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Trading fringey 40 man players before the draft is tougher simply because every team has the same limit in the number of roster spots. Even Miami and Pittsburgh are not so eager to dedicate 40 man roster spots to Sogard types ahead of their own prospects. On soxprospects, the Sox have 38 spots filled. They also still have numerous players still listed as being on the 60 day IL, several of whom are strong candidates to be added, including Houck, Crawford, Dobbins, Sandoval, Casas, Guerrero and Mayer and some fringey ones including Winckowski, Criswell and Grissom. (Criswell feels like the most likely add of these three, but they might DFA him and try to re-sign him to an MiLB deal.) But several roster spots will open up after the World Series when players declare free agency. Bregman, Refsnyder, Matz, Giolito, May, and Wilson will do this. In early December, the Sox likely add Sandlin and no one else. The long shot might be Noah Song, who is now about 28 years old but did climb through the minors fairly quickly last year. There is no roster crunch….

The Brewers had the best record in MLB and have an extremely cheap $8mill team option for Peralta. If he is available, it won’t be until July 31st. Ryan has already been available. I see no reason for that to change…

If the Sox tender Casas, Hes likely in the mix. Especially if he’s not ready opening day. I don’t think teams use the “can’t count on strategy” like it gets thrown around here. If they offer him a deal, which means in many cases, they’re offering him MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, they clearly are counting on him. The Red Sox didn’t offer Roman Anthony numerous millions of dollars so they could not rely on him being a productive hitter. Hes one of the “two big bats” everyone says the Sox need. Book it. As for Casas and his injury history, not sure what folks expect. I’m sure the Sox will sign someone to replace him, but it’s going to be unexciting, like Abraham Toro unexciting. Players like Rhys Hoskins and Josh Bell are less likely to sign MiLB deals and wait for injuries…

It’s hard to envision a Duran for SP trade, since teams that want Duran plan on compete ing and teams that plan on competing rarely trade SP. But last year, KC dealt Singer for (suspected?) offense. Dealing directly, I could see both Cincy and KC dealing SP for hitting. Both very likely hold their respective aces - Greene and Ragans. If that’s the case, Kris Bubic from KC is almost definitely available, as he has one year left. Lodolo with 2 years and better pitches is a good Plan A with Bubic as Plsn B. In no way would I deal Duran straight up for Bubic. Maybe Lodolo. BTV also likes a trade of Duran to the Dodgers for Dalton Rushing and Emmit Sheehan. The Dodgers have no CF and too many catchers, so it makes some sense for them. In that deal, I flip Sheehan for a veteran SP (Tanner Bibee, Mackenzie Gore, Effin Joe Ryan)…

Casas might still in the 1b/DH picture at the moment. But there’s been no public discussion of his future. While I doubt it happens, he could be non-tendered. Theres also the question of his return date. Supposedly on track for the start of the season. But that hasn’t budged from his initial timeline and felt like a boilerplate answer…

Zero chance Duran moves to 1b…

Right, Fred. The Sox got all those wins by luck…

And the Sox could sign Suarez and Suarez and have even worse health and not make the playoffs. Given the age of one Suarez and the recent history of the other, that wouldn’t be a surprising outcome. The Sox first order of business is to replace whats leaving and get back to the status quo. It might be Bregman and Gio, and I only consider that possibility because it was before. The Sox aren’t likely to fulfill our off-season plans. I see them needing 4 players (SP, 1b/DH, 2b/3b, and RP). I’m probably wrong. Their final plan will probably look nothing like that. But I think I see a lot of grandiose plans that the Sox NEED a co-ace with Crochet and they NEED a 40 HR hitter and they NEED a slugging first baseman with power and when I see how this team struggled to hit, pitch and field, just he the f*** did they ever win 89 games?

