moonslav59

Any team in the land would view 3 prospects in the top 15 as a "big three." They might even come up with a more sensational term or phrase. There is also nothing wrong with putting some faith into those three and planning your roster around them, either as support to them or as them supporting the foundation you planned and set up. IMO, the Sox have done a fine job setting up the foundation for a winning "window" that includes deep rotation depth, and top 6 or 7 pen and a balanced line-up from top to bottom. There are many younger players that should be expected to improve and most of our best players are locked up for 3 or more seasons. IMO, what the team lacks is 3 key players: 2 complete package batters with an emphasis on power and a second ace-type pitcher or a solid #2 type would be fine. If we could do this without trading Abreu or Duran, Early or Tolle, or Crochet, Chapman, Whitlock or Slaten, we can be considered a top 4-5 contender and maybe top 2 in the AL for and perhaps far beyond. I don't expect JH to pay for 3 major FA additions, so I think we'll have to make one big trade to get to 3 additions. I'm not predicting 3 major additions. If I had to bet, I'd say its more likely 1 than 3, and maybe 2 would/could be enough, with some luck with health and age related improvements.

I make that argument all the time. Top IP pitchers face over 800 to 850 batters over a season, which is far more than any batter ever gets, but the fact is Anthony can make a difference in more than just 32 games. Like I said, I still think Crochet is more valuable, but we need both, and arguing which one we need most seems pointless. I doubt we have a chance at winning without either one, and we actually need more than just 2 top quality players to have a legit chance in 2026. Chapman, Duran, Story, Abreu, Bello and maybe some others are "good enough," but we need more higher quality.

Like Duran, Wong & Casas for Mitch Keller, Spencer Horwitz & Joey Bart? Duran & Hicks for Pablo Lopez? Duran & Yoshida (+$$$) for Luis Castillo?

I've retracted that claim, but I still have grave concerns about his projections.

I seriously doubt we include Tolle or Early for Ryan, let alone both, even as a 2 for 1 deal. i question why a team looking to trade 2 years of Ryan would think 3 years of Duran adds much to their immediate or long term goals. Abreu has 4 years left and Rafaela has 6. The Twins never seem to totally reload, so maybe they will want ML talent and not just prospects, and the Sox have several younger ML players with 4+ years of control- like Campbell, Mayer, Abreu, Rafaela, Crawford, Dobbins, Harrison, Fitts and others, as well as untested or slightly tested prospects that are ML ready or near ML ready- like Garcia, Perales, Sandlin & Romero. I don't think MN will want 5 second tier prospects and younger players and will focus on getting the best 2-3 they can get from any team, but I'm not sure any other team matches up as well as the Sox- in terms of having a long list of players we can offer. I've mentioned trading Duran so many times, I'm sure some think I do not value him highly enough. The fact is I'd love to keep Duran and trade Yoshida, so he can DH and make way for Anthony in LF, but I just don't see a Yoshida trade, demotion or DFA in the works. Abreu and Rafaela have more control and play way better defense. Abreu is our best current power bat. Rafaela has double the years of control as Duran. Ideally, we find someone to take Yoshida, as we pay most of his contract or take back a salary dump player in return, such as a pitcher, 1Bman or 3Bman. Duran could DH. Our OF would remain solid, but who can we get for a package like this? Campbell or Garcia Crawford, Dobbins, Harrison or Fitts Winckowski, Criswell, Sandlin, Kelly, Guerrero, Moran or Mullins Throw-ins like DHam, Grissom, Hicks (+$$$) or Hickey Even if we offered Campbell, Crawford, Fitts and Sandlin, what's the best we could expect in return? The other option is for JH to allow us to go over the first tax line and right up close to the second one. Sign 3 big FA names, while trying to shed some contract costs by trading Yoshida and Hicks along with a sizeable chunk of change. Non tender Lowe and see if we can squeeze under the budget.

OK, my bad. I agree on that. Buehler was the same thing as all along but at twice the wasted cost. I forgot Sandoval, too. Henry did allow a lot of spending, though, especially in light of the Devers extension kicking in in 2024.

MIA lost, tonight!

Come on. Your memory doesnt even go back 10 months. Does Bregman, Buehler, Chapman, Wilson and a mega extension to Crochet ring a bell?

Only if JH sets a low winter budget.

Big Ms win! Homer happy!

Imagine signing M Kelly, Polanco & Suarez and somehow dump enough salary from Yoshida and Hicks to keep us under the tax line. (Trading Duran for Lodolo would save another $4M.) Forget Kelly and just do the Duran trade, and we'd be under the line. Suarez may suck at 3B, but we could try him at 1B and he could back-up Mayer at 3B. 1. L Anthony LF 2. S Polanco 2B 3. L Duran DH/ R Story SS 4. R Suarez 3B 5. L Abreu RF/ R Romy DH 6. R Story SS/ L Abreu RF (or Ref) 7. R Narvaez C 8. L Mayer 3B 9. R Rafaela CF

That's why I mentioned more than Alonso & Schwarber. KMarte is a switch hitter with the 4th best OPS vs LHPs since 2024 (200+ PAs.) He's 13th in OPS vs RHPs since 2024 (700+ PAs.) Note: only 4 players have more PAs and a better OPS vs LHPs than Ref and onl6 6 players better than Romy.) KMarte's AAV is $19.6M, which is less than Bregman by over $10M. Suarez won't be super expensive or get a long deal, so JH could be okay with him. Polanco's contract situation might not be outlandish, either.

