moonslav59

We need a HR hitter with an .800+ OPS to bat clean-up, and he's a RHB. If we add a #2 SP'er we'll be fine

It's not too late to sign Suarez and trade for a #2 SP'er and look like a winner.

Maybe this would be a good time for you to become a Dodgers fan.

BTV says he's worth about $5M a year, so pay all but $4M a year and move on.

Sign Suarez and trade an OF'er for a #2.

I hope not.

I'm 100% for not trading Casas. I'm a fan of his. I think he'll win the DH role.

Yes, and the plan that they'd pitch part of season 1 never worked out.

I didnt say you did. You asked me why I said what I said.

Curious why many seem to write off our returning injury players but think other teams will be better based on returning injury players. I wonder why.

Agreed. The only downside is that we have a 1Bman and 3 DHs.

The pessimism on this board is stunning! Yet, expectations for guys like Cole to bounce back is high.

Injury updates from MLBTR: Casas is coming back from a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. He told reporters, that he’s uncertain if he’ll be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. “As of right now, not too sure. Not trying to get ahead of myself, but I do see myself progressing well enough to maybe get into some spring training games. We’ll see how that goes because that’s a benchmark as well.” Marcelo Mayer expects to be fully ready for Spring Training. His 2025 season was cut short by a wrist injury in August. “I’m pretty much doing full baseball activity, like a normal ramp-up, as I would for a regular season going into spring training,” Mayer said. Anthony is also expected to be good to go for the spring. An oblique injury cost him most of September and all of the postseason. The team believed he might have been able to return for the ALCS, but they were knocked out in the ALDS. Kutter Crawford is on track to return to action for the first time since 2024. He missed all of last season with knee and wrist issues. “At this point, it’s just normal progression,” Crawford said. “I got off the slope yesterday, and it felt good. And now we just build up the mound progression.” Carlos Narvaez had knee surgery at the start of the offseason, but told reporters (including Smith) he would be a full go come springtime.

Or Plan E: Rengifo or Willi Castro.

No. Gio was healthy when signed. The injury happened after the signing. Chapman is not injured. Jansen and Martin were not injured, but they signed 3 years ago. It is still rare, but it's happening more in the last 2-3 years than it did from the Nate signing until Jansen. Martin Perez was given 1 + an option, then re-signed for another 1+1. Diekman was given 2, then traded after 3 months. I think that's it from 2019 to 2023.

He's actually tied for 33 in wRC+. I think some posters may have given up too early on a guy that has shown he can hit, hit with power and get on base. Maybe it's the Dalbec effect. he had an .819 OPS after 545 PAs, but his OBP was just .308. He did have more HRs. 2020-2021 (500+ PAs) ISO: .268 (13th) wRC+: 114 (80th)

Another 3 way: To BOS: Joe Ryan, Alec Bohm, Ryan Jeffries To PHI: Jarren Duran, Pablo Lopez, DHam To MIN: Painter, K Campbell, D Soto & Wong The Tax Line for BOS +$6M ish (+10.2 Bohm, +.6.7 Jeffirs, +6.1 Ryan) (-7.8 Duran, -7.5 KC, 1.4 Wong) Bohm + Jeffirs for 1 yr and Ryan for two. If we leave Bohn out, we save about $4M and can maybe sign Bregman.

Yup, and trading of signing a player here and there is no biggie, when it's so few. We need 3B (2B) now. We need 1B in 3 years. We need SS in 3 or 4 years, as Story had a 3rd year option. We lose Duran after 3 years but are OF deep. Yes, the farm can be built up by then, but even if we can't fill all these slots by then, we should be able to cover by outside the system additions. Our top everyday prospects and ETAs according to sp.com: 2. Arias SS Mid '27 (Story under control until '27 or '28-- perfect timing!) 7. Gonzales FF (maybe moved to 1B?) early '28 (just in time for the Contreras loss. Duran is done after '28-- again- perfect.) 8. Soto SS by '29 or '30- kinda too early to know much, here. 12. Godbout 2B/SS/ 3B? mis '28- we could use a 2Bman now, but '28 isn't too far away. I've written off 18 Bleis OF, 19 Cespedes 2B/DH & 22 Castro OF, but maybe one will be a "late bloomer." 20. Azocar OF is just 18. Let's wait before talking ETA. Same with 24 Ramos SS and 25 Rivas OF. Cason at #30 is a SS/P and 19. 26. Jo Garcia C is my sleeper pick to jump. ETA is '28 which is Wong's last year. 27. Taylor OF ETA 2028. Don't really need an OF then. 31 and lower hopes: C Guzman, Heyman, J Rod & Primera (maybe one jumps) + G Rod IF: Mason White, Alcantara, Nunez, Bravo OF: YRod, I Jackson, Fermin 1B: Brannon (C?) & J Ogando Certainly, we don't stack up all that well against most other teams, but we do have some promise, already, and our needs are not all that great, as of now.

