moonslav59

Brannon hit his first dinger w POR, and Romero & Ehrhard both had 3 hits. Tibbs & Castor had 2 each. Bleis homered (2-4) and Jo Garcia went 2-4 for GRE. Clarke went 2.2 (1H, 0ER, 1BB, 4K) Fajardo got lit up w SAL.

If the deadline was today, I'd sell. No half way crap. If we got 15-5 before the deadline, I'm still going to be for buying rentals at a high prospect cost. If we sell, then acquire as much young trade capital as possible for winter trades.

Except Devers, Duran, Houck, Crawford, Rafaela, Bello, Casas... Beni, Dalbec, Chavis, Groome, DHern...

I don't disagree, but even during the winnings years from 2003 to 2018, JH spent in cycles. The long span from 2019 to 2024 was a first, despite a couple of minor spending blips and the record deal given to Devers. I do think this past winter showed he was fed up with mediocre, but then the Devers dump puts the doubt right back into our heads. While the Gio ($39M/2) and Hendriks ($10M/2) deals were made in the previous winter, both ended up being more about 2025. Then, we spent this: $40M x 3 Bregman (w opt out) Largest AAV in Sox history $21M/1 Buehler (Largest AAV for P since Sale) $18M/2 Sandoval $11M/1 Chapman $2M/1 Wilson That's over $90M AAV for 2025 and $113M, if you count Gio & Hendriks. Maybe, this is a sign the cycle has come full circle.... 5-6 years later.

I've said from day one that Duran should DH, so Anthony can play LF vs RHPs and maybe RF vs LHPs. (DH: Duran v R and Ref v l) If we trade Duran, we are all set in the OF and have the PASSWORD as RHB OF depth. If we trade Abreu, we no longer need the platoon, as Anthony can play RF FT. Ref can platoon with Yoshida at DH, if he does not retire. Garcia becomes the 4th OF'er, unless we want him playing FT at Woo or give an OF'er a 1Bman's mitt (Duran?) Since we have big needs in many areas, trading an OF'er is almost a given. (I thought that last winter, too, so who knows?) We've added Jh Garcia to the mix, and now Campbell looks more like a CF'er than a 2Bman.

Uberstine is coming back down to earth. Campbell seems to be finding his groove, again. He's getting on base more often than not, lately. (2-3 tonight going into the 8th)

Impressive! 4 in the top 60. (6, if we still had Teel & Monty!)

I like the choice. Jh Garcia did have an .868 OPS w Woo- leading the team.

If DD wants all those high performing vet rentals, he'll have to part with at least one from Abel or Painter, IMO... maybe both.

Before, this year, what sign did Devers reveal about being only about himself?

I'd prefer to count Toro-Romy as 2026 depth, but if we fill our other priorities with high quality players, I'd be okay with starting the year with Casas, Toto, Romy at 1B with someone like Campbell, Garcia or Anthony/Duran able to provide depth, if needed. Trading for Hoskins would not be for 2026. Bohm has one more year after 2025.

I have always felt Ben would have made a bold move or two, if given one more year. He almost had to, just to make roster room for all the prospects reaching Rule 5 status. I have also always felt DD did not have to trade away as much as he did, but since it worked and hardly anyone he traded away came back to haunt us, I was happy with how it turned out. DD also happened to keep all the best prospects, even with most being lower ranked or with low to no expectations. It may have been part luck and part good organization men advising him, but he did do well on his trades and keeper choices. It's hard to think another GM would have done better, but the Price deal turned into a massive dead money deal, and was part of the reason we got back so little for Betts. Ben's farm was highly rated but came up short of expectations, so it turned out well we traded away a lot of it. Much of Bloom's farm is TBD'd and some was traded for Crochet. DD's farm included players he inherited and did not trade, like Devers, but also many he acquired, like Duran, Houck, Crawford, Bello, Rafaela, Murphy and more.

I'm not sure what's wrong with Toro-Romy at 1B. May 1st>>> .919 Romy- Best on roster .795 Toro- 4th best on roster w dbl the PAs as Ref and Bregman ahead of him. Season: vs LHP: 1.074 Romy vs RHP: .840 Toro We could only hope Casas would do this. Now, can they keep this up, or do we bet no and trade for a 1Bman?

I don't see Brez trading any of our 5 rookies: Anthony, Mayer, Campbell, Narvaez or Dobbins. I seriously doubts he trades some other highly ranked prospects for rentals, and I just don't see many nonrental big deals as deadline possibilities, so I think he does like he did, last year: trade borderline 40 man roster players and soon to be Rule 5 prospects for players he feels will help. The highest prospect he traded, last year was Yorke for Priester, who was close to being a prospect, himself. Look at the list of other prospects he traded: they were either very far away prospects or borderline Rule 5 guys or players that reeked of becoming AAAA type prospects. Yorke for Priester Bolivar (Paxton) & Portes (Lucas Sims) M Lugo, Kavadas, Zeferjahn, Vargas (Luis Garica) Coffey, Paulino & Bautista (Danny Jansen) That's 10 prospects for 4 rentals plus Priester, who he later traded away. This is what I see Brez, doing this year, assuming we don't sell and are "buyers." Rule 5 borderlines: Sandlin, Uberstine, Castro, Bleis, Jordan, Monegro, Paez & Mullins (not so borderline: Drohan, Hickey, I Coffey AAAA types (some vets named, too): DHam, Grissom, Wong, Eaton, Sogard, Thompson, Sikes along with some on the Rule 5 list that fit here, too. Far aways: hard to name, but Cespedes comes to mind. IMO, not just my likes and dislikes, I do NOT think Brez trades any rookie or top 7 prospects. The highest prospects he might trade could be: 8. Tibbs 10. Romero 13. Sandlin 14. Bleis 15. Cespedes 17. Paez 19. Monegro 24. Jordan, 25 Mullins, 26 Uberstine, 27 Wehunt, 28 Castro, 37 Drohan, 41 Alcanatar, 46 Anderson and other older prospects not mentioned. What we can get for these guys may end up like what we got in 2024.

