Red Sox Pre-Offseason Mega Thread

[Hugh2]

13 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Alonso has the most RBI in MLB the past 5 years, and 4h Homers. Those are facts. I think it’s more than just coincidence, or luck that he accomplished that. I’m certainly not saying he’s better than Judge, or The Big O, but here’s the kicker. Alonso was out there for the taking this past offseason, and the others were not. 

I think it's easy to think the statement "rbis are overated" is analogous with "RBI's have very little value" 

That is just simply not true and let me state right now that I do think RBI's are important and a skill to have a nack to put the ball in play when it matters most and guys are on base.

I think both those things can be true at the same time, and I happen to believe EXACTLY that.  I would have loved Alonso here, I think he'd be the perfect DH.  I'd be fine with him at 1B if they didn't get contreras as well but as many of us were saying last offseason the Sox really needed two bats and got one. 

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Oh is that who the "con-man" is? I'm sorry I haven't really cared enough to keep up with all these personal nick names.  I thought we were comparing him to Contreras. 

Conteras is Con Man. I was just saying that when we had Casas there, we weren't dumping on his defense the way we are dumping on Alonso's for some reason. 

Also, Conteras's defense is massively overrated. 

[Hugh2]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Conteras is Con Man. I was just saying that when we had Casas there, we weren't dumping on his defense the way we are dumping on Alonso's for some reason. 

Also, Conteras's defense is massively overrated. 

Contreras defense is still better than Alonsos, and there's nothing wrong with envisioning them both being in this lineup, or at least in an alternative universe where the Sox signed ALonso last offseason. 

I also think it was easier for people to have optimism on Casas because of his youth.  It's not uncommon for players to get better at defense just like they do at the plate and on the rubber.  Alonso has been in the league for years and at 31 years old at the time you kind of knew what you were going to get with him. 

[Old Red]

14 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Oh is that who the "con-man" is? I'm sorry I haven't really cared enough to keep up with all these personal nick names.  I thought we were comparing him to Contreras. 

Career numbers, or this past year? They all lean heavily one way.

[Old Red]

11 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Conteras is Con Man. I was just saying that when we had Casas there, we weren't dumping on his defense the way we are dumping on Alonso's for some reason. 

Also, Conteras's defense is massively overrated. 

Con Man is overrated, but pretty good for an ex catcher who has only been doing it for 2 years.

[Old Red]

15 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I think it's easy to think the statement "rbis are overated" is analogous with "RBI's have very little value" 

That is just simply not true and let me state right now that I do think RBI's are important and a skill to have a nack to put the ball in play when it matters most and guys are on base.

I think both those things can be true at the same time, and I happen to believe EXACTLY that.  I would have loved Alonso here, I think he'd be the perfect DH.  I'd be fine with him at 1B if they didn't get contreras as well but as many of us were saying last offseason the Sox really needed two bats and got one. 

We agree. See how easy that was.😉

[Hugh2]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

We agree. See how easy that was.😉

Yes we do agree it was very easy Red for you to finally agree with me. 

[NHNative]

I am confused or something else. How could any fan say RBIs aren't important and desired?

[Hugh2]

8 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Career numbers, or this past year? They all lean heavily one way.

Would you of been unhappy with the Contreras trade if they also went out and signed Pete Alonso?

[Hugh2]

Just now, NHNative said:

I am confused or something else. How could any fan say RBIs aren't important and desired?

Who is saying that?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

19 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Contreras didn't have a lot of RBI this season because the 1 and 2 hitters for the Sox stunk and couldn't get on base. 

That declaration right there is why I don't like ranking entire batting orders based on individual OPS.

O (as in On Base%) matters most in the scenario you present: to provide the most opps for RBIs from your best PS -- that's where O+PS are connected. 

If my Plus Sluggers don't do the job in the heart of the order, then I need the rest of the lineup to deliver; so for #6-9 guys I care more about BA... I don't want batters taking strikes down the middle looking for bases-loaded walks.

