moonslav59

Did you guys see what Nate Lowe was traded for? (Robert Garcia.) Here is a 29 year olf 1Bman, who actually stays pretty healthy and has a 124 OPS+ since 2022 (1934 PAs) Casas has a 125 OP+ in 840 PAs since 2022 and turns 25, soon. Okay, he's 4 years younger, but he sucks on D and should be a DH. (Nate Lowe has 2 arbs left/Casas has 3 after this season's pre-arb year. Again, I don't want to trade Casas, but let's not think finding another decent 1B man will be super hard or costly. This is part of the reason the trade value of Casas seems so low. Christian Walker signed for $60M/3.

I'm not going into the "so what?" JH has shown he won't go over the first line. Until I see him do it, I won't assume the second line is okay to pass.

I don't think JH is planning on selling the team in the next 5-6 years, so he will want the extra year of control at a lower cost. He will not spend anymore if we just play DHam, Romy or Grissom to play 1B for 5-6 weeks to start the season. If the choice is Grichuk va starting Anthony opening day, JH might still save more by giving Anthony an extra year 5 years from now, or at least it will be close. He would have to pay to replace Anthony a year earlier. I'd love to see RA and KC starting on opening day. Anthony seems to hit LHPs, well, and Campbell is a RHB. 1. L Duran LF 2. R Campbell 2B 3. L Casas 1B 4. L Devers 3B 5. L Anthony (CF v RHP and RF v LHPs) 6. L Abreu RF v RHPs/ R Story SS v LHPs 7. L Yoshida v RHPs DH/ Refsnyder DH v LHPs 8. R Story SS v RHPs/ R Rafaela CF v LHPs 9. R Wong-Narvaez C That looks pretty awesome, to me.

.514 vs LHPs is not easy to overlook or let slide. He does need some chances vs LHPs to show he can get better, but if we want to win in 2025, he should not start vs any LHPs, if we can help it.

He did only make one charged error at SS after July 31st (23 games,) but I'm not sure how many missed DPs or non-error mistakes happened after this date. Maybe I'm being too harsh. He won't be the FT SS, so I think he is what he is at SS, and probably won't get better, since he won't get the reps needed to get much better. He's pretty good at 2B. He's great in CF, despite too many unforced errors. He should be really good in RF.

I think JH will hold off adding Campbell, as well as Anthony and Mayer, until they add a year of service time. (I think that will be early May.) He saves money, this way- nuff said. In this light, we should start the season with DHam and Grissom or Romy as a 2B platoon. Who knows: maybe one does great and increases his trade value or allows us to play Campbell somewhere else. To me, Anthony and Campbell seem ML Ready enough to start on opening day. They are not sure bet, instant stars, so we keep a significant back-up(s) around, for a while, but everyone has options, so that is easy.

To me, our weakest areas, in order are.... 1. A lockdown closer (Scott? Helsley for 1 year?) 2. Catcher (Sean Murphy? Caratini for 1 year?) 4. 3B Defense (Arenado or Bregman are 2 names being discussed) 5. RH bat with some power and OBP skills (Arenado, Bregman, Grichuk and ____?) 6. 1B defense (not happening)

Bregman was never "the guy" I wanted, but we need to find a way to upgrade some of our weakest areas. I'd rather we sign Scott to less AAV and 4-5 years than Bregman to 7 or 8 years, but our team lacks all around everyday players, sucks at 3B defense and needs help vs LHPs. Bregman checks all 3 boxes. No doubt, it would be a knee jerk reaction move, but he'd improve the team, day one, in 2-3 areas. As for blocking Mayer and Campbell, if both turn out to be worthy of being a FT starter, Campbell could play OF, until Story gets hurt or his contract ends. We could also try to trade Story plus some cash for Sean Murphy.

I would never suggest we go over the second tax line, like I think these deals would do. I'm not sure we would even go over the first line, this year.

I really do not want to trade Casas, but getting Helsley and an extension would make me not feel so dirty. Also, dumping Yoshida gets me listening to any trade offer, not that he is being mentioned here. Would you trade Rafaela, Cespedes & Fitts for Arenado & Helsley and no cash? (I think we'd be barely under the tax line with little wiggle room.)

