Early Trade deadline deals the selling Sox should make

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

I don't see trading away a setup guy, even an elite setup, as signaling anything.  I'd prefer to wait, but if someone gives you an offer you can't refuse, you make the move and figure it out later.

Whitlock has been MLB's best or near best set-up man. Our pen needs help now and going forward. Whitlock has 2 years of control after 2026.

Trading him for single A players is signalling a long term rebuild- not a quick turnaround one. I mentioned I'd be okay with this, if the other deals we make are all about 2027 & beyond, but by itself, it's a bad signal. (Not necessarily a bad move.)

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

My philosophy has always been that, unless you are a strong contender, or a bad team, you judge every trade on its own merits.  A bit like the Vazquez trade where we weren't in a position to buy or sell.

Abreu and E Valdez were very near MLB ready. Both played in MLB the next year, and EValdez became a starter in mid April that next year.

It was a great trade that many of us praised at the time. People in HOU always knew Abreu was the prize, but I also expected EValdez to hit better than he did- maybe end up a low-powered DH.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

There were two Laws and both of them were pretty far out there.  He must have been up half the night typing sometimes.  I'd log in and see page after page of 500-1000 word rants.

I joined B.com after the first "law." The second one was handful enough! LOL!

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

The issue with those two guys, and many others mentioned, is that they are lefty.  And every discussion in the off-season revolved around acquiring RH bats.

That was the "downfall" and why we traded for Durbin. As it turned out BLowe could have replaced the LHB Mayer and we'd have the same balance. When Durbin was struggling, we could have platooned Mayer/Durbin, and when RHB Story went down, move Mayer to SS, as we did anyway.

BLowe has horrible splits vs LHPs, this year (mid .500s) and career splits of .850 v .680, so that was a major concern. Donovan is about the same: .820 vs .640. In hindsight, trading for one of these two and trading Mayer for something else, would have worked well for 2026, anyway.

[southpaw777]

There’s more talk about being buyers. I’m still not there. 
we need a lot more than other team that are willing to to spend more and part with more prospects than us. We have too many needs. About to lose our best hitter for 4 games, have 4 starters injured and have zero clue who’s pitching this weekend because Breslow traded all of our needed pitching depth. 
were doing well against crappy and/injury decimated teams (see Yankees) but let’s not confuse real contenders to pretenders.

[moonslav59]

21 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

There’s more talk about being buyers. I’m still not there. 
we need a lot more than other team that are willing to to spend more and part with more prospects than us. We have too many needs. About to lose our best hitter for 4 games, have 4 starters injured and have zero clue who’s pitching this weekend because Breslow traded all of our needed pitching depth. 
were doing well against crappy and/injury decimated teams (see Yankees) but let’s not confuse real contenders to pretenders.

Good post. When I look at 2027, I see 3 major adds needed, so we really need those same 3 now:

2 big bats from 3 positions (assuming Duran is traded.)

SS

Catcher

DH/OF (Anthony plays the other) or 2B/3B (Durbin plays the other)

To fill even two of these needs to the quality we'd need to be top contenders would be very prospect-costly and maybe money-wise, too.

We'd basically have to trade Arias and or Eyanson. If just one, then count on 2 or 3 from Witherspoon, Gonzales, Valera and Azocar/Phillips/Primera.

Are we at that position?

I think not.

[southpaw777]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Good post. When I look at 2027, I see 3 major adds needed, so we really need those same 3 now:

2 big bats from 3 positions (assuming Duran is traded.)

SS

Catcher

DH/OF (Anthony plays the other) or 2B/3B (Durbin plays the other)

To fill even two of these needs to the quality we'd need to be top contenders would be very prospect-costly and maybe money-wise, too.

We'd basically have to trade Arias and or Eyanson. If just one, then count on 2 or 3 from Witherspoon, Gonzales, Valera and Azocar/Phillips/Primera.

Are we at that position?

I think not.

Exactly.

i like what we’re doing right now, and im not trying to being the local contrarian,…I believe its just too much to ask this year.

they better not get rid of Eyanson or Arias. We NEED A BIG RHP in that rotation and Arias looks like the real deal hitting advanced pitching at SS. I really like the Primera kid catching. He’s one to watch the next couple years. I’d trade maybe a couple in the top ten and a bunch from 11-20. 

[mvp 78]

25 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

Exactly.

i like what we’re doing right now, and im not trying to being the local contrarian,…I believe its just too much to ask this year.

they better not get rid of Eyanson or Arias. We NEED A BIG RHP in that rotation and Arias looks like the real deal hitting advanced pitching at SS. I really like the Primera kid catching. He’s one to watch the next couple years. I’d trade maybe a couple in the top ten and a bunch from 11-20. 

Trade deadline prices are inflated. Easier to make deals in the offseason for team needs IMO. Why be buyers now? It doesn't make sense to me. 

[moonslav59]

25 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Trade deadline prices are inflated. Easier to make deals in the offseason for team needs IMO. Why be buyers now? It doesn't make sense to me. 

The time to be buyers in the winter, and we've done pretty well with those trades, in totality.

It does seem like selling makes more sense, but I'm not sure about a wholesale rebuild, plus I don't think the fanbase would handle it well.

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I don't think the fanbase would handle it well.

Oh no. Fenway will still be full no matter what. 

[mvp 78]

What's worse: all the times they have dumped franchise players in the past or trading random guys from a team below .500? 

[southpaw777]

37 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Oh no. Fenway will still be full no matter what. 

Henry turned it into a tourist attraction.

[mvp 78]

Chapman

Gray

Guerrero

Moran

Slaten (I guess?)

Duran

Masa

Story

IKF

 

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Chapman

Gray

Guerrero

Moran

Slaten (I guess?)

Duran

Masa

Story

IKF

 

Sounds about right.

Add Coulombe.

Maybe Whitlock.