Question of the week: are you optimistic?

[mvp 78]

Just now, drewski6 said:

There were plenty, and I do many plenty of ways we could have further bolstered the infield while leaving the strength of the outfield intact.  

The strength of the OF is Abreu/Rafaela/Anthony TBH. Duran should have been traded. Now he's faltering as I surmised. 

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

The strength of the OF is Abreu/Rafaela/Anthony TBH. Duran should have been traded. Now he's faltering as I surmised. 

Yes, like Ive said.  Everyone thinks the reason the team is struggling is because the team didnt do what that poster specifically wanted.

Had we flipped Duran for prospects like youve been screaming to do, Im not sure that we would go from 2026 zero to hero.

[drewski6]

Never underestimate the amount of mental gymnastics every single one of us will do to take a victory lap.

[drewski6]

I would have had Cedanne work at SS all offseason.  

[drewski6]

And Masa first base.  ANd Contreras Catcher.

[Duran Is The Man]

11 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The strength of the OF is Abreu/Rafaela/Anthony TBH. Duran should have been traded. Now he's faltering as I surmised. 

you think Anthony is a better outfielder than Duran?

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Yes, like Ive said.  Everyone thinks the reason the team is struggling is because the team didnt do what that poster specifically wanted.

Had we flipped Duran for prospects like youve been screaming to do, Im not sure that we would go from 2026 zero to hero.

I don't scream about the Red Sox anymore. 

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

you think Anthony is a better outfielder than Duran?

Overall, yes. 

Unless they are trading Masa, which everyone tells me is impossible, Duran is the odd man out. 

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

And Masa first base.  ANd Contreras Catcher.

No and no. Contreras is a better hitter and a great 1b. They tried Masa at 1b in practice last season and it must have been pretty bad. 

[drewski6]

10 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I don't scream about the Red Sox anymore. 

Thats prob for the best.

[drewski6]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

No and no. Contreras is a better hitter and a great 1b. They tried Masa at 1b in practice last season and it must have been pretty bad. 

Im not there yet, but if Narvaez keeps struggling , I do think that Contreras to C becomes an option.  At least occasionally in 2026 when Wall St Journal is posting articles about how the set lineup is dead.

[mvp 78]

49 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Im not there yet, but if Narvaez keeps struggling , I do think that Contreras to C becomes an option.  At least occasionally in 2026 when Wall St Journal is posting articles about how the set lineup is dead.

Well if the WSJ is saying it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[notin]

On 4/21/2026 at 10:49 AM, drewski6 said:

And Masa first base.  ANd Contreras Catcher.

Contreras has spent plenty of time showing he is nothing more than emergency catcher.  And also that he is the catcher most likely to create an emergency…

[Bellhorn04]

The only optimistic Sox fans right now are the ones rooting for executives, managers and/or coaches to get fired.

[Duran Is The Man]

13 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

The only optimistic Sox fans right now are the ones rooting for executives, managers and/or coaches to get fired.

i know i am. this s*** show has gone on entirely too long.

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

The only optimistic Sox fans right now are the ones rooting for executives, managers and/or coaches to get fired.

It can only get better right? They are on pace for a 58-104 season. Can't possibly be that bad! 

[Bellhorn04]

26 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

It can only get better right? They are on pace for a 58-104 season. Can't possibly be that bad! 

Even 68-94 would make them worse than the 2012 team.

As you pointed out, there's not much hope for a boost to the offense from the farm.  

Feels like a long bad season and people getting fired.

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Even 68-94 would make them worse than the 2012 team.

As you pointed out, there's not much hope for a boost to the offense from the farm.  

Feels like a long bad season and people getting fired.

If they aren't going to be in the playoffs this year, they need to decide which guys are sticking around long term and deal everyone else. 

Out of it at the deadline:

Trade WC40

Trade/DFA Story

Trade Masa

Trade Gray

Trade Chapman

The need to do what they failed to do with the '22 team. 

