820 is tough.

[drewski6]

10 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

I don’t mind betting on something relevant, but Brady’s terms are a sucker bet.

Mine are better.

Yours arent particularly inviting either.  .820 career OPS.

If we traded Wong for Paredes right now, Id jump for joy. As would others.

Paredes has a career .766 OPS.  Last year he had a .809 OPS which was good for like a 125 OPS+

[JoeBrady]

33 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

I don’t accept your terms because they could trade for more mediocrity

Why would they do that?  Do you really think they are going to trade assets for a mediocre replacement when we already have a mediocre replacement?  

[JoeBrady]

20 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Yours arent particularly inviting either.  .820 career OPS.

If we traded Wong for Paredes right now, Id jump for joy. As would others.

Paredes has a career .766 OPS.  Last year he had a .809 OPS which was good for like a 125 OPS+

The only current 3B with an .820 over the past three years (min 1000 PAs) is Jose Ramirez and Max Muncy.  There are some excellent 3Bs out there (Bregman, Machado, Riley, Chapman) that aren't all that close to .820.

My assertion is that we will acquire a quality 2B/3B and I am willing to wager on it.

[FredLynn]

43 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

Why would they do that?  Do you really think they are going to trade assets for a mediocre replacement when we already have a mediocre replacement?  

I don’t know: why do they consistently sign mediocre players when they need upgrades? If we get a player with an average OPS that’s not going to help. We need TWO good bats. 

[JoeBrady]

49 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

If we get a player with an average OPS that’s not going to help.

Another wager I'd glad make-that we get a 2B or 3B with an OPS higher than league average.

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Option 2 just doesn't make sense as a roster. 

Option 1, Romy can platoon with Mayer at 2b. Masa can get majority of DH AB's. If Casas mashes at AAA, he can be called up and make a future Masa decision.

 

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Option 2 just doesn't make sense as a roster. 

Option 1, Romy can platoon with Mayer at 2b. Masa can get majority of DH AB's. If Casas mashes at AAA, he can be called up and make a future Masa decision.

If we dont add an infielder, I'm assuming Mayer is at 3B FT and DHam/Romy platoon at 2B.

It would look like this:

C: Narvaez/Wong

1B: Contreras

2B: DHam/Romy

SS: Story

3B: Mayer

LF: Anthony (some RF)

CF: Rafaela

RF: Abreu

DH: Duran (some LF & CF) with Masa/Casas/Romy as secondary options

with Paredes minus an OF'er:

C: Narvaez/Wong

1B: Contreras

2B: Mayer/Romy

SS: Story

3B: Paredes

LF: Anthony or Duran

CF: Rafaela

RF: Anthony or Abreu

DH: Masa/Casas/Romy as secondary options

___________________________

That's if we don't play Rafaela at 2B.

 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, FredLynn said:

My offer is still out there. I don’t accept your terms because they could trade for more mediocrity and since he isn’t currently on the roster that would fulfill YOUR terms. My terms are much better: I bet they won’t add anyone who would significantly improve our offense (as defined by a career OPS of .820 or better). 
Deal?

So, Paredes doesn't count. (He's over 50 points below .820, career and 30 below over the last 3 seasons combined. He was 10 below in '25.

Since 2016, these are the only 2B and 3Bmen above .820:

.879 Ramirez

.862 Altuve... LOL

.855 Devers

.854 Arenado... LOL

.846 Bregman (I doubt he hits .820 over this contract)

.835 Machado

.833 Muncy

.827 KMarte

.826 Riley

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, FredLynn said:

I don’t know: why do they consistently sign mediocre players when they need upgrades? If we get a player with an average OPS that’s not going to help. We need TWO good bats. 

I think your idea of mediocre is pretty stringent, as you called Gray a #4.

I do agree that we settle for less than good enough, too often. I think we've stepped it up the last 2 winters, but not by enough, and we swung and missed on Buehler at $21M. Had he pitched like a $21M guy, maybe we finish with a much better record.

I get the point about how high AAV on short term deals isn't going to get you the talent a $21M x 6 years gets you, let alone a $28M x 6 year might get.

The odds go up on a swing and miss when you go one and done, so often. We did step it up to 2 years with Gio, and he did his best to make it a one and done.  LOL

[JoeBrady]

44 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

.879 Ramirez

.862 Altuve... LOL

.855 Devers

.854 Arenado... LOL

.846 Bregman (I doubt he hits .820 over this contract)

.835 Machado

.833 Muncy

.827 KMarte

.826 Riley

I'd add that Muncy projects to .784, Machado to .773, Riley to .794, Bregman to .761, Suarez to .737.  Even HOF Ramirez only projects to .830.  Acquiring a 3B with a .820 is just one more fantasy.

[FredLynn]

2 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

The only current 3B with an .820 over the past three years (min 1000 PAs) is Jose Ramirez and Max Muncy.  There are some excellent 3Bs out there (Bregman, Machado, Riley, Chapman) that aren't all that close to .820.

