moonslav59

Ideally, Bello is our #4 and Early plus others fight over the 5 slot, with the losers being depth or used as long men in the pen, but we aren't adding 2 SP'ers. To me, the focus should be on acquiring a very solid #2 type or even another #1 to go with Crochet. Then, it becomes easier to have Bello as the #3 and the last two slots filled with the better looking from... Early & Sandoval Tolle & Crawford Harrison & Fitts Perales might be mid season depth. I'm thinking Tolle, Criswell and Fitts look like the most likely pen converts, but maybe Crawford will be in the 2026 pen. That would leave the 4-6 starters as Sandoval, Early & Harrison.

I think E Suarez for 1B and back-up 3B makes a ton of sense. We need a power bat and corner IF help, even if Bregman stays. He's old, so he won't get a long deal- something JH might go for. Speaking of older players and shorter deals, maybe we sign Merrill Kelly as our 2/3 SP'er to take Gio's place. I'm not sure JH forks over enough money for Bregman, Suarez and Kelly, but those three would help a lot. Trade Duran and others for more pitching or a 2Bman and call it a winter.

I'd like Suarez as a 1Bman/back-up 3Bman on a shorter term deal.

Bregman would put us way over the tax line, but the line-up would be greatly improved: 1. L Anthony LF 2. R Bregman 3B 3. S Marte 2B 4. R Hoskins 1B 5. L Abreu RF 6. R Story SS 7. L Yoshida/ R Romy DH 8. R Narvaez C 9. R Rafaela CF Bench: Wong, Romy/Yoshida, Jh Garcia, Mayer

There are differences between the tow types, and Hendriks was the only RP I selected, so I could make it consecutive years. I did skip over Wacha and Hill, but neither had an option year offered. I skipped Buehler, too. I do think it's fair to say this strategy has not worked well for the Sox. Maybe Sandoval breaks the trend.

I could see the Sox attempt to reset the tax year, despite being at the peak of their "open window," and do this over the winter: Sign Rhys Hoskins and Merrill Kelly. Trade Duran, Hicks (to help balance the salary,) Clarke and Holobetz (add DHam, if they want him.) for K Marte. That's it, besides a few minor depth signings. 1. L Anthony LF 2. S K Marte 2B 3. R Hoskins 1B 4. L Abreu RF 5. R Story SS 6. L Yoshida/ R Romy DH 7. L Mayer 3B 8. R Rafaela CF 9. R Narvaez C Bench: Wong, Romy or Yoshida, Jh Garcia, DHam or Sogard SP: Crochet, Kelly, Bello, Sandoval, Crawford RP: Chapman, Whitlock, Slaten, Weissert, Tolle, Fitts, Bernardino, Criswell _____________________________________ AAA: Campbell, Casas, Romero, Hickey, Grissom, Castro, Eaton, Rosario, Sykes SP AAA: Dobbins/Early/Harrison/Perales/Uberstine/Drohan RP AAA: Murphy, Winckowski, Sandlin, Moran, Kelly, Guerrero, I Campbell, Mullins, Song, Hoppe Is this good enough? With Bregman, maybe, but I'm not sure we can stay under the tax line with him aboard.

Story has as bad an injury history as Mayer and Casas. Rafaela is not a plus defender as an infielder, and his defense is why he plays full time.

Yes, it was 49 in 2025. Good catch.

This is one area that raises the questions about Bloom choosing to spend very little or being told he couldn't spend more than X amount. The Rays used to extend many of their young talent very early and for long deals. Their most recent one became a train wreck, but I have to think Bloom would have wanted to extend guys like Devers, Houck, Crawford and maybe Dalbec (good thing he didnt) or Casas or even Beni, who he traded, instead. I think the only guy he extended was Barnes. and Kike for one more year.)

I think this is one major reason their extended outlook is so encouraging. I wish they would end the "other trend." Can you work out what it is? 2020: Martin Perez 2021: Garrett Richards 2022: James Paxton 2023: Corey Kluber 2024: Liam Hendriks 2025: Patrick Sandoval 6 straight winters. Most were injury prone. Most were once decent to excellent pitchers. (Perez was the year after he left us.) But one thing they all have in common, besides giving us very little value, is what? Answer: Essentially, all signed one year deals with an option year. (Hendriks & Sandoval had a two year deals but were known to be missing year one, plus an option year for LH, and Perez was re-sign after 2020 with one more option year added, but refused.) So... Refused Perez option for 2021, but repeated the same 1+1 contract. Refused the Richards option Gave Paxton his 2nd year option, but refused third year. Refused the Kluber option Hendriks will not get his option year accepted, IMO Sandoval was like the Hendriks deal- really a 2 year deal with one year of service expected. I think these guys cost over $70M, combined.

Story has as bad an injury history as Mayer and Casas. Games played since 2023: 242 Mayer (playing in shorter season minor leagues) 226 Story 224 Casas Rafaela is not a plus defender as an infielder, and his defense is why he plays full time. This is the reason we trade an OF'er, even if it's Ceddanne, since his value as a CF'er on another team is worth way more than a 2Bman for us. Maybe, over time, he could become a plus infielder, but why even attempt it?

