moonslav59

I'm not sure it's any better losing games in mostly one area only, although in theory, it should be easier to address and maybe fix. I've always been a firm believer in trying to order you high need areas and prioritize fixing them first, over upgrading an already decent or good position. I count the rotation as different, since adding a top pitcher just pushes everyone else down one notch and is worth the upgrade. We went into the winter knowing our pen was not good, even before seeing Jansen & Martin walk. I had a TOTR SP'er #1 and a closer #2. Some called Chapman a closer, but I saw him as a really good #2 and back-up closer. Had we added a top set up guy, I'd have been okay with Chapman as the closer. He's actually been good, so far. Our defense was high up on my to fix list, and I think we made a good effort to fix it. on paper. I was not worried about the O.

I don't either, but we're paying Chapman and Hendtiks, combined about the same AAV as Scott. Scott had a cheaper AAV than Buehler, but of course the extra years are risky.

1B is easier than 3B.

1. They will have to start, sometime- slow or fast start. 2. I am not a Yoshida hater. I think he can hit .800, when healthy. He's not healthy and isn't even playing real games. 3. DFA'ing Toro is simple. He may not een get claimed. Better than that, just add Casas to the 60. There are others that can be added to the 60 retroactively, including Yoshida, Fitts or Crawford. #3 is a non issue.

We could call up Anthony and still use Yoshida at DH. 1. Duran CF 2. Campbell 2B 3. Devers 1B/DH 4. Bregman 3B 5. Anthony LF 6. Abreu-Refsnyder RF 7. Story SS 8. Yoshida DH/Romy 1B 9. Narvaez/Wong C Bench: Rafaela, a catcher & platoon

Maybe it will take time for Bregman's leadership to make a mark.

I'm done with the NBA. It's not the basketball I played or remember, and it seems like it's all fixed and choreographed.- almost as bad as wrestling.

Simple is often the right thing to do, but to me, Anthony and Mayer offer much more upside than Yoshida.

I can see progression with some "underperforming players," and I thought of mentioning it, but I couldn't bring myself to express any optimism over any Yankee players.

When I wrote that, it didn't feel right. Thanks for the correction. So, SEA is one reason we are one game under.

I think that's being a little over dramatic, but I am guilty of doing the same, at times.

I fully agree, and while Devers at 1B does make the most sense, playing Story, Campbell, Bregman, Abreu. Duran and others at DH seems almost as ill-fitting as Story at 1B. Ref makes sense at DH vs LHPs, and it would improve our defense by playing Anthony or Rafaela in RF vs LHPs. Rotating the others as "rest days" vs RHPs is fine. (Abreu would never DH as a rest day, since he gets his rest on the bench vs lefties.) Romy has been hitting lefties well, too, but with Devers at 1B and Ref at DH vs LHPs, he'd be the off man out- no biggie. If the plan is to rotate Campbell, Anthony, Duran, Mayer, Story and Bregman at DH that is about once a week for everyone. That could allow them to never need a day off from the line-up- just off on D. The issue with Story being too weak a hitter to play 1B also applies to DH, so maybe he gets actual days off, and it becomes a 5 man rotation vs RHPs, only. That seems manageable, doable and maybe even beneficial to all involved. DH: Refsnyder vs LHPs/ Campbell, Mayer, Anthony, Bregman & Duran v RHPs- every 5th time 1B: Devers 2B: Campbell & Story or Mayer SS: Story or Mayer 3B: Bregman & Mayer or Campbell LF: Duran or Anthony CF: Duran or Campbell (Rafaela back-up) RF: Abreu or Anthony (Rafaela/Refsnyder back-up) We basically have 7 players (Bregman, Campbell, Duran, Story, Mayer, Anthony and Abreu) for 6 positions plus DH vs RHPs, but we know Abreu sits vs LHPs, so it becomes a perfect 7 for 7 match (counting Abreu and Refsnyder as one.) Devers would rotate to DH, too, and who plays in his stead would be determined (Romy, Wong or a current infielder.)

We are about 3 games short of the quarter mark of the season. Being under .500 is a big bummer, especially when you consider we have yet to play the 3 best AL teams by record: NYY, DET & SEA. There is still a lot of time left, but we can't afford to keep falling backwards. Fangraphs has us ranked... 9th in Pitching (6th RP while 18th in relief IP/16th SP) 9th in Offense 4th in Defense, although 16th and 15th in DRS & OAA 3rd in baserunning (3rd in SB with less CS than #1 and #2) With numbers like these, we should be at least 20-17.

It seems a few Yankees might be significantly over exceeding 2025 expectations, and I have to wonder about the odds of it continuing: .972 Trent Grisham (.651 in previous 1300 PAs.) .935 Ben Rice (.613 in rookie year in 178 PAs) .879 Goldschmidt (Turns 38 in SEPT and was at .763 from ages 35-36) .759 A Wells (Not out of line for a young player who hit .722 before 2025.) These are their top 4 batters, by OPS after Judge's 1.275. I doubt Fried continues his 1.01 ERA, and I sure wish we had signed him over Buehler, but WTH... Rodon at 2.96 looks doable, going forward, but who knows, whit him? Luke Weaver at 0.59 in 15 IP. Hmmmm....

