Hugh2

Right now I’d say they’re sellers. But I don’t think they are going to buy or sell for at least a few more weeks there are 18 games between now and the deadline, if they play as well as they have the last few weeks they be 56-54 and likely a wildcard team in the playoffs. if that happens they are buyers

Sox are now 11-2 in their last 13 games, 7 of which have been against division leaders and only 2.5 games out of a wild card spot. They dug a very large hole so they still have some climbing to do, but they're doing what they need to do all of a sudden.

The funny thing is I never said all of those things would happen. If I was a betting man I'd bet a very large sum of money all of those things would not happen. But there's a very stark difference between saying all those things will happen vs. if just one of those things happen. Also, the point I was trying to make, over and over again was if hypothetically one of those things happened it would be equivalent to getting one more bat this past offseason. I was trying to lay down the framework for turning the Sox into buyers at this deadline, contigent upong continuing to play well, and that we should be looking to add a bat. Calling something a fantasy that was never intended to be realistic in the first place is just a mute point.

Well if we are truly 5 bats away then we should 100% be in sell mode. fortunately we have a few more weeks to see

…..and they should be buying a bat. second priority is bullpen

Ok but there would be a difference between betting one of those things happen vs all 3. The probability changes. Then throw in Anthony into the equation as well

I know and again I don’t disagree with any of the criticisms of Breslow. but my thought experiment was if any of those things happened that I layed out it would be equivalent to having one more bat acquired. The point I was trying to make with my thought experiment (and I apologize for trying to make people think) is that if that is true (which it is) then the Sox should be only ONE bat away from seriously contending now. if you believe that, and they continue to play well….then they should be buyers at the deadline.

Hindsight is 20/20 but how many people would have guess there was a good chance one of those things would happen pre season? I mean if your options were a. At least one of those happen b. None of those things will happen you had to bet, where do you think most people would place their bets not knowing what we know now but living in the world of March 2026????

No it didn’t. I asked a hypothetical question, or perhaps we can call it rhetorical. I suppose we can say it did have my desired effect.

Well the other thing is that the big trades typically all happen in the week, and more so the day off the deadline. I might not be calling them buyers yet and I'm hopeful that they are but they don't even need to be yet. It's 7:30 and the store opens up at 8:00

Fantasy? So one bat in April would be more valuable than one less bat going down if those guys were performing, even if that one guy was also on the team in April? Does 2+2 not always equal 4???? What is the fantasy there???

If one bat is making this big of a difference now. What would it have looked like if Duran played at an all star level Roman Anthony was healhty and took off Marcelo Mayer was healthy and took off Trevor Story was healthy and played like last year Obviously all teams deal with injuries but if one guy can make a difference then having just one more key injury is going to make a difference. Right?

THEY can't win? as in exclusively to the Red Sox or just in general teams can't win if they don't hit home runs?

14th is fine. A middle of the pact offense with elite pitching can play baseball in October. This team sucked because they were practically deadlast in every offensive category. 14 will do them just fine, and if you add a big bat well....who knows.

Some team offensive numebrs the last few weeks. Since June 19th they've gone 11-5. HR's - 23rd Runs - 11th OWar - 12th SLG - 15th OBP 13th Those aren't elite numbers, but the silver lining is I think they're sustainable. It's about a middle of the pact offense which is what I expected. It's good enough to be a winning team if combined with elite starting pitching and defense. I'm not ready to call them buyers yet but if they continue on this trajectory they will be buyers in a few weeks. Adding a big bat and getting healthy by seasons end would be wonderful. I wouldn't wait all the way to August 3rd to act, but I also want to see more before I'd invest in this team as well. The Sox come out of the all star break with an A.L. EAST home stand vs. TB/BAL/TOR. If they put up a good showing in those three series I'm looking to make move then before heading out the west coast. Also, I think winning together is important. These guys are winning games right now when everyone counted them out, for management to come in and say "here you go, here's a nice big bat to play with" helps solidify that confidence. It means something.

Maybe we can trade for Bloom and bring him back.

I 100% agree with that statement, but I don't think that answers any question I was asking.

Ok, but you're paying Story, and you're paying Yoshida, you're paynig these guys real money. You're not going to pay them and bench them. Especially after the season Story had, he pretty much had his hands tied. Yes we can argue to the Cows come home about how he should have got Alonso or resigned Bregman but Contreras has been much better than both those guys, and Durbin has been lighting it up the past month. I'm not saying there aren't things he could of done. He could traded Yoshida/Story even if he had to eat money, and traded for yet another big bat, or spent that money on one of those guys (on top of Contreras) instead of signing Ranger. I'm not saying things couldn't have been done. But how many people would guess that if you took a wild card team and added those performances they'd have this record? If we took away this season and we were given Contreras stats, Grays stats, Rangers stats and we took away all the names and we were just given the stats almost everybody would guess this team was going to perform much better. It's just weird to me dude, I don't know why everyone feels compelled to make the same point they've been making endelessly for the past 6 months.

I'm not saying Breslow doesn't shoulder responsibility, I'm just saying his 2026 offseason was largely a good one, and he was adding to a team that made the playoffs last year. If had a team coming back that largely is the same team that made the playoffs last year and you could add Sonny Gray to it, and know he'd pitch as well as he has, add Ranger Saurez and know he'd pitch as good as he has, add WIlson Contreras and know he'd be as good as he has been......would you guess this team would start off as s***** as they did? I think the vast majority of people would think they'd be a very highly competitive team. That was my point, or at least the one I was trying to make. I think that's true whether Breslow is 0% to blame or 100% to blame. I find it weird that a team can go from Wild Card to last place after having a relatively good offseason.

4 guys at the bottom of the roster. Every team has those guys. You call guys up for a game or to fill in as depth, those 20 innings from the bottom of the roster is irrelevant to overall point that the guys who were brought in to perform have largely done so this offseason. Every team has those guys, even the Dodgers have 5 guys at the bottom of their roster all with negative WAR and they all account for 40 innings.

You mean the 5 guys (Uberstine, La Sorsa, Gamboa, Khnle, and Oviedo) who all combined for less than 21 innings? Come on....

Are those guys starters? funny you leave out IKF. Also, those guys are only getting playing time because other guys got hurt "Story, Mayer, Anthony" How many teams 3rd/4th options to start, down in the minors come up and play like studs? Also Monasterio has been playing much better lately, he has a .822 OPS the last two weeks. I mean technically you are correct, those are Breslow guys but Gasper not lighting the world on fire isn't exactly the same thing as Wilson Conteras or Sonny Gray not performing. Those guys are expected to start and paid to be starters.

If we had a player with Dalbecs health and Casas talent we'd have a good everyday 1B under team control right now. Of course.......we would have never traded for Contreras so how much better off would we be???

agreed. If the Sox are buyers I'd like to see them go after bats with multiple years of control. I'd happily get on the Matt Shaw train with you.

I'd still trade him if he had value. We need bats.