moonslav59

I think DHam is a fine back-up or platoon 2Bman. It's Red who cringes everytime I say his name. He plays solid 2B defense. He may be a top 5 baserunner in MLB. He did not hit well in 2025 or for parts of 2024, but he offers some hopes vs RHP. I would not be happy starting the season with Mayer at 3B and DHam/Romy at 2B, but I guess is we made a trade of an OF'er +++ for a second ace or solid #2, I could live with it. As for Paredes, I suggested Rafaela for Paredes plus one of HOU's LH'd RP'ers. I'm not sure I'd trade Duran for Paredes plus 2 of their LHPs. Much of the hype on Paredes is speculative, but the RHB has put up some very nice numbers since 2023: 1650 PAs: .246/.350/.443/.793 (similar to Contreras in 2025.) per 162 games, which has been an issue: .246 29 94 I'm not sure if Fenways helps him get to 35+ Hrs, but I can see it. He turns 27, soon and is in peak prime.

Like a top 10 batter is a bad word.

He thinks he's a fluke. Although his offense may drop off some, if he doesn't adjust to the adjustments, but his defense is solid. Here is the catcher set-up projected by soxprospects.com to start 2026: MLB: Narvaez, Wong w Contreras as emergency of late inning shift/fill-in. AAA: Jason Delay, ronald Rosario & Enderso Lira AA: (Promising) Jo Garcia (highest catcher prospect ranked at 26) & Hudson White, plus Brooks Brannon ranked 45th (mostly 1B) A+ (Not as bad as some think) Adonys Guzman (added and ranked 31st), Ronny Hernandez, Raudelis Martinez A- (Got a lot brighter) Luke Heyman (added and ranked 32nd), Kleyver Salazar, Geraldo Rodriguez (58th) FCL: Franklin Primera (promising but NR) & Jorge Rodrigues (ranked 43rd) We have a ranked prospect at all levels below AAA, and we have 3 vets who can catch on the 26 man roster. Look away: no catcher issues in 2026.

If we want the better offensive team, we'd trade Rafaela ($6.3M AAV) and maybe Crawford ($2.7M) for KMarter ($15M AAV.) That's only adding $6M to the tax line- right up JH's alley. If we want to keep the defense and longer-controlled Rafaela, we can trade Duran ($7.7M) and maybe Harrison (min) for KMarte. This adds about $7M to the tax line. 1. L Anthony CF 2. S KMarte 2B 3. L Duran LF 4. R Contreras 1B 5. L Abreu RF 6. R Story SS 7. L Yoshida/Casas DH & R Romy DH/3B 8. R Narvaez C 9. L. Mayer 3B Losing Crawford lessens the SP'er depth even more, but with Tolle/Early, I think we'll be fine: SP: Crochet, Gray, Bello, Sandoval, Oviedo (Harrison from pen) AAA: Tolle, Early, Sandlin, Uberstine, Drohan, Mullins, Gamboa RP: Chapman, Whitlock, Slaten, Weissert, Harrison, Hicks, Kelly, Watson/ AAA: Moran, Mullins & other SP'ers in AAA, like Samaniego, Anderson, Song, Harris, Berrios, Wu-Yelland

i'm not suggesting JH agrees to one, but I keep coming back to one guy and one guy only. Not Bregman at 4, 5 or 6 years. Not Bichette at 5, 6 of 7+ years. It's Ketel Marte with an AAV due to deferrals of about $15M a year. Yes, he breaks the no long deals for anyone over 30, but if we are to "break the mold," I'd go with him. I think the closest we might come is Okamoto or Suarez. Even those two might be pipedreams, unless Suarez take 1-2 years, or Okamoto signs a deal like Murakami's.

Once again, you miss the point: One who never makes predictions and doesn't even believe in them cannot later say they predicted something correctly. One can try, but the claims ring hollow.

That will teach the Sox to never sign a guy like Bregman before asking your diva, if it's okay.

So, Mayer replaces Bregman. 300 more PAs from Anthony replaces Refsnyder. Healthy Casas and Masa replace Devers. The only one that works for me is Contreras replacing N Lowe, Tore & Co. at 1B. On the pitching side... Gray is fine replacing Giolito. Sandoval, Oviedo, Crawford, Harrison & Co should easily replace Buehler, Houck, Fitts, Dobbins & Co. Watson and converted SP'ers replace Bernardino, Murphy, Criswell, Guerrero & Co. That's a lot of moving parts from a team that was a few injuries and decent pitching from our $21M pitcher (Buehler) from maybe doing something very special.

While this is true, extending your own young players is not really replacing his value as they talked of doing, going forward... both at the deadline and this winter.

If AZ signed Bregman, we can trade for KMarte, who is about the same age and much cheaper. He has more power, too.

We should have $5-10M to spend, but should be able to go up to the second line (about $24M.) If we don't we have enough trade capital to fill the needs we have. I only see one major need.

We shouldn't have to wing it. We have one big hole: 2B or 3B. We should be able to fill the need, even without spending by just trading an OF'er.

You can see it that way, and to me, if we spend near that, you're right. Iguess I wasn't expecting to spend it via trades and not FAs.

I'm afraid they convinced themselves the money was spent on Anthony and Campbell.

I like OBP, a lot. I'd be fine with Donovan, but we'd still need a power bat, and at what position? OF is already a logjam +1. We just filled 1B. DH has the $18M man. We aren't adding a power bat catcher. It would have to be 3B, which means trading Mayer. That's not happening.

