5GoldGlovesOF,75

Somehow this whole thread today evolved into the "losses" to NY and Boston. My post was about what they added... this offseason. The Yankees added Devin Williams, who was hurt part of last season but is one of the best closers in baseball. He was an All-Star the two previous years, received MVP votes, and in '24 had a sub-1.00 WHIP and WAR of 1.4. The Red Sox added Aroldis Chapman, who hasn't been an All-Star in half a decade, and when he was he gave up postseason-losing walk-off home runs. In '24 he had a 1.346 WHIP and a WAR of 0.4. Like I said when comparing the two, not. even. close. As for Soto, I stick by my claim for the past year that he was the #1 difference-maker in winning the Yankees the pennant (and for Judge having his best season). But at least the Yanks tried to replace the production by adding two MVPs in Bellinger and Goldschmidt. The Red Sox lost their home run leader and added nothing in their batting order but more lies to their fans. Nobody here or anywhere is saying Boston should spend for the sake of spending. But everybody agrees the Sox should spend on talent to add better players to their team -- because they can afford it, and to justify what they charge to watch them.

Nothing against Moon, who is projecting line-ups for what's currently on the roster. But to count so heavily on Trevor Story -- who has done absolutely nothing in three years in Boston -- as a middle of the order bat underscores just how mediocre this Red Sox offense will look to opponents in pregame pitching plans: "Just pitch around Devers and strike out Story. Eventually, Devers will get so frustrated, he'll swing with all his might at pitches out of the zone and hurt himself -- then we can just challenge everyone else."

Boston may have improved its chances with rotation depth, but are the Sox really any closer to New York? Yanks added Fried, Sox added Crochet -- two of the very best starters available; as additions, they neutralize each other. In the bullpen, Yanks added Williams, Sox added Chapman -- that's not even close. Edge: NY. In the batting orders, Yanks lost Soto and Rizzo, Sox lost O'Neill. I know they're at different levels of offensive impact, but trying to keep this in perspective... Yanks added Bellinger and Goldschmidt. Boston added the Invisible Man. He's a real Nowhere Man, isn't he a bit like Red Sox fans. Edge: incomparable, because actual acquisitions give the GAP to NY.

Even if they are, there's no Yaz or Rico on the field or in the line-up like in '75 -- veteran leaders who have been through the wars, and even won some of them. Raffy has his mouth full of seeds, and Story's entire postseason success is winning one Wild Card game. Maybe Beuhler can lead them all in a cover of "Twist And Shout."

I agree, and this may be why: the Sox plan to ride their upgraded starting rotation in the beginning of the season, when pitchers are ahead of hitters, and keep the prospects down until another year of control is guaranteed. Then when inevitable injuries thin out the pitching staff, they'll bring up the young lumber to supply more run production to compensate. This plan is contingent, of course, on how the new starters -- Crochet, Buehler and Giolito (he counts) all fare in Spring Training. If they suck or are hurt or not fully healed, Breslow will have to go get a big righthanded bat. As for O'Neill's missing 31 dingers, the front office has gotta be confident they'll get at least that many HRs from Campbell and Anthony combined. After all, Rafaela and Abreu combined for 30 in their rookie year, and they're weren't two of the top-rated bashers on anyone's prospect list, like KC and Roman...

If this is a free forum reply, here's mine: let's call it what it is: it's not just 2024, but the last three abysmal post-trade deadline records (August-Oct)... '24: 24-30 '23: 22-34 '22: 27-32 Let's call it what it is -- the front office quit on the team and refused to acquire any legitimate reinforcements for the roster. And the young pro athletes -- who all knew, just like the fans, what they needed -- were totally discouraged to be abandoned and went through the motions down the stretch.

Especially when the AL Central might have four teams over .600.

The Jays will be sorry if they spend what it costs to be a better ballclub... (... isn't that what hapless Sox fans like me are programmed to say now?) I also think -- wait, I can't think, all that's on my mind is buying tickets to America's Most Beloved Museum of a Ballpark... and, and a t-shirt... and a big drink in a souvenir plastic cup with a big B on it. My cells are insulated with macro-plastics!

No, you wanted to believe him.

By now we'd all be shocked if the brass even walked across the front office carpet in their sox and then touched a leather couch.

