Nick

Some of you have unrealistic expectations. You want a team not only is a playoff contender but more assurance than not that we get to the world series. I don't see 2024 as a make or break season. We have core group of younger players. Obviously it needs big pieces in starting rotation. I just want a team that's more competitive than this year's team. We maybe two or three years away. It took Texas two years of roster additions to get to where they are...... I'm not sure if the Orioles or the Dodgers fans are just happy that they won 100 games. I wouldn't be. I want the World Series title. We're not good enough right now. We need several additions and maturation from several youngsters.

Exhibit A Baltimore Orioles Exhibit B Los Angeles Dodgers 100 win season means nothing come playoff time. I for one am happy that the Dodgers lost. Yep, it has to do with Betts. They definitely will go hard after Ohtani. Should we consider reuniting with JD?

Yep....

I thought you would like it...not funny huh?

I'm going to put on my gambling hat. Fact #1 Majority of top 'prospects' flame out, I've been told. (Bellhorn can fact check me on this) Fact #2 At worst, Sox will have a very good defensive shortstop for maybe another 5 years. Perhaps it's time to trade our top three prospect Mayer before he blames out for an established pitcher. We keep Wong, Casas, Story, Devers, Duran, Rafaela and Abreu as our core position players. By all means, add a Duvall or a Turner type on a short deal. Kyle Teel should be up to the majors by 2025, reinforcement for Wong. People on this board believe Roman Anthony will become a high end hitting outfielder for the Sox. He's a keeper. Our bullpen should be solid, Houck, Whitlock and perhaps Kutter joining in. Departing Martin and Jansen will be replaceable in 2025. We have other position players coming up. Didn't we draft bunch of shortstops anyway? Go sign some FA starting pitching, trade our farm players for a middle of the road starting pitching also. Let's line them up SP1 through SP10.

I have absolutely no worries about Dugo becoming a free agent. Second coming of Beni.

I never made a comparison between Crawford to Garrett. I just think it's premature to move Crawford to the pen. 1 Bello 2 Sale, healthy, obviously a big question mark 3 Pivetta, assuming he does not regress as he did I believe in 2022, hot May/June, followed by bad starts? I'm guessing Bellhorn. I didn't bother to look it up. 4 Crawford 5 Houck Let's start playing the musical chair. I'd like to see 3 eliminated.

Moon has him going to the bullpen. And we trade a prospect(s) for a starter to replace him.

It's worth the risk Moon. If you sit on him too long, he play out to his free agency. He was able to make adjustments offensively this year. Sure, pick away. I'll f***ing take a $80M risk for 6-8 years on him.

First baseman Triston Casas, starter Brayan Bello and outfielder Jarren Duran stand out as the players the Sox could look to lock up this winter, with starter Kutter Crawford, catcher Connor Wong and rookie outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela also in the mix for pre-arbitration deals. On the latest episode of MassLive’s Fenway Rundown podcast, team president/CEO Sam Kennedy confirmed that early deals will be a priority for Boston this winter. “We should be able to determine which players would qualify for longer-term extensions, whether it’s Bello, whether it’s Abreu, whether it’s Duran or Casas. These are really important decisions that our baseball operations people have to make.”, Sam Kennedy I pay attention to what the executives say. Many scoffed at the idea of me including Rafaela and Abreu in our core group, and NOT Verdugo. Hell, Sam Kennedy even mentions Duran, and many here doesn't think he hasn't proven himself yet. #1 priority is Bello #2 priority is Casas I think we have at least another year before jumping in on Duran, Kutter and Houck. Two years on Wong, Rafaela and Abreu. We don't have to jump in all at once. My belief is it should be done after the second or third year.

There's a difference between poking fun at Cora so that his fans come out of the woodwork and defend him versus flat out being critical about it. That's the part I enjoy, the part where his fan base come defend him. I don't work for the Sox. I know NOTHING about what is going on behind the scene. Scheduled days off are his way of doing things. I may not like it but he's the manager. I only took couple of exceptions with him this year. And it was probably not his fault, 100%. I think you know what that was. I'm done talking about THAT. And by the way, I don't think I've ever criticized Cora for why he got suspended. See, I'm not all negative.