Well said. One can say Manny's relationship with reality was suspect, and sometimes I wondered if the disconnect can be helpful, as the mind may not be cluttered with thoughts and worries that interfere with focus on hitting that pesky round ball with a rounded object.

I still think if some team ups their offer for KMarte, AZ will trade him, if they like the deal. It would not be the first time a GM said "we aren't trading ____," then they do. We do need to look elsewhere, though. To me it's... Plan A: Bregman Plan B is an extreme longshot: Bichette Plan C: Suarez or a trade (Paredes, Donovan, Vientos, ____?) Plan D: Mayer/Romy/Eaton 3B and Romy/DHam/Sogard (Rafaela/Campbell?) 2B

The Sox have been giving our more two year deals, recently. I guess it depends on how desperate they feel and what the trade options are. Gio got two. Sandoval got two. Chapman got 1 with an option as an extension. Hendriks got two. Bregman got 3 with opt outs. It's not all one and dones anymore. His age is a major concern.

That's how I see it. Plus, the MLB season is so long, that it's fitting the offseason is dragged out, too. Imagine having a horrible winter hot stove period, then having to wait 3-4 months in agony with no hope for any improvements. I guess the trading period would still be available, but still...

I ran the numbers: he's 30th in ISO. 37th in SLG 23rd in OBP 29th in OPS T33rd in wRC+ with Schwarber, KMarte and Lindor. One behind Alonso and two behind Witt & Machado.

Just playing around on BTV and came up with this highly unlikely 3 team trade: To BOS: Gleyber Torres & Robbie Ray To SFG: Campbell, Yoshida & Jaden Hamm To DET: Harrison & DHam It calls it a minor overpay by the Sox & SFG, when it looks to me like DET is shorted.

I think the statement might be true based on the fact that there are very few promising MLB ready everyday prospects in our system. I'm okay with that, actually, because our 26 man roster has enough quality players under team control for several years, that we don't need major farm infusion in that rea for a few more years. Of course, it would be nice if we had two Mayers, not one: one for 2B and one for 3B, but I'd still be worried about needing two rookies to carry those two slots for a full season. We could use a decent back-up catcher, but I'm fine with Wong, who has 3 more seasons of control. By then, maybe one of our farm catchers will be shining brightly. Narvaez has 5 years of control! 1B might need some help in 3 years, as Contreras runs out of control after 2027, but Casas has 3 years, so that gives the farm some time to fill that slot. The infield is the one area we look to be needy in, and so the Romero suggestion carries some weight for that reason. All he needs to do is outshine Eaton, Sogard and or DHam to win a role on the 26. Story has 2 years and an option. Mayer has 5. Campbell may work his way back into the infield conversation, but that remains to be seen. He has mega years left. The OF seems set for life, well... almost. Anthony & Campbell are locked up until 2034. (That might be beyond my life expectancy!) Rafaela has until 2031! Abreu had 4 years left (3 arbs.) Duran has 3 years left. That's 5 OF'ers for 3 years, 4 for 4 and 3 for eternity. Justin Gonzales may need to play 1B to get a shot. soxprospects.com has the AAA everyday roster listed as such: C: Delay, Rosario & Lira (with Contreras still able to catch in an emergency, we may not see a AAA catcher on the big club all year.) 1B: Hickey who can also DH or catch in a pinch. I like Romero's chances better. 2B: T Gray can also play 1B. He might have a better shot than Romero. 3B: Romero. SS: Sogard. He has the inside edge on Romero and maybe even Eaton. LF: Campbell may end up on the opening day 26. CF: Ward. I don't know enough about him to put him over Romero, and OF is blocked. RF: Eaton can also play 3B. He is likely slotted above Romero on the 3B depth chart. DH/OF: Capra This whole group looks pretty weak, except for Campbell. Not much serious upside with anyone else.