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San Fran has already stated they’re not open to Adames. I think that is odd given his salary jump next year, but then they do seem to have issues attracting free agents lately. If BTV undervalues Rushing, it’s likely based on some site’s projections. Projecting a player’s future performance is beyond an inexact science, but it’s not exactly baseless either. Would you deal Arias for Rushing?

The Mets need lots of things but figure to be unloading contracts and not acquiring any this month. There are contending teams that could use him. St. Louis leaps to mind, ironically. Pittsburgh and San Diego as well…

I didn’t even name a DH and only said FA looks like an awful place to shop for one. Doubtful either Duran or Yoshida are on this team next year. Duran might not be on it next month. Rushing is preferable over Quero and might even be available and has reportedly been on Breslow’s radar before. But writing off Quero based on 170 PA at age 23 is beyond premature, especially since he has hit well at every previous level, and might be about the ceiling for a Chapman trade. If Early wasn’t injured, I would certainly consider him straight up for Rushing (assuming Smith comes back) and think that’s a fair deal on its own. BTV values Rushing roughly equal to Mayer, which does make some sense for LA given their weaker middle infield prospects and I’m willing to bet the rest of MLB hasn’t given up on Mayer just yet. I’d do that one, too, but LA likely holds on to Rushing until the off-season. Tolle plus for Rushing is madness. Another possible improvement might be Yokohama Bay Stars’ Shugo Maki, the 28yo 2b with a .854 OPS in NPB who is eligible for posting. No idea if he wants to try MLB. He should be a step up over Siegler/Romy…

Are we sure Breslow isn’t listening to other people? Maybe his biggest flaw is he can’t discern good advice from bad advice..,

What about Semien, who is still owed some $46mill after this season? Or Lindor, who is going to Cooperstown, but is also already 32 and owed some $34 mill annually until 2032? And they still have $40mill commited next year to mediocrities like Sean Manaea and Kodai Sengai. Cohen might have the money but this is the worst use of a nine digit budget since Mars Needs Moms…

I’ve been complaining about trading Priester for about a year now for the exact reasons you stated; he was just dealt for no reason and the Sox had very little behind him. Harrison netted us a starting infielder and another player who looks like a useful bench guy. Not enough? Fair, but a different point. As for Dobbins, Fitts, Perales, etc. I think the Sox did fine in those trades. And Breslow did add Bennett, who has been better than any pitcher Breslow dealt away this off-season except Harrison…

This Sox season is an exception to the norm. How many other teams in MLB history have a run differential of 7 but are 11 games under .500? And is Milwaukee the exception? Three of six highest scoring teams are Pitt, Milwaukee and Minnesota. Four of the bottom six include the Mets, Padres, Giants and Blue Jays. How many sole exceptions are necessary to prove there is no magic formula?

And that the Sox don’t have any 8 figure deals that go beyond 2027…

Despite that I really wanted Soto, the Mets are the epitome of why I think the hired mercenary approach can be truly horrific. But in the bright side, Juan Soto got all that money and still gets an extra month of vacation…

But as unpopular as Ben was, Dombrowski wanted to keep him and was apparently shocked Ben quit. And he did fill the role after Ben left...

Ben was the only one that quit on his own…

C - Hopefully someone the Sox don’t have yet. Ive always felt Narvaez’ ceiling was defense-only starter/elite BUC. My oft-mentioned Dalton Rushing target is unlikely, although he is blocked for the next several years. I find myself wondering if Edgar Quero (CWS) is available. If he is on the table for Chapman, hopefully Breslow pounces. 1b - Contreras trade is possible but unlikely. I doubt Breslow wants some sort of full blown rebuild when adding a bat or two might be enough. 2b - Story? I prefer him here. Some pundits are tossing out Jarren Duran/Jordan Lawler swaps as well. SS- Mayer. Like him or not, they held him for a reason. 3b/LF/CF/RF We know the names. DH - I think unless Yoshida goes all Tony Gwynn for the next 3 months, he’s going to be relegated to the bench or waiver wire. Tjis is the biggest chance to add thump, and it’s not going to de someone acquired in July. And hopefully not some dreg from the free agent “talent” pool this off-season…

Does that mean you will be dormant until October? Or does it mean that if the Sox were having the season the Brewers we’re having, you’d still be dissatisfied?

