moonslav59

I merely said the mix of 4 guys is not as big a step down and the gain we'd get from adding KMarte or Neto over Mayer/Durbin/IKF or DHam, had we not made the trade for Durbin. I don't want to trade one of our best bats. I just think we are wasting Duran (or Anthony) at DH. Duran's value as an OF'er is much higher to another team than to us as a DH.

Lower AAV and less years- music to Brez, JH & Co's ears.

Bregman aged early. There is no gymnastics to it. He's been basically a half season hitter for a while. In 2024, he started very slowly. In 2025, he ended very slowly. He had a little up blip in 2022 at age 28, but then went right back into a downward trend until the half season in 2025. Sure, he has the chance to have a couple more good and better seasons, but I don't see why we should project anything better than his 121 three year OPS+. Yes, Contreras is already old. However, his age 33 season saw him hit 123 and his 3 year number is 127. I think he has a very good chance at out-OPS+'ing Bregman in 2026. I think not catching should help him out, a lot. There is no way anyone can look at the recent trends of Bregman, Contreras and Bregman and say Willson is showing more decline. Use the age angle- fine.

No, I meant in hindsight the Garcia/Sims deals turned out badly. Yes, many of us wanted us to sell everything not tied down for a year or even 2.

Thanks for finally getting specific, although you are totally wrong. OPS+Contreras Best seasons: 2024 138, 2019 127, 2022 126, 2025 123, 2023 123 (4 of his best 5 years are the last 4 years!) Worst: 2018 94, 2020 106, 2021 109, 2017 118. 2016 122 ( 5 of his 6 worst seasons were 2021 and before.) It's just not true. He is aging very well and no longer has the physical burden of having to catch. Bregman- OMG!!! You are totally off base. 147 OPS+ '17-'19 124 OPS+ '20-'22 121 OPS+ '23-'25 (If it wasn't for his half season to start 2025, it was 119 from '23-'24) Alonso had his 3rd best OPS+ season in 2025, so age does not seem to be hurting him, however, he did have his 2nd and 3rd worst OPS+ seasons in 2023 (123) and 2024 (122). 140 OPS+ his first 2254 PAs 130 OPS+ his last 2062 PAs ('23-'24)

I understand his view and stubbornness, along his propensity for making hyperbolic statements then backing down. I understand the negativity and feelings of doom & gloom. I lived it for over 3 decades of following the Sox. I'm not happy we are not taking full advantage of this clear and present window. I just don't need to talk in absolutes and black & white formats. It's not all or nothing. There is no need to make deceptive and untrue statements to make the point. I actually agree with the main point being made- that we coulda-shoulda done more/better, this winter. But, why say we should have spent more when we could have gotten Alonso with the money we spent, and apparently he's all we need to be a ring competitor. When I say it's not worth arguing, it's about his failure to address the specifics of points like this one I just made. If my point is made, it's on Brez not JH, and he gets in his fair share of Brez bashing, too, but then goes full circle back to JH and the stale Revenue v Spending ranking from 2 years ago as the be-all-end-all point. I guess in a perfect world the MLB spending by teams would fall exactly in line with revenue, and if it doesn't, the owner who falls below his slot is a liar and a bum. It's just silliness, to me. Then the doubling down and circular reasoning. The fact is JH has spent more "new money" in the last two winters than he did in the previous 3-4 seasons combined. That doesn't mean it's "enough," but to say he's "not spending" or "cheap" is changing the meanings of the English language.

He's just a "suspect."

Oh, I know, but make em squirm and divert and whatever. These guys are pansies.

Good. A non hyperbolic post.

Why not try to explain how Alonso adds that mush of a difference? Contreras is a good hitter and better defender.

Nor was Contreras. IMO, he will out OPS Bregman in 2026-- maybe tied. I do wish we'd have gotten KMarte or Neto.

You can't argue with someone who thinks the difference between Alonso and Contreras + Gray is a possible ring to a sure fire 4th place finish.

We coulda-shoulda worked on on a fleece package.

He probably will be a "better value" at the financial and trade capital cost measurement, but we needed top quality.

It's a way of judging the pace he hits HRs. It's not a projection. You know this.

We should have done one ot the other in '24. TOTAL Sell in '22 and '23.

I thought we should be sellers a couple of those years. The year we got Garcia and Sims for the pen did not work out well, and we coulda gone bolder, but they were not really as bad as the D May deal. In hindsight, yes.

Dalbec need replacing, despite having 11 HRs on July 31st. He was hitting .216 with a .260 OBP and .659 OPS.

His sample size was small in '25 and '24. It is a concern, but maybe just a slump or a slow starter.

To me, this was the winter mistake, and it was last winter, too. If we didn't have a big need elsewhere, it's fine to have depth like this in the OF, but we did and we do. I like Durbin, but I have to think we could have done better by trading an OF'er, even if it was for prospects that were flipped or subbed out to add to the Durbin offer and to get KMarte or Neto. I've made this point several times, but the step down from Duran at DH vs Masa/Casas/Campbell/Romy is not all that much. The step up from Mayer or Durbin to KMarte or Neto is way more significant. An injury to an OF'er? We still have Campbell, Masa, Romy or Eaton.

Exactly. We really don't need a $35M DH posing as a 1Bman. We did need his bat, and I wanted him, but I'd prefer Contreras at his cost. I prefer Suarez over Bregman. I will say, I wish we got a 2B/3Bman, even if it meant no Sonny Gray & Kiner-Falefa, but there is more than one way to win.

Suarez got about the same as Bregman. I'd rather have $21M Gray + $18M Contreras than $35M Alonso, despite my call for quality over quantity.

Of course you are not. It doesn't fit your off-base narrative.

We needed a boost. A pitcher might have been better, We did have 3 batters over .890 at the deadline (Devers, Bogey & JD,) but Renfroe was at .767 and Verdugo at .749. You mentioned Dalbec, like he was some kind of plus in the first 4 months of 2021. He was at .659 at the deadline. Vaz was at .649. Marwin and Santana were below .600. Kike, Plawecki & Arroyo were doing fine, but we needed to knock out one of our black holes in the line-up and Schwarber was a nice get, even without hindsight.

One out of one, yes. His other two partial seasons were pretty good, despite the higher k rate. 2022: .766 OPS (.358 OBP and over 30 HRs per 650.) Not bad. 2024: .800 OPS (.337 OBP and 35+ HRs per 650.) Pretty damn good.