 

[urban cowboy]

Strike me as a .500 team. Pitching is good. But... how do they score? no power, no speed ... no plan. 

[Bellhorn04]

It all comes back to Henry's Hubris in 2019, the firing of Dombrowski and the trade of Betts.  That was when he asserted himself as Mr. Smartest Guy In The Room, who could take things in a whole new direction and succeed on his terms.  Which led to hiring 2 completely inexperienced CBOs.  

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, urban cowboy said:

Strike me as a .500 team. Pitching is good. But... how do they score? no power, no speed ... no plan. 

That was the worry going into the season. Threading that needle of winning games was going to be really tight. They feel like an AL Central team. Need a 20 game winning streak like the '25 Guards or something. 

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It all comes back to Henry's Hubris in 2019, the firing of Dombrowski and the trade of Betts.  That was when he asserted himself as Mr. Smartest Guy In The Room, who could take things in a whole new direction and succeed on his terms.  Which led to hiring 2 completely inexperienced CBOs.  

Yeah, he'd be better off just setting a budget and staying away. 

[Bellhorn04]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Yeah, he'd be better off just setting a budget and staying away. 

I'm afraid the ship has sailed.  John is going to be hearing that 3 word chant a lot.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I'm afraid the ship has sailed.  John is going to be hearing that 3 word chant a lot.

Red Sox Suck

Red Sox Suck

Red Sox Suck

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

21 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It all comes back to Henry's Hubris in 2019, the firing of Dombrowski and the trade of Betts.  That was when he asserted himself as Mr. Smartest Guy In The Room, who could take things in a whole new direction and succeed on his terms.  Which led to hiring 2 completely inexperienced CBOs.  

After Atlanta owner owner Ted Turner made himself manager in 1977, I think MLB made a rule banning such idiocracy. 

Those Braves lost 101 games and finished dead last, 37 GB.

Hall of Famer Phil Niekro had 8.5 WAR and led the league in innings pitched and strikeouts.

He didn't prevent anything.

[Behindenemylines]

On 4/21/2026 at 11:37 AM, drewski6 said:

I feel confident the problem of this team isnt that we have too many hitters.

It's painful to watch when the Sox are up to bat! I think they have 14 homeruns as a team! They also hit into a lot of double plays! There is no one currently in their lineup that scares you when they come to the plate!

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, Behindenemylines said:

It's painful to watch when the Sox are up to bat! I think they have 14 homeruns as a team! They also hit into a lot of double plays! There is no one currently in their lineup that scares you when they come to the plate!

Only PIT and SF have hit more GDP's. 

[drewski6]

3 hours ago, notin said:

Contreras has spent plenty of time showing he is nothing more than emergency catcher.  And also that he is the catcher most likely to create an emergency…

Playing Contreras at C helps you get another very good bat.  When a GM builds a team focusing on stuff other than cramming in as many potent bats as possible, I present to you the historically impotent 2026 Red Sox.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

Playing Contreras at C helps you get another very good bat.  When a GM builds a team focusing on stuff other than cramming in as many potent bats as possible, I present to you the historically impotent 2026 Red Sox.

Contreras isn't a C anymore. He's a 1b and good at it. 

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

That was the worry going into the season. Threading that needle of winning games was going to be really tight. They feel like an AL Central team. Need a 20 game winning streak like the '25 Guards or something. 

Yup.  We've been de-prioritizing hitting for a while now.  That is why I gave them a D for offseason grade. I dont know how you saw that playoff team against Yankees and then be okay with a pitching and defense approach.  ANd when some here were and no matter what still do (I would trade offense right now for a #2) - Im still hearing this stuff....OR you cant play that guy there, hes a 14% better defender at this postion (even though playing the guy there would make room for another good offensive player, we just cant have that 14% decrease in OAA)....And sometimes, it feels like Im getting trolled.

The lesson of the 2026 Boston Red Sox is this: build your team around the bats.