I lived in Milwaukee, when the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee, and I got hooked on baseball. The old County Stadium was two blocks from our home. I was a big Tommy Harper fan, and when we moved to Maine in 1970, the Brewers traded Harper to the Sox that same year, and I switched to being a Red Sox junkie. Now, we might see SEA vs MIL, but first SEA needs to beat the Jays- the team they broke into MLB as expansion teams at the same time (1977.) Of course, MIL also has to get by the Dodgers to see the series many of us want to see. Seattle has had some very good teams in the past, including some with many offensive weapons, but this team is overloaded with power bats, and the pitching is not as good as it has been in very recent years. HRs 60 Raleigh 169 OPS+ 46 Suarez 126 (part w AZ) 32 Julio 128 27 Arozarena 119 26 Polanco 134 20 Naylor 128 (part w AZ) 12 JP Crawford 111 11 C Dominic 142 11 Telez 93 9 Garver 86 9 Moore 79 The Brewers have 9 guys with 9+ Hrs, but not like SEA has. 12 of their top 14 batters by PAs have an OPS+ over 101. They got where they are by having their top 7 pitchers by IP with an ERA below 3.96. Their closer is 13th in IP at 47 but has a 2.40 ERA.

My top 30 1. Early 2. Tolle 3. Jh Garcia 4. Arias 5. Perales 6. Witherspoon 7. Gonzales 8. Valera 9. Clarke 10. Fajardo 11. Soto 12. Godbout 13. Phillips 14, Holobetz 15. Travieso 16. Eyanson 17. Romero 18. Sandlin 19. Taylor 20. Jo Garcia 21. Paez 22. Mullins 23. Delzine 24. Ramos 25. Rivas 26. Aita 27. Bleis 28. Cespedes 29. Azocar 30. Uberstine

Another win for the Domers. They play USC at South Bend, next week. The schedule is pretty easy, so a playoff slot may be in the works.

harmony's been waiting a long time.

Brewers advance!

soxprospects.com updated their rankings https://www.soxprospects.com/index.html Here is the biggest jumpers and fallers (remember that some players graduated, so "jumps" can be mostly advancement by attrition): Jump: 54>20 Uberstine 40>11 Fajardo 13>1 Tolle 18>8 Clarke 19>9 Gonzales 28>22 Mullins 10>5 Early 17>12 Soto 5>2 Arias 4>3 Perales Unranked to.... 4. Witherspoon 14. Phillips 15. Eyanson 16. Godbout 21. Holobetz 23. Travieso Largest drops: 9>19 Cespedes 8>13 Sandlin 10>6 Romero 15>18 Bleis ________________ Lower Rankings: UP: 51>27 Azocar, 45>25 Drohan, 58>38 Hoppe, 35>29 Ramos, 34>30 Rivas 26>24 Taylor Down: 21>59 D Reyes, 22>32 Cason, 24>34 Wehunt, 27>33 Monegro, 36>45 Ingrassia 25>26 Castro (Can't believe he's still top 40.)

We do need a 1Bman, too.

I think Mayer would be a plus defender at SS, if he can stay healthy. It's harder and more expensive to get a SS than 3Bman or 2Bman, so it makes sense to have Mayer at SS, if Story moves to 2B or bolts. Would Brez take a risk on the Japanese basher at 3B, assuming Bregman bolts? 3B Murakami SS Mayer (Story) 2B Story (Romy) 1B Casas (Romy)

Toro elects free agency.

MLB.com lists the top 3B FA options: 1. Bregman 2. E Suarez 3. Moncada 4. Murakami (26 y/0 Homers once every 10 PAs) 5. Okamoto W Castro, Kiner-Falefa, Rengifo & A Rosario

Houck will be offered the arb, and we keep him. We make a couple 2 or 3 for one trades before the start of the 2026 season, so we don't need to cut a good player due to the 40 man roster squeeze on opening day. Once we add Houck to the 60 Day IL after opening day, we can add someone else, but it has to be someone not needing roster protection. We really needed to add Tolle and Early, this season, but ideally, it would have been better for the 2026 roster to wait to add one, next April. Neither were Rule 5 guys. That being said, we have a number of borderline 40 man roster players I would not cry over losing to DFA or a trade for a distant prospect: de Leon I Campbell Eaton (or Sogard) Grissom or DHam should be traded Hicks (trade with some cash?) N Lowe (non tender?) Kelly, Guerrero or Criswell (trade?) Maybe the whole idea of a 40 man roster crunch is a mirage.

I think Paez and Mullins are nice throw-ins, because they won't get selected for Rule 5. If there is doubt, we can wait until after the draft to trade them. I think teams want them, but not on their 40. Sandlin would likely be drafted, but teams might want him on their 40 (not all teams.) Uberstine looks like decent AAA depth that does not start the season on the 40.

Certainly Bello is more "tradeable," but I'm thinking we need to keep our young pitchers who have shown they can eat innings. I'd trust Bello as our 3/4 more than Tolle. I like Early more than anyone but Crochet, but I can't pencil him in as even our #5, right now. This is tricky exercise.

My opinion may change, but I'd like to see Tolle and Fitts in the pen. I'd give Early a shot at the #5 slot, but I'd want him to share that slot with Crawford or Dobbins. Something like this: 1. Crochet 2. _____ (Ryan?) 3. Bello 4. Sandoval 5. Early/Crawford/Dobbins/Harrison 9. Perales/Holobetz Openers: Criswell/Fitts