My assertion is that we will acquire a quality 2B/3B and I am willing to wager on it.

Define “quality”

[FredLynn]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

So, Paredes doesn't count. (He's over 50 points below .820, career and 30 below over the last 3 seasons combined. He was 10 below in '25.

Since 2016, these are the only 2B and 3Bmen above .820:

.879 Ramirez

.862 Altuve... LOL

.855 Devers

.854 Arenado... LOL

.846 Bregman (I doubt he hits .820 over this contract)

.835 Machado

.833 Muncy

.827 KMarte

.826 Riley

Paredes would improve the team but not enough to make us a contender alone. We aren’t going to get anyone that would put us over the top. Those guys were available. We were “interested” in them. But Henry didn’t want to pay them. I’d do the bet Brady proposed for an .800 OPS player. Or two at .780.

We’re getting very little. It’s the way they operate.

[moonslav59]

5 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Paredes would improve the team but not enough to make us a contender alone. We aren’t going to get anyone that would put us over the top. Those guys were available. We were “interested” in them. But Henry didn’t want to pay them. I’d do the bet Brady proposed for an .800 OPS player. Or two at .780.

We’re getting very little. It’s the way they operate.

Bregman would have been enough? Being career .820+?

I would not be one bit surprised if IP outhits Bregman year 1 of Breggie's deal.

[FredLynn]

38 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I'd add that Muncy projects to .784, Machado to .773, Riley to .794, Bregman to .761, Suarez to .737.  Even HOF Ramirez only projects to .830.  Acquiring a 3B with a .820 is just one more fantasy.

I’d do .780. You know,  the kind of player that could make a significant difference. I agree with you: we will make another move. Another dumpster dive.

Thats getting old.

[Randy Red Sox]

On 1/23/2026 at 8:48 AM, mvp 78 said:

If his confidence was ruined because of May 2025, it was never going to work out. The Sox showed their confidence in him and supported him all along the way. 🫠

so you don't think they rushed him at all??

 

[moonslav59]

41 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I'd add that Muncy projects to .784, Machado to .773, Riley to .794, Bregman to .761, Suarez to .737.  Even HOF Ramirez only projects to .830.  Acquiring a 3B with a .820 is just one more fantasy.

Exactly. Setting a criteria like that is not well thought out.

Lets trade for Altuve- NOT IP!!!

[FredLynn]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Exactly. Setting a criteria like that is not well thought out.

Lets trade for Altuve- NOT IP!!!

Brady proposed a sucker bet. I made a counter proposal sucker bet. The bottom line is that we need two good bats to compete for a ring this year. I don’t see it. Shoulda got Schwarber or Alonso.

[FredLynn]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Bregman would have been enough? Being career .820+?

I would not be one bit surprised if IP outhits Bregman year 1 of Breggie's deal.

I don’t think Bregman alone would be enough. That wouldn’t even get us back to baseline. We also lost players like Devers and Refsnyder. Two players like Bregman would do it. Or one player like Schwarber. Anthony needs company. Our rotation is good but it won’t matter if we can’t score runs.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Exactly. Setting a criteria like that is not well thought out.

Lets trade for Altuve- NOT IP!!!

He never tried to think it out.  He said we would add no one.  I challenged him and he folded.  Then he changed the goalposts to an almost unattainable .820.  I'm happy that he admits he was wrong.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, FredLynn said:

 Shoulda got Schwarber or Alonso.

Yup, and not Bregman as a plan C.

[moonslav59]

30 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

He never tried to think it out.  He said we would add no one.  I challenged him and he folded.  Then he changed the goalposts to an almost unattainable .820.  I'm happy that he admits he was wrong.

The worst quick pivot was after he said we'd never sign anyone good, and we signed Suarez, and he was back to the same rant like 3 minutes after, saying, "Golly gee, that surprised me."

(just razzin' ya Fred. You know I'm okay with pessimistic fans. I was one for decades.)

[JoeBrady]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The worst quick pivot was after he said we'd never sign anyone good, and we signed Suarez, and he was back to the same rant like 3 minutes after, saying, "Golly gee, that surprised me."

And five minutes later, complaining about JH being cheap.  And when we acquire another big bat, he will say the same thing.  He's a one-string banjo.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

And five minutes later, complaining about JH being cheap.  And when we acquire another big bat, he will say the same thing.  He's a one-string banjo.

But he can really bend that string better than Jimi, Eric and Jeff.

[mvp 78]

10 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

so you don't think they rushed him at all??

Yes, he was rushed. No, it shouldn't have destroyed his confidence or meaningfully harmed his career in anyway. 

[mvp 78]

8 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

But he can really bend that string better than Jimi, Eric and Jeff.

Probably better than Jimi and Jeff since they are dead.