moonslav59

If we don't trade an OF'er, all the more reason to try 2B again.

Even if he's bad but not horrible at 2B, but can hit ..775+, he'd be a big help. We'd have DHam for late inning defense and Romy as the back-up to KC, Mayer and Masa at DH (platoon with Masa or Mayer?)

He hasn't had an OPS over .744 since 2023. While .744 is not horrible, his 2B defense is, so I'd prefer Romy/DHam at 2B and using the $12M on Paredes. It's kind of amazing that he won a batting title in 2023 with a .739 OPS. He only walked 24 times and hit just 4 HRs, that year. Only 39 of his 200 hits were for extra bases. No thanks, even at $4M/1.

I hope we don't need to call Romero up. If we do, it means we have big troubles. (I left our K Campbell on the depth chart above Romero, too. If we are calling up Romero over KC, that is not necessarily a good thing.)

Comfort among the sheep.

Makes no sense, once again. It's like you are speaking Spanish.

To me, through all the Brez bashing, I'm surprised this is not discussed more. We heard the FO talk about the need for a #2 SP'er behind Crochet. We know we had that big need along with at least 2 more major needs: a big bat and a 3B/2Bman. Maybe 3 needs if you count 1B, but the big bat need should fill the 1B or 2B/3B need, so it was essentially 3 big needs. Instead of filling these three needs with one player, he filled one need with 2 players (Suarez & Gray) and maybe half or three-quarters filled another need (Contreras as the "big bat" or 1Bman.) So, at best we added 3 big pieces and filled just 2 of 3 big needs. At worst, we filled 1.5 of 3 big needs while adding 3 significant players. Now, there is still time a resources (mostly trade capital) to add a 3B/2Bman. The chance to add a big bat is probably too remote to even consider. In theory, adding a significant player to play 3B/2B would fill 2.5 or 3 of the 3 biggest needs with a nice added boost to the rotation, which by attrition could help the pen. (Crawford/Harrison/Sandoval/Oviedo to the pen?) Instead, I hear Brez blew this and blew that, even from posters who didn't want Breggie at that cost. (And Breggie does not fill the big bat need, anyway, IMO.)

Thank you for admitting that serious flaw in your logic.

I did not assign the "mistake" on Cora, Brez, Bloom, JH or any one person. I mentioned it went back years. I don't know why nobody tried. (Maybe they did.) I think they should have tried, if they didn't. I don't know if they tried or not. Maybe they never even talked about it, but I find that ahrd to believe. I have my opinions on what should be done. I readily admit I do not have all the information and facts that GMs and managers have, so I don't assign blame based on just assumptions and my own personal opinions. I do not know why that is so hard to comprehend. I could venture a guess that it is the way you think, so you assume everyone thinks like you do. Everything is black and white and blame needs to be fully assigned in neat little boxes with all but 0.5% given to the idea that maybe my opinion is wrong or bases on faulty assumptions. I know I have faulty assumptions. Maybe that's what's you can't conceive. I'm about to give up even trying to debate this or anything else with you. I think not at least having Devers try a 1Bman's mitt over several years was a mistake. I just won't call it Bloom's mistake, Cora's mistake, Brez's mistake (although we do know he tried.) or whoever. Maybe it's 33% to all three. I don't really care, but I'm not putting 99.5% blame on the one guy who actually tried to get Devers to play where he was needed- Mr. 12%.

I do speak fluent Perch. Does that count?

To me, even if he does great at AAA, it will take injuries or horrific play by DHam or Sogard to open up a chance for Romero in MLB in 2026. Eaton, too. I don't see Romy sucking to that level, so I left him out. Nothing against Romero, but he's way down on the depth charts.

To say disobeying your bosses request is less than 1% of the problem is even worse than calling it just "absurd." Then, on top of refusing, he publicly calls out his boss by essentially saying he's not doing his job well. It doesn't matter if he's right or wrong on that opinion: no boss will tolerate that. It's more than absurd to think they should and that it's 99.5% the bosses fault for not giving into an insubordinate employee. I'm an English teacher and can't even think of a more fitting word than absurd.