Bichette would be a nice fit. Ok Hes never hit 30HRs. But I mean, he has hit 29. Is that close enough? Not to mention, he’d be replacing Alex Bregman, a man who has never hit 30HRs without the aid of Neanderthal Trashcan Thumping. If the goal is to add a 40 home run hitter, that leaves Alonso and Schwarber as the only candidates. I’m assuming (unsafely?) Dombrowski will not let Schwarber walk. Alonso? I have no problem with him on a 5 year deal. I’d prefer 5 years of Alonso over 5 years of Bregman. But I think Bregman is more likely. After all, the Sox did have this exact same choice last year and chose Bregman…

Yes that was my point - why add players that are not upgrades? Springer has a terrific season in 2025, but Toronto signed him in 2021. And for 648 games before this year, Springer was worth 9.6 bWAR, averaged 22 HRs per year with an OPS+ of 112 and played below average defense per DRS, UZR and OAA. All that for $100million. For the last two plus years, that’s less than what the Sox have been getting out of Wilyer Abreu. The Sox have had chances to spend, and Springer looks like he might have been a better investment than Trevor Story. But going after him after 2020 to replace Betts just supports what Ive always said about free agency - it’s PR. Springer was no Betts and for the first 4 years of his latest contract, wasn’t even Wilyer Abreu. But he would have cost money. I will give you this - Springer does meet your lower strikeout criterion…

Bichette at 2b makes the most sense for Boston of any non-pitcher free agent. Hopefully he doesn’t mind the move.

Especially since they got shut down completely by the worst one they faced - Bryce Miller On the Road…

Why not? A full season of Bregman, Gio, Anthony and Mayer, likely or not, would definitely be an upgrade over the partial seasons each one gave to a team that still managed to win 89 games. Just because it didn’t get a title in 2025 doesn’t mean it’s a lock to fail in 2026. The 2024 Blue Jays were far from successful, and no one on the planet considers their biggest offseason move - a trade for Andres Gimenez - to be this Earth-shattering move that put them over the top. No one looked at that 2025 last place team and thought “what they need is a good defensive but light-hitting infielder to fill that void in the ninth spot of the batting order. And by ‘light hitting’, I mean he hits as of his bat was made of a beam of light.” The Sox need 4 and possibly 5 players. But if Bregman and Gio return, it doesn’t necessarily kill anything. Even Nate Lowe could have a positive impact. H(He did win a Silver Slugger at 1b…

Maybe but there is a greater than zero chance they think Vientos sucks, or at least is an inadequate replacement for Alonso…

Of the typical big spenders, Alonso makes sense for the Red Sox, Mets, Giants, Phillies, and Angels.

It was the postseason, so Cora was obviously quicker with the hook. But on its own, Bello’s start was not some sort of horror show. 4 hits and a walk is 2.1 IP isnt good but if that’s the BAD outing I keep hearing about, why is no one mentioning the 1.2 IP 3H 2BB bomb from Garrett Whitlock later that night?

Both could be. Neither should be. Non-tender candidates that should worry include Lowe, Wong and Winckowski…

The Washington deal makes very little sense. Trading for Duran is a “NOW” move. But dealing Gore is a building for the future strategy…

It’s like Arthur Hunnicutt came back from the dead to post on Talk Sox…

The Clickbait Press is suggesting Casas (plus?) for Sandy Alcantara.

Me. Hunter Greene for Jarren Duran and Brandon Clarke? I’m in. Clarke is a BA Top 100 prospect with the added bonus for Cincy of not requiring a 40 man roster spot…

None of that helps his trade stock right now. If the Sox get their RHH power bat at 1b, Casas could become the DH. But right now, we don’t even know when he is coming back. And given his last two seasons ended with injuries that occurred doing mundane baseball activities plus he’s now arbitration eligible, who knows where he stands. There are currently articles on this forum about whether or not Crawford and Houck deserve raises through the arbitration process. How is Casas different? (I actually assume a Casas article is forthcoming.)

That can happen at 3b as well. Especially since the lineup cards are filled out by a platoonaholic…

Trade Casas for what? His stock is so low it could limbo under a rug!

Alonso wants 7 years, but the list of 31yo first basemen to get 7 year deals is pretty small. 1. End of list. Freddie Freeman did get a 6 year deal at age 32, which is the closest precedent, but Freeman is a future HOF whereas Alonso is not. Given that Alonso struggled to get an acceptable deal last off-season at 1 year younger, I have my doubts about anyone giving him 7 years this year at one year older, and I don’t think the lack of a QO this year (he’s ineligible) is going to make up the difference. Five years? Maybe. If it comes down to 34yo Suárez at 2yrs $40mill or Alonso at 5yrs $125mill, I take Alonso. The problem with the longer deals is usually the last year or two of decline. I think it makes more sense to pay Alonso for ages 31 through 35 than pay Suarez for ages 34 and 35 alone. You save money with Suarez, but only by not getting the younger and presumably more productive years…