moonslav59

We should not lose more games to injury than 2025. Remember, Houck was our #2 in February, Buehler was our #3, Crawford was our #5 or 6. Guys like Gio & Dobbins were rarely talked about in positive light. Bello was our #4 or 5 in FEB. We were also kinda counting on Hendriks and Sandoval to make an appearance near the deadline. While nobody was drooling over the return of Casas, he did off some hope. We lost Devers to trade, and Bregman, Anthony, Mayer and Abreu to injuries in '25, too. You call is based on more injuries in '26 than '25? Okay, if that happens, maybe, but why not think some guys will be back from injury? Maybe even more than how many get hurt.

He did trade 5 pitchers (w no everyday players) for Contreras & O'Neill.

BTV also accepts Early for Shaw- plus we can always just add DHAM! (LOL)

I haven't been to Fenway in many years, but I'm never cancelling my NESN subscription.

I'm saying we haven't drafted for a need (pitching) despite knowing we've needed pitching for over 20 years. notin was saying we don't know what we'll need in 2-4 years. I'd say we knew all too well.... and for more than 2-4 years.

More importantly, the downgrade from .827 Alonso to .817 Willson moved us from ring contention to 4th place in the ALE.

I might say 33%, so we are not far off on the pessimism spectrum on this one.

I didnt bring it up in the post you responded to. You brought it back up.

How did you take the word "adjust?"

Plus, the team is higher rated than last winter and spending $50M more than 2024. As much as I wished/wish we'd do more, it's hard to whip up massive rebellion when these two facts are standing front and center. We should win more than 2025. We shoulda got even better, but we do look better, now.

I'm kinda glad Brez wasn't "interested in" Ranger.

I'm not sure the Cubs want to trade for a "down-the-road guy like Witherspoon, even if they really like him alot. The Tolle for Saw deal looks like a possibility. (Add DHam... LMAO!)

Well, the Sox did for about 20 years, but your point is well-taken.

I'd say maybe they can be combined: he wont get the guy he wants most in winter or at the deadline.

I know the SFG situation was different. I acknowledge that, so "not seeing that" is another wrong assumption. Oh, and by the way, he wasn't so willing to get ready to play 1B so quickly with them, too. He missed a workout session at 1B as he shuffled his selfish feet, all along. Differing opinions, even when astounding are fine with me, but pretending posters don't understand your point because they disagree is a problem for some, yes.

"He expressed his feelings. John did the same thing," Cora said. "I think the most important thing here is we're trying to accomplish something big here. And obviously there's changes on the roster, situations that happened, and you have to adjust.... The plan is to keep having conversations..." Oh, so I suppose this means to you, "Management needs to adjust to the Devers demands and wishes. We need to keep talking to him so he can help us adjust and do as he says by going out and getting a 1Bman, instead of asking politely for him to play there for the team's good." Okay. I got your position down. It's so obvious the "changes on the roster" was the Casas injury. It's so obvious that the "have to adjust" meant changing the idea of Devers as the FT DH to playing 1B was what Cora, Brez and JH wanted or at worst came to a consensus about. One other major point about wanting to adjust the roster to improve the team involved finding a place for Anthony to play, and Anthony at 1B was not going to be an option. Anthony at DH was part of the whole "getting batter" mantra.

Wow, it was 20. Freaking insane. You know they went into it thinking 20.

I like the IFK deal, if we add a 3B/2Bman like the ones mentioned. I'm done with DHam. He's good at 2B defense ONLY. he's a fine base-runner, but he can't get on base enough, even against RHP'ers only. That is not worthy of a 26 man slot on a playoff team. He could start for some teams and be okay, I guess. I like Sogard, Eaton and DHam as minor league depth, and if the rest of the 26 is fine, I'm okay with one on the bench, but two is pushing it. With guys like masa and Casas pushing for slots and sucking on defense, our other 3 bench slots are important. With Story and Mayer's injury histories, this need is further highlighted.

Self flagellation

Yes, I like the "best player available" approach, but we obviously took the "best pitcher" instead, recently, and I'm okay with sometimes doing that, but to me, it's time to balance more, while still keeping a focus on pitching. Remember that year the Angels took like 13 pitchers with their top 13 picks?

Brandon Lowe woulda been nice. The guy hits like 1150 at Fenway, too. I thought Polanco was affordable, but maybe he's not good enough on D for these guys. Donovan might have been expensive, but it was prospects and not Duran or Abreu needed to get him. Yes, he's a LHB, but so is DHam. I think Shaw or Hoerner can be acquired. I still think Paredes will be traded somewhere in the next week or two. The options are dwindling, but still there.

Brez is leading the league towards the new fad. Hmmm....

I thought hearing things over and over = truth for you.

Well, I did give the quote where Cora agreed that Devers was needed at 1B.

We have some trade chips to fix the problem. If it's about money, we could make a trade that adds no money or even saves us some. There is no reason to think we can't make a major addition to help. It won't be KMarte, but I do think we'll be a top 5-6 contender with Paredes, Hoerner or maybe Shaw, Baty or someone like them. I had hopes of getting to top 3-4, but 5 or 6 gives us a shot.