Nick

Your BUDGET is based on cash payroll basis yet you throw out there $240M budget which in reality is measured on luxury tax payroll basis. Mixing your financials partly cash and partly accrual? Confusing.

I enjoy following this team with the additions of Crochet, Chapman, Bregman along with our newbies Anthony, Mayer and Narvaez. I like Breslow more than Cora. Isn't Breslow a John Henry clone with baseball knowledge?

When Bregman returns we should move Story to 2B and Mayer to SS. Put the FUTURE in right spots.

You don't have to be negative about Devers but all the ass kissing is going to make me puke.

Maybe Whitlock can pitch today with one day of rest. He only threw 9 pitches. He's only pitched back to back days once this year and he did just fine.

I seem to recall after the All Star game,we play both the Nationals and the Rockies. We also play the Athletics 6 times in September.

Cleveland and Toronto lost. Rays also lost. 12 teams within 2 1/2 games of wildcard spot.

Call the 4077 MASH unit.

I really don't think so. Both Abreu and Anthony will have chance to DH. They seem to love Rafaela's defense in center field where he's thought of as 'elite'. Not really sure but if would ease the congestion if he does move there. Then we won't have to see Hamilton. Anthony/Duran/Abreu/Rafaela (2B) versus Duran/Rafaela/Anthony/Abreu (DH)/Hamilton (2B)?

I think Moon forgot that Abreu was coming off IL. So they sent Campbell down in lieu of Eaton?

Abreu

Was 1st month just luck? Clearly Mayer had better spring than Campbell. Mayer is far superior defensive player and Mayer also looks more comfortable at the plate. It's really hard to watch Campbell anymore. He can't get the ball airborne. He looks scared out in the field. 1% tile in defense? Well someone has to come last.

Putting on John Henry's hat. There was an article that mentioned Red Sox and the Orioles as two teams having good operational income on the baseball front. I was bit surprised by mentioning of the Orioles. So maybe that was the more of reason we decided to spend money last winter. I have no explanation for the Orioles new ownership being cheap. We gained about $3M for 2026 by trading Devers' contract with Crochet's new contract that starts in 2026. Buehler's $21M won't be coming back. Maybe we fill that internally, Pat Sandoval is already being paid $9M for 2026 (it's already baked in for 2026 tax payroll). Say Crochet, Bello, Dobbins, Kutter, Houck, Kyle Harrison, Fitts, Criswell and maybe Tolle and Early will materialize during 2026. Keeping Giolito may end up eating up all of savings from Buehler. Kutter and Houck may get a slight arbitration raises to combined $10M. The big ticket item will be replacing Chapman's $11M contract. I would love to see us sign him to a multiple year deal. So assuming Buehler, Giolito and Chapman all leave, that gives us about $30M to acquire a closer and/or another high level starter. Arbitration raises to Houck and Kutter will be covered by leftover from getting rid of Dever's contract, net of Crochet raise. Jordan Hicks from Giants will add $10M to our payroll for 2026. It's nothing if we don't sign a closer and go internally. It's possible we'll have Slaten, Whitlock, Weissert along with Houck and Kutter as possible back end relievers. This is the area I'll give Breslow much credit. He has given us many options. Do we go with another Buehler type signing for 2026 and then go all out for Boras client Tarik Skubal in 2026? That's what I would do. Downside is Detroit does have money to retain him.

Where do we put Houck, Kutter and more importantly the newly acquired Kyle Harrison from the Giants?

Ranking the Relievers based on recent outings? Need help here. It's getting crowded. Keepers (?) 1 Chapman (L) 2 Weissert 3 Whitlock 4 Wilson (L) 5 Bernardino (L) 6 Alcala (hard thrower, just got him in a trade, 2 yrs of team control) Will be Gone to AAA 7 Guerrero (too many walks) 8 Kelly Replacements (all on IL) 9 Hicks 10 Slaten 11 Hendriks Interesting times we live in.

For those 'surprised' at the TIMING of Devers' trade, consider this. Posey has stated the deal was in the works for a few weeks. Apparently the Padres, the Jays and the Braves were also interested. The Giants won with a combination of taking the entirety of Devers' contract along giving us 4 players. So no. The deal was not made the night before. Us having to go play Devers within a week of the trade is pure coincidence. Now you know. (For the why trade him now when things are looking up crowd.)

Sox are #2 in AL at the DH spot just behind the Yankees with an OPS of .879 (Devers obviously). The Athletics are in third with OPS of .754. So yes, OPS of say .790 from the DH spot would be great!

I like butter.

We take 2 out of 3 while getting outscored 9-5.....usually that's us and pound our chest: "We have an hell of offense."

Buehler is simply a placeholder. Maybe Giolito can give us 1 more year. He is good when its going for him. Maybe higher ceiling than Buehler at this stage in their respective careers. We are waiting for Bello to take a step forward. Dobbins look promising. Is it possible that Kyle H will join the starting rotation at some point? Than add the Detroit ace in 2027.

I am rooting against Cleveland.

We scored 2-4-2-2-0-3 runs the last 6 games and went 5-1. We have pitching. (lol) We're 7-4 when we score 3 runs, 5-4 when we score 4 runs, 4-4 when we score 5 runs. 18-5 when we score 6+ runs. Crochet 10-6, Buehler 7-5, Giolito 6-3, Dobbins 6-3, Bello 6-5, combined 35-22 when this five starts. That's +13 over .500. Yankees lead the Division with 12 games over .500. Maybe we're not as bad as we think.

Well if Bres can get a Crochet and a Bregman each year, I'm good.

He's just an average runner. He doesn't have arm. He just looks very tentative right now. I don't think he's athletic. So he's unathletic. I'm old school. Athleticism to me equates to track and field running events. In my sport, I look for quick feet, quick and high jumper, strong arm.

Campbell is not even a good outfielder. The guy is tagging up and he doesn't get back to get behind the ball so he can fire to 3B. He is really not athletic.