Red Sox Pre-Offseason Mega Thread

[Old Red]

1 hour ago, NHNative said:

Myself--I am making a large 10 qt. Lodge Dutch oven of bison meat chili.

Now its simmering all day along with me simmering over Tolle and Gray yanked.

The chili sounds good as does the first simmering. Not so much the second simmer that hasn’t diminished any since it happened.

[Randy Red Sox]

On 10/13/2026 at 4:56 AM, notin said:

I assume Crawford is the 4th…

yes probably.  other than a healthy Crochet even though we have some better than average SP watching the post season we don't match up. Not in the BP either.

[Randy Red Sox]

5 hours ago, notin said:

I think most people happy the Dodgers are out just don’t want the same team winning every year (unless it’s Boston).  And some also don’t like the Dodgers habit of exploiting their TV deal advantage to purchase titles…

Brewers won with amazing pitching and timely hitting.  Nice story.

[Randy Red Sox]

On 10/15/2026 at 4:58 PM, moonslav59 said:

This is the risk they get hurt or greatly underperform?

If so, it amounts to losing about 1.25 starters. (Maybe 40-42 GS) I might project more like 50-55 GS.

In house solutions?

IMO, Houck should start the year in the pen and stay there, but I'm not sure how Brez & Co. view him. He ended the season healthy and pitching. If you put him at 50% and as a SP, he could start 15 games.

Crawford should remain a starter, IMO. He was ready to start the last game in AAA, but it was cancelled. Maybe count him as 60%. That's 12 GS.

Oviedo is hard to project, but he was healthy, too and is a SP'er. How about 50% and 15 GS.

If all three are starters, maye they give 42+ GS with a possibility of 90 GS if 100% healthy all year long.

I doubt Brez adds a stud pitcher. I don't think he planned on Suarez, this year, and Crochet can be viewed as Gray's replacement.

The scary part is Paez is the only AAA guy on the 40. Wehunt is Rule 5 and may be added. Holobetz and Ziehl could be added, when and if needed, but none of these guys wow me at all.

I could see Brez adding another Oviedo type, but maybe he gets lucky and adds another Bennett type.

None of these guys you mention are close to a sure bet to be anything more than BP bit pieces {Houck} or bottom end SP. Some on here consider P to be a strength but it doesn't come close to matching the Brewers. If you get past a healthy Crochet and a developing Tolle we are not in the league with the true contenders.  Tolle made good strides with his off speed stuff this yr but there is still room for growth there.  

[NHNative]

9 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

None of these guys you mention are close to a sure bet to be anything more than BP bit pieces {Houck} or bottom end SP. Some on here consider P to be a strength but it doesn't come close to matching the Brewers. If you get past a healthy Crochet and a developing Tolle we are not in the league with the true contenders.  Tolle made good strides with his off speed stuff this yr but there is still room for growth there.  

I have been saying all along that Tolle has the potential to be one of the best.

[moonslav59]

31 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

None of these guys you mention are close to a sure bet to be anything more than BP bit pieces {Houck} or bottom end SP. Some on here consider P to be a strength but it doesn't come close to matching the Brewers. If you get past a healthy Crochet and a developing Tolle we are not in the league with the true contenders.  Tolle made good strides with his off speed stuff this yr but there is still room for growth there.  

We may not match the Brewers or their 2027 outlook, but our top 7-8 SP'ers are likely going to be ranked top 3 in projections, even without Gray.

I fully agree the guys I mentioned are close to sure bets. Crochet, Houck, Crawford and Oviedo all need to prove they are healthy and back to somewhat the same form they once were. Having 3 as our 6-7-8 guys is not as bad as what other teams have in those slots, this time of year.

The Brewers have Priester as a possible comeback story, but he had less proven success before his major injury than our 4 guys.

I'm not in the camp of posters who think any young pitcher who jumps their IP in a season is destined to get hurt, just because Crochet, Crawford and others did, but the is an added aspect of concern and worry for a guy like Misiorowski, who went from 66 to 175 IP, this year. (129 IP in 2025, if you add AAA IP.) He's the best pitcher in MLB, today, so I'm not trying to downplay his value.