I'm afraid to say his name. Just mentioning him brings upon the RED WRATH.

I'm not sure what Anthony says matters, but the Sox do know how much Bregman helped other players be better and get better.

If Casas proves he's back, Masa's days are numbered. (They may be numbered even without Casas, if Campbell, Romy and others prove they are for real, or we don't trade an OF'er by the time the season starts.) I think we'll trade for Donovan and complete the Cardinal trifecta. Forget the Ray North: we have become the Cards East. He's a LHB with little power, but he gets on base and doesn't K much. I seriously doubt we add Donovan plus a 3Bman and leave Mayer on the farm. Could we add Suarez and Donovan, then trade Mayer and Duran for an ace? (Does CIN take Mayer, Rafaela/Duran and Crawford for Greene?) I think all of our OF'ers are worth more than Donovan, so maybe we still trade an OF'er for a #2 and something else for Donovan (or Vientos, Paredes or someone nobody has thought of yet.)

Yes, indeed. Price played 4 years, was traded, sat our the covid season, then retired after his 7 years ran out. Devers was promoted at age 20 and played with BOS into his 9th season, but was "dumped" shortly after the ink was dry on his 10 year mega-deal. The Bregman optout contract was done with a purpose, but I'm sure the Sox would not have minded had he stuck around. The deferred money made a difference. I'm curious if we seek out other highly deferred contracts. These three mega deals kinda dwarf the next tier of deals the Sox have signed since the Manny contract signed before JH's era began. There has also been a noticeable difference between FA contracts and extensions signed. FAs since Manny's $160M/8 deal in 2001: $142/7 Crawford (also dumped not too long after signing) A big contract back in 2011 $140M/6 Story (kinda midlevel for '22) $110M/5 JD Martinez (kinda big for a DH) $95M/5 Pablito & $88M/4 HRam in 2015 $90M/5 Yoshida in 2023 (w $10M fee) $83M/5 Lackey in 2010 (with the famous add on year) $73M/7 Rusney Castillo in 2014 (KaPOW!) $70M/5 Drew in 2007 (borderline midlevel at the time) $68M/4 Nate in 2019 (more like an extension coupled with Sale's extension was the end of big spending for a long time.) $52M/6 Dice K (plus massive fee in 2007) The next tier was a big drop to Renteria at $40M/4- talk about a quick dump! ___________________ Extensions: $314M/10 Devers $154M/7 AGon 2011 $145M/6 Sale $120M/6 Bogey 2020 (opted out) $110M/8 Pedroia in 2014 $68M/4 Beckett 2011 (was traded afterwards) $52M/4 Papi in 2007 $41M/4 Youk 2009 $41M/6 2009 Pedroia $38M/3 Lowell 2008 $30M/3 Beckett 2007 $30M/4 Buchholz 2012 $30M/5 Lester 2009 __________________ Arb/pre-arb extensions: $130M/8 Anthony 2026 $60M/8 Campbell 2025 $55M/6 Bello 2024 $50M/8 Rafaela 2024 $19M/4 Whitlock 2023

No, even when DD had money to spend, he traded away a lot of what was thought to be quality assets. While I agree JH has tightened the strings, that does not mean Brez does not know what he's doing or what "the plan" is. The plan is obvious: try to win without any long term deals given to anyone over 29 years old. Spend to near the tax line. Don't trade any top 3 prospects. You can hate that plan, but it is a clear one.

I just can't see KC being on the 26 with just a platoon role, so something would have to happen. It seems a waste to have Masa and Casas on the 26 at the same time, unless Contreras is on the IL. Wong and Romy will take up two of the 4 bench slots, so there will be room for 2 from these three: Casas or Masa (DH) Campbell, Sogard or Eaton

I predict, at some point, this season, he will say, "See, I told you ____ would happen," despite never making any tangible predictions.

It's been over 80 all week, here. 86, today.

Agreed, but a short-side platoon at DH or OF is not ideal, either. He should play FT, but he has to show he can before we trade away someone to make room for him. Right now, his best spot looks to be DH or LF, and we already have 4 OF'ers and an $18M a year DH, as well as Casas without another position. Something has to give. Even if we trade an OF'er, we still have 3 FT'ers. Maybe KC can platoon with Abreu, Duran and/or Masa/Casas, but that's just starting about 30% of all games. If he can prove he can hit, maybe we trade him of someone else to make room for him.

I think they do, and are actually pretty good at building up a formidable 40 man roster and farm on a restricted budget. Brez has made some major gambles that did not pay off- most notably the Sale trade and Buehler signing, but he's done a lot of savvy moves. (To me, the Priester deal is still pending.) I was very bummed, last winter when "all we did" was sign Chapman & Wilson for the pen, yet our pen was a major part of us making the playoffs. The Crochet deal and extension looks to outshine the Sale deal and more so with the extension part. Locking up 4 kids, long term is something we haven't seen much of, and I'm glad we joined that line of thinking. Brez has almost totally remade the roster and farm in just a couple short years. There are only 13 players on the 40 man roster that were on it, when Bloom left. (Yes, some were in the system, but still- many more of those 27 were added by Brez.) 7 of the top 10 prospects are Brez adds. 11 of the top 20 are, too. I'd put Watson, Delzine, Ramos & Rivas above Cespedes, Bleis and Castro, making my top 21 with 14 Brez prospects. It's been a stunning turnover without calling it a rebuild.