moonslav59

Gotta love all the rocket line drive hits Rafaela has been getting, recently!

No, we don't know what Devers would be as a DH or 1Bman, just what he did for us over a couple months. I think we could safely assume Casas would hit .750 to .850 as a DH, if healthy. That's a big if, but we both are dealing big ifs, here. IMO, Devers would have been easier to talk into 1B than DH. He might not have gotten so upset, the first time, and there would never have been a 2nd time for him to pout. He might still be here and hitting .950 with no drama. Of, he could have pouted and cried all year and hit .790 after the trade date for us. I'm glad we traded him. I think we'll make out in the long run. I don't see why so many posters want to keep Masa playing with a pretty long .420 or longer .567 OPS going. This isn't Wong playing catcher well, while batting .450 to .550. This is a DH. Anyone can DH. Almost anyone can hit better than .420 and most can hit better than .567, even against their bad splits. I'm not sure Masas keeps hitting .420 or .567 or .609 or maybe even .800. I think he's had enough time. He's basically platooning as a DH now, which is a waste of a roster spot. I'd rather he get to bat FT with Woo to see if he snaps out of it. I don't want Abreu at DH. He's a great defensive RF'er. I guess Duran DH is an option, but we know what Cora will do. When Abreu returns, Rafaela will play 2B, and Masa will keep DH'ing vs RHPs, until the cows come home or Breslow demotes him.

I'm not for DFA'ing him, now. I think they messed him up, all year and now he's rehabbing at the wrong level. He may very well hit near .800 again, and it could start tonight. Nobody seems to want to answer my question. How much longer do you stick with him? A couple weeks ago, someone said maybe 2 weeks. You ride him into October at .420? How about .567? How about his current .609? Hell, Campbell was over .660 when we demoted him.

We all know the most famous foul pole homer ever... 1975...

Indeed, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. The best OF DP of all time was Manny's catch, fan high-five, and then throwing out the runner.

I hope he proves me wrong, but I see no signs of shaking off the rust. He's at .609 after a pretty long sample size, already. .567 in last 117 PAs .420 in his last 43 PAs. Here's what I don't get, Max. You continuously have assumed Casas, an .800 career batter, who hit .580 in 112 PAs, this spring, before going on the IL, was going to suck all year, but somehow have faith in Yoshida who hit worse and in a longer sample size than Casas. My question has been "HOw long of a leash does he get?" I'd say "Times up" and send him to Woo to play everyday v L and R and maybe earn his way back. Give a kid a try. So far, we are something like 7 for 9 on rookies doing well. this year. Can they do worse than .420? I guess so, but then call Masa back up.

Is Casas that bad to you, based on one bad month? I think STL gets the better of the deal. Contreras turns 34, next may and 35 in his final year. He's in decline. If you think Masa is a .790 batter, then about the same can be expected of Contreras, except WC can play 1B and even catch in a pinch.

The bar is set pretty low. Nobody knows how they'd have done, if called up a few weeks ago. We got a little taste of Jh Garcia, but not enough to know much. I also said I'd take a platoon of Romy and Garcia/Campbell. Hell, even Romy FT has better numbers.

Then, maybe Casas hits .877 as the DH and never gets hurt.

$36M left after 2025. Get someone to pay $6-12M and call it a deal. We don't even need anything in return. How about Casas & Yoshida for Willson Contreras (also owed $36M/2?) We break even on the money and have a 20-25 HR guys with a .780+ OPS.

How much trade value does Rafaela have? My guess is, there may be a wide differential in how other teams value him. His contract looks like a bargain to most teams but may be a burden, later on to some teams: 26:$2M, 27:$3.5M, 28:$5.5M, 29:$7.5M, 30:$10.5M, 31:$13M, 32:$16M club option ($4M buyout) Trading him over Duran or Abreu might involve needing better secondary pieces to get a guy like Ryan or Keller. Would you give Rafaela & Campbell for Ryan? While both cost peanuts, now, their pay goes up. The good thing for the Sox would be losing the $14M lux tax number for several years. Rafaela plus 2 from Sandlin, Early, Clarke & Valera? (Maybe the first 3?)

Casas is not a .477 batter. He was that for one isolated month. If he's a .477 batter, then Story and Narvaez are .650 hitters and Rafaela is a .600 hitter. Campbell's a .900 hitter on his way to ROY!

