5GoldGlovesOF,75

I'd start calling him January or February, but too many syllables -- and I'm both too lazy and aqualunged to bother.

Not disagreeing with anything you wrote. But see if you disagree with this: the Red Sox might lead the league in infielders who need to prove they can play a full big league season in Boston. That obviously includes Mayer (in any league) and Campbell, as well as Grissom, but also Story and Casas (we know Casas did it his rookie year, but that was before he ripped the core muscles power hitters need to swing hard and continue to be power hitters). Now, of all these potential regulars, is there any doubt the one with the best all-around defensive skills is Marcelo Mayer? I'm not saying he doesn't have batting issues to overcome, but looking at the list, who doesn't? If Raffy is healthy enough to play, I can see Story and Bregman as the DP combo to begin the season. But injuries and WooSox bats banging on Gate B will prob change that in a hurry. Solidifying the infield defense -- locking down improvement -- is so important this year, especially with the top end pitching the Sox invested in (guys they want to keep around awhile).

I clicked on it, but made sure not to stare directly at any of the subliminal ads on my screen.

When Dice K came to Boston there was talk that some starters go once a week in Japan and leagues don't play on Mondays. Small country, less travel, six-man rotation, Tuesday through Sunday...

None of us see them breaking camp with Mayer, just that they need to put the best D out there sooner rather than too later if they truly want to contend. But nobody looks too sharp right now trying not to get hurt before it's real. As for the rotation, it's not the Dodgers -- nor the Dodgers -- nor the Dodgers. But it's better than last year's Sox, and that wasn't that bad until injuries exposed lack of depth. The pen is an entirely different subject that most of us see as incomplete. NY and Baltimore have added elite closers in Williams, and the return of Bautista. Boston has guys who were good three years ago: Hendriks, Chapman, Whitlock.

This defensive alignment -- Breg 3B, Mayer SS, Story 2B -- is putting the best gloves and arms in the best spots for the best starting rotation since the last championship. It will require, as Papi says, "putting egos aside" -- but it also gives Mayer on-the-job training, instead of forcing him back to Worcester to develop (which is front office code for fermenting until they secure one more year of control). As for the question of Mayer proving he can hit lefthanded offspeed stuff, are Triple A teams really loaded with such specialists, and will they be lining them up to face Worcester on a nightly basis?

From today's O's-Red Sox match-up of two AL East teams supposed to contend for postseason berths: 1. Felix Bautista is back after missing last year with TJS. The 6'8 285-lb closer struck out 16 batters per 9 IP n '23 when Baltimore won over 100 games. If he's as good again (8 years younger than Chapman), Boston has nothing like him. 2. The Red Sox really need to find a solid second baseman with reliable hands who can block throws in the dirt by Wong, the anointed starting catcher. Runners on first and third, Oriole stealing second, and Wong shorthopped a throw that went right through Hamilton into centerfield for a gift run. That ball has to be blocked -- or at least lay out and get dirty trying to keep it in the infield. It's the second time already this Spring I've seen Hamilton miss one (he also fanned on a line drive)... ... this may freak some posters out, but if Raffy's shoulder heals in the next month, maybe the way to start the season is to play Bregman at second... (while hoping Campbell, Mayer or somebody scorches Triple A and shows they can play competent infield every day). These aren't overrated meaningless March stats, because we all know how imperative it is that the defense improves.

The post you replied to was a hypothetical if/when all three of the Big Three make the team. Regarding Campbell so far... yup, ST stats don't mean a lot to some people, but the games are what we watch, and the most recent qualitative data. As for where Duran plays when Anthony arrives, this isn't quite a Jackie Bradley/Mookie Betts comparison. Obviously, Mookie was good enough to be the centerfielder one year, then moved to right for JBJ. In their first season together, both were All-Stars and the Sox went from worst to first. It wasn't a bad shift; Betts won five more Gold Gloves than Bradley. Duran played a little right when he came up in 2022. According to bb-ref, his Defensive Runs Saved Above Average that year was +52 in RF, -26 in CF. Last season in CF Duran was +25, Rafaela +23. Abreu was +22 in RF.

Story, Bregman, Campbell and Mayer rotate through 2B, SS and 3B, but Campbell becomes the rover at all three. Grampas Trevor and Alex get the most days off. Rafaela starts in CF, Anthony on one corner, and Duran or Abreu -- whoever isn't traded -- on the other. We know who the back-ups are, and Duran and/or Abreu are too good to ride the bench and not be optimized as trade bait.

There's a reason Duran, a much-improved outfielder, and Abreu, the Gold Glove rookie, patrol the corners; it's the same reason why Anthony, a centerfielder while becoming baseball's top prospect, has mostly played LF so far.

I keep telling people Rafaela isn't going to ride the bench or get traded. His defense is just too valuable, especially for all the new pitching recruits who will hopefully be successful enough (because of gloves like Ceddanne's backing them) that they'll want to stick around Boston for some sustained contending.

