5GoldGlovesOF,75

Juju left his home in Tucson, Arizona Boston, Massachusetts grass

Maybe Story can be a star again at 2B (this is the second base thread). That doesn't mean Mayer will lead them to the promised land as a rookie SS, either. The Big Three will experience growing pains... and have their share of Ks, too, as they adjust. It is worth noting that when all the Sox top prospects were promoted from Double A last summer, it was Mayer who was leading the Eastern League in batting average. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing progress in '25, just not making Boston any World Series favorite quite yet.

Great guy, great teammate, great leader, but maybe overrated as the combined savior in the middle infield and middle of the batting order. We know he was as a Silver Slugger shortstop in Colorado, but his last good season was half a decade ago. Obviously, the Sox will improve if Story stays healthy enough to contribute some power and speed on offense, and range at short, but it may be unfair to expect any more All-Star seasons at this point. It's not his fault someone gave him a big contract. But his K-rate has been over 30% in all three of his Boston years, and his throwing arm will never be better than it is right now (there's no way a human can strengthen an artificial brace inserted in his elbow).

So like 20% of Nunez was better for his teams than if they used a fan from the bleachers. If I had to guess, it somewhere below his knees: calf muscles, toes, heels... ... but according to bb-ref, Eduardo's three years in Boston were worth -1.6 WAR, which is worse than a guy and his Australian Cattle Dog who can catch airborne frisbees on a dead sprint.

Story bounced another throw to first for another error yesterday. Middlebrooks blamed it on a case of Trevor "having too much time." Earlier, batting in the heart of the order with one-out and a man on third, Story struck out on a big looping curveball in the dirt. That runner never crossed the plate. Later, Bregman shortened up with two outs and two strikes to dump an RBI-single into center. Middlebrooks noted how important it is to finally have a guy in the batting order who can make contact and not strike out.

Maybe second base is still up for grabs. Campbell looked much better at 2B today, and very athletic, according to Middlebrooks (who noted KC was starting on the split squad line-up with all the rest big leaguers). He also lined a double and struck out twice -- his swing doesn't just cause him to pull his head; he literally pulls his whole body out of the box.

Duran is the star coming off last year, and Anthony looks like the star of the very near future. So one of the more intriguing stories this season is which outfielder will be replaced in the starting line-up: Rafaela or Abreu? The Red Sox like both guys for their gloves and bats, but Ceddanne is the one they signed longterm so far. My opinion is that posters here in '24 tended to slightly overrate Abreu and underrate Rafaela. Wilyer had a slight edge in WAR and won a Gold Glove, but it's arguable that because Ceddanne also played a lot of shortstop that he was more valuable AND had less WAR due to some Es filling in at SS. No one will dispute that Rafaela could also win a Gold Glove if he plays a full season in CF. At the plate, both had some pop, but Rafaela got on fans' nerves because the count was always 0-and-2 in almost every at bat. So, how many realize Abreu still had a higher K-rate? Rafaela stole more bases, but got thrown out more times, too. Some see a platoon as a solution, but if another contender suffers an outfield injury and comes dangling a promising young arm, which guy is gone? I give the edge to Abreu, only because he's still gets paid minimum wage.

2025 MLB players survey results: Best athlete, best teammate, and best choice for his own talk show after he retires -- Mookie Betts. This on the No-No Thread won't surprise Red Sox front office and ownership from 2019... Should we pay this guy market value; what he's actually worth? NO! But isn't he the ideal ballplayer and personality to keep here for his entire career as a Hall of Fame talent, Face of the Franchise, and Ambassador for Boston baseball forever after? Uhhh.. NO! What a No-No.

I'm thinking this is Eduardo Nunez. Edit: MVP a second earlier

Fans have to be willing to live with that, because it comes with the badge of badgering management to finally trade for some young pitching. Bet the Yankees wish they had Fitts right now, instead of basically firing Verdugo.

Only reporters know what thoughts or actions baseball pros almost had or did. Ask one of the scribes contemplating what bait they'll use this morning to cast for suckers. Shiners or garden worms? Or maybe something artificial; especially effective this time of year are lures.

Why do posters claim every preseason that good Spring Training batting statistics are worthless, but bad stats show that someone is not ready or failed to win a job? Cora keeps telling everyone what matters most to him is defense -- especially turning double plays that need to be made. The guy who looks the most reliable to AC at the pivot will get the most playing time.

