Red Sox Pre-Offseason Mega Thread

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Mead could be one. If he's healed...

Adley? Dunno. He was touted as a batter who doesn't strike out and in the first half of '26 had the lowest K-rate of his 6-year career... then he came to Boston and had the worst K-rate of his career (it had to be a coincidence and nothing to do with their Graphline hitting).

With the Red Sox. Rutschman also had the lowest BB%, lowest Exit Velo, lowest Hard Hit% and lowest Line Drive% of his career.

Pray to the Church of Baseball it was all just a Crap Sample Size.

Adley hasn't been a top of the order bat since 2023. That's not coming back. 

Mead could be, but I'd rather they not count on it and have it be an happy accident instead. 

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, JimEd said:

yeah, but he had enough sense to know you needed hitters. specifically, power hitters like Manny and Papi that could do some instant damage. with Bloom -the ultimate nerd- you get Masataka Yoshida. 😂 

He didn't sign Manny, he traded him away. The one guy he wanted for years and years was Julio Lugo. 

[notin]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

Are you trying to say that an Old School Manger, or Management did trade Pedro at 21, but Geeks, and Nerds wouldn’t? No doubt it was a bad deal, but my understanding is that they consulted with their team doctor, and medical adviser Doctor Frank JOBE, whom was pretty renowned, and respected, and it was his opinion, and advice that he didn’t think Pedro would hold up physically. Nothing to do with, old school, geek, or nerd decision, and not even any kind of point you thought you were making. At any rate no more N’s. NO more business like NNN business.👋

Well, anything is speculation besides ehat actually happened.

Old School LaSorda was concerned about Pedro’s diminutive frame and assumed Pedro would never make it as a starting pitcher.  Pedro did have shoulder surgery on 1993 performed by Jobe, who reportedly decided the undersized Pedro represented an injury risk.  
 

The Dodgers wanted to add some speed to their team.  The Expos Uber-Nerd GM Dan Duquette traded Delino DeShields Sr, for Pedro. 
 

Rather than just trying to justify your viewpoint with speculation and what if moments, acknowledge that the Geeks were definitely right about Pedro and the Old Schoolers were not…

[notin]

37 minutes ago, JimEd said:

yeah, but he had enough sense to know you needed hitters. specifically, power hitters like Manny and Papi that could do some instant damage. with Bloom -the ultimate nerd- you get Masataka Yoshida. 😂 

Ortiz, despite his size, wasn’t much for power before coming to Boston.  Wasn’t he originally behind Jeremy Giambi on the DH depth chart?

[notin]

39 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He didn't sign Manny, he traded him away. The one guy he wanted for years and years was Julio Lugo. 

And he tried to trade Manny away earlier along with Nomar and Jon Lester for A-Rod, Magglio Ordonez and Brandon McCarthy…

[moonslav59]

5 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

I'll be comfortable with RA being #1 or #2.  But the biggest bang for the buck might well be another player that can get on base in front of Contreras and Abreu.

How about a guy with a .353 OBP and 35 XBHs in 285 ABs (329 PAs?)

IMO, Abreu should not bat 3rd. He should be 6th or 7th. Maybe 5th is fine, if the top 4 are really good and no black holes behind him.

[moonslav59]

Is this good enough?

Sign Sato...

1. L Anthony LF

2. R Mead DH

3. L Sato 2B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Abreu RF

6. S Rutschman C

7. R Rafaela CF

8. R Durbin 3B

9. R Arias SS

Better.... (Sign Sato & Trade Arias, Durbin & Valera for de la Cruz...)

1. S de la Cruz SS

2. R Mead 2B/DH

3. L Sato 3B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Anthony LF

6. S Rutschman C

7. L Abreu RF

8. L Yoshida DH/ R Story 2B

9. R Rafaela

 

[Old Red]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Is this good enough?

Sign Sato...

1. L Anthony LF

2. R Mead DH

3. L Sato 2B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Abreu RF

6. S Rutschman C

7. R Rafaela CF

8. R Durbin 3B

9. R Arias SS

Better.... (Sign Sato & Trade Arias, Durbin & Valera for de la Cruz...)

1. S de la Cruz SS

2. R Mead 2B/DH

3. L Sato 3B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Anthony LF

6. S Rutschman C

7. L Abreu RF

8. L Yoshida DH/ R Story 2B

9. R Rafaela

 

Arias, Valera, and DUBin are not getting de la Cruz. little A, Arias, and another player for de la Cruz.  de la Cruz is a proven commodity. Arias, and little A are not, and that might not get it done either.🤭

[notin]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Is this good enough?

Sign Sato...

1. L Anthony LF

2. R Mead DH

3. L Sato 2B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Abreu RF

6. S Rutschman C

7. R Rafaela CF

8. R Durbin 3B

9. R Arias SS

Better.... (Sign Sato & Trade Arias, Durbin & Valera for de la Cruz...)

1. S de la Cruz SS

2. R Mead 2B/DH

3. L Sato 3B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Anthony LF

6. S Rutschman C

7. L Abreu RF

8. L Yoshida DH/ R Story 2B

9. R Rafaela

 

If commentary on your trade proposals gets you down, feel free to peruse these suggestions from Fansided.

https://fansided.com/mlb/5-red-sox-pie-in-the-sky-trade-packages-for-elly-de-la-cruz-and-more

[Hitch]

21 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Bello's starter ERA was 7.18 not 10, and it was 0.48 in his last 4 games (3GS.)

Check other team's 5-6-7-8, and you will see most have the same or worse than ours.

I'm not so much saying our is good as I am saying others are worse.

Many other teams have pitchers returning from long IL stints or crappy seasons. Some have never ever looked even average.