You make no sense and misstate my position once again. I do not call something I disagree with Cora on a "mistake" That's another lie or a total lack of an ability to understand what words mean. I'm not sure what's worse. I'd say "strawman" again, but you cant comprehend the concept of what that even means.

I suggested it might be a reason. Unlike you I did not pretend to be all-knowing. Of course, Cora might think Devers would have sucked at 1B. Afterall, he did suck at 3B, it's not a big leap. Sucking at 1B, as in dropping clean throws could be worse than having him at 3B. Not knowing doesn't mean I have to pick a lane, assign it as truth and base everything on an assumption.

It is absurd to not even acknowledge there is some merit to the idea of Devers at 1B. 100% absurd and stubbornness, I might add. You so easily pretend to know what everyone is thinking and what their motives are- from fellow poster s to what Cora was thinking when he wouldn't talk to Devers. I have never pretended to know why he didn't. That's the difference you never see. I have no idea if Cora thought Devers would be better than Casas at 1B, and even if he did, he might not have wanted to make 2 or 3 moves to do it. It might have had nothing to do with hurting Dever's fragile ego. I'm claiming we don't know. You convince yourself on what Cora's motivations were and now say he should be fired, if it was not about what he felt was best for the team on the field. Somehow, you come up with 1/2 a percent that it could be true, and place "99.5% on #12." Your disdain for Brez is so obvious, but then you pout and cry unfair overalaysis when confronted with it. The whole #12 thing in itself is "telling." You thin k it was wrong to move Devers to 1B. That's fine, but assigning blame based on your personal idea of what was right on the actual move to the point where a player's can be insubordinate, because he's right is very much absurd. Then, you look at the Breggie negotiations where your position was that Bregiie was not worth the contract the Cubs gave him, but somehow the bottom line on what you think was right or wrong is discarded, and it's still #12's fault something happened that you wanted to happen- no overpay on Breggie. Brez can never win with you, whether he's right or wrong. He's a bumbling #12 and always will be, and yes it's totally absurd. Glad you "love it." I just wish you'd own it.

The biggest mistake was waiting until May 2nd to try and get Devers to put on a 1Bman's mitt. Either they were fine with Toro, or they were too afraid to ask Devers to practice 1B in ST'ing. If they had any balz, they'd have had Cora go talk to Devers the day after the Breggie signing and ask him to start working out at 1B- "just in case." Devers could cry "broken-Bloom-promise" all he wanted, but this should have been foreseen and dealt with before the year started.

I really want to avoid giving up top talent for one year players. The Sonny Gray trade gave up good talent, but not really top talent, and we didn't know Suarez was going to be added, later. Shaw interests me more, but I'm afraid of a Grissom repeat. He hit .690 in his rookie year. His value is almost all speculative. I guess it depends on who they want, but I'm not giving up one of our 4 OF'er for him. I'd hesitate to give Bello, but I view the step down from Bello to the mix below him as relatively minor compared to the step up in hope on Shaw vs hopes on DHam/Sogard & Co. I think someone like Baty is more of a sure thing. I may be too hung up on the need for a RHB, but I think I'd prefer the LHB Baty over the RHB Shaw. Close call, I guess. Of course, my first choice was KMarte, and I'd prefer Paredes, despite just 2 years vs 4+ on those other two guys.