Top Sox OPS on the farm (80+ PAs) : .906 Anthony- what are we waiting for? .950? .905 Romero- maybe his early hype was not wrong, afterall. .885 A Anderson- maybe early returns were misleading on him, too .883 Toro- getting his shot, now. The leash may be short. .874 Eaton- may never make the big club. .859 Ehrhard- Will the 22 year old be promoted to AA? .858 A Lugo- gotta admit, I don't know much about this 21 y/o kid. .858 F Encarnacion- He's only 20, so maybe .851 A Liendo- I'm not sure I share in enthusiasm on this .844 Arias- starting to show he can do it at the A+ level. Next stop: Portland. .830 Rosier- took a long time to show some life. Was part of Jay Groome for Hosmer trade. .811 Sabol- would have been nice to hit just .711 with BOS. .808 Mayer- seems blocked, right now. .808 Alcantara- seems to be slipping, recently, but is still just 20. .807 Jh Garcia- does he get the AAA call, soon, or maybe when Anthony comes to BOS. .807 N Taylor- not bad for the 22 y/o in A+ ball. .796 Bleis- finally showing some signs of reaching the early hype was given. .790 Binelas- the other guy included in the JBJ and DHam for Renfroe trade. .771 Grandal- will he ever get a chance, if no current catcher gets hurt? How about 1B? .769 Y Rod- apparently has the tools. .767 Grissom- starting to slip from the great start of the season

I was just about to post about this very idea, along with giving Guerrero another look-see.

Thanks, my whole family, all 5 sisters and I, made to his side in time.

MLBTR had this on a some Sox pitcher club options coming up this winter: Buehler: An ace-caliber pitcher early in his career, Buehler hasn’t looked the same since undergoing the second Tommy John surgery of his career in August 2022. His stint in Boston has gotten out to a shaky start. While his 4.28 ERA through 33 2/3 innings is serviceable, he’s striking out just 20.7% of opponents while averaging a personal-low 93.5 MPH on his fastball. Shoulder inflammation sent him to the injured list last week. The mutual option was always an accounting measure designed to push the $3MM buyout to the end of the year rather than disbursing it throughout the season as salary. The team seems likelier to decline its end than the pitcher does. Giolito: By exercising his player option, Giolito unlocked a 2026 option for the team. It’s valued at $14MM and comes with a $1.5MM buyout. If Giolito pitches 140 innings this year, it’d convert to a $19MM mutual option (still with the $1.5MM buyout). That’d give him a chance to test free agency if he wants. Giolito has an uphill battle to 140 frames. A hamstring strain cost him the first month of the season. He finally made his team debut last week, working six innings of three-run ball with seven strikeouts in a no-decision against Toronto. The Rangers tagged him for six runs on 10 hits in just 3 2/3 frames tonight. Hendriks: The Red Sox added Hendriks on a two-year, $10MM deal over the 2023-24 offseason. They knew they wouldn’t get much in year one, as Hendriks had undergone Tommy John surgery the prior August. He attempted to make a late-season return last year but was shut down after a minor flare-up of elbow discomfort. Elbow inflammation shelved him for a couple weeks to begin this season, though he made his team debut in mid-April. Hendriks allowed two runs on three hits in one inning during his first appearance. He has rattled off five straight scoreless outings since then, albeit with four walks in five frames. His 95 MPH average fastball is solid but below the 97-98 range at which he sat during his elite seasons with the White Sox. Also, Duran's arbitration deal contains a ’26 club option with an $8MM base salary. He’d remain eligible for arbitration if the Sox decline the option.

I'm not bragging or anything, because I know I have been wrong enough to not be a bragger, but this one seemed obvious years ago, and I have been bringing it up for many seasons and off seasons.

I'm afraid you might be right. I'm not sure if that's something you can learn or obtain, somehow.

I often think I get a good feel for the team by May, although surprises have often occurred, later in the seasons. I can't really get a reading on this club. I wonder if it's because I just don't want to let go of my preseason optimism or I've been more distracted this past few months, than ever before. I don't want to bring anyone down or unleash anyone's need to express sympathy to me, but I lost both my parents in the last 6 months. I'm in Maine, now, for my 97 year old father's funeral and memorial service. When people say, you never know what it's like until it happens to you, they were right. Nobody does or can prepare you for this.

No words can describe how awful tonight's game was. I got nada.

It's not unheard of to learn a new position during a season, but not by just throwing the guy out there without a few weeks of practice. This should have been done a few off-seasons ago, instead of making empty promises to Devers about long term 3B tenure. I'm not sure Story is the guy to pick to play 3B, out of all our infielders, but I also don't see Campbell or Mayer at 1B. Bregman could be the better 1Bman from the infield, but now we start shuffling a shuffle.

Sorry. I misread your Q. I meant the opposite. Many- practically all won with a high priced FA or more on the roster, including the Sox. My bad.

Sabol hit a couple dingers for Woo, while Wink went 6 scoreless (3H, 0BB, 4K) GRE lost, but Arias went 3-5 w a 2B. SAL lost, but Cohen pitched well. Cespedes 0-4 w 4 Ks. Judice pitched 1/3 IP w 4BB and a Hit