And we gave the Brewers their starting rotation? A tad melodramatic. They do have one pitcher we sent them starting this year, and he isn’t even their best starter. Priester has 0 IP so far. And that rotation is anchored by some guy that can throw 105 mph. Harrison has been terrific and is a likely All Star, but the Brewers have a good all around pitching staff that includes - and this is shocking for July - a relief pitcher that leads the NL in wins…

The Sox are ok for SP depth. Sandoval is due off the IL soon. Bello isn’t dead yet. Oviedo and Crawford might come back at some point. Harrison is a loss, but Bennett has worked out and it turns out, Durbin might actually be pretty good. Priester was needlessly traded but hasn’t been a factor tjis year for Milwaukee either. One extremely positive sign is so far, we have seen almost no games started by openers. And the few we have seen were not because no starters were available, but rather to get around Bello’s first inning hiccups. Now our bullpen depth on the other hand…

While fans like star power - often for good reason - it’s very possible to have a good offense without it. Who is the star power leading the Brewers’ offense, for example? Please don’t say Yelich and his .727 OPS. Does 22yo Jackson Chourio count? Or their true best hitter this year - Jake Bauers? Can you imagine if Breslow built the offense around a 22yo and a career bench/platoon bat?

Slaten has been injured and mediocre since his rookie year and probably why thinking every Rule 5 RP is the next Whitlock is a weak way to fortify the bullpen. While teams occasionally leave some serious talent unprotected, most players are left unprotected for a reason, which is why none of us regret losing Thad Ward any more…

As much as people complain about losing Harrison, how much better is he than Bennett? If the Sox had kept Harrison and dealt Perales for Durbin, what’s the net change?

Handier than Contreras and Gray?

It was actually the same situation in Boston sand SF. Both teams had much better gloves at 3b. Both teams asked him to play DH and 1b. He did so in SF with no experience, whereas in Boston he whined about having “to play every position.” Whether or not it weakens the DH position is immaterial if Devers is still in the lineup. The Sox lineup would have looked better with Devers (1b) and Yoshida (DH) than it would have with Devers (DH) and Abraham Toro (1b)…

The lineup that faced the Yankees featured too much Romy, Eaton, Refsnyder, etc. and little to no Anthony and Abreu. Was that lineup a bigger concern than using a struggling Bello to start game two after Quinn Priester was needlessly traded? And then followed with Connelly Early (with all of 14 career IP) starting game 3? The Sox lineup last year lost Bregman and Lowe/Toro and replaced them with Contreras and Durbin. Upgrade, downgrade or status quo? Bear in mind that the lineup post Devers scored 4.84 RPG, down from 4.86 RPG with Devers. Some (too many?) sophomore slumps coupled with an absolutely horrific season from Duran and Story trying to play injured are bigger culprits here. And who was the new big bat going to replace? Duran or Anthony? And I am fairly certain in February no one knew of Anthony’s injury and Duran’s struggles…

Did he? There was much more talk about Abreu as the potential breakout star. If anything, Anthony was miscast as a leadoff hitter solely because of his ability to draw walks. While I think the Sox need a leadoff hitter, did anyone anywhere so much as imply Anthony would carry the team from that role?

They kind of needed to trade Duran if the plan was to acquire a “big bat.” And cries that they “overvalued him” always come from the same people who get critical f the Sox don’t get enough back in trades…

Calling Anthony a flop is just either ignorant or short-sighted and any national broadcaster saying that is clearly an idiot. Hes 22 years old , has 433 plate appearances and a career OPS .804. Thats not flopping by any means and anyone saying so clearly had much higher expectations. Odd that you say you don’t like the expectations put on Anthony but you clearly side with the ones who have them. And if your comeback is you only care about this year, calling a player a flop based solely on 130 PA is even worse. Fun point - never answered whose expectations? Ours? Why does that bother anyone? Breslow’s? I could see the issue but I don’t know what his expectations were. This off-season the front office seemed to talk up Abreu as their potenetial breakout star more than Anthony. The WBC guys loved Anthony, but who cares? That impacted nothing and he backed everything up in that tournament anyway…

And what exactly were those expectations and from whom? And if your only problem was expectations, why did you repeatedly call him a flop and “Little Anthony” and refuse any positive commentary on him?