moonslav59

Not in terms of trade capital. It's hard to know about line 2 and 3 of the tax.

Looking at the Sox schedule, we don't really end the season with any extremely difficult opponents, but not really easy teams, either. Here is the end of the season in reverse: vs 3CHC & 3CLE @3TBR & 3TEX vs 3KCR & 3LAA @4 BAL vs 3 SEA end of AUG: 3 @ NYY & 3 @ MIA We begin the season at CIN MAR 26, 28th & 29th and 3 @ HOU, then we come home to play SDP & MIL for 3 each.

I'm one who is not a "playoffs are a total crapshoot" kinda guy, but there is some luck involved with advancing a round or more into October. I will say, once you make the playoffs, your top 3 SP'ers and top 2-3 RP'ers take on more importance and value, and your 4th and 5th starters less significance. This could be a plus for us. Maybe we make some sort of impactful deadline deal to get a big bat, even if just as a rental. I know this goes fully against the recent trend of do nothing or do poorly at each deadline, but I think Brez is fully aware of the fact that one of the team's stated offseason goal (acquiring a big bat) was not accomplished. Now, other teams may make equally impactful deadline deals, too, and that may negate any gain we make, but other than a big bat, assuming reasonable health, I think we'd be among the faves to advance to the WS with said "big bat" addition.

I absolutely love seeing us play NL teams, especially at Wrigley Field or versus storied franchises like the Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals and Pirates. (I'm trying to workout a way to visit my sister in Pittsburgh during the mid August series against the Pirates. That stadium looks awesome.)

Is anything really "significant" about the first game of spring?

Alonso homered for the O's as they shut out the Yanks. Will he hit 60, this year? (just kiddin')

The "Devil Rays?"

Are you dysgraphic? Did you mean 68?

I'm really not anti-Masa. I think he's a decent hitter with .800 upside, despite never having a MLB season over .783. I just think our roster look much better, more flexible and L-R balanced with Campbell or Monasterio on the 26. I'm not sure Yoshida accepts an assignment to AAA, unless he's rehabbing a true injury. I suppose he may agree to a short stint, but he can always refuse it and force a choice to be made by Cora & Brez. Apparently, we are close to the second tax line, so trading him and saving $3-6M a year might be something they want to do, apart from allowing more flexibility to the 26 and 40 man rosters. I read somewhere, we might trade Sandoval to get under a line, but I think we've already put the SP'er depth chart about as small as we dare. I would not expect anything back in return, unless it's some other salary dump player, of if we include a prospect like the Hicks trade. (BTV accepts Yoshida & Sandoval +$10M for McCullers and his $17M/1 contract. I know- it's a NO GO.)

But this year, Cora said it. I think Abreu will get a long look vs LH'd SP'ers. He may be better than Duran vs lefties, now, but it was just one season, where he did better. If they try to platoon Romy at DH, that really puts a squeeze on the OF, when we face a lefty starter. That is one reason why I see Romy as primarily a platoon at 2B with Mayer. I don't think Cora wants Duran or Abreu out of the line-up, especially with our offense looking so questionable.

Agreed. They had a pretty nice looking young team last spring, and it seems like many underperformed, while management sat on their hands. It looks like they chose well to let Santander walk, last winter, and they did more than just add Alonso, this winter, but they also lost a couple good players, too. I do think they can make up 10-15 games, but I think the Sox improve by 4-6 games, so it won't be enough. I think the Jays will get worse, and the Yanks stay about the same, but the Yanks will rely on good health for 2-3 players with very little hope if 1 or 2 miss a bunch of time. Of course, what are the Sox chances without Crochet, Suarez or Anthony staying healthy?