Anyone frequenting singles bars knows the richest guys always have the best shot with top available talent seeking longterm contracts. Average players do better accepting mediocrity, especially on one-night commitments. That's the origin of the term pillow contract.

This is why they won't play either full time this season. If the Sox really want to wait til next year, they can't risk exposing their saviors to the dreaded Sophomore Jinx!

Opponents know how to keep Robertson out of Boston. All they have to do is offer him a contract for 13 months.

Wrecking my brain trying to think of actual FO surprises in the post-Mookie Error: Story, when we already had a shortstop? Yoshida, when nobody else in the world thought he was worth $90 million? In retrospect, it has to be Devers' extension -- though at the time most fans thought locking up your best young player is what rich and respectable franchises are supposed to do. Maybe the Crochet trade; not because the Red Sox were one of the few MLB clubs with the prospect capital to land him, but because they finally used their resources to seal the deal. What other surprises did Boston acquire this offseason? Certainly not more starting pitchers with elbow issues, old relievers, or back-up catchers. It's not even a surprise some of us believed Sam Kennedy when he said the Sox would spend to fortify the roster for a run at a division title... we're not Mets fans, so don't tell us, "You Gotta Believe!" Red Sox CBOs didn't just go to Yale for degrees in Classics and Micro-Biology. They minored in Sports Psychology and the lifelong desperation of Red Sox Nation... "We WANNA Believe!"

Once, in social studies, a student asked, "Why do we always have to study the past?" Teacher: "Because we can't study the future." I think the Red Sox front office was sitting in the back of that classroom. Man, I'm really looking backward to the past.

Billy was afraid Carlos would go Plakata on him.

Wasn't it "leaked" that was the issue with Dombrowski, when he was replaced? The company line may be he was costing them money, of course... right after he won them a championship. I'm not into MLB marketing, but there's gotta be some analyst out there who can calculate how much winning a World Series is worth to the brand of a franchise with the fan following of Red Sox Nation.

The real reason John Henry refused to pay market value for Betts happened during the 2018 World Series, when Mookie disguised himself and brought leftovers from a team party to the homeless people. The owner was apoplectic. "He gave them food for FREE..." rasped Mr. Potter from Pottersville. "We're not giving him another cent -- Mookie owes US money!!!!"

He should have been grateful Boston offered him so much money, and thankful for the opportunity to wear a Red Sox jersey his whole career. Anyway, he was too short to pay more to longterm.

Why move a fielder off a position where he was the league's Gold Glove Award winner? Presumably, that would include mastery or at least familiarity of the AL's toughest right field at Fenway Park. Break the new guy in at the easiest left field, where he can play Jai-Alai off the Green Monster, and mostly practice swinging an air bat at imaginary pitches.

Not to mention completely healthy stunning comebacks from: Devers, Story, Casas, Grissom, Yoshida... and, ah what the heck, Hendriks, Whitlock, Fullmer, Giolito, Buehler, Sandoval, and Cora's hair.

Beleaguered be ready for B League basement.

2023 AL BA: Diaz, Seager, Bichette, Ohtani, Lowe, Yoshida... ... but we also know "break out" batters do more than just hit for high average. Story's three-year OPS in Boston is .693. Yoshida's two-year OPS is .775. They both had shoulder issues last year, when Yoshida had a higher Slugging % than Story. If both can somehow stay healthy, it will be interesting to see who is the more productive hitter. The Red Sox are absolutely stuck with each, so it's best we start rooting for (instead of ragging on) the regulars.

Henry disrespects his loyal fans by not allowing his front office to acquire the talent he can easily afford that will annually compete for titles. And if he instructs his generals to lie to the public, that is beyond despicable. But it's also easy to see how he could look at recent Red Sox free agent failures and lock all his valuables in a safety deposit box. What's mystifying is why he hasn't fired the entire front office and started fresh, instead of just changing one talking head every three years. Maybe he's not hungry enough anymore...

I never said he was so good, but he is a professional hitter -- and since Breslow is stuck with Bloom's past, the Red Sox might as well let him try to earn what he's owed. Let's see if surgery helps Yoshida's production this year. Lord knows the batting order can use one of the few guys on the roster who's not a whiff king.