Maxbialystock

I don't see Bloom as "henchman" and I sure don't see him as the purposeful disassembler of the 2018 Sox team. I think he was simply put under a restrictive budget, unlike DD who pretty much had carte blanche. The 2018 Sox had the highest payroll in MLB. So did the 2019 team, but they didn't even make the postseason. And that's why DD was let go. He was going to need a whole lot more money to rebuild the pitching staff after Price and Sale went south. Sure, Henry gets some blame, but guess what? The same guy broke the 86 year curse and then brought home 3 more WS wins. He owes us absolutely nothing. Bloom got hired to do more with less, just as the Rays had been doing for over a decade. Mookie left because the Dodgers wanted him and were ready to outbid the Sox. So 2020 and following have been down years except for getting to the 2021 ALCS without a closer. Devers was our best hitter that season, but also our worst defender with a -0.9 DWAR. Cora earned his pay that season. Now Breslow has been hired to right the ship and has been given more money. Thus Crochet, Bregman, and Chapman--none of them bargains and all of them productive. Breslow is far from perfect, but I like the direction and talent of the 2025 Sox.

Well, you know better than I. So I'm happily ignorant. The AL East is still the winningest division in MLB.

Meh to both of you. I don't care what the "organizational culture" is above manager Alex Cora. The front office's job is to get good players who fit the needs of the team. In case everyone has forgotten, under owner JH the Sox have won 4 WS, 1 more than anyone else during the same period (2002-now). Plus he ended the 86 year curse. You think that's because he and the front office were spending time in the locker room? Give me a break. Raffy was pissed because he couldn't play 3b anymore and because he was lied to--all the doings of Breslow, who I completely agree did not treat Raffy well. But whodoyawant playing 3b, Bregman or Raffy? Raffy was great as DH, but overpriced. Plus he was unhappy, so the trade made all kinds of sense, especially now that the pitching looks viable. Oh, I forgot. The pitching is better because the head shed has been talking to them in the locker room.

All good points which I'm sorry I overlooked. My rejoinders are: 1) we are missing more than one big bopper with Abreu and Bregman both out; 2) I like a projected outfield of Duran, Rafaela, Abreu, and Anthony, an infield of Bregman, Story, Mayer, and Toro/Gonzalez, Narvaez/Wong as catcher, and Yoshida/Ref as the DH; 3) the lineup is only 1/2 the team and it's already decent; 4) this team goes nowhere without better pitching that what saw before the last 8 games in a row; 5) with good pitching Devers absence will be missed a lot less; 6) I also think the defense this year is a big improvement over last year's when Devers was our third baseman.

I am sure I overstepped statistically. Yours are always better. But I sure like the ring of what I said. Let's try this. With Devers as DH, Bregman at 3b, Abreu in RF, Rafaela in CF, Duran in LF, Story at SS, Campbell at 2b, Toro at 1b, and Narvaez as the primary catcher, most of us thought the Sox wouldn't make the playoffs, primarily because of the pitching. Now the pitching looks pretty good. And I'm saying that, if it holds up, I don't think Devers will be missed and that the Sox will make the postseason. On top of that I kind of like seeing 4 rookies, 2 of whom are already contributing. Plus Anthony's late 2 run double won one game. So I also like the 2026 Sox, especially if some of Raffy's salary helps get us another good starter.

I don't at all think the trade improved our pitching and won't until those new guys produce. The trade cost us Devers, but his loss became less disastrous and more affordable when the pitching was lights out. And, let's face it, Devers was on his way out the day Bregman was announced as the Sox third baseman. Devers took that hard, especially because he had been promised he would stay at 3b. Cora finally convinced him to embrace DH, where Devers flourished. But Breslow wasn't done and bypassed Cora to ask Devers to play 1b in midseason. In his 9 seasons with the Sox Devers was never THE MAN on a team that made it to the postseason. In 2021 his OPS was a whopping .890, but his DWAR was -0.9 and his WAR 3.5. I'm not high on Toro. I don't think he's another Narvaez. But I do think both he and Gonzalez are an improvement over Casas who stunk before the injury. Toro's WAR is +0.4 and Gonzalez's is +0.6. Casas' OPS was -0.9.

Nicely done. You managed to show how Narvaez and Bregman have meant nothing this year. Pardon me if I demure.

Mayer and Anthony have each already won 1 game for the Sox this year--Mayer with the 2 dingers on June 11 and Anthony with the 2 run double on June 10.

We know what an iffy pitching staff looks like already. They were the guys dragging us down when Bregman, Abreu, and Raffy were playing every day or almost every day. With THE GREAT DEVERS backed up by Bregman, et al, this team was going nowhere. When Bregman went on the IL, The Sox went to 30-35, and they came back because of pitching and not--absolutely not--because of Devers. I like Devers and thought he was perfect as the DH. But keeping him was absolutely, positively not going to get the Sox into the postseason without better pitching. If the rotation and bullpen are in fact better, we got a shot. If they ain't, we won't. You could be right about the 25%, but I don't care. I find this new team great fun to watch. Four freaking rookies! Narvaez is already a big asset. I expect Mayer and Anthony to be assets this season. Campbell is struggling, but he ain't no bum. And behind those four will be Bregman, Abreu, Story, Duran, Rafaela, Toro/Gonzalez, Yoshida/Ref, and Wong. Plus of course the pitching. There could of course be some regression, but I don't see them returning to their bad ways. Well, maybe Ferris needs to go back to high school. Time will tell.

