Nick

Unfortunately you're right. I hate that our management has no imagination. I KNOW that he wants a long term deal. I don't believe we should give him 5/6 year deal with what we have coming up. This is when you become bold and tell Boras, come to Fenway for 1 year and hit 40HR and re-establish higher value. Here take $30-$35M on a one year deal. The fact that they are unwilling to take any financial risk at this time (even just for one year deal) tells me that they are cheap and just wants to play the youngsters. That's fine if you are consistently in the playoffs but we're not.

If the idea is to play Anthony and Campbell this year at LF and 2B, I would save the 'money' for next year's FA class. Unfortunately, we still have too many questions with this roster especially from injury standpoint. Technically, we're 'getting' new players from free agency, minors and the injury list. Anthony Campbell Crochet Whitlock Casas Giolito. Buehler Champman Hendriks Sandoval I'm sure I'm missing couple of more names. My point is we have enough 'new' players that needs to be molded with returning players. Get a cheap right handed bat, another reliever and call it the day

I watched Moneyball for thousandth time. Does John Henry believe he finally got his man in Breslow? Someone that will get him the least player payroll per win in the majors?

Quit talking about everything you want to do Mr. Kennedy. Get it done. Find someone to execute them.

Apparently Defense is no longer a priority.

How about buying out 2026 with a 4 year deal for $100M with 2 player option years for $70M assuming 150IP in 2029? 2026 $25M 2027 $25M 2028 $25M 2029 $25M 2030 $35M Player option 2031 $35M Player option

Let's see. Cora wants to see Hamilton play outfield. Hamilton bats left. Abreu bats left. Duran bats left. Without having seen Hamilton play left field, I'm pretty sure he's a better outfielder than Yoshida. When healthy, Yoshida may be a very good hitter. Another expensive signing to mask coming up short on players that we really needed. We are always willing to let a free agent get away on $3-$5M per year differential but very willing to give out $90M to a guy that I think I can outrun.

But if you’re not willing to pay for Crochet in 2027 and beyond after you made it clear you believe in him enough to move 4 of your top 15 prospects in your system, then what the hell are you doing? If I don't see an extension, Bres will hear from me every day until he quits.

I would keep him. I think he'll be our starting CF on April 1st.

I've always thought that we should bring up promising rookies in late April to give us an 'extra' year of team control, a la 4 arbitration years plus 3 years at minimum. I had forgotten that Rookie of the Year now brings in an extra draft pick. I'm hoping Campbell has an outstanding Spring and comes up North with the varsity team. His ceiling seems much higher than that of what's his face from Atlanta.

thx

A way too early look at Red Sox ZiPS Projections

Quick question. Suppose the Sox come to quick 1 year deals with its arbitration eligible players. Can the extension signed AFTER March 2025 be effective for 2026 and beyond for the luxury tax purpose payroll calculation or does the 1 year deal for 2025 be combined with the extended amount to come up with a 'new' luxury tax payroll for 2025 season?

Exactly......there are consequences to being viewed as 'cheap'.

I like the idea of Campbell/Mayer combination. Hell if we have enough outfielders, we can bring back Rafaela to short when Story's contract expires. All I'm saying is no one should be non tradeable if it makes the team better. "Better Defense" keeps bouncing in my head and Devers pop up.

I think Vladimir's bat will play in Fenway better than Devers'. We were willing to fork out $700M for Soto. What's $450M for Vladimir? Don't you root for a team that simply wants to make the playoffs? Hold on to everyone tight as though they've already won the world series? I'm at an age I only care for winning the World Series. Everything else is 2nd place.

I didn't do a deep dive other than thinking we'd have to move Devers to 1B and then as a DH at some point. If we can afford it, I'd love to keep them both. Rotate Devers at 3B/DH and do the same for Vladimir at 1B/DH. That would require getting rid of Yoshida at some point. I just think Vladimir is better than Devers and much of that goes to a power righty hitting in Fenway.

Devers has 9 years remaining in his 10 year deal, $313.5M. The beauty of his contract is that he has NO, no trade clause. Also looking back from 9 years from now, I believe his production will stay pace with the market value. (I'm saying $30M in 5-9 years from now may become equivalence of paying guys $20M in today's market). One thought is going hard after Vladimir in free agency. He's little bit younger than Devers. But one advantage he has is that he already knows how to play 1B. Sure at some point he maybe a DH candidate. Similar situation as Devers but much later. I'd like to see him hit 81 games in Fenway. I don't see having to 'pay' the trading partner any money for Devers. We may or should get something reasonable in return. You make a trade at the deadline. Financially it won't cost us more than $15M. Deal Casas, Abreu or any combination. It would have to be a trade/sign deal. If we are in contention at the All Star break, this is how you go for IT. What are the negatives?

