moonslav59

With Lowe having one arb year left ($10-12M?) I think we will go another winter without touching the 1B depth chart. Second base will probably follow the same plan. We will roll the dice on Mayer, or hope a DHam-Romy platoon will be enough. (I doubt KC will get another shot at 2B, but I've been wrong enough to never say never.) I think we have 3 MAJOR AREAS of NEED: 1. Bregman simply has to be brought back. I think he likes Boston, but that does not mean he takes a discount. Just get a deal done. No more than 4 years is ideal. 2. Chapman needs to return or be replaced by a top closer. The fact that we've never won a ring without a top closer is telling. I think we offer him a 1 year deal with a second year option and $2-3M buyout that essentially adds $2-3M to his one year deal, if he retires. 3. A solid #2 SP'er. We need to replace Buehler with a #2 type, not another #4/5 type with hopes and dreams of doing better. Even if Gio returns, we need a SP'ers who is close to ace material. (Joe Ryan would be a great target. Keller might be who we get, and while nobody confuses him with an ace, he's pretty damn good.) I think Minnesota would accept Abreu, Clarke, Early & Romero for Ryan. Maybe I'm naive and will insist on Tolle or Arias and Valera, but I think they'd take close to my suggested offer. Secondary Needs: Pen help. Rightside infield help. Maybe catcher depth. Dump Yoshida. Assume Refsnyder retires. We should not count too much on players returning from season-ending injuries, but the sheer number of them makes me think 1 or 2 could provided a huge boost to an already solid core of players, assuming we have Bregman, Chapman & Ryan in the fold. 1. Duran/Campbell DH 2. Anthony RF 3. Story SS 4. Bregman 3B 5. Lowe/Romy 1B 6. Garcia LF 7. Mayer 2B 8. Narvaez C 9. Rafaela CF Bench: Wong, Romy, Campbell, Casas or DHam SP: Crochet, Ryan, Bello, Giolito, Sandoval/Dobbins/Crawford/Harrison/Fitts/Tolle/Perales/Early/Uberstine RP: Chapman, Slaten, Whitlock, __FA__, Weissert, Bernardino, Criswell, Hicks/Winck/Moran/Kelly/Guerrero/Mullins/Sandlin/Song

Are we still babying Narvaez by resting him so much? I'm not against the idea, and Wong has actually done better on O, recently.

This situation does make me doubt the defensive metrics. Is Bregman stealing plays from him, or something?

That was my point. I asked what is the solution? Add an RBI guy? (There are none, just as there is no MLB players with "clutch" as his skillset.) There really is no solution. No GM or manager can "fix" it. Line-up changes have minimal impact. Players who seem to hit well in the clutch, don't the next year or years, and vice versa. It's random, and in random sample sizes, you will find some players that have higher numbers in chosen situations than others, and that's all it is.

I specifically said "mankind," not "womankind." Kimmi? Say it ain't so...!

The rat issue is a major issue. I'm sure other cities deal with them, but NYC is the king of rat city.

I'm a 100% for Robo umps, but bastardizing the game like that would make me vote to just keep it as is over that mockery of this great game. We have a way to get the correct call made 100% of the time. The fact that some are against that idea furthers my lack of trust in mankind.

This creates a game in a game, and it's one that is repugnant, to me. Now you've created a mockery of the national pastime, IMO.

Criswell in on the IL. It's apen game or Fitts, unless they call up Harrison.

An RBI guy from back in the day is a guy with a high BA w RISP, today.

Okay. All I said was I heard it.

Usi ng the bench to stay fresh is the same as resting the so-called FT players. When we have 2 platoons (DH or 1B with Romy and Lowe/Yoshida and RF with Refsnyder and Abreu, we get automatic playing time and rest for those group of players. The other sub is the catcher who rarely figures into the DH or other position roles. That leaves one sub, who is usually a DHam type or a 5th OF'er type. They have not fit into a DH rotation, but that could change, if we dumped Yoshida. If we started the 2026 season with Jh Garcia and or K Campbell on the 26, I could see Cora straining to get both playing time, and using the DH as a rotation fits the idea, ideally. (I'm assuming we trade Duran or Abreu, but I assumed that, last year, too.) Campbell could DH some or play LF/CF to "rest" an OF'er. I do not see him as a 2B option, but who knows? Jh Garcia could platoon with Abreu and also DH some or give other OF'ers a "rest." If Mayer is in the mix, he'll play 2B, and maybe we don't go with a DHam type, as we have Rafaela as the back-up 2Bman. I don't see the infielders fitting into a DH rotation, but I'd like to keep Bregman and Story's bats in the line-up as much as possible. (Mayer could play 3B or SS w Rafaela at 2B to allow them to DH.) I'm not saying it will happen, but take away the Yoshida and DHam options from Cora, and what do you see him doing? I think my plan is almost forced upon him to bring about.

We have no other choices, except brining up someone from our farm. My question was more generic and rhetorical and about how we can do better. I do not believe you clutch is a skillset, so trying to add a clutch batter is pointless.

I remember people saying we added an RBI guy. Maybe they were wrong. I was right about hearing it, whether you believe me or not.

A look at the notable International signings since the DD era: Bloom & Co 2020: $35K Y Monegro #30 prospect on IL 2021: $1.5M Bleis #12 prospect but falling $850K E Lira in AAA as back-up C $450K J Paez #17 prospect & A Liendo in AA at 3B 2022: $100+M Yoshida (counting fees) $1.2M F de Leon at AA 2B $1.1M F Encarnacion #55 prospect $850K Jo Garcia #36 prospect $400K N Yuten at A- as mostly DH $30K M Alcantara #48 prospect 2023: $1.4M Cespedes #16 prospect and falling $525K Arias #2 prospect $500K Y Ruiz at FCL $175K K Salazar in A- at A- Catcher $90K A Mussett in A+ , $52K S Nunez in A- $45K Juan Valera #7 prospect Breslow & Co 2024: $1.0M Asencio (Restricted List) $450K E Brito at FCL & D Reyes #51 prospect $400K A Fermin #57 prospect $250K J Gonzales #13 prospect and rising $10K Jesus Travieso # 38 prospect & Jorge Rodriguez #39 prospect E Azocar #21 prospect 2025: $1.4M D Soto #11 prospect $950K H Rivas #31 prospect $700K E Alfonso at DSL $500K S Delzine #25 prospect & H Ramos #28 prospect $350K C Cordero projected at FCL, next year What is your opinion of these choices?

It may be premature... okay, okay... it is premature to call it a "Roman Empire," but it sure would be nice for Anthony to do well enough for that term to stick to the Sox, as in "The Sox won 5 rings during the Roman Empire..."

That's a side benefit.

Meaningless to you is fine. 108 RBI per 162, when you walk as much as he does is pretty good, to me.

He averaged 108 RBI per 162 games in his previous 5 seasons before BOS. He walked so much that his ABs we always so much lower than his PAs. That 108 RBI per 162 games average being over 590 ABs.

I expect one or two will be. It's fine by me.

Was fangraphs even around, back then? I just remember people say he as an RBI machine, when we got him.

It's good to see some new faces. The nay-sayers have been on vacation, but we know they will be back after our next 2 game losing streak.

Fact Check Guru.

What's the solution? Do we try and trade or acquire the best "clutch hitters" in MLB? I remember when we acquired Jack Clark to solve all our problems.