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They’re not getting rid of umps; just no longer relying on them to call ball and strikes. You still need an ump at home plate for safe/out calls (and to relay the ball/strike calls to the hitters).

If the plan is Rafaela in CF “as much as possible”, I doubt they re-arrange the OF around Refsnyder that much. There is the possibility another OF is added. The current 40 man is shallow on position player deoth, with only Sabol, Sogard and Jhostnyxon expected beyond the opening day roster. Someone like Grichuk or Laureano could join and push Grissom or Romy to Worcester. Grissom vs Romy as the RHH option at 2b is possible, but I think Grissom gets first shot. All of this could be moot if they move all three of Sandoval, Murphy and Perales to the 60 day IL and use one of those three roster spots to add Campbell. With Romy slugging we’ll vs LHP, he could platoon at DH iI listed SP depth in the order I could think of them and not in the order I expect them called up. I expect Crawford would move out of the bullpen before anyone I listed.

My unofficial/uninformed 2025 opening day roster preview, assuming everyone is healthy, and probably tells you nothing you didn’t already know C - Wong, most likely backed up by Narvaez. Sabol is the only other catcher on the 40 man. Their best backup, Seby Zavala, has not been added to the roster. 1b - Casas 2b - Opportunities here for a few options, notably Hamilton, Grissom, and eventually Campbell. I’m keeping Campbell off the roster solely because he hasn’t been added to the 40 man, yet. Hamilton surprised last year and some in the Sox FO do or did like Grissom. A platoon of those two wouldn’t surprise me. Until Campbell gets the call. 3b - Devers SS - Story, Until he goes down. LF: Duran CF:Rafaela will reportedly start in CF and play “as much as possible.” That might change if he cannot hit and the Sox think Roman Anthony can. I would expect if this is the case, Anthony goes to LF and Duran takes over CF. RF: Abreu/Refsnyder platoon. DH: Yoshida, possibly in a platoon with Romy Gonzalez SP: Crochet, Buehler, Houck, Bello, Giolito. Depth includes Criswell, Dobbins, Priester, Fitts, and eventually Perales and Sandoval. Is Perales starting the year on the 60 day IL? RP: I think 7 spots are locks, going to Hendriks, Chapman, Slaten, Whitlock, Winckowski, Crawford, and Justin Wilson. The last spot is up for grabs from Bernardino, the Zacks (Kelly and Penrod), Murphy, Weissert, and Guerrero. Fitts might belong on this list instead as well. And if Adams or Fulmer gets added once Sandoval goes to the 60 day IL, they are both candidates as well.

No. They still have Judge…

I still think Bregman is in play, not that I like him much. I prefer Laureano to Grichuk, but I could absolutely see Grichuk as a useful addition. For all of this talk of Yoshida playing LF, why? Isn’t that only an issue if the Sox get a 3b that creates a logjam at 1b and DH? Right now, there is no such logjam…

I wouldn’t hold my breath on the closer thing. They already brought in Hendriks and Chapman to replace Jansen and Martin. They may not be ideal replacements, but they are already here. And this is a metrics-run team. Metrics do not value closers anywhere near as highly as fans do. I think just hoping for another bullpen arm is probably too much. The Sox 40 man roster currently has 12 pitchers on the 40 man roster for the bullpen, and that number doesn’t count pitchers like Fitts, Priester, and Criswell whose role is unknown (by me) and didn’t count pitchers on MiLB deals like Fulmer and Austin Adams. Im not sure any more arms are hopping on board besides some minor league deals or organizational depth. At least not until they have move some bodies to the 60 day IL…

i wouldn't trade Mayer for Miller. The Sox current starting shortstop usually ends his season before May Day ; Mayer might be needed. I won't be devasted if Breslow actually makes that trade, however. But I doubt its on anyone's radar besides this board. I could see the need of getting another good RP through the trade market, however.

And his poor 2024 means nothing pertaining to Butler, whose career could either flatline or take off. But right now the A’s are averaging 60 wins over the last 3 years, which probably makes it the wrong time to have a closer as your best player. It’s like buying the top of the line camping trailer when you have no car. There is a chance might not like Mayer or they do like one of their internal potential solutions shortstop (having take 3 shortstops in the first round of the last 5 drafts); they might prefer pitchers. Or outfielders. But if they want to deal Miller - and they probably should consider it strongly - a con census top ten prospect that plays shortstop is a pretty damn good return. They might initially ask for Anthony, but if the counteroffer is Mayer, I think they accept. And I also don’t think thats a bad deal for them…

I doubt either of them is ever a plus at first base. But the goal was to upgrade the infield defense, even if that upgrade only takes place at 3b. It wouldn’t surprise me if Devers was a better defensive first baseman than Casas. What would surprise me is if he morphed into Youkilis at that position…

True, although I wouldn’t write Gelof off after one bad year either…

It doesn’t have to end the conversation. They base it on projected performance and projected salary. What’s your basis? What do you think it would take for Boston to pry Miller out of Sacramento?

You need a winning team to enjoy a closer. Meanwhile the A’s did have one of the most exciting hitters in the second half last year who looks more like the type of young star you build around…

Hey I just reported their results. Is there any reason you’re opinion on the subject should be given superior credence?

I did check BTV. They say Oakland would be stupid to reject Mayer for Miller Of corse, they might not want a shortstop…

Jurassic World? The World According to Garp?

I hope they don’t expect more for a closer than a top ten prospect…

The simplest way to remember is it if you’re dealing with countable nouns. If so, than use fewer. Fewer pitchers. Fewer hits. Fewer dollars. Fewer errors. Less is for those uncountable nouns. Less effort. Less attitude. Less money (see “fewer dollars” above)

About time on Wagner, the undersized kid who threw 100mph with his weak arm…

It’s going to come down to how many injuries they have and how well they can overcome them. The difference between 85 wins and 90 wins isn’t that much. It’s like saying this team isn’t going to win 55% of their games. 52% tops…

Like Shugart…

These projections have Ernie Clement outperforming Trevor Story and Bo Bichette (off a 0.3 fWAR season) outperforming Jarren Duran (off of a 6.7 fWAR season)…

That’s becoming the case with too many teams. I don’t like the financial buckshot the Dodgers are doing, but not because the Sox won’t; I don’t like it because too many teams can’t. Teams like Pittsburgh, Sacramento, Tampa, etc are running out of reasons to bother trying any more.

Sam Kennedy painted the window shut…

Good early in the contract is best case for most free agents. The whole “our window isn’t open yet” feels like a self-fulfilling excuse. It turns into an endless cycle of “Our window to win won’t open until we get good players.” “But we shouldn’t get good players until we’re in a position to win.” Just get the good players and make your own window…

Maybe they were tight. But that open doors that Ohtani knowingly gave him money to gamble with. And, yes, that could absolutely be a big deal. Of course that is just speculation. But there was always a lot of questions about this that were just accepted too quickly…