I'm not all that impressed with the future outlooks of their other starters. Here are their IP leaders and 2026 ERAs:

125 Drohan 4.19

116 Harrison 4.20

109 Gasser 3.87

106 Patrick 3.40 (mostly in relief)

98 Henderson 2.47

97 Sprout 5.57

None of these guys are 28, yet, but they don't Wow me, even adding Priester.

2nd Half (last 66 games on '26) GS ERA

12 2.12 Misiorowski

12 2.19 Henderson

11 2.86 Glasser

10 5.60 Drohan

10 5.65 DMay (replace Harrison)

7 7.31 Harrison

The Brew Crew has some major questions on their 2027 rotation and SP'er depth.

 

 

[moonslav59]

On 10/16/2026 at 12:34 PM, a700hitter said:

Do we even know what Oviedo’s problem is and how it is being addressed?

He had a flexor strain injury and came back in September to pitching the minors. He should be healthy for ST'ing.

Crawford injured his flexor while trying to comeback from another injury. He was scheduled to start the final AAA game of the season, but it was cancelled due to weather. He should be ready for ST'ing.

Crochet and Houck were pitching at the end of the 2026 season and should be ready for ST'ing.

I'm not projecting greatness, especially out of the gate, but these guys are not like how Sandoval, Crawford and Houck looked, last winter. We knew all of them would be out for a while to start the season.

No SP'ers is projected to miss the first day of ST'ing. That's is rare for the Sox.

 

[moonslav59]

44 minutes ago, NHNative said:

I have been saying all along that Tolle has the potential to be one of the best.

I always liked him, but I was slow to join the "could be a great one" club.

Silly me!

I'd rank our starters like this going into 2027:

1. Crochet

1A. Tolle

3. Suarez

4. Bennett

5. Bello

6. Houck (if not forced into pen role)

7. Crawford

8. Oviedo

9. Paez

10. Holobetz or Wehunt (not on current 40)

[NHNative]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

I always liked him, but I was slow to join the "could be a great one" club.

Silly me!

I'd rank our starters like this going into 2027:

1. Crochet

1A. Tolle

3. Suarez

4. Bennett

5. Bello

6. Houck (if not forced into pen role)

7. Crawford

8. Oviedo

9. Paez

10. Holobetz or Wehunt (not on current 40)

I can go with that. Not to be a tape set on repeat, but I really believe we need to acquire 1-2 more. Possible one elite and when BP dweller.

I like the depth and the health dynamic for spring, though.

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, NHNative said:

I can go with that. Not to be a tape set on repeat, but I really believe we need to acquire 1-2 more. Possible one elite and when BP dweller.

I like the depth and the health dynamic for spring, though.

I always like adding a SP'er, and losing Gray should make me 100% behind the  idea. I'm just not sure JH & Co. gives Brez enough of a winter spending budget to meat my full wish list, and SP'er is not a top 3 priority, to me. 

One long-standing philosophy I have held and always will is that I dislike trying to fix a rotation by slightly upgrading the 4 or 5 SP'er. I want a solid 1-2 and then push the current starter down one peg. This is not the same as wanting the GM to add SP'er depth. Where would we have been without the "depth" add of Bennett?

Depending on the spending budget and who we can afford to trade, I'm thinking our over-reaching goal should be to add top quality rather than 2-4 decent quality upgrades. I'd prefer 1-2 over 3-4 players added. Now, if the budget is expanded and we can make 1-2 major trades, then 4 is fine, but that seems like a wish more than a tangent possibility, so here is my top 3 priority- ranked wish list:

Option A:

1. Elite bat (Sato, Suzuki, DLC or Abrams)

2. Solid second tier bat (BLowe, Chisholm, Arozarena, Bauers types)

(No significant 3rd addition)

Option B

1. Solid bat (BLowe, Chisholm, Arozarena, Bauers types)

2. Solid bat (BLowe, Chisholm, Arozarena, Bauers types)

3. Solid pen arm (Morejon) or Solid 2-3 SP (Nick Martinez)

[NHNative]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I always like adding a SP'er, and losing Gray should make me 100% behind the  idea. I'm just not sure JH & Co. gives Brez enough of a winter spending budget to meat my full wish list, and SP'er is not a top 3 priority, to me. 

