5GoldGlovesOF,75

By now, we shouldn't be so sure Bloom overly believed anything -- except what he was told to do when he was hired to do it. I'm one of his biggest critics, and trading Mookie will be in his obit, but "a whole bunch of garbage thrown at the wall" has carried over into the Breslow Era, too. So now we know that a Boston CBO is really only a figurehead at the task end of a major front office mandate (by a front office full of lifers) -- and let's just call it what fans now know as a conspiracy -- to cut corners in an attempt to at least appear to compete. These guys who run the Red Sox are just way too intelligent with advanced college degrees to all be so incompetent for this many years... and ask yourself this: would a multi-billionaire owner ever stand for it -- for one year -- if he wasn't in on the plan?

The standings that chart wins and losses say New York, Baltimore, Boston... not Rodon, Burnes, Bello. Starting pitchers are yanked earlier than ever, even guys who are effective. So it seems dumb that a starter who throws four solid innings gets no credit, and then a reliever who only goes two or one frame gets the win.

There were also a few times this century when it looked -- to my eyes -- like a Tito or Cora yanked a starter who they were irked with for some reason after 4 2/3s with a lead... Only one out to go for a W? Take a seat and learn something, Meat. But in this day of openers and two-times-through-the-order starters, win requirements should be adjusted to reward the most effective pitcher each day.

I hope it won't be Crochet's won-loss record. At least he's a strikeout pitcher, who may be less affected by below-average defense in the infield (and maybe behind the plate)... at least, less than a Max Fried pitch-to-contact guy. Maybe getting outbid by the Yankees for Fried saved Henry a lot of dough, since a subsequent Bregman signing would've also been necessary to optimize Fried's forte... (so maybe the Red Sox' offer to Fried intentionally preserved their frugality). Boston can also be thankful Teoscar re-upped with LA, since the outfield D hasn't regressed. Fans of whiffers will be disappointed, though, because only three batters in baseball had more Ks than Hernandez' 188 (quite a few more than Duran's team-leading 160).

Good point, and a mystery why good relievers don't ever earn the WAR of good starters. I know innings pitched -- and ideally batters retired -- makes a starter who does his job (5 full frames!) more valuable. But as far as who earns the win, there's a difference between a starter staked to a big early lead, and a starter whose offense takes the lead later, which he protects with shutdown innings. A pitcher who doesn't cough up the lead is most valuable, whether he's a starter or reliever. In the semantics, a set-up man can be just as much or more valuable than a closer, depending on whether they're pitching clean innings or coming in to clean up someone else's mess.

I hear your Who, and raise you Led Zeppelin II.

Abbey Road.

He's from Arizona, just had twins, and wanted to stay home... for less than what the Jays and Giants offered. So it wasn't about the-- wait, taxes are a bigger hit in Toronto and SF...

Can we expand it, to include catching prospect Harry Ford? Ford, who could become a core guy for a rebuilding team, is blocked in Seattle for at least the next three years (M's WAR leader Cal Raleigh is not a free agent until 2028).

But what if a Wily Mo Pena batter becomes available? Wouldn't his 16 homers and negative-WAR be worth trading a pitcher for (a guy who in the next eight years averaged 211 IP and 33 starts, while winning over 100 games with a 20 WAR... and was a rock star)?

And any attempt at discussing him at the back end of the bullpen would be a non-closer.

Those are unreasonable expectations. John says we just expect banners every year.

Both are destined for the rotation, and Crawford may not even see any relief stints as long man in the bullpen. Criswell, either, if they'd rather he takes a regular turn in the Woo rotation to prepare. With all the fragile -- and too valuable -- elbows in Boston, look for the Sox to use a six-man rotation early on in risky weather.

Regarding Giolito, a full recovery isn't so much when he returns or even how effective he is, but whether there are any setbacks -- especially the first year back. Therefore, Houck, Bello and Crawford are the three sure things for the starting rotation. Gio, Crochet, Buehler, Fulmer, and maybe Sandoval could provide serious depth or serious doubt. As far as durability right now, there are even less questions about the elbow macaroni group than Fitts and Criswell.

Without googling, maybe even some minor arthroscopy could've extended his career. I'm just talking from amateur experience, where they use laser beams to disintegrate calcified scar tissue to make space (and alleviate bone-on-bone pain) for a better range of motion. I had my shoulder scoped in 1989; when I had my elbow scoped 20 years later, the doc said they now had 20 more instruments of different sizes and powers to use than in the late-80s.

When Koufax quit at age 30 because doctors told him he could be crippled for life, he was only the most dominant pitcher in baseball history. If they had Tommy John Surgery in 1965, Sandy could've rocked for another decade. But Tommy was only 22 in '65, with all of his ligaments still in their original places.

Red Sox pitchers with recent elbow operations: Crochet, Buehler, Giolito, Whitlock, Sandoval, Fulmer, Moran, Sam Kennedy (injured doing the Funky Chicken at the office Christmas party). They'll all be there... but it may be prudent not to count on all being better than ever without any setbacks.

I was about to type that we need more catchers to report, but remembered half our pitchers won't be ready to pitch until mid-season. Some will still show up, though, for rehab... ... we need more trainers and physical therapists to report!

Once there was a way Liverpool was She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.

If you can have one more free agent signing this offseason -- never mind the actual name of the player -- which one need would you fill? (note: #1-4 would all bat right-handed) 1: DH/OF 2: First baseman 3: Second baseman 4: Third baseman 5: Catcher 6: Closer 7: Starting pitcher ... at this point, I'd pay the relief pitcher, and go with the young bats.

But Sake is (at 13 to 17 percent)! And so Happy Christmas...

Don't forget Fulmer, another guy yet to throw a pitch in Boston, and now the latest TJ rehab reclamation rebin-again redsox retread: Jovani Moran (who Brez and Bailey can only hope to someday refer to as a Bugs Bunny Ultra-Moran). Last year's World Series teams were two clubs who constantly spend at the top of the industry in stockpiling pitching. Look at some of the other playoff teams and how they mainly built pitching staffs: San Diego -- trade lots of prospects; Mets and Phils -- spend-spend-spend; Atlanta, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland -- draft and develop; Houston -- smart scouting and international recruitment... KC -- hit the lotto on the mid-level signings (Mets did, too, after pivoting from big splurges on old Hall of Famers). Breslow and Bailey know the best way is scout and recruit/draft and develop. They just have to change the culture in a front office mired in the 2020s that keeps trying to get by with with low-level signings who are cheap because they're damaged goods. Results are in the standings (for a FO that even blew it with the one guy who finally succeeded -- Paxton, who should've been traded at the deadline, right after he was Pitcher of the Month).

If we consider the Buehler signing as a replacement for Pivetta leaving, remember the cost for one year was about equal -- except Walker accepted the offer that Nick turned down. (I'm a fan who doesn't eat or drink anything with high fructose corn syrup, but I still prefer rooting for players who want to be Red Sox... no matter the reason). Since that's basically the QO the Sox were already prepared to pay Pivetta, they still haven't spent to add to the new rotation that will open the 2025 season. The bullpen is also still short on established talent, but looks better prepared to optimize assets if/when more injured starters return. In other words, just because you can't see the bottom doesn't mean it isn't shallow.

The problem isn't emojis, which some people like to collect and display, to share with others. But it's a blight on society when people weaponize them...

Walker is just starting his 30s... so why can't Sox fans hope he can be like Nate Eovaldi, who -- after two TJS -- established himself as an All-Star and postseason stud that has won multiple rings? The only difference is that Buehler is already a two-time All-Star and World Series champ.