Hugh2

There's a very good chance Giolito takes the Q.O. I'd imagine a lot of teams don't want to give up the pick for Lucas, but if they've already forfeited one perhaps so. Still that makes his pool of suitors smaller.

Nick Kurtz is going to win ROY and it shouldn't be close. Skubal should win CY, but that race is a little closer.

It's not my intention to debate this, if anything you're right, compared to a percentage of revenue baseball players do worse than some of the other major sports. But I'm just talking about what I'm hearing. Maybe something changes, maybe something is being overblown, but I keep reading on how everyone is very far apart and a work stoppage is coming. I still think a hard floor is a reasonable concept.

Anything we suggest either owners, players, rich teams, or poor teams don’t want. Either something gives or there’s a lockout in 2027. a hard floor is a reasonable concept

Red Sox were 7th in MLB in runs scored, and 10th in fewest runs allowed. Saying hitting is a priority over pitching may not be 100% accurate. Bregman leaving aside, there should be a ton of potential to get better offensively by the youngsters improving and guys getting healthy.

Nah....when the best pitcher in baseball becomes available you at least have to take a swing. Sox have Rafaela/Anthony/Mayer looked up for the forseeable future and other names too. The offense needs a tweak or two. Also, in my original proposal, I said the Sox should go big by aquiring pithching and also signing Bichette. Sox went over the cap last year, they're at the beginning of their window, it's time to spend.

more established BUT literally 1/2 the amount of team control. That makes a big difference as well.

That is more than what BTV suggests. FWIW, at the time of the trade, we did not pay more than what BTV suggests for Crochet

I didn't even realize you're a moderator now hahaha. I'll repost it shortly, it's a highlight reel of Rafaela....and it's glorious.

I think there is going to be push back, but many of these teams did what they did under the old rules and now have guys locked up. I think if they come in with harsher penalties it would have a higher starting point to allow the league to adjust. E.G. They instititute a hard cap, but they make it 300 million. I agree, evil empires are good for the game. Everyone lose seeing an empire crumble.

Yeah, like I said, two ain't happening. One of those would be amazing, personally I say go big with Skubal. Crochet/SKubal at the front of that rotation make a 1-2 punch that can stand against any team all the way up to the world series. If I'm signing Bichette it's to play 2nd base where I suspect his defense would be average to better. Also, we pretty much should be in on infielders as every single position has a massive question mark at it. 3B - Bregman opts out we don't have one SS - Story/Mayer both have serious health concerns, Story played a full season for the first time in 4 years and will be 33, Mayer has never finished a season 2B - non extistent 1B - Casas? If you assume health, and figure you got to roll the dice with Casas and improve the lineup everywhere else then you still at a bare minimum need at least one infielder. Bichette is the best one of the market, I think you find a way to make it work and again....I think he'd be fine at 2nd. Id' be open to a trade to improve the infield as well. And they might not start the year above the 2nd threshold. But I was saying last year they would go above the 1st threshold. I even started a thread about it and not many agreed. Which I did on purpose because I felt pretty confident they would AND THEY DID. To be honest, I don't feel that confident they'd go above the 2nd threshold this year as I was they'd go above the first one last year. But all the next threshold is, is marginal money. The penalty for the second threshold hold is 12% so if the signed both SKubal and took on Greene (again not saying both would happen but this is purely hypothetical now) that's what.....$11 million over the second threshold? That's an extra $1.32 million. That's the penalty in the second bracket. If they thought they would win a world series with that group, I doubt 1.32 is going to stop them.

Ok Lets get a little crazy. Trade one: David Sandlin/Mikey Romero/Jhostynxon Garcia/Brayan Bello For Tarik Skubal. Extend Skubal 320/8 Trade two: Jarren Duran/Connor Early for Hunter Greene. BTV projects both of these as moderate overpays by Boston. Sign Bo Bichette 210/7 Rotation: Crochet/Greene/Giolito/Sandoval/(one of Tolle/Crawford/HarrisonDobbins) lineup: C Narvaez 1B. Romney/Casas 2B. Bichette SS. Mayer 3B. Story LF. Anthony CF. Rafaela RF Abreu DH Yoshida/Casas Considerations, without any defferals this puts the Sox about $10 million above the second threshold at $275. I believe they will spend if they think they can win, and when in "win now mode" I think they'd be ok with any threshold that doesn't move draft picks. That number is $284. Packaging a prospect up to move Hicks or Yoshida could always be an option as well if the fit is right. I realize how unrealistic this is, the Sox will be in on players like Skubal and Greene if they're available, but both are a pipedream but I'm hitting the pipe this morning. I think the Sox could turn themselves in WS contenders by just signing Bichette and making a trade for ONE of those pitchers.

If the Sox want to go big sign Bichette and trade for Ryan.

I will always bet on my Sox. except with a lot of real money.

Here’s to hoping the 2026 Boston Red Sox Slay the LA Dodgers in next years World Series

A player that would make a few teams 26 man isn’t exactly a guy who holds much weight in a trade.

The whole point of not signing these guys to these long term contracts is not pay for their past prime years. You try to make 6 years seem like a bargain when we are paying for all of his past prime years. no matter how convinced you’re that Harper will still continue to put up elite stats past his prime (which he’s not now) it doesn’t change the fact that you’re paying for his 33-38 year old years. heck why not find a guy who will sign for 4 years from age 35-38, or maybe 3 years from 37-39 the whole concept to giving guys in their mid 20’s these 10 year+ deals is even if they slow down and return negative value at the end you’re getting them in their prime years. I’m not buying it a bargain when the deal is 4 years shorter but you’re getting all mid 30’s production

I think every GM/POBO is smart enough to not covet DHam

We know DD, also this is kinda where most of MLB is at these days…..he’s going to want MLB talent on the verge of MLB talent in return. Philly is trying to extend their window not rebuild. Tolle/Early will go 100000x further in a trade than Valera/Clarke/Fajardo will

And yet Devers isn’t even on the team anymore. regardless it’s all about risk, I’d be willing to bet Bryce Harper will have more WAR than Roman Anthony by the time they both retire, but I’d rather bet on young talent. Devers was given the money at the time because of his youth. The possibility of a 26 year old maintaining his level of play and even improving it substantially as they go into their prime vs. paying for a guy 33 and up who has performed and expecting him to maintain the same level of play into their late 30’s are two entirely different levels of risk. using Devers as an example as to why the FO would be open to taking on Harper’s years is a false equivalence

Some should pay for a future hall of famer because of what he did and not what he will do? Harper is heading into his age 33 season, and while he still might be a valuable player, why are we confident that a guy who hasn’t exactly been a shinning example of health in his career is going to play at an MVP level? He was 28 when he last won an MVP, he’s likely never that good again. even if he is, the risk of paying a guy between the ages of 33-39 is different that 26-35….hence…my point

BTV accepts that first trade, but it’s an overpay, I doubt the Phillies take less value to get rid of Harper, and a top prospect and sell it to their fan base. BTV rates the trade a fair one if we throw in Dobbins or Early

Devers was 26 at the time, Harper is 33

I mean I know it’s not official yet, but I thought it’s been widely reported that Bregman plans on opting out and Story plans on staying

Oh absolutely, that's pretty much where I'm at and why I would get excited if we signed someone like Pete Alonso. If he earns his way back, it will be thru the DH position, and if Yoshida is hitting then maybe his contract becomes movable, or not? regardless it would be a better problem to have than a roster filled with DH/1B types who aren't hitting.