I agree. I doubt we are even talking to Scott's agent. To me, Chapman (LHP) and Hendriks/Slaten (RHPs) would make ideal set-up men, and turnour pen from a minus to a plus with just a Scott signing. Since we are dead set against playing Devers at 1B, Romy is the only other guy who can play there, unless you want your catcher playing 1B (Wong.) I've not given up on Grissom, but I kinda like a DHam-Romy platoon at 2B, while the other is the IF utility guy for that game, better than Grissom-DHam. I know you want DHam starting the year at AAA, but I think his speed, 2B defense and ability to hold his own vs RHPs makes him worthy of a slot on the 26. As for a better 4th OF''er. I like Anthony getting a long look in 2025. If he fails, go OF hunting at the deadline.

Getting Helsley with Arenado would be great, but he's only got one year left of control. I'm not sure Casas for Arenado + some cash and Helsley would be worth it, but STL does not want to pay a lot of cash. They would not want Yoshida or Gio or Story. Rafaela is owed $48M at $6.25 AAV, but now we are giving up even more, and for what? A one year window? Now, if Helsley extended I'd think about it, but like the Bregman deal, NOT TO PLAY ARENADO at 1B!

He is among the "best of the best," now, but he won't be, soon. I'm not upset about not outbidding the Yanks on him, specifically, but I might rather have him that spend close to the same AAV on Buehler & Sandoval, every season for 8 years. I said in another post that only the Kikuchi deal looks like a clear contract I'd have offered more, but maybe he'd have said no, anyway. I'm thinking I would overpay for Scott, because he might only need a 4 or 5 year offer- not 7-8 years.

Do you think adding Bregman to play 3B and moving Yoshida/Ref to a LF platoon ruins the gains we make at 3B defense and with a RHB added? Casas and Devers share 1B/DH duty. When Devers fills in at 3B or one of Casas or devers rests or gets hurt, Yoshida or Ref can DH. I realize they don't want to hurt Devers' feelings, but this should be about building a stronger team, not our star's feelings.

I could see Rafaela playing RF vs LHPs, as Abreu sits. Duran plays CF v L and Ref plays LF. I don't mind Rafaela at 2B, especially once Anthony gets a look, but I'd avoid ever playing him at SS, unless it's an emergency or some late inning shuffle is needed, due to an injury or PH.

On the surface, I do NOT think the Sox have a high priority need in the OF, but we do need a RHB w OBP skills and some power. Suzuki checks both boxes, but he is a minus -5 on OAA ('22-'24) and 20th in DRS at +1. He would end up in LF, where we already are all set and overloaded. He's owed $19M x 2, but his tax hit is $17M x 2. If we traded Rafaela for him, it would cost us less than $11M on the tax line and since Rafaela had many years left, would cost less in total monet, to us ($38M to $48M.) The Cubs might want more, such as Rafaela + Fitts or maybe Crawford, instead. Hard pass, for me.

Exactly. We played Ref in LF and Duran in CF vs LHPs, many times in 2024. We used O'Neill in RF and Rafaela at SS in many of those games, but a flip is easy enough. We also have Anthony and Campbell beating down the door, at any minute. I get a one year deal not being such a biggie, but let's spend what we have left on a closer or someone that is a major upgrade over what we have, now.

He is not "THE GUY" I wanted, either, but he is still good on O (122 OPS+ last 4-5 years) and good D, at a position our D sucks- 3B. He placed 6th in OAA in '24 (+6) He was +8 in '22 and +2 in '23. DRS: 5th in '24 (+6), 5th in '23 (+5) and 12th in '22 (-4)

Martin had one of the best RP'er seasons among Sox pitchers in the 50+ years I have been watching. Maybe top 10, although WAR does not show that, due to lower IP than some way back in the day. 7th best FIP and 2nd best ERA- since '72.