i've looked but can't find where Theo talked about getting away from the farm first philosophy and veering too hard to the win now mentality. I agree the high farm prioritization has been the overall JH goal, and it worked. I like the idea. I liked how JH made strategic choices to spend when spending was needed. Big prospects for stud trades did occur, but they were spread out. I'm not sure I'd call it a 180 from Ben to DD. Ben spent a lot, and I think JH felt the team was at the spend big cycle point and felt DD was the better man for that. (I agree, but still wanted to see Ben for one more year, with a demand to make at least one big prospect for an ace trade.) In one sense Bloom "did what he was hired to do,"as in cut salary as directed, but he was also hired to do what the Rays did- keep the farm a top priority while also building a competitive team at the big level, along the way. 2021 was the only success for Bloom on the front, and one major reason he was successful in building the farm was that we did so badly, he got high picks to land Mayer & Teel. He did do well getting KC and Anthony with Comp picks and setting Brez up nicely to get B Montgomery & Tolle in 2024. I don't think Bloom would have made us better in 2024 or 2025. He would not have made the boold moves Brez made and the team needed.

Some lame idea that we will win more games without Devers than with him, and talk that we will be buyers. To me, if we can't extend Bregman, we should trade him, and if we are trading Bregman, then don't stop there- just go all out and trade all free agents to be plus Duran and if anyone wants DHam, Wong and Grissom, then them, too.

WOW! I thought I was moving into sell mode. DD said he did not not want to trade pitching, not that he needed Abel and Painter "this year." Besides, Painter probably isn't going to pitch in the bigs, this year, for PHI. Abel has 6 GS and a 5.04 ERA.

I'm thinking more about being sellers than buyers, so maybe you are asking the wrong guy. I'm not sure I want us to trade top prospects, even if we go 15-5 to send the month. Then, if I am looking at buying, DH is not the slot I see as even a top 3 or 4 slot we need filled. I'd like the 34 year old Ozuna, who is a FA after this year in our line-up, yes, but I doubt I'd be willing to give up what ATL might demand. Sure, he's only at .760, this year, but he was over .900 in '22 and '23, so I think he may be more expensive than you think. I'd look at a #2 SP'er first- but again, not a rental. Next, I'd look at 2B, but with Bregman's return, I'm fine with Mayer/Story at 2B and SS. That leaves the pen and 1B as higher priorities than DH. Right now, our OF is packed, and Anthony is being used as our DH. Who sits so Anthony plays everyday? Duran or the Abreu-Ref platoon? I'd rather have Anthony than Ozuna, to be honest.

Bregman, Duran, Chapman & Tolle for Abel & Painter?

We'd have to include a chunk of change. Ozuna is a FA, after 2025: Story is not. I like the Story for Murphy idea, since Murphy has a big contract and several years left, and we find our back-up catcher and DH player in one move. Murphy can hit, too. Not like Ozuna, but he's only 30, bats RH'd and has averaged 30 HRs per 162, since 2023 (.769 OPS.)

Well, we just traded away ou FT DH, so maybe taking on Castellanos' contract could be the factor that gets DD to a yes- not that I want Nick, but he does have a .768 OPS and might love Fenway hitting (although just .763 career.) He is owed $20M in 2026, then is a FA. Duran, Mullins &Sandlin for Abel & Castellanos. I'd sub Abreu for Duran, if they insisted.

I think he meant "No and Yes" No, they will not decline the option. Yes, Garcia might get someone like Pivetta, tops.

Now that I know he has an $8M option for 2026 and a willingness to extend, I'd add more to my suggested offer for his services. He does meet my skill level for a solid #2 behind Crochet. I know you have to give big to get quality pitching, and the Crochet deal showed us that, but it also showed us it can be well worth the sacrifices. Emphasis on the "s" for plural, because we'll have to give up more than one prospect, unless MIL covets Duran or Abreu, in which case we could maybe have to just add 1-2 decent prospects, with likely 1 being a non 40 man/non Rule 5 type prospect. Abreu, Romero & Mullins or Sandlin?

The Devers move to DH then trade, added with the Meidroth trade and injuries to our starting corner IF'ers (Bregman & Casas) forced the scramble to cobble together some sort of plan to cover 3B, 1B and also 2B. Toro is much better at 1B, but he's played over 3 times the innings at 3B in his career, and many more than Mayer has played, there. 1295 at 1B, 1047 at 2B and just 344 at 1B, counting the 254 from 2025. He had less than 100 innings at 1B, before Casas went down. I don't like seeing Toro at 3B. I'd prefer Mayer FT, until Breg returns. I'm not sure we need to try and fix 1B, at the deadline, since the Toro-Romy platoons is doing better than all but 2-3 other positions on the team. 2B has been a complete mess since Pedey got hurt. We've seen two half seasons of decency at 2B, since Pedey. (I'm not counting Nunez in 2018.) Kike & Story. That's it. We even traded Sale to try and fix 2B. We turbo-charged KC's promotion to try and fix it. It's been one major catastrophe for way too long.

Garcia is also a plus defender and can play CF & RF, well. If Sox brass really believes in him, then surely Duran or Abreu will be traded between the deadline and the start of 2026. If Refsnyder returns, he can platoon with Yoshida at DH. If not, Romy can be the DH platoon with Yoshida.