moonslav59

Good point. I like this quote: Few college pitchers in this class can match his velocity and physicality.

I've said a lot of things, but I honestly don't remember giving up on him, like that. If I did, I was way wrong. I liked the extension, when it happened. I love his D and always have. I've never been a guy to hate high K guys as long as they can get on base and or show power. Rafaela has never shown the former, and has not shown real consistent power. I have commented on the fact that I was sure the coaches in the Sox system must have spent hours and hours working with him on his approach and pitch selection, and that it hasn't seemed to help, even a little, but I'm not sure I ever said he could never overcome it, and I've often thought some hitters can still hit well enough swinging and hitting balls most other hitters miss (out of the zone.)

I think some of of felt he might come close to .800 by age 26 or 27. He's at .797, now. Let's see where he finished. The kids looks like a whole different guy, and it's not the first time a young player figured things out while in the bigs. There is also a chance, he'll hit a skid and need to adjust, agin.

Maybe they are working towards overslotting someone. Here is one scouting report on Phillips: Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50 Scouts first identified Marcus Phillips when he was a South Dakota high schooler, but injuries and inconsistent strikes limited his opportunities to pitch as a senior as well as during his freshman season at Iowa Western CC. He showcased a live, if erratic, arm as a reliever on Tennessee's 2024 Men's College World Series championship club, then seized the Volunteers' No. 2 starter role this spring. Few college pitchers in this class can match his velocity and physicality. Phillips can blow hitters away with a fastball that sits at 96-98 mph and touches 100, compensating for lackluster shape with deceptively low release height and plenty of carry and extension. His slider parks in the mid-80s and reaches 90 mph with more depth than sweep. He doesn't use his low-90s changeup very often, but it features so much fade that is creates more chases and empty swings than his heater and slide piece. At 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, Phillips has a build reminiscent of Kumar Rocker's and is more athletic than the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 Draft. He's a former two-way player who flashed solid power and speed as an outfielder at Iowa Western. He gets down the mound well and has improved his control as a junior, though he doesn't have the smoothest arm action and may never have more than fringy command.

Next Pick #75.

Marcus Phillips RHP Tennessee taken with 33rd Pick.

First pitcher taken by Sox in round 1 since 2017 (Tanner Houck #24 as Jay Groome was taken at #12 in 2016..) 4 of top 6 picks in 2024 were pitchers. Not sure the last time that happened. Cason was picked 8th and got the 3rd highest signing bonus (about $1M overslot!) 2 IFA pitchers were signed for $350K+ (top 3 bonuses) in 2025. D Reyes got $450K in '24. This was way more than recent years. Trades for Slaten, Fitts, Weissert, Harrison, Holobetz, Fajardo,, J Moran, J Bello, Judice & I Campbell. While the trade for Crochet and the extension was not for a pitching prospect, the guy was young. Maybe one of the best thing Brez did to upgrade our pitching was the trade or a pitching prospect for a catcher: Narvaez.

The soxprospects.com's take: https://news.soxprospects.com/2025/07/red-sox-select-kyson-witherspoon-with.html

Borderline, at best, unless you look at just ERs allowed (4.50 ERA for the game.) His OPS Against that game must have been over 1.000.

with Bregman back, Toro should only start at 1B v R, as Romy plays 1B vs L. If he keeps struggling, Toro will be replaced. (Not many options on the Sox 40 man roster to do it.)

Even when we seem to be getting many breaks and are gelling, Fred remains Fred.

Amazing what an 8 game stretch can do.

I don't see the fit for the Sox, unless a 3rd team gets involved: Duran to SDP De Vries & maybe some of our mid level & blocked prospects to _____? _____?? to BOS (solid Starting Pitcher, maybe a RP'er from SDP + a SP from team C)

It's beyond "nuts." Abreu, Early, Jordan & Yoshida for Helsley & Sonny Gray

This further emphasizes the need for an OF'er to be traded. Brez needs to take away this choice from Cora, ASAP! Plus, Mayer should play as near to FT as any regular. (We have Romy to play 2B, when he rests.) Ref to platoon with Yoshida at DH would free up all OF'ers, including Anthony to play FT.(If we trade Duran not Abreu, then Anthony plays RF v L and LF v R, or we keep Ref in RF vs L.)

I agree. They'd have tried it, by now, if they had any hopes he could fill the 1B role while loosening up the OF logjam with one move.

I agree on all of this. I do worry about our lack of a sure bet 1Bman going into 2026. Jordan offers one more possibility/choice.

For two months? I would not give one from Abreu or JH Garcia. I might offer DHam or Grissom plus one from Bleis, Romero, Early or Sandlin. Even then...

21 Anthony .765 22 Mayer .677 24 Rafaela .791 26 Abreu .831 26 Narvaez .788 28 Romy .965 28 Duran .745 _____________ 25 Dobbins 4.13 (5th on team in IP) 25 Fitts 4.28 (34 IP) 26 Crochet 2.39 (1st IP) 26 Bello 3.27 (2nd IP) 27 Murphy 0.00 & Slaten 3.47

These younger guys are coming alive!

It's not fine, when this is the best start the guy can give, and it happens once every 5 starts.

There has been no talk of Duran at 1B, and as far as I know, no practice there. If he could just play one notch above Casas' D at 1B and near what Toro is giving us, it would solve a major roster/line-up issue and keep our line up strong and deep. It makes too much sense to happen. (It took us 5 years to force the issue on Devers, then we botched it.) 1. Duran 1B v R/ LF v L 2. Bregman 3B 3. Abreu v R (RF)/Romy v L (1B) 4. Story SS 5. Anthony LF v R/RF v L 6. Narvaez C 7. Yoshida v L (DH)/ Refsnyder v L (DH) 8. Mayer 2B 9. Rafaela CF

He also signed IFAs Rafaela & Bello. Many of these draftees and IFA guys look better than the bigger named players he traded away.

Thanks, cp. This will be my first summer in Maine without my parents. Both passed away in the last 6 months at ages 97 and 87. It's going to be strange and sad, but many siblings will be there (3 of my 5 sisters.)

We gotta just keeping this one game at a time. No swollen heads.