Some people like to totally dismiss Spring Training stats, but then why do teams and leagues keep track? They especially matter to guys fighting to win starting positions or roster spots. To me, the ST stats to maybe ignore are bad pitching stats, because so many guys are easing arms back into shape or experimenting. That might make it easier for certain hitters, but they still have to adjust and barrel. Here's one nobody can ignore: Fitts experimenting with a 98 mph fastball. He reportedly even reached 99...

The thinking in the front office may be that trading one big-time prospect for a pitcher is enough for this year. Plus, Anthony or Campbell were so highly-rated across the industry this winter, it was too risky to deal either, in case they really do become the next Yaz or Barry Bonds. Of the Fab Four, Teel may have even been the most indispensable -- a hitter who can stay at catcher... though the front office may also be ahead of their comp in expecting automated strike calls to diminish some aspects of catching that were once so valued.

Which is Worcester, playing every day, unless Boston's roster has holes to fill because of injuries. The Red Sox three highest-paid position players are infielders, so there's no way Campbell or Mayer bump Devers, Story or Bregman. The outfield is jammed with newer heroes on first-chance power drives, and Anthony's still only 20. He won't bench a healthy Yoshida making $19 million or even veteran leader Refsnyder. And Rafaela in CF is too important to the new and improved pitching staff (even if he keeps getting so many hits like this Spring that prevent him from drawing walks). For all of us hoping Anthony will be this century's Carl Yastrzemski, it's worth noting Yaz played his last season in the minors, a full year of Triple A, when he was 20. He won his first AL batting crown when he was 23, but didn't become a power hitter until he was 27. Roman might already be ahead of him there...

It's Diasuke Matsuzaka, who must have borrowed Marco Scutaro's glove (signed in white script over the thumb hole). I would've said Marco, but the body shape and gyro-ball grip look more like Dice K. The question mark gives it away, since everyone's still wondering if that pitch ever really existed...

Nobody is? What about Wilson, Stock and Anderson -- haven't they shown they have what it takes to be part of another bullpen that's going to blow championships?

Yes: Salem, Mass. to a pond.... and hand him a couple cinder blocks. If he sinks, he's not a witch.

If only Marcelo could walk more -- he has half as many bases on balls as Rafaela!

It's those lousy Red Sox pitchers allowing 2/100th more batters to hit grounders to third!

From where does this "tendency" originate? Here are a few profiles: Risk aversionaries. Many forget how highly-touted Grissom was a year ago; the Braves GM called him a future All-Star. As long as injury or illness kept Gris from playing, he was an unopened wax pack. What was inside: star cards or commons? Collectors know most vintage packs, once opened, lose all value... Business minds who favor keeping a prospect down long enough for the team to secure an an extra year of control over the player... who, chances are, won't even be with the same organization six years from now. These types of fans must be relatively young and healthy -- unlike me, who doesn't even know if I'll be around an extra six months from now (thus, my urgency to see the best possible Sox team all season). Worry warriors, who don't want to rush a kid into the Big Leagues -- "don't ruin him for life!" But... pro baseball executives (not fans) deem players ready for The Show. Prospects earn promotions, and then have to make constant adjustments to prevent demotions. Dalbec bounced up and down between Boston and Triple A for six years -- who ruined him? Answer: Major League pitchers.

Watch Story throw to first in the next month. Right now, it doesn't look like that internal elbow brace is made out of Wolverine's adamantium. I could never understand Bloom or anyone else saying Story's range would make up for his weak throwing arm. So he's a fast runner -- is he going to run the ball over to first and beat the batter there? Help me out here... this is freaking shortstop -- the most important non-battery position on the diamond, especially to pitchers.

Trying to look at this rationally. Last year Red Sox second basemen had a negative WAR -- so they were worth Losses Below Replacement players (12th out of 15, tied for their worst position, along with the bullpen). And the three cited here had more plate appearances combined than any other SSS (sox second sacker). And to improve the club this year -- and "contend for the AL East" with a "burning desire for championships" -- Boston is going to rely on those three again? I'm not saying it's impossible, but if there's indeed a three-way spitoon with HAM-Romy-GRIZ, they're punting all the way across another bridge year... If they're really going for it this season, 2B is either Campbell, Bregman or STORY (with you-know-who at SS).

Story. It's not hard to imagine he's not physically able to handle the rigors of shortstop -- for whatever reasons (old or new) -- while at the same time, Mayer crushes the next month in FLA.

"Pair of Sox Dig in Heels, Side-Step Selfishness"

Can't start Campbell yet, when Griz and Hammy haven't done enough to prove they deserve a seat in a big league dugout. If a guy doesn't have the red ass, how's he supposed to warm the bench? This has to be what Sam Kennedy means when describing the org's "burning desire to win championships."