Early Trade deadline deals the selling Sox should make

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, notin said:

The lottery system in the NBA makes sense because first round picks can make an immediate and significant impact.  MLB has no such concerns, so why employ a lottery system at all?

It was to make the draft more exciting and less about tanking. 

[notin]

10 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

I never mentioned that trade. I would have never traded Sale just for the fact that I wanted a good healthy year from him because he missed all that time. And if I did it wouldn’t have been for another middle IFer. 

Sale hadn’t pitched a full season since 2019 and hadn’t been Elite Chris Sale since 2017.  If  the Sox were counting on Chris Sale to return to elite form at age 35 after a prolonged stretch of not pitching that included not only TJ, but also a broken rib from throwing a pitch, what  would you have honestly thought of that plan?  
 

In 2017, Sale lost out on the Cy Young to Corey Kluber, who then declined and retired including going down in flames in Boston, all between Sale’s last elite season and his resurgence in Atlanta.

It didn’t work out, but I still don’t fault Breslow there.  I don’t think people get how improbable that comeback really was….

 

[southpaw777]

14 minutes ago, notin said:

We lost Drohan in the Rule 5 draft a couple years ago, but he got returned.  I was surprised he was added to the 40 man roster at all.  That Drohan threw together a decent stretch with another team doesn’t bother me…

I mean, I wasn’t all bent over Drohan going, but just the fact it was two starters for a Punch and Judy middle IF. Granted the ROTY stuff, but still. Slap hitter middle IF they moved to 3b. He’s not a true 3b. He got rid of Blaze Jordan as he was hitting good and we needed corner IFers. It seems his timing for trading guys is weird. Not that Jordan was highly touted, but he was doing good and we had a need. Why not see what we got before moving him? now he seems to be rolling along nicely in St.L The starters he traded were needed depth at the time, who turned into solid starters for someone else. We didn’t get much back it seems. 
im not a fan of Breslow. 
But that’s what this owner gets when he runs his organization the way he does with no loyalty no security and no real drive to win a ring anymore. Just make money. No respected MLB FO professional will even take an interview. The organization is becoming a real joke.

[drewski6]

18 minutes ago, notin said:

The lottery system in the NBA makes sense because first round picks can make an immediate and significant impact.  MLB has no such concerns, so why employ a lottery system at all?

The NIL kind of changed this.  Guys are staying in college longer and its a trend that should continue and youll see more ncaa -> majors soon

[southpaw777]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

Sale hadn’t pitched a full season since 2019 and hadn’t been Elite Chris Sale since 2017.  If  the Sox were counting on Chris Sale to return to elite form at age 35 after a prolonged stretch of not pitching that included not only TJ, but also a broken rib from throwing a pitch, what  would you have honestly thought of that plan?  
 

In 2017, Sale lost out on the Cy Young to Corey Kluber, who then declined and retired including going down in flames in Boston, all between Sale’s last elite season and his resurgence in Atlanta.

It didn’t work out, but I still don’t fault Breslow there.  I don’t think people get how improbable that comeback really was….

 

I get it, but like I said, anything but another middle IF if you trade him. Maybe another arm, starter or BP. We didn’t need another guy like him.

[notin]

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

It was to make the draft more exciting and less about tanking. 

A MORE EXCITING MLB DRAFT?  Have they gone mad??!!  It’s already far too exciting for most people to watch that many networks won’t even broadcast it for fear of flooding the nation’s cardiac units!!!

Leave it to MLB to try to make the draft more exciting while still maintaining outdated blackout rules that prevent people from actually watching games…

[southpaw777]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

A MORE EXCITING MLB DRAFT?  Have they gone mad??!!  It’s already far too exciting for most people to watch that many networks won’t even broadcast it for fear of flooding the nation’s cardiac units!!!

Leave it to MLB to try to make the draft more exciting while still maintaining outdated blackout rules that prevent people from actually watching games…

It’s absolutely useless. Just another example of MLB having to tinker with everything. Worst to best.

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

The NIL kind of changed this.  Guys are staying in college longer and its a trend that should continue and youll see more ncaa -> majors soon

The best players can get more from being drafted and the NIL's are often used towards college tuition since college baseball rosters average less than 12 scholarships per team. It's not the windfall you are making it out to be right now. Maybe it changes at some point. There are some outliers, but for the most part, players are going to get more by going pro. 

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

A MORE EXCITING MLB DRAFT?  Have they gone mad??!!  It’s already far too exciting for most people to watch that many networks won’t even broadcast it for fear of flooding the nation’s cardiac units!!!

