moonslav59

It's out of style. No more "wasted ABs," just let everyone swing away and away and away.

Here is a look at the Red Sox Players controlled through the 2026 season and what the foundation looks like before any additions (or subtractions) are made. No more control: Buehler, Chapman, Wilson, Refsnyder, May, Matz & Hendriks SP: Crochet, Bello, Giolito (140 IP option trigger,) Sandoval, Dobbins, Crawford, Harrison, Fitts, Criswell, Perales & Houck (to be added to 60 Day IL once the season begins) RP: Slaten, Whitlock, Weissert, Bernardino, Winckowski, Hicks, Guerrero, Murphy, Moran, Kelly, Sandlin (R5,) Mullins (R5,) Paez (R5) C: Wong & Narvaez 1B: Casas & Lowe (Toro traded/nontendered?) 2B: Mayer, Romy & DHam (Grissom traded/nontendered?) SS: Story & Sogard 3B: Bregman (option/extension? or Mayer) LF: Duran & Garcia CF: Rafaela (Eaton traded/nontendered) RF: Anthony & Abreu DH: Campbell & Yoshida Of course, the whole off season starts with the Bregman decision and how we deal with Chapman and the closer opening, but after those choices, we still have some significant needs. I prioritize them as such: Assuming Bregman & Chapman return... 1. A solid #2 type SP'er (like Joe Ryan) even if Gio returns. 2. Pen depth (better than Wilson, Matz and the likes of Hicks) 3. 2B (can't count on Mayer) 4. 1B (can't count on Casas & Lowe) In my opinion, we will end up trading an OF'er, most likely Duran, due to higher cost and lower years of control than the others, along with some prospects for Joe Ryan or maybe Mitch Keller. The cost of FA SP'ers is just too high, these days. Then, sign Caros Estevez (RP) Luis Arraez (1B/2B) and Dustin May (SP) The 26 could look like this: 1. Arraez 1B (2B) 2. Anthony LF/RF 3. Story SS 4. Bregman 3B 5. Abreu/Garcia RF 6. Casas/Garcia/Romy DH 7. Mayer 2B/Romy 2B/1B 8. Narvaez C (Wong) 9. Rafaela CF SP: Crochet, Ryan, Giolito, Bello, Sandoval/May/Dobbins/Crawford/Fitts RP: Chapman, Estevez, Slaten, Whitlock, Harrison, Bernardino, Murphy, Moran, Guerrero, Kelly, Hicks

Sample sizes can be deceiving, and this one may be more so that the recent 10 game one, but here are the best records since June 30th: 32-10 MIL 29-15 TOR 27-15 BOS 26-16 KCR 25-19 SEA 25-18 SDP 24-19 CLE Other notables: 23-20 BAL 22-21 DET 21-22 TEX 20-22 NYY 19-23 HOU 19-21 NYM 19-22 LAD 14-28 TBR (worst) Since July 26th 18-3 MIL 23-15 DET & KCR 15-7 SDP 14-9 PHI & BAL 13-9 BOS Worst records since AUG 6: 2-10 TEX 3-10 CWS 4-10 MIA 4-9 PIT 4-8 BOS & SFG

It is a 112 PA sample size, which is small, yes, but why is the last month's Sox sample sizes more telling and predictive?

Casas has averaged over 30 Hrs per 650. We haven't seen it?

I agree, but I don't think he will ever get to be even okay on defense. I do wonder why his last month .580 doesn't carry as much weight as others you seem to think will repeat what they've done the last month over the next month. I doubt Casas will be the next Dalbec, but I guess it's possible. Casas .830 in first 840 PAs in MLB (ages 22-24) Dalbec .819 in first 545 PAs in MLB (ages 25-26) Both are horrible defenders. My worry is counting on Casas for 2026, but if we keep Lowe (1 more arb), I guess we might end up being okay.

I'm not sure about "easier," but with practice maybe a little easier. It's not just getting the bunt down, but it has to be to the right place and not too hard or softly hit.

We have not been great on the road, so things look bleak, but I think this team has grit. I guess we'll find out. HOU, SEA and TOR already lost, today. NYY plays at TBR, tonight. We gain by not playing.

