moonslav59

I think what gives him an edge is that he's not as bad at SS as DHam & Grissom and other options. We should never be forced to play Rafaela at SS (or 2B)

Did we misinterpret this... Cora likes to platoon. 2B is a different kind of situation where no one has been able to play halfway decent to stay there, and not, because Cora likes to platoon. That’s my point.

It is a way to get more players involved and placed in more situations where they are more likely to succeed. I'm not sure why so many seem to dislike that theory. Of course, we'd all prefer to have an all star line-up, where nobody has bad splits or ever needs to be PH for or platooned, but in reality, even the very best teams use platoons to great success.

It's not easy messing with a player's approach. Sometimes, it works. Many times it does not. Usually, a change is made if a guy is struggling, either over his career or recently. Casas has put up close to great numbers. He has traditionally started each season slowly, so I'm not sure we can read a lot into the "recency" of his 2025 season. Small sample, but he was actually heating up before wrecking his knee lumbering to 1B. He needs a body change not an approach change. He's a career .800 hitter (.830 before 2025) with one of the team's best ISO numbers, OBP and SLG. The guy can hit. "Don't mess with a good hitter" is my motto.

Cora loved the Refsnyder platoon, so that kinda shows he's not against the idea. He may not love platoons, but I do not think he dislikes them. Yes, many of the platoons are formed after a player is hurt, and he is trying to maximize the best he can get out of bench players who usually have serious flaws- like putrid splits, but he could have chose just one sub, if he hated platoons. One of Cora's traits is that he tried to find playing time for all the players on the 26, and if you wanna play a flawed sub, you are going to pick games where he is most likely to succeed, such as vs a beneficial armed pitcher. In 2018, we traded for Pearce, who was used mostly as a platoon, until he played so well, Cora could not sit him. I think they started 2019 with HRam platooning at 1B. (I could be wrong.) In 2020, I think Dalbec and Pillar were semi-platooned. Ref started platooning in 2022. Romy started platooning in 2024, but he was forced to play vs RHPs, this year, and actually did okay.

Yes, most likely the next Bregman 2025 type deal: one year with options or opt outs and maybe a high AAV.

This is why he's a goner.

Just my opinion on the umps. Again, I would not change a thing about his approach. Just get yourself in better shape and maybe stay healthy, for once!

At those prices the only one I might sign would be Ranger Suarez. (A distant second would be Imai.) I'm thinking these guys might be more likely targets: Merrill Kelly 37 (due to age and shorter term deal) Nick Martinez 35 (same) Jose Quintana 37, Justin Verlander 43, Max Scherzer 41, Tyler Anderson 36 (1 year deal and bridge to the kids) Adrian Houser 33 or Jordan Montgomery 33(cause this is what the Sox do) Michael Lorenzen 34 Shota Imanaga (if he passes and in-depth physical) If 2-3 years or less.... King 31, Gio 30, Woodruff 33, Littell 30, Eflin 32, Mahle 31

It's a dice roll with either Gio or Gaalen, and I'm sick and tired of the dice always coming up snake eyes.

This isn't surprising, but with so many out of options, borderline pitchers, I wasn't so sure they'd choose Guerrero. We will be seeing other cut, non tendered or traded to make room for Sandlin (Rule 5) and further additions (FA or by trade.) Here is how I see the list of who goes next: Lowe: He is likely to be non tendered but may be re-signed. Grissom: I do wonder why they held on so long, so maybe they want to give him one more ST'ing look-see, before deciding. Eaton or Sogard: knowing we will be adding an infielder or two and our extreme depth in the OF. Top trade candidate: Duran or Abreu (maybe Rafaela, Garcia or Campbell) DHam (probably keeping Sogard & Eaton) Criswell (just signed) Winckowski & Moran (all out of options) Wong (only if we add a capable back-up catcher) Long shots: Kelly, Murphy & Bernardino (one option remaining and useful pen depth but may be traded, if we add a RP'er or two like Matz) Houck & Casas (injury & low stock/high potential players) Yoshida & Hicks (salary dumps and hard to trade away w/o eating 60-70%+ of their money owed)

They must like Moran, Wink, Kelly and Murphy more.

I had a feeling he was in the group to be first DFA'd.

Why Gallen? I wouldn't want him even without the comp pick.

So, you agree it wasn't an injury that got Romy his PAs vs LHPs? I do agree he got almost all his PAs vs RH's SP'ers due to injuries. I've also been highlighting how our 2B position has been broken for about a decade.

I can't see getting full value from any of our 4 OF'ers by DH'ing them, or worse yet, playing the best defensive CF'er at 2B or SS. Each one would have much more value playing OF for another team. That is a foundation for a trade about to happen. Lot's of teams are drooling over our OF'ers.

Just wait and sign him next winter. Save Mayer, Tolle and Arias for the future with Skubal.

Didn't they change their hitting approach after 2024? Still, good point.

Yes, it's my new theory. LOL. My point is, one year it's a strong pen, then it's all about launch angles and spin rates, because the team that just won focused on "fill in the blank." Of course, the idea looks great on paper, but so did the year before's and the one before that. We aren't going to remake the whole team in Toronto's image (or LA's) because for one thing, JH won't spend that much, and for another thing we have a different batting coach and strategy that giving up on means the current braintrust would have to admit they were wrong. That ain't happening!

I know I'm biased, and there is no reason for me to favor Casas over any other Sox player, but I think the umps screw him over more than anyone else on the team with balls and strikes calls. Of course, he takes more pitches than anyone else, so that gives more opportunities, but I still think he got robbed too often.

I kinda liked how Sogard looked, too, and watching DHam play for most of 2025 was extremely painful, but I think DHam > Sogard > Eaton> Grissom.

For once, the Sox did what I said they might do. I know- blind squirrel running up a broken clock.

Romy could share a platoon with Masa at DH, Lowe or some other LHP at 1B or 2B/3B, especially if DHam (gasp) is involved in playing a lot.

No. His amount of play vs RHPs was because of injury. His amount vs LHPs was earned. He started playing more once Campbell was demoted. That was not an injury. Yes, he was able to DH due to Masa's injury and play 1B due to the Casas injury, but he'd have played 2B vs every LHPs once Campbell was demoted.

There is ample reason to not believe anything this management team has said or promised, but they did talk about replacing the Devers money. Now, that's about $30M, and we may be able to spend around $45M and stay under the tax line, so on this, I'm not sure just sticking to precisely their words will be enough. Make some nice bargain deal and spend the $45M. Add a trade that works and we could be a vastly better team in 2026.