2026 MLB post-Red Sox postseason thread

[Old Red]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

And I don’t care if they care.  I’m not out here pushing my baseball podcast (which doesn’t exist).

I will say, teams break things down far, far more than I do with my cursory research.  No team in MLB signs a player based on RBI totals on the hope they translate.  They used to go all in on EV and launch angle, but they’ve probably moved past that now and are on to scouting using DNA Sequencing Predispositions or something even freakier…

I didn’t say what teams do I said fans.

[notin]

1 minute ago, Old Red said:

Computer-based seeding? I thought it was men smoking cigars in a smoke filled room.🤫

The BCS?

Doesn’t that stand for “Bitchin’ about Computer Seeding”?

I get why the NCAA has to do weird stuff.  There are over 280 division 1 football programs.   MLB has 30 teams.  No need to overcomplicate…

[notin]

1 minute ago, Old Red said:

I didn’t say what teams do I said fans.

No but fans want and judge players based on RBIs and HRs in different scenarios.  Don’t say they don’t…

[Old Red]

Just now, notin said:

The BCS?

Doesn’t that stand for “Bitchin’ about Computer Seeding”?

I get why the NCAA has to do weird stuff.  There are over 280 division 1 football programs.   MLB has 30 teams.  No need to overcomplicate…

I agree, and that’s why I said that’s the worst thing they could do.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

13 minutes ago, notin said:

It is worth noting, of course Ruth had other advantages over Aaron as well.

Everybody knows: Ruth swung a 5-foot table leg salvaged and sanded down from a saloon he trashed in a drunken brawl. He was able to heft this log because of his diet of hot dogs, cold cats, beer kegs and tips of cigars.

And unlike Aaron, the Babe didn't have to constantly peer over his shoulder to duck from racists threatening to shoot him if he insisted on playing long enough to set the HR record.

[Old Red]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

No but fans want and judge players based on RBIs and HRs in different scenarios.  Don’t say they don’t…

Some may, but I can’t believe that when the O’s were thinking about signing Alonso they weren’t envisioning how many HR and how many RBI he would hit, and produce for them.👋

[notin]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Everybody knows: Ruth swung a 5-foot table leg salvaged and sanded down from a saloon he trashed in a drunken brawl. He was able to heft this log because of his diet of hot dogs, cold cats, beer kegs and tips of cigars.

And unlike Aaron, the Babe didn't have to constantly peer over his shoulder to duck from racists threatening to shoot him if he insisted on playing long enough to set the HR record.

He also set the single season home run his first season not pitching and had the career record 3 years later.  Of course it also helped that he played in a league comprised of 5’9” white guys named Jocko that threw 75mph “fast”balls and then spent their offseasons as morticians and haberdashers…

But hey, spitball was legal!

[moonslav59]

29 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I don’t believe the Red Sox had any plans to go after AR last offseason, and Mayer was part of the so called future at either 2B, or 3B depending who the Red Sox picked up to play the other. Con Man was cheaper than Alonso. DUBin was cheaper than Bregman, and turning to Ranger was cheaper than Bregman. It worked out to some degree, but not good enough.

Yes, I think they felt Narvaez would be "good enough." He got worse than even his second half 2025 numbers. My point was, it's usually cheaper to make those type of trades in the winter not summer.

BAL thought they might be better this year. Some posters had them ahead of us. They did get Alonso and made some bold though questionable trades, 

I didn't mean my comment to suggest we could have done it in DEC. Many times a team lest things play out a little before realizing a change should be made. There were some posters questioning Narvaez a lot more than I was. I thought other slots were higher need, too.

While 2B was passed over for an upgrade, too, I can understand why they felt Romy (.826 and 7th in team PAs) was a good hedge on Mayer not working out. On top of that, we got Seigler and Monasterio to replace our utility man in DHam and also added IKF. As it turned out, mayer sucked, Romy got hurt and we still need to trade early for what we felt was a major add in mead.

[notin]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

Some may, but I can’t believe that when the O’s were thinking about signing Alonso they weren’t envisioning how many HR and how many RBI he would hit, and produce for them.👋

They weren’t.  I guarantee it.  They calculated it.

They had probably run all kinds of computer simulations and analyzed years of data and trends to see exactly what they were spending $150mill on.

And that’s probably a light take.  It’s probably worse watching the sausage get made…

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Seed by record and be done with it.  Other sports should consider this as well…

That should be automatic.  Top two records get a bye.  3rd best plays 6th best and 4th best plays 5th best.

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

That should be automatic.  Top two records get a bye.  3rd best plays 6th best and 4th best plays 5th best.

Yes, regardless of division winners.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Of course it also helped that he played in a league comprised of 5’9” white guys and their 75mph “fast”balls who spent their offseasons and morticians and haberdashers…

Just a couple of notes.  Guys like Walter Johnson came in at 6'1 and 200 pounds.  That's sizeable for that era.  And they estimate he threw over 100 based on some crude munition labs.  Guys like Satchel Paige didn't get measured at his peak, but was clocked at 91 mph when he was 46 years old.  So they threw hard.

[notin]

Just now, JoeBrady said:

Just a couple of notes.  Guys like Walter Johnson came in at 6'1 and 200 pounds.  That's sizeable for that era.  And they estimate he threw over 100 based on some crude munition labs.  Guys like Satchel Paige didn't get measured at his peak, but was clocked at 91 mph when he was 46 years old.  So they threw hard.