Put the ball in play when it matters. It's not luck. The Brewers' C-2B-SS-LF core are better than the Red Sox' where it counts... and when it counts. Besides Wild Bill behind the plate -- who is way better -- the rest have K-rates worse than league average. 

But there's no disputing Milwaukee gets it done, with the most MLB wins the past two years.

[moonslav59]

56 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Instead of comparing the Con-man to Alonso, which is unfair why not compare Alonso to Yoshida?

I think it would have made perfect sense to ship Yoshida out of town and Sign Alonso to be your DH.  Then you have Alonso's bat in your lineup without the glove hurting you. 

I heard a rumor Alonso and Schwarber might be available via trade.

Yoshida & Duran (balance the $ a tiny bit) and some real talent for one of 'em?

[moonslav59]

I'm glad we got Contreras. It should not have ever been Alonso or Willson, but it may have been for Brez.

I agree on Alonso vs Yoshida as the thought process.

We may not make the playoffs w/o Contreras. His cost was $18M a year with no long term commitments. He even has an option year.

[Hugh2]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I heard a rumor Alonso and Schwarber might be available via trade.

Yoshida & Duran (balance the $ a tiny bit) and some real talent for one of 'em?

At this point I'd take Alonso, if I can dump Yoshida he's the perfect DH.  It also leaves a path for Casas if he ever gets his s*** together (which is looking insanely unlikely at this point) but tarry not because we have the "con-man" for a few more years.  

I'd be perfectly content with Rutchman/Alonso/Contreras/Arias/Durbin/Mead/Abreu/Rafaela/Anthony

[Old Red]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I'm glad we got Contreras. It should not have ever been Alonso or Willson, but it may have been for Brez.

I agree on Alonso vs Yoshida as the thought process.

We may not make the playoffs w/o Contreras. His cost was $18M a year with no long term commitments. He even has an option year.

Yes Con Man was a cheaper option, but sub Con Man for Alonso, and most likely the team had a better record. We agree again.

 

[Old Red]

20 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Would you of been unhappy with the Contreras trade if they also went out and signed Pete Alonso?

It’s not I was unhappy with the Con Man, but just that Alonso is a better run producer. Both would have been good.

[Old Red]

23 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Yes we do agree it was very easy Red for you to finally agree with me. 

The big question is do you know what we agreed on?

[Hugh2]

4 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Yes Con Man was a cheaper option, but sub Con Man for Alonso, and most likely the team had a better record. We agree again.

 

Maybe they win two more games and are in the same exact position.  Maybe Alonso goes off. 

I don't disagree with you here Red, and if anything you guys have won me over on the Alonso should have been priority #1 last offseason but I just don't think this narrative that Contreras has to be "poo poo'd" because he was traded for and Alonso wasn't signed. 

I dont' think subracting Contreras and adding Alonso puts this team over the top, last offseason the narrative here that was largely shared on this board was the Sox needed two bats.  I see no reason why the argument can't be "the Sox should have Signed Alonso" rather than "if the Sox got Alonso instead of Contreras" 

I like the latter better. 

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Yes Con Man was a cheaper option, but sub Con Man for Alonso, and most likely the team had a better record. We agree again.

 

Mostly because Alonso is an iron man, but to me, it's not as simple as Alonso vs Contreras with the Sox budget being so tight.

$31M vs $18M means subtracting somebody. Even in hindsight Contreras 18+ 6 IKF still comes up $7M short.

Hindsight, ship Duran off, but not many "agreed" on that plan.

[NHNative]

26 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Who is saying that?

This is what I saw...

I think it's easy to think the statement "rbis are overated" is analogous with "RBI's have very little value" 

[Old Red]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Mostly because Alonso is an iron man, but to me, it's not as simple as Alonso vs Contreras with the Sox budget being so tight.

$31M vs $18M means subtracting somebody. Even in hindsight Contreras 18+ 6 IKF still comes up $7M short.

Hindsight, ship Duran off, but not many "agreed" on that plan.

Sign Alonso with the money that was slotted for Bregman, and it’s easy peasy.

