Red Sox Pre-Offseason Mega Thread

[moonslav59]

28 minutes ago, Donnie Sadler was short said:

if you were going to eat the contract/dfa only one of either Story or Yoshida, which would you choose to get rid of?

Story is owed $25M + $5M option, so $30M/1. We might need some help at 2B, and we don't really have anyone better at SS, unless Arias can and does hit the ground running. 

Yoshida is owed $18M/1. He's pretty much a DH only and like a 5th string LF'er. We have a ton or DH types or DH platoon types.

I'd move Yoshida and pay all but $3-6M of his remaining $18M.

(I'd try to move both and add Duran to the list.)

[moonslav59]

There is a reason I'm posting this here and not the Realistic Thread:

Story & Duran (+$26M) and Primera, Godbout & Valera for Otto Lopez

I'd slot Lopez at SS, but he could move to 2B, if Arias wins the SS job. That would move the poor defensive 2Bman, Mead, to DH.

We save a little money along the way and get to keep Arias & Gonzales.

 

[jdc69]

1 hour ago, notin said:

What does that mean? 
 

Anthony hasn’t struggled vs MLB pitching; his issue has been injuries.  Is the idea to play him less to reduce the chances he gets hurt?  If so, why not just bench him and remove it completely?

If Anthony has an issue with MLB pitching, it appears he might be a slow starter.  So is the plan here to slow him down even more? 
 

I'm talking about putting him farther down the line-up, not back in the minors.

[notin]

40 minutes ago, jdc69 said:

I'm talking about putting him farther down the line-up, not back in the minors.

Why?

He has excellent OBP skills and has proven he can hit MLB pitching.  His only real problem again - he’s had a couple injuries

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, jdc69 said:

I'm talking about putting him farther down the line-up, not back in the minors.

He's had one of the highest OBP on the team.

[jdc69]

51 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He's had one of the highest OBP on the team.

Thats nice. Maybe he can get the golden "almost highest OBP" award. 339 is nothing to brag about if hes supposed to be an all star. That his average and power numbers aren't that high could point to the load he was asked to carry straight from minor leagues. These players aren't robots. Pressure is real.

[Old Red]

7 hours ago, jdc69 said:

Thats nice. Maybe he can get the golden "almost highest OBP" award. 339 is nothing to brag about if hes supposed to be an all star. That his average and power numbers aren't that high could point to the load he was asked to carry straight from minor leagues. These players aren't robots. Pressure is real.

Nothing to brag about is correct for little A in 2026. He drew a few walks, but he K’d more than twice as much with many of those coming with the bat on his shoulder, or one of his feeble check swings? 5-15-.245 is nothing to brag about either for a player there was talk about being the face of the franchise, or a MVP candidate, or possibly being the MVP. The Red Sox were 3 games under 500 with little A in the lineup, and 15 games over without him. He got sent to Florida wink, wink, so there would be less distractions. Maybe he was the distraction. Saying he had one of the highest OBP on the team is a very LOW bar, but that’s what some on here do. Laughable. Saying his only problem is injuries is laughable too since he was even worse before his first injury.😃🤭🙈

[moonslav59]

8 hours ago, jdc69 said:

Thats nice. Maybe he can get the golden "almost highest OBP" award. 339 is nothing to brag about if hes supposed to be an all star. That his average and power numbers aren't that high could point to the load he was asked to carry straight from minor leagues. These players aren't robots. Pressure is real.

I hope we add a player or two with a higher OBP, but until we do, we can't just move him down for a lesser OBP guy. Only Yoshida (.347) and Willson (.386) had higher OBPs. One was on the IL when Anthony was not, and the other was needed batting 3rd or 4th.

BTW, his career OBP is .371.

Trade for Otto Lopez and I'm on board.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

Nothing to brag about is correct for little A in 2026. He drew a few walks, but he K’d more than twice as much with many of those coming with the bat on his shoulder, or one of his feeble check swings? 5-15-.245 is nothing to brag about either for a player there was talk about being the face of the franchise, or a MVP candidate, or possibly being the MVP. The Red Sox were 3 games under 500 with little A in the lineup, and 15 games over without him. He got sent to Florida wink, wink, so there would be less distractions. Maybe he was the distraction. Saying he had one of the highest OBP on the team is a very LOW bar, but that’s what some on here do. Laughable. Saying his only problem is injuries is laughable too since he was even worse before his first injury.😃🤭🙈

Nobody bragged.

Nobody said his only problem is injuries.