IMO, it would have been easier to talk Devers into 1B over DH. He liked playing in the field and believed he was good on D. It would not have necessitated a second move, later, which was the one that broke Devers' back. I totally disagree that they started the trade clock on Devers once they signed Bregman. Maybe all that "other stuff" never happens, if they started him off at 1B not DH. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Looking at our budget, now. I can't see how we extend all these guys AND do anything meaningful, this coming winter with Devers on the roster. While we did take back the Hicks salary, it is only for 2 more years and 1/3 what Devers costs in 2026 and 2027.

It's on Brez for choosing Masa over Jh Garcia or K Campbell.

I like the move. I'd like to see Mullins in AAA.

Did you have a JD trade lined up, or did you plan on getting JH drunk before he signed the contract?

With all the fixins' of course, I'd love an all star lineup 1-9, and 1-6 is not an unreasonable ask, but I'm looking at the budget and JH and wondering just how much we can do. Bregman and Gio will be costly. No big adds from what they make now, but lots of extensions kick in as others get raises. The idea of trading Rafaela to maximize our offense is okay with me, because the other OF'er are pretty good on D. (Garcia is thought to be a plus, as well.) If we can do Bregman, Gio, Ryan and Alonso/Schwarber, I'll be thrilled and shocked.

I'm thinking we are nearly a top 3 contender already. (3 NL teams then us w DET, TOR, NYY & HOU tied.) I think we need a guy like Ryan, because he fits into JH's wallet. We need Bregman back. We could really use Alonso or Schwarber, but maybe we can be top 3-4 with some other 1Bman, DH or 2Bman who can hit well and has power. If we kept Gio and added Ryan that might be good enough w/o one of these bats. Counting Bregman: 3-4 major pieces.

Yes, we do. Please look at other teams. Here are the 2025 numbers: 6 slot: TEX, SDP, TOR, PHI, BOS 7 slot: CHC, MIA, SFG. BOS, STL 8 slot: BAL, DET, NYM, CHC, PHI (26th BOS) 9th slot: CIN, MIL, BOS, CHC, NYM The Cubs, PHI and BOS dominate the rest of MLB in bottom slot batting. We are easily top 3.

How many boxes are checked, assuming Bregman returns. We aint filling all those boxes, this coming winter. Asking for Ryan, Giolito, Bregman and a big bat (Alonso/Schwarber) is likely more than JH will pay for.

We have one of the best 5-9 and 6-9 batters in MLB, despite missing our .800 1Bman, plus time significant missed by Bregman, Mayer and Abreu. We still have Campbell & Garcia as hopefuls. Our line-up balance and depth looks to be top 3 in 2026, and you are claiming it is our highest priority.

Without Bregman, we are toast, even with Ryan and Alonso.

Okay. I did mention trading Rafaela, instead. This is the first you mentioned that isea. I'd be fine with that and also adding Ryan and Alonso or Schwarber. To me, DH'ing an OF'er or playing Rafaela at 2B is a waste of talent and skills.

Without adding anyone to replace Abreu (and Devers,) you are right. We'd be just shifting one problem for another. I don't like the idea of Rafaela at 2B or Duran at DH, but we can find ways to play the 4 OF'ers. To me, I ask why? These 4 OF'ers, in theory, would have way more value on another team as an OF'er than to us as a 2Bman or DH, so a trade makes sense. It's not that I dislike any of our 4 OF'ers. It's too bad the most questionable graduated prospects are infielders. Trading for Ryan, who will make a fraction of what a FA SP'er will make, again in theory, allows us to spend on a guy like Alonso or Schwarber and not Cease or Framber (or even Gio.) We all know JH ain't gonna okay signing Framber & Alonso.

No, I'm concerned about our #3 SP. We're on #14, now. (Gio will be a FA, last year's ace is out until '27 and we got 5 others on the 60 Day IL, now.) Right now, we are looking at Crochet, Bello & Tolle, then wings and prayers. I am concerned about our line-up, too. I have suggested we trade for Ryan, so we don't pay $25M+ for a FA SP'ers, and then spend the money on Alonso. 1. Anthony RF 2. Bregman 3B 3. Duran LF 4. Alonso 1B 5. Story SS 6. Mayer 2B 7. Casas/Romy DH (Jh Garcia?) 8. Narvaez C 9. Rafaela CF