moonslav59

Agreed. I think they just put all their plan on Casas being healthy. I do think Casas would have had a decent year at the plate, but he showed no signs of ever being better than any other 1Bman on D. Maybe they just accepted that as the cost of having a good hitter at 1B. Trading Meidroth was something that hurt more than any of us thought, at the time. Toro was always just a 4A addition. Romy has been a godsend, but only vs LHPs. Devers should have been the plan the second we signed Bregman. I still am sure he'll be a better 1Bman than Casas. We should have had Devers at 1B and Casas at DH, opening day. (Casas as a back-up 1Bman would be fine.)

I'm the world's worst second-guesser, more so with choices I make. I keep coming back to the thought that some desperate team will have to value Duran or Abreu much higher than we do and higher than what they are likely to be worth, going forward. Of course, they could go off an become an MVP or pull a Sale on us.

I know this thread is about MLB trades and has morphed into a trade deadline thread, but how are farm looks for 2026 is a factor in who might get traded and where we lack in system depth that is ML or near ML ready: Here are players listed by sox prospects.com as being on the AA or AAA next year. (They have Duran as a trade candidate and Jh Garica in MLB, but I'm going to list him as farm depth.) C Jo Garcia in AA but he's not really close to ML ready. We need depth, here. (Brannon 1B) 1B: Casas (KC in MLB at 1B) Jordan (Toro?) Brannon 2B: DHam, Grissom SS: Sogard, Arias AA 3B: Romero LF: Eaton, Tibbs CF: Castro, Taylor RF: Jh Garcia, Bleis DH: Hickey, Ehrhard SP: AAA-Tolle, Harrison, Early, Uberstine, Sandlin, Perales, Wehunt, Drohan/ AA-Clarke, Rivera, Paez, Valera, Holobetz, Rogers Pen: Murphy, Wink, Criswell, Guerrero, Kelly, Burdi, Mullins, Song, Hoppe/ AA- Moran, McShane, Ingrassia, Carlson, Dean, Sansone

We think alike on many things, including having a strong and balanced farm. I know injuries are always something we have to plan for and expect, but I feel like sometimes you get to a point where some things get too unbalanced and there is a need to add a key piece. When this happens, I look to the area(s) where we look strongest and deepest, and to be honest, I think our OF is about as deep as one could ever hope for, and it seems obvious that someone will be blocked. One could argue that time is right now with the surging Anthony deserving a FT slot. I get the fear: we trade Duran and someone gets hurt, but what if Gio, Bello or Fitts gets hurt? What if Buehler never comes around? Those issues seem more worthy of attention, to me, than keeping our 4th and 5th OF'ers the strongest in MLB. Not only this, but I also see Campbell as not being an IF'er and a waste of his athleticism to think of him as a DH. We also have the untradable Yoshida inked in at DH for 2 more years. I don't want him in CF, since we have the almighty Rafaela there for many years to come, and I'd like to see KC in LF for the rest of the 2025 WOO season. So, I seem him as depth, but fully recognize he's not proven. The same with Jh Garcia, but he is a plus OF'er on D, already. Yoshida could be an emergency 5th or 6th OF'er, too. I guess I'm just not overly worried about our OF depth, after we trade one. We'll still have better OF depth than we currently have at C, 1B, 3B and pitching. One could argue better than MI, too, since who is there after Story and Mayer? Romy is okay, but needed at 1B and really only a plus vs LHPs. Grissom? DHam? Romero? Arias is too far away and is slumping. I think we have to swallow hard and hope Brez picks the right one to trade and the right pitcher to trade for. I am confident he will not waste an OF'er on a pitching rental. We can't afford another Sale type trade: that's for sure.

I think that is the plan. In some ways it makes more sense. Trade Duran or Abreu plus some decent prospects for a solid 2/3 SP. Trade blocked non top 12 prospects for a 1B rental. Maybe add a RP'er and go for it. I'm just searching for a way to keep our 4 good OF'ers. Since Cora wants Yoshida at DH, we can't play one there.

I chose Duran, because I think Anthony is a better LF'er and needs to keep working on defense. DH might mess him up more than asking a vet to switch positions. Rafaela and Abreu are too good on D and play difficult positions, especially in Fenway. We floated Refsnyder at 1B, since he did play some 1B, long ago, but he'd just play there vs lefties, and we can already free up some OF PAs by having Ref DH v LHPs. It has to be Duran or Anthony or another plan. I really don't want to trade Duran or Abreu, but benching one of our OF'ers every game or playing Rafaela at 2B seems foolish, when we have so many needs, including 1B vs righties. With Abreu sitting vs LHPs, it's a perfect set up, line-up wise, but asking Duran to play 1B is a big ask. (They could have had him practicing for weeks, by now, with extra practice over the ASB.)

Are we being too harsh on Campbell? True, he sucks on D at 2B, and that likely won't change quickly. He may end up in LF or 1B. True, he slumped badly, after a very nice start to his rookie year. True, he has not lit up AAA, after his demotion. But, should we we roast him alive over 205 PAs after his first 14 games? .581 OPS Is it the 144 PA sample size after 28 games? .451. He hit .601 in his last 22 games (73 PAs) He's hit .697 in AAA over 19 games. He seems to be high on some people's "to trade list."