One of my biggest beefs with Sox management goes back years: they should have had Devers learn 1B over the offseason, back when Bloom was the guy. Instead, he's the one who apparently promised Devers he'd be the 3Bman forever. I'm fine with people disagreeing on his capabilities to play 1B, but when you have one of the worst defensive 1Bmen (Casas) in Sox history playing 1B, you automatically should be thinking, "What do I have to lose by trying Devers at 1B?" Okay, we had Masa at DH, so no room for Casas there, but all along they kept claiming they had no issue with Masa in LF, and this was before Duran, Rafaela and Abreu were even in MLB or were just starting to prove they belonged. Here was my thinking: one of the major issues with Devers' defense was his inaccurate arm. His glove was not great, but he seemed to be pretty quick for a "big guy." I felt his strengths might translate well to 1B, or at least be better than Casas. So, moving Devers to 1B should improve the defense over Casas, and almost anyone you put at 3B would be an improvement. Plus-Plus: no brainer. If Cora disagreed with my thinking, I may have an issue with that, but I trust he knows what he's doing. Maybe the "issue" was not so much he disagreed with my take, but that he felt trying to get Devers on board with the idea was too risky. It appears he knows his players very well, as we saw what happened when the attempt was made by Brez. This doesn't take Devers or Cora off the hook for any fraction of blame, IMO. Apparently it is enough for some to say it's all on Brez. He shoulda known he had a selfish player on his team and pampered him, instead. (note: that is sarcasm.) Bad- bad Brez!

I've given up clicking on these sites that headline "Sox make a trade for all star 2Bman."

So, you know Devers is not making an effort to learn or speak English? Maybe he tried hard and gave up. It is not and should not be mandatory. Sure, it's nice and comfy for Sox fans who refuse to learn the language of the player who is "the face of the franchise" to hear him talk in flawless English, but holding it against him is not anything I would do. The fact that Ohtani is "getting better and better" does not matter. As a matter of my own personal perspective, I teach English as a Second Language. I took beginning French 3 times in my life (MS, HS & college.) I had to drop French after one semester, our of fear of failing Sem 2, and I took Sem 1 Latin to meet my graduation requirement. I took Spanish lessons before moving to Mexico to like for almost 4 years. While there, I took 6 levels of Spanish at a university and then hired a personal tutor to help me with conversational Spanish. After all that, my Spanish might be as good as Devers' English. The point? It's just not easy for some people. I might even say near impossible once you get past a certain age, where some your brain paths have shut down in some areas. I do admire Bregman for learning Spanish, so he could relate to his teammates.

Yes, it's telling that Cora would not talk to Devers and force his boss to do it. Yes, anyone can say what they want to their boss, but expect consequences when you basically call him out on not doing his job, worse yet, he did it publicly. How many employees do that and keep their jobs? BTW, nobody is trying to change your opinion, despite the absurdity of it.

Who wanted him to speak English or even asked him to? Who insisted on that? While I do feel like some of the translated statements he made might have missed some nuance and cultural aspects of what he said, he clearly was upset that the team asked him to do something they felt would help the team, and he wanted to call the shots. He thought he was a good defensive 3Bman, which alone disproves his skill at evaluating what is good or bad for the team. Yes, he was a bad teammate. This isn't the first time a star on a team tried to make GM or manager decisions. Many of these incidents where the team followed what the player asked or wanted done, that I recall, rarely worked out well. Some even were fully involved in roster construction choices (see James Harden w the Rockets.) We got a guy who was clearly the better defender at 3B and told Devers he'd be the DH. He hated that. That is understandable, but he reluctantly made the move- crying the whole way. Then, our 1Bman gets hurt. You can agree or disagree that Devers was the best option at 1B all you want, but if the team thinks you are, and you say no, how is that not an issue to some? All because you don't agree Devers was the better choice at 1B, you're okay with a player being insubordinate and then calling out the GM to "make a move?"

He was living under the delusion that he was a good defensive 3Bman. Maybe that explain something- maybe not. I totally understand blaming Brez for some or most of what happened, but to be fine with a player being blatantly selfish and calling out his boss for wanting him to help the team, whether you agree it was going to help or not, is just plain weird to me. Hell, some even blame Brez for signing Bregman as the move that ignited this whole thing, and some are the same guys who blame Brez for not signing top talent. It was mishandled, so everything Devers said and did was excusable. Less than 1% of all the blame goes to Dvers + Cora- not even a comment, like "sure he should have done what was asked of him, but..."

So, he's basically depth that can only be used once.

Sox sign Matt Thaiss to a minor league deal, Catcher depth signing with MLB experience. He's "out of options," but signing a minor league deal makes that a bit interesting. If he makes the MLB team, at anytime, does that mean they can't send him down? https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thaisma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2026-01-31_br