Leave it to MLB to try to make the draft more exciting while still maintaining outdated blackout rules that prevent people from actually watching games…

I'm still jonesing for the next Rule 5 draft, so don't ask for my input!

[drewski6]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The best players can get more from being drafted and the NIL's are often used towards college tuition since college baseball rosters average less than 12 scholarships per team. It's not the windfall you are making it out to be right now. Maybe it changes at some point. There are some outliers, but for the most part, players are going to get more by going pro. 

I was thinking of skenes but can appreciate how he could be an exception. I do agree with you (and Notin) that it will never be like basketball

[notin]

25 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

I get it, but like I said, anything but another middle IF if you trade him. Maybe another arm, starter or BP. We didn’t need another guy like him.

The Sox most frequently started 2b in 2024 was Enmanuel Valdez.  Disagree on not needing another middle infielder…

[notin]

20 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I'm still jonesing for the next Rule 5 draft, so don't ask for my input!

I can hear your belly button puckering and unpuckering from here.  Best you get some sedatitives and cuddle up with a stranger’s teddy bear for a few weeks…

[moonslav59]

25 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

I mean, I wasn’t all bent over Drohan going...

But you were, at the time, on Priester and Harrison?

In both instances, these guys were below #10 on our SP'er depth charts, and by "our" I mean the Sox organization and every single poster on this site, unless these two pitchers have parents posting here.

Both deals got off to very bad starts, and the GM gets the blame for that. I get it. I play the same blame game, myself, but I do think context needs to be a factor when grading a GM.

I may differ from most as I don't view hindsight only or even as the major component. I'd also add that true "hindsight" should occur after all players involved in the trade have met their team control years. Most of the Brez trades are far from that point.

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

I can hear your belly button puckering and unpuckering from here.  Best you get some sedatitives and cuddle up with a stranger’s teddy bear for a few weeks…

There are enough stuffies in my kids' rooms that I can borrow.

[southpaw777]

16 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

But you were, at the time, on Priester and Harrison?

In both instances, these guys were below #10 on our SP'er depth charts, and by "our" I mean the Sox organization and every single poster on this site, unless these two pitchers have parents posting here.

Both deals got off to very bad starts, and the GM gets the blame for that. I get it. I play the same blame game, myself, but I do think context needs to be a factor when grading a GM.

I may differ from most as I don't view hindsight only or even as the major component. I'd also add that true "hindsight" should occur after all players involved in the trade have met their team control years. Most of the Brez trades are far from that point.

Preister and Drohan for depth because it was needed and Harrison, who was better, was def worth giving more time in MLB imo. I like a lot of pitching because it seems you need to go to a 9 or 10 on the depth chart like we have had to. 
and no hindsight. I questioned these moves at the time, not just now.

[notin]

1 hour ago, southpaw777 said:

Preister and Drohan for depth because it was needed and Harrison, who was better, was def worth giving more time in MLB imo. I like a lot of pitching because it seems you need to go to a 9 or 10 on the depth chart like we have had to. 
and no hindsight. I questioned these moves at the time, not just now.

I questioned Priester when it was made, because we traded immediate MLB-ready/experienced pitching deoth for minor leaguers that were seasons away, and for no reason.  It immediately burned Boston as well, as there were injuries (notably Giolito) that created openings in the rotation.

I admit not minding Harrison because 1) we needed another INF and Durbin was coming off a good rookie year, 2) the Sox had already dealt several other young pitchers, notably Dobbins that I had more faith in, and 3) while Harrison got very little opportunities in Boston, it’s not like his SF numbers made anyone think he was special…

[L J]

On 5/18/2026 at 11:12 AM, southpaw777 said:

Whitlock too, yes. . I think him and Chapman will bring back the most in Deadline deal if Bres doesn’t mess it up.

The number one question is Craig Breslow the right one to be making these decisions? For that matter, is Sam Kennedy the right person to be making decision number one? John Henry needs to bring in baseball people that are passionate about the game. How do you keep guys around like Pedro, Big Papi, Dewey, Jim Rice, and Tek, to name  few, if you're not going use their input. Do you think that Brad Stevens, any owner of the Celtics for the past quarter century, Bob Kraft, Cam Neely, or Don Sweeney, would have a problem walking into any bar in Boston? How about John Henry?

[L J]

On 5/18/2026 at 12:37 PM, moonslav59 said:

And nobody counted the kids as locks. either.

