Hugh2

The rhetoric that surrounds makes me more worried about 2027 than past years. Although if I was a betting man I'd bet against a total lost season. It's far more realistic that a partial season is lost. Still, that changes the calculus in trading for guys. Although I suppose it changes it for everyone else as well. I don't think trading Chapman is giving up on 2027. I think you have to take advantage of what you can get for him vs. the odds of him being just as elite at 39 years old next season. Even if you weren't trading Chapman I'd be wanting to add a closer type reliever to hedge against Chapman entering some kind of steep decline.

Right, because they've never not played a season or a partial season before, that's just never happened. I mean.....didn't people want to make money during all those other lost games as well? From what's being reported, both sides are miles and miles apart and there is a real fear in the industry of a lost season, or at least a partially lost season. The fact that people like money doesn't negate that risk any more than every other strike or shut down that has happened in other years, sports or industries. Even if they do come to an agreement pre season, the risk is there, and it's high, and everyone is going to factor that into the equation at this point. If you're trading for 1.5 years of control of someone there is a REAL risk you're only trading for .5 years of control.

Are you talking about wins and losses or the prospect of even having a season?

Teams get desperate at the deadline for good pitching. A few starts doesn't mean much, but his value can literally skyrocket in that timeframe if he performs.

I really don't have much interest in trading for that extra year of control when the odds of a 2027 season are very dim. We are either buyers.....or give me the prospects.

Last month: Durbin .965 Contreras .918 Now that's obviously cherry picking. But the Sox are 13-9 in that time frame. What you would expect if a team added two .900+ OPS bats. What is exactly what Breslow needed to do. Was the first 2 months of the season just an historically bad start, and the team is coming into their own? or are we just witnessing a blip in an otherwise horrible season, destined for last place? Time will tell.

Not that I want to defend Breslow but I do find it interesting that the worse parts of this roster generally all predate Breslow. E.G. Story, Yoshida, Duran, Mayer, Bello (although he did extend him). You could say in hindsight that he should of traded Mayer but the reality at the time was he was a highly regarded cost controlled youngster playing a position the Sox were desperately thin at. A lot of the guys he did pick up this past winter have all been great. The lone caveat to all this is Caleb Durbin, who nills that caveat with this level of play the past month. If Breslow had the ability to DFA Yoshida and Story but didn't that might be different. But even then, could anyone blame him for holding onto Story who was coming off his best season in Boston and once again...playing a position the Sox were thin at? IDK, the Sox have been great lately but the hole they dug was very deep and it's still a long climb. If we are sitting in a wild card spot at the end of the season and playing good baseball I'll still have a sour taste in my mouth from this horrific start. It's like cheating on your spouse and being forgiven. Yeah, they might have "forgave you" but theres going to be a lot of mistrust that lingers for a long time. Only a world series would get that taste out of my mouth, not even a WC birth would.

Devers OPS last 4 weeks. 1.062 we may have spoke too soon. Although to be fair, in that same time frame Durbin has put up a .965 OPS while playing premium defense and for peanuts on the dollar. Sox still need a thumper in the middle.

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I would still say it's 25-75. Where's two weeks ago it was 5-95. There's still a lot in front of them as they're the 4th worse team in the A.L.

This is exactly how I’d expect Boston to play to play their way back to buyers. but as of right now they still have the 4th worse record in the A.L. They have to go 7-2 in their next nine….and look healthy

Blue Jays spend money, including FA money on bats.

I agree, but how many of those teams have won a World Series recently? A lot of the Sox losses can be attributed to bad luck. At best they’re more like a .500 team, still highly flawed and not built for October baseball……because they lack thumb and veteran leadership in the lineup

Not the point at all. Although you’d be correct to say wins and losses is what matters

If you can find an exception to a norm should you strive for that? Or go with what you know works. Like you said…..for good reason. This team needed more

Dude you didn’t even know who Hansen was before two days ago. Guess what? They’re almost all college players.

I really don’t think Kyle Harrison would be doing here what he’s doing in Milwaukee. The Brewers might be the best at elevating pitchers above their talent. Also no person can predict who is going to get injured in a year or two. overall Breslow has done an outstanding job with the pitching. the offense however couldn’t contrast anymore from the pitching. It’s been awful, and this year is a clear cut example that you need star power at the helm. They have none of that side of the ball.

If we had our 2025 players play like 2025 with our 2026 additions we’d be in first place right now.

this is truly a weird season. Despite all the flak Breslow gets, he arguably had an amazing offseason. Sonny Gray 2.69 ERA Ranger Suarez 2.83 ERA Wilson Contreras .898 OPS. how often does a team add three players who perform at an elite level and go from a playoff team to last place? If Durbin keeps playing at this level that’s a 4th.

Yes, the point I was trying to make was someone doesn’t have to be physically gifted enough as an athlete to train someone else to be a better player. you can teach technique, mechanics, motion, a swing, a delivery etc etc. you can’t teach 6’3” you can’t teach being born with a ton of fast twitch muscle fibers. you obviously can’t be a stiff, but some Of the best coaches in all sports have personally had very pedestrian careers as athletes themselves. I do think playing is paramount, and knowing your craft, but not having the stuff to play at the highest level is in no way an indictment on someone’s ability to teach.

Football is even a stronger example of not needing to be a good player to be a coach. Execution is more dependent on natural physical ability.

Here and now....for the past month he's been one of baseballs best hitters. Here and now he's a stud.

The last 3 weeks Durbin in 13th in MLB in wRC+ and 11th in FWar. That slow start still stings. I yearn to see more, but I'm loving the turn around.

Ok, but Judges coach is the one who was just a college player. Some of the best coaches weren't MLB players and many MLB players make horrible coaches. Having MLB experience just means you are better than 99.99% of baseball players. It's perfectly reasonable that you could only be better than 98% of players, not good enough for the bigs, but have a vast knowledge on human physiology, human performance, and how to teach and be a better coach than all those guys who played the game better than you. The ideal that you have to be a successful MLB player to be a great coach is a myth.

The coach who fixed Durbin, who is also Aaron Judges private hitting coach never played above D1 college baseball. they certainly need to know baseball, but I don’t think having mob experience means they’ll be a good coach