[Old Red]

8 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Maybe they win two more games and are in the same exact position.  Maybe Alonso goes off. 

I don't disagree with you here Red, and if anything you guys have won me over on the Alonso should have been priority #1 last offseason but I just don't think this narrative that Contreras has to be "poo poo'd" because he was traded for and Alonso wasn't signed. 

I dont' think subracting Contreras and adding Alonso puts this team over the top, last offseason the narrative here that was largely shared on this board was the Sox needed two bats.  I see no reason why the argument can't be "the Sox should have Signed Alonso" rather than "if the Sox got Alonso instead of Contreras" 

I like the latter better. 

Ok you won me over. I’ll agree with this.👍

[moonslav59]

31 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Who is saying that?

Nobody, again.

Inventing false positions so you can say you were right is a common theme for some posters.

RBIs need context.

Even HRs need context due to park sizes and strength of opponent pitching.

BA, OBP and SLG, too.

Even OPS!!! LOL.

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Sign Alonso with the money that was slotted for Bregman, and it’s easy peasy.

So why keep up the Alonso vs Contreras when you don't even see it that way?

Oh, I know why... you projected more HRs and RBI from Alonso (big gamble there, LOL) and you have to ram home how right you always are.

Again, Alonso, instead of Bregman means Alosno instead of Suarez and $13M from whom?

Hindsight make it easy: Duran + IKF, but I didn't hear you saying that last winter.

[Hugh2]

33 minutes ago, Old Red said:

It’s not I was unhappy with the Con Man, but just that Alonso is a better run producer. Both would have been good.

Is this the thing we are agreeing on?

[Hugh2]

36 minutes ago, NHNative said:

This is what I saw...

I think it's easy to think the statement "rbis are overated" is analogous with "RBI's have very little value" 

And immediately after that came:

 

"That is just simply not true and let me state right now that I do think RBI's are important and a skill to have a nack to put the ball in play when it matters most and guys are on base. I think both those things can be true at the same time, and I happen to believe EXACTLY that"

I think it's fair to say that statement is in no way saying RBI's are not important or desired. 

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

And immediately after that came:

 

"That is just simply not true and let me state right now that I do think RBI's are important and a skill to have a nack to put the ball in play when it matters most and guys are on base. I think both those things can be true at the same time, and I happen to believe EXACTLY that"

I think it's fair to say that statement is in no way saying RBI's are not important or desired. 

Of course. All but one can see what you meant.

[UtahSox]

On 10/25/2026 at 1:35 PM, moonslav59 said:

While I think it's unrealistic to think any owner other than LA's and NYM's would okay those three signings, I do think signing Alonso and Bregman (no Suarez)  while still making every trade other than Durbin would have given us Harrison and Drohan back. Maybe MIL takes DHam and Duran for Durbin to play 2B, and we keep Early for the future.

C AR

1B Contreras

2B Durbin

3B Bregman

SS Story/Arias

LF Anthony

CF Rafela

RF Abreu

DH Alonso

(No Duran, DHam, Seigler, Monasterio)

Wong, (IKF '26 only) Arias/Story, Yoshida, Sogard/Romy

SP Crochet, (Gray '26 only) Tolle, Bennett, Harrison, Drohan/Bello, Houck/Crawford/Oviedo (No Suarez)

RP Chapman, Whitlock, Miller, Slaten, Guerrero, Weissert, Moran

Yeah, let’s take the Dodgers and the Mets out out of it and do a Case study on the Phillies and how they can year in and year out now spend more than us. 
And taking the bullet out of the proverbial gun, what has that gotten them? I’ll go for a circle and say a lot of home postseason baseball games from 2021 to 2026.. and had the Dodgers not existed in their current form I believe one World Series..

[UtahSox]

On 10/26/2026 at 5:20 PM, Randy Red Sox said:

and with 2 lower payroll teams in the WS this yr don't expect JH to change his way of thinking

Agree 

[Hugh2]

35 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Of course. All but one can see what you meant.

He might of just jumped the gun on responding, lord knows I've done that before.