Well it sure looked like someone did, with all the money that was thrown at them.

Here's a thought, since this team looks like a glorified AAA team. Why not play like one. Let's see some sac bunts, and more aggressive base stealing. If you're going to lose, at least go down playing aggressively.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, southpaw777 said:

Preister and Drohan for depth because it was needed and Harrison, who was better, was def worth giving more time in MLB imo. I like a lot of pitching because it seems you need to go to a 9 or 10 on the depth chart like we have had to. 
and no hindsight. I questioned these moves at the time, not just now.

One of the points Brez has been most criticized for is the focus on SP'ers over bats and RP'ers, so I find the argument that trading away SP'er depth as not really true. He happened to trade away a couple guys who have had 1/2 to 1 good season after the trade, and he has traded away some minor league SP'er depth, but overall, he has added to the depth more than taken away, and some of the additions have worked out very well- better than Harrison and Priester and Drohan/Dobbins/_____.

Both Harrison and Priester were near or below #10 on the depth charts when traded. I don't think a single poster had either Priester or Harrison higher than #8 or 9, when traded. Most were fed up with Sale's injuries before he was traded. He was part of a long-standing injured rotation list.

Here was how I viewed our 2025 SP depth chart (injury free)

1 Crochet, 2 Houck, 3 Buehler, 4 Giolito, 5 Bello, 6 Crawford, 7. Fitts, 8 Winckowski, 9 Newcomb, 10 Criswell, 11 Dobbins/Priester/Drohan/Fulmer I could see placing Priester as high as #8 but no higher. I could see placing him at #14. The fact that I listed 14 pitchers highlights B rez's focus on SP quality and quantity, and yet he is criticized for trading one of the 14. (The wrong one, maybe, but still....)

2026:

1 Crochet, 2 Suarez, 3 Gray, 4 Bello, 5 Houck 6. Crawford, 7 Sandoval, 8 Oviedo, 9 Tolle, 10 Early, 11 Harrison/Bennett/Uberstine. Okay, take away Houck as he was known to be out, I'd still have placed Harrison at #10 at best. Acquiring SP'er depth has been Brez's top strategy. Once can argue he chose the wrong ones to add and subtract, but the high focus and demonstrated actions are undeniable.

Added: Crochet, Suarez, Gray, Giolito, Buehler, Oviedo, Sandoval, Fitts, Priester, Harrison, Newcomb, Criswell, Fulmer, Bennett and some I forgot

Subtracted: Sale, Harrison, Priester, Drohan, Clarke, Fitts, Perales, Fajardo, Aita, Sandlin, Travieso, Wikelman and some I forgot.

Brez's weak point is adding big bats:

Add: Contreras (I count Bregman as a good bat not "big bat.")

He's been hit and miss on the pen.

He's done well with SP'ers and SP depth. We've already started #10 and 11, this year, and we are 12th in SP xFIP and 15th in ERA-. That's not great, but we are missing our ace, replaced Bello, and have gotten zero from Houck, Crawford, Sandoval & Oviedo. One could argue, that's Brez's fault, but I don't agree. Brez has made many mistakes, but I think he's done well with the rotation.

 

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, L J said:

Well it sure looked like someone did, with all the money that was thrown at them.

Here's a thought, since this team looks like a glorified AAA team. Why not play like one. Let's see some sac bunts, and more aggressive base stealing. If you're going to lose, at least go down playing aggressively.

Good points. I'd add...

They kept 4 OF'er and had Yoshida for DH, so in no way were they 100% behind Anthony playing 155 games and being great all 2026. They had a solid back-up plan. Of course, they expected him to do very well, eventually.

Mayer was not extended nor handed the FT job. He's been platooned.

KC was extended and handed the FT job, but they had Romy, DHam and others behind him. He was not counted on for 2026, at all. That's why we traded for Durbin, Monasterio, Cheng, Capra and Seigler.

I agree on being more aggressive, but I think swinging for the fences is one form of aggressiveness we should lay back on.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, L J said:

Well it sure looked like someone did, with all the money that was thrown at them.

Here's a thought, since this team looks like a glorified AAA team. Why not play like one. Let's see some sac bunts, and more aggressive base stealing. If you're going to lose, at least go down playing aggressively.

The FO was heavily promoting those kids as the Big Three and was really relying on them to lead the Sox into the future. It hasn't worked out so far. People can be upset with fans that follow prospects, but ownership put all their chips on the table for these guys.