I'm now thinking we have a better shot at Mitch Keller than Joe Ryan. Ryan has been better, recently, but Keller looks better in some areas over the last 3-5 years. 2024-2025 (57 pitchers have 240 IP or more) fWAR T3. Crochet 8.9 5. Skenes 8.3 (23 y/o & 4 yrs of control) 9. Valdez 6.7 (FA after '25) turns 32 in NOV 10. Cease 6.6 (FA after '25) turns 30 in DEC 14. Ryan 5.7 (29 years old & 3 arb years left) T22. Keller 4.8 (same as Pivetta) 29 years old & 3 more yrs of control at $15.4M AAV

You are right. I thought he was getting paid more. Lux Tax is just $15.4M- just a little more than Pivetta's $55M/4 deal. 25:$15M, 26:$16.5M, 27:$18M, 28:$20M 2021-2025: fWAR: Keller 11.3, Joe Ryan 10.8, Pivetta 10.5, Sandoval 8.7 ERA-: Ryan 90, Sandoval 91, Pivetta 96, Keller 101 FIP: Ryan 3.73, Sandoval 3.75, Keller 3.87, Pivetta 4.03 2023-2025: fWAR: Keller & Ryan 8.1, Pivetta 6.7 ERA-: Pivetta 88, Ryan 89, Keller 94, Sandoval 105 I've been wanting us to trade for Keller for years, but somehow, I forgot just how good he has been, too. Thanks for the insights.

Not gonna even bother reading his posts, anymore. It's gibberish, and no that's not an insult, nor have your statements been. It's impossible for someone to think the exact opposite from me on every single issue, but somehow the impossible appeared at our doorstep.

You can still add DFA'd catchers after the deadline, but yes, they may be no better than Zavala. I'm fine with adding a catcher to the 40 that costs us very little and who has an option.

Not hearing much "Fire Cora" and "Fire Brez" talk. Hmmmm....

It seems Cora realizes this. Another feather in Cora's war bonnet.

I think a better solution would be to identify an OF'er to play 1B v RHPs. We solve the OF logjam, keep Cora happy by playing Yoshida at DH and try to find pitching without trading from the ML roster. (I still prefer trading Duran or Abreu w prospects for someone like Joe Ryan.) 1B: Duran v R/ Romy v L LF: Anthony v R/Duran v L CF: Rafaela FT (Duran when resting) RF: Abreu v R/Anthony v L (Ref DH v L) No deserving player gets shorted PAs.

Would Mitch Keller be like bringing back Pivetta?

Bello has great numbers with Wong. Just start Wong every 5 games and live with the sub .400 OPS. (I'm thinking he might hit .550 the rest of the way. LOL) .618 OPS Against when Wong is the catcher .790 with Narvaez (slightly better ERA w CN) Career: .599 w Jansen (39 IP) 3.23 ERA .721 w Wong (268 IP) 3.83 .780 McGuire (116) 4.89 .790 Narvaez (29) 3.07 1.027 Vazquez (16) 8.82 If we can upgrade Wong without losing much, okay, but it's far down on my priority list.

That's a steep price. I'm more worried about Tolle than KC.

...add with team control beyond 2025. Agree!

Bednar has an OPS Against or .621, this year. (It was over .900 in April, so he's been real good since then.) That's with a .342 BAbip, too! Keller will be overpaid, but he's still just 29. I'd probably give KC and Kelly for Keller & Bednar, but I think we could get both for Arias, Clarke, Early & Bleis. (Imagine if anyone had said this in mid April.)

Good points. Maybe some team with less of a 40 man roster crunch going into 2026 might take Perales, but they won't give a lot to get him- maybe a Luis Garcia/Lucas Sims type pitcher. As for closer to ML ready prospects, it does seem like teams no longer demand far away, high ceiling prospects. Arias, Clarke & Valera might be exceptions, as they may move to AA, soon, but even they may not bring back what we think they are worth. Our top prospects in AAA & AA are... Campbell (graduated) 3. Tolle (will be #1 when Anthony & Mayer graduate) 5. Perales (on 60 Day IL) 6. Jh Garcia (We are logjammed in the OF) 7. Tibbs (Checking him out at 1B, I hear) 10. Early, 11. Sandlin, 12. Romero (might be traded in a package) 19. Jordan (Rule 5, but 1B is a weak area.) 28. Ehrhard (OF blocked) Easy throw-ins: 21. Uberstine, 23. Mullins, 24. Castro, 26. Wehunt, 31. Monegro (injured), 37. Drohan, 40. Alcantara, Rodgers, Dean, Hoppe 40 Man Borderlines (some on IL): I Campbell, Winckowski, Kelly, Guerrero, Burdi, Bernardino, Alcala Grissom, Sogard, Eaton, Toro Criswell or Murphy? Casas? Hendriks, Hicks & Buehler?

Not even if Ryan had just 2 months control.

These college kids will fill many slots, most likely in '26. Some starters will be pen bound.

Indeed. Our roster depth is looking very nice, and when you count all the guys on the IL and the farm, WOW! 7 players on the 60 Day IL: Sandoval, Crawford, Slaten, Casas, Winckowski, Hendriks & Burdi 4 players on shorter ILs or rehabs: Dobbins (to 60) Houck, Guerrero & Kelly Maybe one or two of these guys might not bounce someone from the 26, when they get healthy, 7 or 8 probably would. I gotta think, if healthy, Sandoval, Crawford, Dobbins, Slaten, Houck & Casas would, for sure. Casas for Toro Sandoval for Fitts Crawford for Buehler (trade/DFA?) Dobbins for Murphy Slaten for Alcala Houck for Bernardino That would really make our 26 look tough, while improving our AAA depth, a lot, too.

We have needs, now. We can plan for an OF injury, instead? Besides, we'd likely be okay with Campbell, Garcia or Refsnyder/Yoshida as fill-ins anyway. This logjam will not go away after 2025, either. Duran has the shortest team control, and he's got 3 years left.

Nobody has hurled insults like you on this site in quite a while. Why not take a hike and find a site with real smart guys like you? We'd all be thankful.