One long-standing philosophy I have held and always will is that I dislike trying to fix a rotation by slightly upgrading the 4 or 5 SP'er. I want a solid 1-2 and then push the current starter down one peg. This is not the same as wanting the GM to add SP'er depth. Where would we have been without the "depth" add of Bennett?

Depending on the spending budget and who we can afford to trade, I'm thinking our over-reaching goal should be to add top quality rather than 2-4 decent quality upgrades. I'd prefer 1-2 over 3-4 players added. Now, if the budget is expanded and we can make 1-2 major trades, then 4 is fine, but that seems like a wish more than a tangent possibility, so here is my top 3 priority- ranked wish list:

Option A:

1. Elite bat (Sato, Suzuki, DLC or Abrams)

2. Solid second tier bat (BLowe, Chisholm, Arozarena, Bauers types)

(No significant 3rd addition)

Option B

1. Solid bat (BLowe, Chisholm, Arozarena, Bauers types)

2. Solid bat (BLowe, Chisholm, Arozarena, Bauers types)

3. Solid pen arm (Morejon) or Solid 2-3 SP (Nick Martinez)

Yup---basically the same needs in pitching and batting to be a true contender. I am not saying we are in bad shape. I think we are pretty solid, but we can do better with an eye toward October.

[moonslav59]

32 minutes ago, NHNative said:

Yup---basically the same needs in pitching and batting to be a true contender. I am not saying we are in bad shape. I think we are pretty solid, but we can do better with an eye toward October.

We've actually had exceptional SP'er depth the last two years, and it still ended badly.

Last year, we had to trade for Dustin May, who was like #12-13.

This year, we did trade Early, but he was already on the IL and never came back, so the trade did not lessen SP depth, in reality. We ended up throwing 11 pen games, which was obscene. 2 starts from Paez and Houck combined makes it 13 GS beyond our top 8 starters. We got zero starts from Oviedo and Crawford, which was unexpected. Counting those two plus Houck, we went 11 deep. Paez was 12th. That seemed like more than enough.

In 2027, we go 8 deep and Paez is #9 not #12. That does seem scary. A Sox team needing that much SP'er healthy seems like an absurd ask/wish. I'm not beyond concern. Major concern.

I just think the need for an elite bat or two significant ones is the number one priority. I realize Mead, Anthony or even AR could end up being a "major add," and with 3 chances, hoping 2 come through is not an asburd ask, I just feel we have to strike big, this winter.

1. Sato or DLC

2. Suzuki or Abrams

big gap

3. BLowe, Chisholm, Bauers, Arraez

4. Torres, Happ, Springer (37) T Ward, Jeffers, Varsho, France, Bohm, Dubon, Grisham, Laureano

5. JP Crawford, T Taylor, Tauchman, E Suarez, E Sosa, C Kelly. J Bell

SP

1. Skubal

2. T Rogers

3. Gray (37) or N Martinez (36)

4. King, Guasman (36), Peralta, Peterson, Mize

5. Bubic, Mahle, Flaherty, Holmes, Severino, Bassitt (38)

6. R Ray, Singer, Woodruff, Imanga, Griffin, M Perez

Rp

1. Morejon

2. Bednar

3. Okert, Newcomb, T Alexander

4. R Iglesias (37) G Soto, Pagan

[notin]

1 hour ago, NHNative said:

I have been saying all along that Tolle has the potential to be one of the best.

If he does become one of the best, they should rename the Mass Pike as the Payton Tollway…

[NHNative]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

If he does become one of the best, they should rename the Mass Pike as the Payton Tollway…

I love it! Good one.

[moonslav59]

Or, The Mass Tolleway