“They” meaning notable Hall of Famers.  How hard was Orville Overall throwing?

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

While 2B was passed over for an upgrade, too, I can understand why they felt Romy (.826 and 7th in team PAs) was a good hedge on Mayer not working out.

Another of my pet peeves.  Top-ranked prospects get traded or they start.  Every team does this.  Trading Mayer I can understand.  But if you don't trade him, then you have to start him.  And no one is spending resources to bring in a Ketel Marte just in case Mayer doesn't work out.  You simply take your chances.

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

Another of my pet peeves.  Top-ranked prospects get traded or they start.  Every team does this.  Trading Mayer I can understand.  But if you don't trade him, then you have to start him.  And no one is spending resources to bring in a Ketel Marte just in case Mayer doesn't work out.  You simply take your chances.

I wanted KMarte, but I don't think trusting Romy/Mayer and adding back-ups IKF, Seigler and Monasterio was a bad plan in isolation.

Overall, I think we were mistake not adding an elite bat. Waiting for teh deadline ends up costing more- usually.

[JoeBrady]

7 minutes ago, notin said:

“They” meaning notable Hall of Famers.  How hard was Orville Overall throwing?

Orville didn't get measured.  But I assume they were grouped like they were today.  Feller was clocked at 98.6.  Just like today, some throw harder, but many threw hard.

[JoeBrady]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

I wanted KMarte,

Gee Joe, did you just pick Marte at random?  Not likely.  His name never gets brought up because he under-performed and all the prospects that fans wanted to give up over-performed.  So they now mis-remember.

But as ambivalent as I was about Marte last year, now I wonder if his market value has swung in our direction.  AZ may have hit the wall on his behavior based on recent articles.  His salary is affordable, but he is still owed maybe $91M.  He's 33, but his recency factor suggests he could still have two good years.  And he owns a glove, so he might not play himself off of 2B.

In exchange, I doubt AZ expects much, but they do need a LH 1B.  Casas for Ketel.

[moonslav59]

40 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

Gee Joe, did you just pick Marte at random?  Not likely.  His name never gets brought up because he under-performed and all the prospects that fans wanted to give up over-performed.  So they now mis-remember.

But as ambivalent as I was about Marte last year, now I wonder if his market value has swung in our direction.  AZ may have hit the wall on his behavior based on recent articles.  His salary is affordable, but he is still owed maybe $91M.  He's 33, but his recency factor suggests he could still have two good years.  And he owns a glove, so he might not play himself off of 2B.

In exchange, I doubt AZ expects much, but they do need a LH 1B.  Casas for Ketel.

BTV now has KMarte underwater at -$7.2M, and accept the trade of Casas -$1.7M as a moderate overpay by BOS.

[moonslav59]

The Brew Crew with back-to-backers!

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

On 10/13/2026 at 11:02 AM, JimEd said:

yet he appears to be disinclined to do anything about it.

Do as I say, not what I do.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

Orville didn't get measured.  But I assume they were grouped like they were today.  Feller was clocked at 98.6.  Just like today, some throw harder, but many threw hard.

Feller was clocked at 98, but that was clocked crossing home plate, not leaving his hand, like it is today.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

45 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The Brew Crew with back-to-backers!

Love to see a Brewers/Rays WS. The TV network would hate it, which makes it even more enjoyable.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Dodgers in a position to replicate the 2004 Red Sox. Hope not, but you never know.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Just now, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Dodgers in a position to replicate the 2004 Red Sox. Hope not, but you never know.

"Don't let us win the next one."

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

4 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Dodgers in a position to replicate the 2004 Red Sox. Hope not, but you never know.

Of course, we had Big Papi. The Dodgers don't.

[Oscars]

Isn’t is great to watch the 400 million dollar  Dodgers going down meekly 😃

[notin]

3 hours ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Dodgers in a position to replicate the 2004 Red Sox. Hope not, but you never know.

With the Stolen Base managing the team!

To be fair, the Sox didn’t just come back from 0-3; they came back from being down 0-3 while trailing in the 9th inning of game 4 and facing the greatest closer in MLB history and facing further extension of their 86 year drought at the hands of their historic rivals.

Other teams will eventually replicate that comeback; no team ever will replicate that fairy tale…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

5 hours ago, notin said:

With the Stolen Base managing the team!

To be fair, the Sox didn’t just come back from 0-3; they came back from being down 0-3 while trailing in the 9th inning of game 4 and facing the greatest closer in MLB history and facing further extension of their 86 year drought at the hands of their historic rivals.

Other teams will eventually replicate that comeback; no team ever will replicate that fairy tale…

Boston didn't just lose the first 3 in the '04 ALCS. The Red Sox got utterly freaking destroyed in Game 3, 19-8.

The Yanks scored more runs in that game than they did in both of this year's wild card blowouts combined.

But the Sox did have two more at home, like LA has now (maybe). The Dodgers don't have Jake Bauers, though... or Mitchell or Chourio or Turang or Contreras' bro to largeball the Brew Crew.

[notin]

7 hours ago, Oscars said:

Isn’t is great to watch the 400 million dollar  Dodgers going down meekly 😃

And at the hands of the $6.39 Brewers

[mvp 78]

MIL 6 HR

LAD 0 HR