I am astonished that semi-proclamation of going all-in or at least more so than the previous winter turned out to be THIS. Maybe Bres has put a price tag of "$40M spend" on the acquisition of Croshet.

Moon, I am okay with us signing Bregman. I just wished we'd pick a player and see through the signing. I just don't think we'll do it. It appears our MO is to haggle over the last $3/$4M and lose out. You HAVE said the MOST IMPORTANT THING RECENTLY. That we are wasting one year of two year control of elite pitcher Crochet that we acquired by giving up pretty good prospects. Let that sink in for everyone here. Anyone that works for the Sox on this board, you are f***ing idiots.

Despite being $31M under the cap, I believe you won't see another big ticket signing this winter. Perhaps we'll add another bullpen arm on the cheap but our pitching staff is set. It's better than the one we had last year. Let's evaluate FA Bregman signing. Bres appears to be in no rush to move Devers off 3B. This almost is a duplicate of pussyfooting around NOT asking Xander to get his ass off ss for the good of the team. We want better defense but we seem to be very weak on the corners. It would be asinine to sign a player on the decline (Bregman) and ask him to play a position he's never played before. Just keep in mind that year ago Bres thought so highly of Atlanta's Vaughn Grissom that we PAID the Braves to take Sale off of our hands in exchange for Vaughn. Please let that sink in. I still believe Bres has not totally given up on Grissom, chalking up last year to injuries. The bigger issue is we may have someone that can fill 2B better than anyone on our 40 man roster, Kristian Campbell. Hell, he's already better than Bregman. Surely plays better defense. I doubt that we'll trade Casas when his value is at lowest. But he's still under team control for 4 more years. Let him play out this year and increase his trade value. Ultimately he probably has to go because of Devers. I doubt we pay Devers $30M just to DH. Unless of course we decided to roll the dice in 2025 and we trade for Vladimir (who is in his last year before free agency) for Casas, Abreu and handful of prospects. Adding Vladimir would be a calculated risk maybe worth taking if we're going for it. As of today, that maybe the only ONE move we can make to get us to the World Series. Solid starting pitching to go with a formidable offense with Vladimir, Devers, Duran, Story, Yoshida along with Anthony and Campbell. Quit nickel and diming us John. Do you ever dream big anymore? Or do you want your legacy, and this will be your only legacy, to be the cheap ass that owned the Red Sox?

I think you and I are in same place looking down from 30,000'. Let's look at our off season little differently thus far. We lost Pivetta, Jansen, Martin and O'neill at total cost of $37M. We've added Chapman, Walker and Crochet for $34M. We've replaced 1 starter with 2, not counting Giolito who will come back from IL. We haven't replaced our right handed bat and our bullpen payroll has been reduced, adding marginal relievers to replace Martin. Our luxury tax payroll has gone from $208.5M up to $210M. On surface, it sure doesn't look like we've opened up our checkbook. WE BOUGHT A STARTER WITH 4 FUTURE PROSPECTS. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH BEEN IT. WALKER BUEHLER BASICALLY GOT PIVETTA'S QUALIFYING OFFER. UGH, UGH, UGH.

"When the vaunted rotation of Sale, Price, Nate, ERod and Porcello imploded, it was not a pretty sight to see." You actually said this right after complaining about NOT bringing back Pomeranz? There was NOTHING wrong with the starting rotation on paper as of 3/31/2019. I doubt you had any concerns at the time that Pomeranz was no longer with the team. I thought his acquisition was a stretch at the time of the trade.

I am coming around to our latest addition. One year deal. Our rotation, at least on paper, looks solid. For me the best thing was not giving up Casas with 4 years of team control for a pitcher that we had to pay $70M over 3 years. That to me seemed asinine. I'd much roll the dice and have him come back with good year, then do the Tamp Bay thing and trade him. Just not sure if we can keep both Devers and Casas if we want to improve our defense. We possibly gave up much talent but Crochet costs us $3M this year. My hope is we extend him and buy out 2-4 years of free agency. We can sign Bregman and still stay under the cap. Just get it done.

I am willing to give a pass on Soto situation. Mets were going to add few millions to whatever the highest bid was. It seemed very personal between the Mets and the Yankees. My only hope was Soto looked at us kindly. When I heard no Yankee contacted Soto after the season put a thought on my head that Soto was going to the biggest contract offer, and that was always going to be the Mets.