This may be the post I agree with the most... though I don't think the Red Sox do. From what I've seen on defense -- all three candidates look awkward or clunky at second base. That's the main reason right now that Campbell won't open in Boston; he's the Minor League HITTER of the year, but needs to show improvement at the keystone sack. The Sox really need to assign a top infield coach to KC, if they really value his future as a regular heart-of-the-order bat. The ST offensive stats don't matter -- just like when Anthony's stats didn't when he was promoted in A ball -- and the job would already be Campbell's if he was smooth on turning DPs.

Yup, and the organization has had a role in that failure -- and not just from picking the wrong guys. Pittsburgh has as many last places as Boston in the past half decade, but pitchers drafted by the Pirates are overall looking better -- and not just because they lucked out in the lottery for Skenes. Jared Jones was pick #44 in 2020, Bubba Chandler #72 in '21, and Thomas Harrington #36 in '22 -- and every GM in baseball would take any of them right now. And for those who want to argue that the Red Sox' homegrown starters are comparable, note that Houck, Crawford and Bello were all either drafted or signed in 2017, which is in a different half decade than 2020-2024. Perhaps, as some have pointed out here, there has been less incompetence in the Sox' scouting and recruiting departments for pitching, but more in the planning dept. -- if intentional focus has been less on arms and more on position players. Hopefully, Breslow will be around long enough to change the culture.

They're in the group of better young pitchers that Breslow couldn't pry loose when he traded Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh.

Don't leave out the Pirates' top two pitching prospects -- Bubba Chandler, MLB's #15 overall, and Thomas Harrington, #78, with this eval: "He has as high a floor as a future big league starter as anyone in the system." (what does that even mean: an attic loft with space for foam pads and sleeping bags?)

I can't compare the Sox to the Pirates. Sure, they've both had three last place finishes in the past half decade, but Pittsburgh somehow keeps drafting, signing and developing pitchers whose ceilings are higher than back-end starter or middle reliever.

I'm still waiting for Hammy to play LF and Abreu at 1B, like AC said in January.

Past regimes didn't make the wrong calls bringing up Bogaerts and Devers at such a young age. Both were Silver Sluggers by age 24. But the draft picks they insisted were MLB ready right out of college -- pitchers Hansen and Meredith -- were overrated... which maybe says more about why Boston's pitching/scouting/developmental infrastructure failed for so long. As for the Big Three -- and any doubt they'd be starting in the majors Opening Day if they played for other mediocre franchises -- all we have to do is look at how fast Kavadas and Yorke were called up by new teams after the last trade deadline. There's a good chance Teel makes his MLB debut before his old buds, too. They're going to love that.

Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to a whipping post.

The only thing I ever found in translation was in the Czech Republic, where no means yes. (explains why in pubs and clubs there my K-rate was always higher than my OPS)

Think of any Red Sox big wig this century fans felt like they could trust at least a little. First, cross out anyone with a share in ownership... Now pivot to the front office. There are two: Epstein and Dombrowski. Both were all-out and mostly public about their pursuits for top talent to improve the team. Theo spoke intelligently, but not so obnoxiously to cloud intentions. Dave was always decisive about upgrades he was determined to make, and not shy about divulging company secrets (lest they weaken his plan). Yes, each apparently had the keys to the vault, but that doesn't necessarily make an executive honest to his constitue- I mean, the public.

Anthony has been a star player at every level in his life, and there's no reason to think he won't be in Boston. As a corner outfielder, is there any doubt he's a better all-around player right now than Refsnyder or Yoshida, or more ready than Abreu? If the Sox make him play the first month or two in Worcester, we also have to realize the possibility he won't be as good as when he becomes a big league regular in May or June. What's left to learn in the minors: ballpark field conditions and lighting are crude, the food's barely edible with meager meal money, and long bus rides make body parts stiff and soft in all the wrong places? Mayer also looks the part of at least an MLB starting shortstop. Campbell, on the other hand, still needs AAA reps to establish himself at a defensive position somewhere on the diamond that is acceptable in the Show.

When they played tournaments in Europe, a lot of players bragged how their numbers increased when measured in kilometers.

Is the extra year of control over Anthony even a factor if the Sox pay him a market value extension this season, like other teams who don't screw around risking losing a potential All-Star? If they instead "lose" that extra year of control, and Anthony wins Rookie of the Year, how much is that reward of an additional draft pick worth (the kind where they selected Anthony and Campbell in the first place)?