moonslav59

They could go 14 team playoffs, where the top 2 teams get a rest.

They probably do know, but Cora loves to have "flexibility." If someone gets hurt, positions may shift.

I was torn between B+ and B. I think we failed to fill a big need better than adequately and left a position log-jammed. Otherwise, we'd have gotten an A or A-

I could see that. The one doing better starts more and more and goes longer and longer.

I thought about that one. I think they may ease Sandoval into a SP role by being the long man for a while.

I really am okay with adding 2 pitchers and Oviedo just basically replaced the depth we traded away. I still feel like we could have done better than Durbin + IKF, somehow- someway, especially when we have a clear surplus area to deal from. There's always a "what if..." I think we improved the team by more than most here seem to think we did. I'm also not so sure why so many posters seem to think other teams got better. Hell, the Yankee winter stated motto was "Run it back." They did nothing at all. Somehow, the hopes of a returning injured pitcher only works for other teams. The Jays added a couple nice players but lost a couple. The O's were horrible, but suddenly they are going to jump 20 games, because they got Alonso, and we didn't. The Tigers? The Astros? LOL. The M's look good, but their once vaunted rotation is full of questions, now. Did they do anything to get significantly better, this winter? I can sympathize with those who had higher winter expectations, because I am one, too. I had my own idea on what was best, and it included two very good bats minimum, but there are others ways to improve a team. We improved the pitching and defense and look like we got a bit worse on offense, but when you look closely, position by position our offense looks close to the same as 2025's.

Another pivot? Downwards, of course.

Sox SSs drafted since 2004 (top 4 rounds or notables) 2004: Pedroia (#65) 2007: Ryan Dent (62) 2008: Casey Kelly RHP/SS (30) & Derrick Gibson (77) 2009: David Renfroe (107) 2010: Sean Coyle (110) & Garin Cecchini (143) 2011: 5th Rd. Mookie Betts (172) 2012: Deven Marrero (24) 2014: Michael Chavis (26) 2016: CJ Chatham (51) 2019: Cameron Cannon (43) & M Lugo (69) 2021: Mayer (4) 2022: Romero (24) Cutter Coffey (41) & Meidroth (129) 2023: Zanetello (50) A Anderson (83) K Campbell (132) J Riemer (133) 2025: Mason White (118)

Plus, the "throw in" Meidroth.

So, Casas and Romy start the season on the IL, Masa makes the 26, and here is the opening day line-up and roster: Starter: Crochet (#2 Suarez, #3 Gray, #4 Bello, #5 Oviedo) Closer: Chapman (#2 Whitlock, 3 Slaten, 4 Weissert, 5 Crawford, 6. Sandoval, 7 Watson, 8. Moran) 1. L Anthony LF 2. R Story SS 3. L Duran DH 4. R Contreras 1B 5. L Abreu RF 6. R Narvaez C 7. L Mayer 2B 8. R Durbin 3B 9. R Rafaela CF Bench: Wong, Masa, IKF, Monasterio

I'm okay calling Gray "high quality," but I was looking at... Big bat: KMarte, Alonso or Schwarber. Pitcher: Joe Ryan, Lodolo or Suarez. 2B/3B: KMarte (never thought of Neto.) or Paredes. I'd have to say Gray = paredes if not better, so you talked me into it. I was locked into the two bat-one pitcher mentality, and that does not decide who is higher quality than others.

Yes, that year. Neto was a 13th pick in 2022. We picked Teel at #14 in 2023 (not saying a bad pick.) We picked Montgomery at #12 in '24 (another chunk of the Crochet trade.) Witherspoon was a 16th pick. Mayer was the 4th pick! Yorke 17th.

I was a big defender of Gray as a #2 SP'er not a #3, but I don't see him as a #1, like Suarez is. I'm not sure why fangraphs is so high on the older Gray. probably the IP factor. I'm big in ERA- and have moved towards FIP more. 2025 ERA- (150+ IP) 61 Crochet (6th) 75 Suarez (13th) 104 Gray (50th) FIP 2.89 Crochet (5th) 3.21 Suarez (10th) 3.39 Gray (12th) ___________________ 2024-2025 (250+ IP) ERA-: 16th Suarez 79/ 50th Gray 100 FIP: 11th Gray 3.26/ 12th Suarez 3.29

Agreed, and he probably figured it was just for one year. Hell, Bregman was willing to defer to Devers at 3B, and he was awful on D.