Horsehockey!!! The Sox have been without Raffy, Bregman, and Abreu. Plus Raffy was flat not needed in the first 5 wins of the the 6 game streak. The Sox went south when Bregman dropped out of the lineup on May 24. They were 26-26 and went down to 30-35 because he was missed. And the comeback was not, repeat not, because of Raffy. It was because of the pitching. I rooted like crazy for Devers when he was DH, where I think he was a great fit. But I'm also looking forward to Ref and Yoshida manning the DH. You could be right with your "give me Raffy or give me death," but I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. Breslow can certainly be a jerk, but the last thing we need as CBO is the sweetheart of sigma chi.

I seriously doubt that 25%, but agree on an "approachable GM." I also like your lineup when Abreu and Bregman return and Yoshida/Ref are the DH. Raffy was our best hitter, but to what end when the pitching stunk? The pitching is the thing that will get the brass ring--or at least a postseason stab at it.

Love it. You're on the side of the OP: Breslow stinks and the loss of Devers is catastrophic. I disagree. In the movie Moneyball, the GM/CBO spends more time in the locker room than the manager. Horsehockey. But the manager is also cold-hearted about dumping players to get what he wants, and I believe that's the way CBO's must be. I don't especially like Breslow because he lied to Devers, dumped Sale while paying his first year salary with the Braves, is paying Gilolito $40M and Buehler $20 for very little return, etc. Breslow inherited a mess created by both CB and his boss JH, who I suspect wanted CB to work miracles the way the Rays do every year--low payroll, high performance. Didn't work. We are now 1 1/2 seasons into what sure looks like a rebuild. Four freaking rookies, all of whom have been or are currently starters, on the big club. Brand new and high-priced Bregman, Crochet, and Chapman who have all been terrific (despite Bregman going on the IL). And right now a rotation that looks astonishingly competent. Duran, Rafaela, and Abreu all had good rookie or sophomore seasons last year and are still around. As moonslav points out, when Bregman returns, the Sox will have a pretty good lineup: Narvaez behind the plate, Bregman at 3b, Story and Mayer at SS and 2b, Toro/Gonzalez at 1b, Anthony, Rafaela, Abreu, and Duran in the outfield, and a neat righty/lefty combo--Ref and Yoshida--to DH. Wong as backup catcher. Plus a revived rotation and a pretty decent bullpen. On top of that, not paying Raffy $280M to DH, which gives Breslow some spending flexibility to go after more pitching or whatever. Yes, there is some risk in letting Raffy go, but to me it's all for the good. For the record, I liked Raffy as DH, where I thought he flourished. But that contract of his is a monster. The day Bregman was confirmed as the Sox thirdbaseman was the day Raffy was headed out.

I'm a tad optimistic, I agree, but I also think you are a tad pessimistic about the hitting. In fact, I love winning by just 1 or 2 runs. It's great baseball and depends on some timely hitting, some good defense, and as much as possible good pitching. We lost 8-0--fine with me when we win the other two 2-0 and 3-1. Also, I like seeing Mayer and Anthony out there because I think they will get better. Maybe Story and Rafaela already are. Duran's OK. Abreu will help. Narvaez is fine. Bregman will be great. Behind Toro is Gonzalez. Plus I also think the defense is better than you say it is.

And it's entirely possible he wanted out the day he learned he was no longer the Sox thirdbaseman.

Could not agree more that the current look at Sox pitching is pretty positive and that they can make a huge difference for the Sox. I'm not as ready as you to claim Devers' departure is a disaster. I say that while agreeing that he is among the ten best hitters in MLB right now. What you seem to have forgotten is that Bregman and Abreu are also out and will return. When they do and when Yoshida returns, moonslav points out that Cora will be able to alternate Ref and Yoshida at DH. I like Toro at 1b, Story or Mayer at 2b, Mayer or Story at SS, Bregman at 3b, and an outfield of Abreu, Duran, Rafaela, and Anthony. Plus Narvaez at catcher. I think that's a pretty good lineup.

I understand he's extended, but maybe he could use some everyday hitting and fielding at Worcester. I say that without an iota of knowledge about situations like this. Maybe a trade is the best solution if they can get a good arm.

Or not. I don't see Campbell in the infield or outfield. Toro hits righties a lot better than Campbell, and Gonzalez hits lefties a lot better. Duran, Abreu, Rafaela, and even Anthony are better choices in the outfield--assuming Anthony's hitting picks up as it should.

Cleveland 4, SF 0 in the 4th inning.

Too true.

I am too, not because I think Devers is a bum, but because I don't want 10,000 sports commentators screaming, "we told you so, we told you so." Devers took the wrong tack, but Breslow gets a lot of the blame. Now Devers gets a fresh start, and I think the Sox will be fine.

That is not a cheap shot. It's well written and insightful. Because I'll always be a Ted Williams fan, I don't want anyone hitting .400 for the season. Other than that, I like Judge because he's good in the outfield as well as at the plate. He pretty much earns his insane salary.

That's 14, so someone has to go, and my guess is that Breslow will trade someone, possibly Duran or Abreu, as part of a deal to get a starter. I would prefer Abreu over Duran with Anthony moving to LF--better OPS and DWAR. But I won't fight over it. Until you wrote it down, I did not realize that Yoshida/Refsnyder are the perfect DH combo. One hits lefties well and the other righties.

Cleveland 1-0 over San Francisco in the 2d.

When Bregman returns, I think Breslow will want to trade someone.

Over there, over there, Send the word, send the word over there- That the Yanks are coming The Yanks are coming The drums rum-tumming, Everywhere. So prepare, say a prayer Send the word, send the word to beware We'll be over, we're coming over And we won't come back till it's over Over there.