Here comes the fact checker. I believe you already told me it was more likely lefty lefty matchup. Do you want me to do a deep dive? I'm busy right now coaching. I will get back to you.

We see eye to eye on many things. I'm little surprised that you would bring up his performance in 2 games to refute what I said. You know that I'm just poking fun at Cora. I loved the scheduled day off near the All Star break. A day off before the 4 day break.

Funny how some playoff teams have players that can play 162 games. Not in Boston. Rest, rest, rest.

2024 is year 2 for me. We finally have a core group of young position players. We need a right handed bat but for me that core group is Wong Casas Story Devers Yoshida Duran Rafaela and Abreu.I would throw in Bello Houch Whitlock Wick and Kutter. It's not final and subject to upgrading but clearly this is the new starting point. You can throw in few minor leaguers that is projected to come up in 2024 or 2025. But once we get there we should have the foundation to move forward. Go get some starting pitching. Nothing is possible without that.

I'd like to follow what the Rangers did except in reverse. Instead two big bats, go for 2 big time starters. Then add couple of more big bats the following year. The window of opportunity is here. We have 5-6 years of window.

So Rays are out in 2 games. Looking back they had an unbelievable start. I'm not sure how I would deal with being outstated so quickly. I never thought this Sox team was good enough to win it all so I am not as angry. I did flip out with the Kike situation but that worked out. There were many positives. I still think we are couple of years away from challenging for the title. But the Sox need to go all in not only this year but next. Many of our young players will have another year of experirence.

Alex Cora to players: ‘Not acceptable’ for Red Sox to miss postseason Nick to Alex...maybe you should do a better job of managing. Not acceptable to play your best friend at short when clearly he doesn't belong there. I know I had NOTHING to do with Sox losing. Can you say the same?

We clamored on this board to extend Devers. #1 priority before 2023 season starts everyone said. Sox sign him to a 10 year deal. Now all we can talk about his pending move to 1B where we have 5 year team controlled player that may finish 2nd in the Rookie of the Year Voting. I am shaking my head. We got rid of the shortstop that lead the majors in errors at the time of the trade. We replaced him with a plus defender. It appears we have a future gold glove centerfielder close to the majors. I was led to believe Wong is a good defensive catcher. Maybe they were only talking about his 'pop' time being good. One step at a time folks. We did a great job shoring up the bullpen last year. If we do the same with our starting rotation, our bullpen will even get deeper and stronger. I really don't give a damn that we finished last. I'm sure the Yankee fans are doing cartwheels having not finished last. Yeah, right. World championship rings. We may have to wait until 2025 to go for it. But I believe we're getting closer.

"He wanted to leave and I can't blame him for going to the Dodgers. That's my storyline." Is this the court of the law? Geez, some people are uptight.

He wanted to leave and I can't blame him for going to the Dodgers. That's my storyline.

Is there a stat for relievers that show runners inherited, runners scored? My reason for asking is especially during last couple of months, it appears (eye test) Winckowski has not done a very good job when he comes in. Damn the ERA. Inheriting 3 runners and all of them scoring has no impact on his ERA but it certainly doesn't qualify as getting the job done. Just curious.

77-83 A Realistic View of 2023: Part II. Shouldn't we retire this thread after tomorrow's game? We will get the final Realist View of 2023 Season.

What do you base it on? Eye test? 3.2 vs 1.2?

With the 2023 Red Sox season winding down, co-hosts Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam dished out several Red Sox awards on the most recent episode of the Fenway Rundown podcast. Cotillo and McAdam agreed that Justin Turner — not Rafael Devers — should be considered the team’s MVP despite Devers having better statistics in most categories. 1 Rafael Devers BOS 3.2 2 Jarren Duran BOS 2.4 3 Alex Verdugo BOS 2.2 4 Kutter Crawford BOS 2.1 5 Chris Sale BOS 2.1 6 Adam Duvall BOS 2.0 7 Brayan Bello BOS 1.7 8 Triston Casas BOS 1.7 9 Nick Pivetta BOS 1.5 10 Chris Martin BOS 1.5 11 Justin Turner BOS 1.3 Because Justin is a nice guy? Typical Boston talking heads.