His bad defense force the DH only thing, and we have to see Casas as the same situation. The injury risk for Casas is very high, and I think he can and will be a better bat going forward. I do not think Casas can ever get to average on 1B defense, so to me, Yoshida's value is further minimized by this. If Ref comes back, he should DH vs LHPs, making our DH a full platoon for one year. Writing off $18M x 2 is not easy. He does have options, so he could be Woo's DH, but why waste a 40 man slot for DH insurance? Maybe we can trade him and save a couple-three Million- maybe we just have to DFA him. I'd like our 26 and 40 man roster more with Jh Garcia on the 26 and almost anybody else on the 40.

I'm saying I think this is what we WILL do, not what I would do. I'd sign Alonso, but it's not my money, and if there is only so much to spend, I might rather spend it on pitching. Maybe we sign Arreaz, who can help at 1B and 2B.

They care about making money, too. They just have a TV contract that blows other teams away, plus other higher revenue sources, but yes, they spend and spend.

Because Brez & Co seem to think Casas will stay healthy for a full year. Bloom & Co. believed the same about Sale, until they didn't. They also have Lowe for one more arb, and he's better than Toro. Then, they have Campbell, who can work at 1B all winter long and Jh Garcia, who just played 1B, last night with Woo. Add Romy to the mix, shake well, and presto: no change will be made.

Even as a DH, only, I want more. If he was making $1.5M, he'd probably be gone, already. Too many weak grounders to 2B for my liking.

Good point. I've always hated buntin, unless by pitchers, but it does keep defenses honest.

Maybe I'm overly pumped up about our farm. It seems very strange to see so many pitchers on the top of the lists, and then there is Perales, who has been in the system for forever, but might finally get a chance to show us his potential. I doubt he turns into a Mata, but he could easily be our best home grown pitcher in a decade or more. Right now, the list is... 1. Tolle 3. Perales 4. Witherspoon 6. Clarke 7. Valera (not bad for your 5th best pitching prospect!) 8. Early (might be some teams' #1 or 2 pitching prospect) 9. Sandlin (kinda dropping in my book) 15-18: Phillips, Eyanson, Paez, Fajardo 20-22: Uberstine & Mullins (26 and 24 y/os) 25 & 27: Delzine & Cason (17 & 19 y/o's) 26-31: Wehunt, Rivera, Holobetz & Monegro (22-24 y/o's) Also, Aita, Travieso, J Bello, Ingrassia, Foutch, Morgan and others...

4 of the 5 losses cant be to the Yanks, if we do go 3-5. (Same with 4-4)

It's not easy, but players used to learn and practice it, much more than they do now.

We've swung and missed with nearly every in-season or deadline SP'er addition since Nate in 2018. I guess we were due. Mostly, we relied on hopes and dreams of returning 60 Day IL starters. In 2020, we added Pivetta in a "sell" trade, so I'm not sure he counts. 2021: Brad Peacock for cash 2022 & 2023: just RP'ers and hopes of returning IL starters. 2024: Paxton for Bolivar May might end up being a bust, but knock on wood...

Don't be surprised if we run back the 1B situation, again in 2026. Lowe, Campbell and Jh Garcia are added to the mix, but likely nobody else will be added to the roster. Would Arreaz be a possible signing, since he can play 1B and maybe still some 2B?

MLB Pipeline ranked the Sox farm #11. That's not bad for a farm that just graduated Anthony, Mayer, Campbell, Narvaez, Dobbins, Fitts & Guerrero! We also traded away Tibbs, Jordan and Erhard.

Last night sucked. The last 10 games have sucked. Why throw out the whole season based on 1 or 10 games and past, totally different teams failures & flops?

This is not silly, but Mayer at 2B, Bregman at 3B and Devers at 1B would have been better. I don't fault Brez for thinking Mayer, Campbell & DHam could take care of 2B for 2025. the 1B fiasco is 100% Brez.

That's just silly. Bregman is near GG at 3B, Devers is better than Casas at 1B. Casas might be healthy at DH. Casas & DHam for castillo-- YES!!!

He wasn't a bad hitter in the minors (decent OBP and moderate pop,) so I'm not sure why watching an over-worked rookie slump means he can't or won't ever be a good hitter, again. I can see not anointing him a solid core player, just yet, but solid D from a catcher is solid to me.

It should have been Devers at 1B and Casas at DH on day 1.