I'm not particularly interested in other teams rotations to be honest, a third (maybe higher) of the league is actively not bothering to try and win it would seem.

Bello at 5, followed by Houck, Crawford and Oviedo is not good enough for a team looking to get deep into the playoffs, never mind a WS.

We have next to no depth. That needs sorting. Especially with the rate of injuries to pitchers. 

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, notin said:

Ortiz, despite his size, wasn’t much for power before coming to Boston.  Wasn’t he originally behind Jeremy Giambi on the DH depth chart?

Giambi 147 OPS+, 20 HR, 2002

Ortiz 120 OPS+, 20 HR, 2002

Giambi only played 27 professional games after leaving the Sox in '03. 

[mvp 78]

14 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

How about a guy with a .353 OBP and 35 XBHs in 285 ABs (329 PAs?)

IMO, Abreu should not bat 3rd. He should be 6th or 7th. Maybe 5th is fine, if the top 4 are really good and no black holes behind him.

Yeah, I'm not too upset if he's 5th.

[mvp 78]

13 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Is this good enough?

Sign Sato...

1. L Anthony LF

2. R Mead DH

3. L Sato 2B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Abreu RF

6. S Rutschman C

7. R Rafaela CF

8. R Durbin 3B

9. R Arias SS

Better.... (Sign Sato & Trade Arias, Durbin & Valera for de la Cruz...)

1. S de la Cruz SS

2. R Mead 2B/DH

3. L Sato 3B

4. R Contreras 1B

5. L Anthony LF

6. S Rutschman C

7. L Abreu RF

8. L Yoshida DH/ R Story 2B

9. R Rafaela

 

Sato has had one game at 2b. It's a ridiculous idea to sign him to play 2b. 

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, Hitch said:

I'm not particularly interested in other teams rotations to be honest, a third (maybe higher) of the league is actively not bothering to try and win it would seem.

Bello at 5, followed by Houck, Crawford and Oviedo is not good enough for a team looking to get deep into the playoffs, never mind a WS.

We have next to no depth. That needs sorting. Especially with the rate of injuries to pitchers. 

Bello at 5 is more than good enough for a playoff team. It's better than what the Brewers have. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Bello at 5 is more than good enough for a playoff team. It's better than what the Brewers have. 

Drohan opening and Dustin May bulk guy? I'll take Cam Booser's 0.00 in 6 playoff games.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Just now, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Drohan opening and Dustin May bulk guy? I'll take Cam Booser's 0.00 in 6 playoff games.

But the big WS match-up will be Hammy vs. Yandy (I'd take Diaz on the Red Sox even if Hamilton is World Series MVP).

[mvp 78]

23 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Drohan opening and Dustin May bulk guy? I'll take Cam Booser's 0.00 in 6 playoff games.

Cam Booser is a starter now? 

[Hugh2]

17 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Adley hasn't been a top of the order bat since 2023. That's not coming back. 

Mead could be, but I'd rather they not count on it and have it be an happy accident instead. 

I mean, he is 29 and a catcher who notoriously develop late.  Not that I'm rushing to place bets on him have a .900 OPS bat next year or anything.  But if a few of his best seasons were in front of him I wouldn't be shocked at all. 

[Old Red]

53 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Bello at 5 is more than good enough for a playoff team. It's better than what the Brewers have. 

Even if it’s the Bello who had to get sent down to WOO last year?

[Old Red]

56 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Sato has had one game at 2b. It's a ridiculous idea to sign him to play 2b. 

If Sato has suitors he’s not coming to Boston unlike Masa who Bloom just swooped in, and got his man.

[Old Red]

17 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Adley hasn't been a top of the order bat since 2023. That's not coming back. 

Mead could be, but I'd rather they not count on it and have it be an happy accident instead. 

First it would be an improvement if Rust Man can even play 100 games, which he hasn’t the past two years.

[notin]

13 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Even if it’s the Bello who had to get sent down to WOO last year?

Do you think Bello is the only pitcher ever demoted to the minorsThe Brewers didn’t demote anyone??  I mean other than Drohan and Gasser and Sproat and Logan Henderson and Priester and DL Hall and…

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Hitch said:

I'm not particularly interested in other teams rotations to be honest, a third (maybe higher) of the league is actively not bothering to try and win it would seem.

Bello at 5, followed by Houck, Crawford and Oviedo is not good enough for a team looking to get deep into the playoffs, never mind a WS.

We have next to no depth. That needs sorting. Especially with the rate of injuries to pitchers. 

It doesn't matter if other contending teams have the same or worse 5-8 SP'ers?

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Bello at 5 is more than good enough for a playoff team. It's better than what the Brewers have. 

Amd the Rays, and Astros, Guardians, CWS, Rangers...

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

It doesn't matter if other contending teams have the same or worse 5-8 SP'ers?

Hey Mankind, you like the rocks new shoes?

Mick/Mankind: Yeah, rock, they loook ni

Rock: It doesnt matter if you like the rocks new shoes!

[drewski6]

Unless we improve our hitting, it wont even matter who our #3 pitcher is.  Abreu no higher than five FTW.

[Old Red]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It doesn't matter if other contending teams have the same or worse 5-8 SP'ers?

NO!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

59 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Cam Booser is a starter now? 

Booser starts all Tampa's relief core, with Baker finishing. They're both unscored upon this postseason.

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Hey Mankind, you like the rocks new shoes?

Mick/Mankind: Yeah, rock, they loook ni

Rock: It doesnt matter if you like the rocks new shoes!

Good one.👏

[Hitch]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Bello at 5 is more than good enough for a playoff team. It's better than what the Brewers have. 

Last years Bello is absolutely not good enough. Not anywhere close.