Some melted, but trading Devers in June and watching Anthony and Abreu go on the IL didn't help, either. I agree. We need Alonso, Schwarber, Suarez or K Marte. Bregman & Hoskins is not enough. Bichette & O'Hearn the same. Polanco & Naylor may not be either.

Is the Sam Kennedy Trinity College smackdown talk andy better?

The $8.8M tax hit is a nice plus for Greene. His 2029 option is just $21M, but I get your point. I'd rather keep the extra players and just go Duran or Abreu for Lodolo. If BTV is correct, maybe we can force CIN to take Hicks with Duran (maybe include Wong for Trevino to help being down the cost to CIN.) I like Singer but the one year deals don't appeal to me. Would Cincy do Duran, Hicks, Wong & Crawford for Singer, Lodolo & Trevino

I Campbell and deLeon passed through waivers and were assigned to AAA. They could end up being some decent depth, and I'm glad we created some roster space. I don't envision a 40 man roster crunch, even with Houck needed one slot, but we might have a 26 man crunch due to several pitchers out of options: Hicks, Wink, Moran & Criswell

It's multi-leveled.

The window is now. We need to stop dicking around!

The absurdity is overwhelming.

We need to set out sites higher than Bregman, Bichette, Hoskins and Naylor. Bregman hasn't had a full season with an ISO above .195 since 2019 (.209.) Hoskins has a .204 ISO since 2022 (.195 since 2023 or 2024.) Naylor had a .168 ISO, this season and .213 in '24. (.188 '23-'25) Bichett has not had an ISO above .179 since .186 in '21. 2025 OPS+ (last 3 years) 129 Hoskins (114) 129 Bichette (114) 128 Naylor (125) 128 Bregman (121) ___________________ I think we need to go with one or two from.... 2025 ISO/3 year ISO (OPS+/ 3 yr OPS+) .323/.280 (150/135) Schwarber .252/.252 (144/128) Alosno .243/.223 (126/115 is a bit worrisome) Suarez .233/.236 (145/141) K Marte (tarde?) .229/.191 (134/114) Polanco

I don't see Duran's OBP as being high enough to lead off. I'd start with Anthony at #1. I share you view that we really don't have any currently controlled players that jump out as a solid #2, 3 or 4 batter. Duarn or Story are is okay as a #3. Abreu vs RHPs is fine as a #3 or #4. Ref, if he returns or Romy could be okay as a #3 or 4 vs LHPs, but in general, I agree we need a 2, 3 and 4 batter. That's not going to happen, but we can add two and flip Story/Abreu in the 3 slot, depending on who is the opposing pitcher. 1. L Anthony 2. R ______ 3. L Abreu/ R Story 4. R ______ 5. L Duarn/R Story 6. R Romy or Ref/ L Duran 7. L Mayer/ R Campbell 8. R Narvaez 9. R Rafaela

Yes, but Crochet influences 32 out of 162 games, while Anthony can apply his input on 150+ games. I do value Crochet more, but both are vital to any chance we have for 2026.

I agree with all this, and I would not be surprised if RA is under .850 in 2026. I think he hits .900 at some point, and I get your point about not relying an a 22 year old to have a great season, but he is the best we have, right now, on offense. We are in total agreement on the need to add a big bat. I'm in favor or adding two, with one being no worse than Bregman/Bichette types. I do not think adding Merrill Kelly, Hoskins and Gleyber Torres would be enough. I'm not sure a Duran & Crawford for Ryan trade plus Hoskins and Polanco would even be enough. Hoskins & Polanco is about a push on losing Bregman & Duran. We'd be putting all our eggs in the Anthony, Mayer, Casas (DH) basket. I'd be disappointed going into 2026 with those changes only.

I still like your team's chances, but you need a momentum changer.

If that it, or even adding a Hoskins over Lowe addition plus bringing Matz back, I'd still say a resounding YES! We will likely not win a ring in 2026 running back the same team. We'd be putting all our hopes in less injuries and major steps up by the younger players. While that is not an outlandish plan, teams that fail to improve over the winter are not usually viewed as major contenders. We were about the 10th best team in MLB. One could argue 8th best due to a tougher schedule, and maybe higher, if you averaged out all the teams' injuries, but several teams above us had major injuries, too. The Yanks were missing their ace all year, and teams like the Astros, who we barely topped were missing a large chunk of their rotation all year long. We need to improve- maybe not by as much as I'm advocating, but I can't see how anyone would see us as a top 4-5 contender running back the same team minus Buehler & Lowe plus just Hoskins. Is adding Hoskins enough, assuming Bregman, Gio, Matz and Ref return? I'd call that complacent, too.