We have a very different team than 2025. I'm not sure anyone expected this much turnover- beyond needing to replace Bregman, Gio, Wilson, Buehler, Lowe and Refsnyder. For a team that made the playoffs for the first time since 2021, it surprised me a bit. It's not like Brez wasn't wheeling and dealing the previous season, but this time he wheeled and dealed some of his previous wheels & deals. Between the opening day MLB and AAA opening day rosters of 2025 and now, I count 11 MLB players gone plus Houck to the IL and about 17 gone from the AAA roster. I'm figuring an almost 50% changeover. That makes it hard to project improvement or otherwise, and since so much of the team's focus changed, it's more complicated than just comparing 2025 numbers to projected 2026 numbers. For example, just how much does improving the rotation compensate for a possible/probable loss on offense? We also don't know which pitchers will fill out the pen, and the pen was a significant reason we won as much as we did, last year. i'm not always optimistic, this time of year, but I feel pretty good about our chances of improving and going farther into October. There are grave concerns, of course, namely the offense, but also with health, the pen and counting on so many young players to fill key rolls. Returning rookies: Anthony, Narvaez, Durbin, Mayer, Campbell, plus Tolle & Early. Second year or three partial year players: Abreu, Rafaela, Slaten, Monasterio & Sogard (Crawford pitched 2 IP in one of his 4 seasons) I'm hoping players nearing or in prime to improve. I'm hoping those in prime of just past it, do well, again, and I'm hoping the elders hold on for one more year.

Wow! That high?

While you're at it, send the Astros back to the NL.

Granted this was against a college team, but the Sox sent 18 batters to the plate, and only two failed to get on base!

With 4 FT OF'ers and K Campbell on everyone's radar, Masa should not play in the OF. He might play LF as KC DH's but even that is doubtful, and it would take 2 injuries for that question to arise. I do think, had we traded an OF'er we might have seen a few games in the OF.

I think if people looked at other teams' winter moves and underlying numbers, they might not think we did all that badly, this winter. Even if you think we got slightly worse than 2025, who got better, besides the O's, who have 14 games to make up to catch us. Is Alonso a 14 WAR players?

It's funny he's in LF, today.

I have no problems with Fred. I used to be him for a few decades. I'd be a hypocrite if he "bothered me." I don't think disagreeing is "bothersome." Posters like the Stork and the guy who thinks Duran is a better defender than Abreu are somewhat bothersome, to me, but such is life.

I don't think this site is overly negative or hypercritical, in general, but there seems to be a noticeable amount of it, IMO. I've been critical of many things the team has done, too. Maybe some feel I went too far with some things I've said, too. Of course, Fred is in a category all by himself, and the occasional trolls make appearances, now and again. Most that criticize often, at least give reasons for their statements or have insightful debates when countered with another view. I don't expect or want everyone or even most people to agree with my positions. I know I have some positions that run counter to the majority. It's funny how my wife sometimes says I'm too negative and worry about the worst case scenario, too much. I'm not always more optimistic about the Sox than others, and Ole Red never let anyone forget I was the first poster to give up on a season a few years back. Maybe someone thought I was being hypercritical and negative or thought of it in different terms. To me, hypercritical does not mean people are negative about 100% of Sox, and being overly negative doesn't mean you think we're going to go 60-102. I do feel some posters seem to be more positive about other teams that did nothing special over the winter, while focusing on us missing out on a big bat means we'll do worse. I disagree. Most posters are not "hyper" critical or "overly" negative, and most sites like this often turn into places where people vent their frustrations, and that can come across as looking hyper and overly...

Let the games begin! Wow, Masa in LF!

Good point. It would have to go to 28 (or 26) teams. 4 divisions of 7 looks nice.

It's possible the whole reasoning for keeping Masa in AAA for much of last summer to "work on his throwing" was a sham to avoid adding him to the 26, while Devers was the FT DH, but that kinda showed they wanted Masa to be able to throw a ball. I'm not sure they envision him playing any OF, this year, since they once again decided not to trade from the OF depth. They also have K Campbell in the mix. I think someone needs to get hurt for Masa to play OF- likely 2 of the top 4. Cora said this, last Januray: “Our outfield defense was great last year, but in a perfect world, if he was healthy, he was going to play the outfield,” Cora told reporters. “The throwing part of it wasn’t there so that’s the reason he actually didn’t play.”

Why do you keep assuming you know what I'm thinking, despite me constantly telling you that you get my beliefs and intentions wrong? "Bothers me?" You're the one saying "Wow" like what I said bothered you, but I won't assume I know what bothers you. I'll leave that to you to keep doing. No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with someone calling JH cheap. I disagree that is the word that fits and voice my opinion. Why does me voicing my opinion "bother you so much?" See how I did that? (That's what you do.) I happen to think some posters make statements that are hypercritical and overly negative. It should not bother anyone for me to say that, but if it does that's on them. Some posters are more optimistic than others, too.

Now, that is worthy of a "wow." Just one page of any game thread offers enough evidence.