It seems like the HOU roadtrip is always in August, as is the Fenway series. The ballpark is very nice and worth a visit. Seats in the nose bleed sections are under $25, and we often move down to on field level by the mid innings. I've been to TBR (the opening day blown save loss by the closer by committee game.) ATL, TEX, HOU, MIL (old County Stadium,) TOR, CHC (not Red Sox game) and I have a sister in PIT and hope to line-up a trip there, one day. Our daughter lives in NY, so maybe one day...

My season ending power rankings: 1. KC 15-2 2. DET 15-2 3. BUF 13-4 4. PHI 14-3 5. MIN 14-3 6. BALT 12-5 7. GB 11-6 8. WSH 12-5 9. LAC 11-6 10. HOU 10-7

We have the 12th best OPS guy since 2022 (Devers at .866) and the 29th best, too (Casas at .830.) Duran is 43rd and has 65 SBs in 1207 PAs. From 2023-2024, we have 3 batters in the top 30 in OPS w700+ PAs: .860 Devers .838 Casas .832 Duran You mentioned OBP, something that used to matter to Theo's Red Sox, perhaps more than anyone else, except Billy Beane's A's, and we do lack some, in that area. With 30 teams, we should have one in the top 30 and 2 in the top 60. Here is what we have since 2023: 28. Casas .357 (Barely one in the top 30) 34. Devers .353 (2 points from top 30) 56. Duran .343 59. Yoshida .343 (4 in the top 60 is two better than average.) If you lower the PA cut off to 550: 22. Refsnyder .363, 29. Casas .353, 35. Devers .352, 58. Duran .343 and 61. Yoshida .343 (5 in the top 61.) Who is out there? 12. Yandy Diaz (trade) .375 (He also kills LHPs, but plays 1B.) 15. Guerrero .371 (trade and also 1Bman) 24. Suzuki .361 (trade) FA: 32. Profar .354, 68. Bregman .341. 89. Grichuk .331

Yes, for $28M and one year more. I do think our offer was fair, but we will never get one of the best of the best until we overpay what is "fair."

Tell me something I don't know. I know the Sox will not move these guys to other positions, but I'm not sure why it seems to bug you that I complain about it, while you repeat the same complaints against the FO, over and over, too- as do others. One of my pet peeves is defense, maybe it's because that was about all I could do well in organized baseball. Yes, Devers, Casas and Yoshida are "here for their bats," and I'm not talking about trading them (other than the hundred or so Yoshida trade suggestions, lol.) Keep Casas and Devers bats in FT roles. If they alternate at 1B and DH, we cannot be any worse on D at 1B, and maybe we can keep them fresher, more healthy and get them more PAs in a season by DH'ing them 70-90 games a year. By adding a RHB who can play plus defense at 3B, we can solve two issues with one move, like a Bregman signing or Arenado trade. If the FO is dead set against trading, DFA'ing or benching Yoshida, then fine. I'd rather lessen the LF defense and improve the 3B defense, while improving the offense, as Bregman or Arenado would essentially turn Rafaela from a FT CF/RF'er to the 4th OF'er. That would greatly improve our bench and bench flexibility. I know the FO is not listening to this idea. I'm not even sure they even discussed it, seriously. They may want to do it, but will never admit it, because they want to keep Devers happy, and why upset him, at least until you actually make the move, You don't need to keep telling me that it ain't happening. I know it full well. I disagree, and I will say it, when someone brings up the issue. Someone asked, "Who is left that is good on D and O," so I brought up Bregman as a 3Bman, only. It was relevant. Keeping Devers happy does have value. I could easily be misjudging just how much it would upset him, if we moved him (and Casas to DH, halftime.) Devers could still play some games at 3B, when the addition needs rest or gets hurt. I doubt a 1B/DH timeshare by Devers and Casas will need many days off, but when one does, or Devers is at 3B, then Yoshida could DH, those games.

Lorenzen signs for $7M/1 w KCR. No loss to us. Gavin Lux traded to CIN for an OF prospect. Bregman and Scott still unsigned. Arenado still not traded. Cartaya's time is nearly up for a trade after being DFA'd by LAD.