If you could, would you sub Gray ($21M) and IKF ($6M) for Bregman ($27M?) I know it's 6 years vs 1, but the AAV is close. (Still make the Durbin trade and have Durbin/Mayer at 2B.)

I could see a Hicks+ Sandlin type deal with Masa, too. We have a logjam of SP'ers and some team must like one of two of our farm arms as much or more than we do. I doubt Uberstine, Cespedes and Masa knock of a lot of millions, but someone like Phillips, Valera or even Holobetz might. I'm not a Masa hater. I think he can hit .775 to .800, this year. That might be a higher OPS than Duran gives us- not that I want him more than Duran. I just think with 4 OF'ers, Romy, Campbell and Casas on the 40, we don't need a DH only guy on the 26. We aren't trading Duran.

I hope you are right, and I'll gladly eat crow on the Mayer & Tolle offer for KMarte. We have all three, now plus Early & Bello. Then, there's that guy named Crochet. Suarez and Gray are not "bumping" Tolle. That would be Oviedo, Crawford or Sandoval.

I went into this winter hoping we focused all or nearly all our resources (money and trade pieces) on just 2 super stars or 3 big additions. I figured 2 signings and one trade was the best way to do it. I called it (high) quality over quantity. We did add 3 major pieces (Suarez, Contreras & Gray) plus Durbin, Oviedo & IKF, but I think only Suarez counts as "high quality." I didn't expect 2 pitchers, when they mentioned how a big bat was a top need. I doubt that was their top plan. Normally, I'm more than fine with adding 2 pitchers to the top of our rotation, and I am with this, but it seems it was at the expense of a big bat. I'm not so sure how big a bat we could have gotten by combining all the pieces and dollars spent on Durbin+ IKF+Oviedo, and it doesn't work out that simply, anyway, but I'd like to have seen Neto, Breggie or KMarte, instead of those three. I might even add Gray to Durbin & IKF to switch our additions. That being said, I think Brez did okay to well, but not great.

That very well could be true, but I think Brez was fine with Suarez as plan 1B. He was a top choice. I do think he felt Breggie was coming back. I don't think that makes Suarez a non top choice kind of signing.

I read the Sox are looking to trade someone like Sandoval to get under the second line, but they may go over it, mid season, if needed.

We got a pretty wishy-washy answer from the higher ups on this. If it was all Brez, than he made what I consider a good mistake by not offering it. I think he knew the risk on how Bregman might age, and didn't want to give it, if he was in fact allowed to give it. I thought our Breggie offer was too much. I'd rather have Suarez. I'd rather have Contreras. had we not gotten Suarez, I'd rather have Gray, too.

Okay. I mistook your point. I do think Suarez was a top choice, unless you count only one top choice. (I think he preferred him to Alonso, Bichette & Schwarber.) I think he really liked and wanted Gray and Contreras and jumped on them early on. Both are no slouches and would have gotten big money as FAs. (Hell, we even got someone else to pay us some salary, for once.)

The Betts loss was totally unforgivable. You just have to make it happen. Period. The long history of Sox and stars reaching free agency under JH has actually not been all that bad, beyond Betts (and maybe Beltre & D Lowe.) We have done well to very well on many departure, especially Jake, Pedro, JD and even getting rid of Manny, AGon, Crawford, Beckett, Price, Beni and others via trade before their times were up. Although Damon did well with the Yanks, I think we did fine without him.

I try to think this is all just hyperbole, but I wonder. Spotrac has us 7th at $256M Lux Tax Dollars in 2025, we were 7th at $249M. In 2024, we were 12th at $226M- about the exact same as 2023. Cots has the opening day player budget only (not AAV) at... $171M 2024 $195M 2025 $191M 2026