What's laughable is your inventions of positions nobody holds.

[Old Red]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Nobody bragged.

Nobody said his only problem is injuries.

What's laughable is your inventions of positions nobody holds.

NNN said 10 hours ago his only real problem again he’s had a few injuries.🙈

[moonslav59]

11 minutes ago, Old Red said:

NNN said 10 hours ago his only real problem again he’s had a few injuries.🙈

He has often spoken of his high K rate.

[Hugh2]

11 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Story is owed $25M + $5M option, so $30M/1. We might need some help at 2B, and we don't really have anyone better at SS, unless Arias can and does hit the ground running. 

Yoshida is owed $18M/1. He's pretty much a DH only and like a 5th string LF'er. We have a ton or DH types or DH platoon types.

I'd move Yoshida and pay all but $3-6M of his remaining $18M.

(I'd try to move both and add Duran to the list.)

This is why I think we need to just stick it out with Story and get rid of Yoshida. 

Without any trades or moves ideally your infield is Durbin/Arias/Mead/Contreras.  If one of Arias or Mead struggle and Story is healthy he plug into that position.  And if that comes to fruition we must all pray we get 2022 or 2025 Trevor Story.  If those guys all succeed and Story is healthy, he can slide into the DH position.

Of course, we could trade for someone like Elly, but as I stated earlier this is looking at the roster in the absence of any additions. 

[Hugh2]

Everyone gets injured, it just sucks when it's at the very beginning of a guys MLB career.  It begs one to ask the question. "is this who he is? a guy who can't stay healty or is this just a fluke"

For what it's worth, Anthony did not have the injury history year after year that Mayer had and I still think the sky is the limit with him.  The team was wrong to rely so heavily on him his first full season, but that is 100% on the team not the young man.  I really don't get the Roman Anthony hate at all. 

[mvp 78]

12 hours ago, Donnie Sadler was short said:

if you were going to eat the contract/dfa only one of either Story or Yoshida, which would you choose to get rid of?

Only one? A large part of me says Masa because I don't want to clog up the bench with a DH. I think I'd also just like to move on from the free swinging Story and have Arias hit 9th on Opening Day. 

They went on the winning streak while Masa was on the roster. They couldn't do that while Story was there. Story gets DFA'd. 

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

14 hours ago, notin said:

What does that mean? 
 

Anthony hasn’t struggled vs MLB pitching; his issue has been injuries.  Is the idea to play him less to reduce the chances he gets hurt?  If so, why not just bench him and remove it completely?

If Anthony has an issue with MLB pitching, it appears he might be a slow starter.  So is the plan here to slow him down even more? 
 

I'm not convinced Anthony does not struggle with MLB pitching. He has to prove it to me. 

[notin]

2 minutes ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

I'm not convinced Anthony does not struggle with MLB pitching. He has to prove it to me. 

In 545 PA - roughly one season worth across 2 years - he has hit .271/.371/.433 (OPS+ 126).  You might have expected more, and he might be capable of more, but I hardly call that struggling.

If 26% above league average is “struggling”, what isn’t?

[Old Red]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

Everyone gets injured, it just sucks when it's at the very beginning of a guys MLB career.  It begs one to ask the question. "is this who he is? a guy who can't stay healty or is this just a fluke"

For what it's worth, Anthony did not have the injury history year after year that Mayer had and I still think the sky is the limit with him.  The team was wrong to rely so heavily on him his first full season, but that is 100% on the team not the young man.  I really don't get the Roman Anthony hate at all. 

It’s not hate on little A himself, but all the hype, and yes I witnessed it first hand in Portland, and all the expectations placed on him by the TEAM, Media, and FANS, which some fans had a problem with. little A is far from innocent in all of this either as he most likely bought into all this praise himself, before he earned it in a Red Sox uniform. 

[Old Red]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Nobody bragged.

Nobody said his only problem is injuries.

What's laughable is your inventions of positions nobody holds.

They dubbed him the Roman Empire

and he was supposed to lead the way

but it appears he got distracted 

and turned into little A

and then one night it happened 

he did that pinky swear 

and that’s how he ended up 

with that tendon tear 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

This is why I think we need to just stick it out with Story and get rid of Yoshida. 

Without any trades or moves ideally your infield is Durbin/Arias/Mead/Contreras.  If one of Arias or Mead struggle and Story is healthy he plug into that position.  And if that comes to fruition we must all pray we get 2022 or 2025 Trevor Story.  If those guys all succeed and Story is healthy, he can slide into the DH position.

Of course, we could trade for someone like Elly, but as I stated earlier this is looking at the roster in the absence of any additions. 

100%.

I do not want to trade Story and see Monasterio play FT SS, if Arias struggles.

We have so many DH types and some decent platoon DH types, that trading Yoshida, who offer no defensive pluses or even below average. (Not that Romy, Gasper and some others offer better D.)

I'm not even sure Mead is bearable at 2B D. If he's not, we have zero need for Yoshida. Jones is no whiz on D.

Anthony at DH might help him stay healthier.

If we add Jo Garcia to the 40, he might serves as a DH/ 2-3 Catcher, who is also not known for D.

[moonslav59]

7 minutes ago, Old Red said:

They dubbed him the Roman Empire

and he was supposed to lead the way

but it appears he got distracted 

and turned into little A

All in your mind.

[Old Red]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Only one? A large part of me says Masa because I don't want to clog up the bench with a DH. I think I'd also just like to move on from the free swinging Story and have Arias hit 9th on Opening Day. 

They went on the winning streak while Masa was on the roster. They couldn't do that while Story was there. Story gets DFA'd. 

On here it’s been Masa must go for how many years now? The Red Sox tried to pawn him off to Seattle a few years ago with Casas. And of course Story Land has to be shut down for good in Boston, and Duran shipped out of town too. Wow I guess Brez has his work cut out for him this offseason.

[Old Red]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

All in your mind.

I know you think you’re protecting little A’s image, but you’re really just doing the opposite. Have a good day.👋

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Old Red said:

On here it’s been Masa must go for how many years now? The Red Sox tried to pawn him off to Seattle a few years ago with Casas. And of course Story Land has to be shut down for good in Boston, and Duran shipped out of town too. Wow I guess Brez has his work cut out for him this offseason.

Brez never makes the moves I want him to make anyway. Duran, Story and Masa will probably still be here next September.

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Brez never makes the moves I want him to make anyway. Duran, Story and Masa will probably still be here next September.

Unless he can get JH to eat some money.

[drewski6]

12 hours ago, notin said:

Why?

He has excellent OBP skills and has proven he can hit MLB pitching.  His only real problem again - he’s had a couple injuries

And he doesnt swing the bat enough, and he doesnt have the legs for a pure OBP profile.

[mvp 78]

Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna' be fooled again!

[Old Red]

20 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Brez never makes the moves I want him to make anyway. Duran, Story and Masa will probably still be here next September.

What’s the going rate for Duran next year? $10M+?

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

This is why I think we need to just stick it out with Story and get rid of Yoshida. 

Without any trades or moves ideally your infield is Durbin/Arias/Mead/Contreras.  If one of Arias or Mead struggle and Story is healthy he plug into that position.  And if that comes to fruition we must all pray we get 2022 or 2025 Trevor Story.  If those guys all succeed and Story is healthy, he can slide into the DH position.

Of course, we could trade for someone like Elly, but as I stated earlier this is looking at the roster in the absence of any additions. 

But thats asking a lot for the offense.  Mead was quickly turning into a bust before his turnaround, and I dont think we an count on Anthony to be a super productive top 4 hitter.  To me , we can assume that together one will be good enough to hit top 4, then Contreras.  But I would like to go Abreu(5th). Adley(6th), Arias/Story (7th),Cedanne (8th), Durbin (9th).

I think that a team of Roman, Mead, Abreu, Contreras, Adley, Story, Cedanne, Durbin, Arias is third or fourth and doesnt get further than we've gotten.

Its easier to take the step from bottom dweller to .500, and then from .500 to playoff team then playoff team to elite team....That last jump is the hardest and it requires us to look at improvement opportunities earnestly and be willing to make tough decisions.  Read: guys we like will get squeezed out of playing time or potentially off the team entirely.

The challenge is that we are stuck at make the playoffs but not be a real threat to run through them, and its frankly hard to take that next jump.

[Old Red]

12 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

And he doesnt swing the bat enough, and he doesnt have the legs for a pure OBP profile.

He is kind of tentative between watching third strikes go by, or his feeble check swings.

[JoeBrady]

On 10/27/2026 at 12:29 PM, mvp 78 said:

They were trying to cut payroll. Their roster management is kind of a mess right now and they don't really need more long term deals. I believe they have the oldest roster in MLB.  

Last year, there were 20 position players 34 or older, that got 300 PAs.  Philly will have 4 next year.