5GoldGlovesOF,75

It would be cool for FOX to have to show pics of a young Juan Soto wearing a Red Sox cap, to compliment/insult past pics of Yankee youths Cole and Volpe. But we know they won't be able to stomach it. They always have to leave room on promos to show vids of Bucky, Buckner and Boone... ... to fill in for the missing footage of Brock Holt's cycle at the Stadium, and Eovaldi beating NY in two different postseasons; lowlights which apparently never existed in the history of this century.

Mike Greenwell, lifetime .303 hitter... Troy O'Leary, all-time playoff home run hero...

Big Papi told Bradford he was with Soto's mother and brother last night; they live in the same building. Juan grew up a Red Sox fan. Fellow Dominican legends Ortiz, Ramirez and Martinez may still be big influences. (Julian Tavarez -- maybe not so much...)

My counter is Soto's paws bat greatly. I still really want the Red Sox to trade for Crochet -- another key talent just about to enter his prime. Once they land Crochet, they can focus on the one free agent starting pitcher they covet, and not have to scramble to outbid many other teams for two expensive arms... ... (because we all know they know they need two this winter to make a reasonable run).

Sox seek some starboard stars in the batter's box.

True, but those backfired on him, and the industry thinks Soto will decide fairly soon. It's not like small market or even mid-market clubs can hold enough holiday bake sales to raise funds and get in the game.

Depth by paper cuts.

Maybe could've beat out a few more hits if he didn't run the wrong way to third base out of the batter's box.

After the Sox sign Soto, they should ink Teoscar for some righty bat protection. If they're willing to dish out $600 million, another 10% (3 for $60M for Hernandez) is like paying for short-term insurance on your big investment. Plus, a Soto signing also brings to the Red Sox a factor that always has skeptics scoffing -- but always has competitive athletes considering: winning. Boston will certainly be a more attractive location for free agents if there's a Hall of Famer in his prime there to boost one's chances for a ring or three... Soto himself says he wants to play for a team that's going to go for it. Besides money, the biggest pitch from Brez and Co. is probably a promise to recruit the biggest pitch... at both the front end and back end of the games.

But by allowing almost twice as many homers! If the Red Sox do trade Crawford, they must know Giolito (HR king of '23) is coming back or they're confident Bello will give up more longballs... because their rotation has to lead the league in something (besides Most Cy Young Winners the season after leaving Boston).

I posted this AM, but Maddie's Soto plea article is on the News page and not on the Forum page. Anyway, when John Henry heard Brez got Justin Wilson for $1.5M, he phoned in an instant calculation and said, "For what Soto wants, we can sign 400 Wilsons -- turn this bird around!"

Sox brass flying out to meet Soto. Is it even feasible -- as some suggest -- the entire purpose of the flight is just for show? Doesn't an eccentric old rich guy like John Henry have anything better to do than take a cross-country plane ride, even if it's on his private jet, without making some kind of major purchase? And isn't he above PR stunts "just for show" -- and why he still keeps Sam Kennedy on the payroll? One thing's for certain: all major free agents and their agents are waiting on Soto to sign, so they can welcome the subsequent offers shifting their way from the big money losers...

His agent wasn't Curly -- that was Shemp, with his hair in his eyes.

WHAAA? Sean McAdam just said Chicago is ok with Abreu as the centerpiece in a Red Sox trade for Crochet (and that Boston would also have to include a prospect, but not necessarily a member of the Beatles). And yet, the White Sox won't take the MARTIAN AND JUDGE CLONE FROM NY????

So, Buehler still wasn't 100% healed down the stretch, but finally found it vs. the hottest teams under the biggest spotlight. All we have to do now is get the Red Sox medical team of assistant vice presidents to analyze and double-check his x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, ultrasmells, catscans, dogscans and high school report cards for his biology, chemistry and alchemy grades...

How lucky of Buehler to throw 6 scoreless World Series innings vs. the team that led MLB in home runs, and the AL in runs, RBIs, OBP and OPS... after a 4-frame NLCS shutout start vs. the club that hit seven HRs in the NLDS.

Considering he just showed the world his good side -- in his last three appearances on the biggest stage -- he's definitely not a Kluber, who the Sox signed right after giving up a walk-off homer to knock Tampa out of the playoffs. Recency bias founded in ringacy facts carries carats that help fans blinded by the darkness to see through the fog of history.

Just wondering if pitches seen per at bat are figured into any WAR formulas? There has to be some additional value for a batter who commands the strike zone and thus commands extra focus from stressed pitchers -- who are then more apt to make mistakes to subsequent hitters... Here are some career pitches per plate appearance from bb-ref: Schwarber 4.23, Judge 4.23, Soto 4.13, Casas 4.13, Boggs 4.13 Betts 3.97, Ohtani 3.96, Jackie Bradley Jr. 3.90, Bonds 3.89 JD Martinez 3.88, Devers 3.81, Yoshida 3.78, Rafaela 3.67 Records not available for Ted Williams, so the modern winner may be Rickey Henderson 4.34... in 7.854 PA he saw 34,058 pitches!

Not a bad argument, and it reminds me in a way of the excuse Bloom made at Winter Weekend a few years ago for trading Betts: the Red Sox couldn't surround him with whatever -- a sustainable core, young talent, cheap talent... But when it came to extending Raffy, said Chaim, "You know what's coming, so we're willing to make that bet!" Several crap place finishes later, it's still coming... Meanwhile, as much as Soto was a perfect fit in New York, now that another Judge postseason disappearing act is in the books, does anyone think the Yankees would have made it to the World Series without him? How about even winning a round in the playoffs? Does anyone doubt Soto could do the same thing to help boost Boston and its big slugger, Mr. Devers... like, a lot sooner than any fan can dream possible? Certain superstar power can make that much difference in the way all other hitters in the lineup are pitched to. The Yanks can instead sign Bregman, Adames, Alonso and Santander, and still not be as good in 2025 -- without Soto looming in the batting order.

Depending on one's outlook, it can also be true that Half Price cost Mookie.

The Red Sox are definitely interested... in driving up the price for Soto. They need to make the Yankees spend as much money as possible, but it will still be a miracle New York doesn't spend whatever it takes to land the real free agent prize of the offseason: Tanner Scott. Q: How important it is for Boston to somehow sign Scott and keep him out of pinstripes (or O's orange, Blue Jay blue or whatever crappy colors the Rays wear)? A: Scott vs. the Red Sox, July 4, 2024: (9th inning) Devers strikes out swinging, Refsnyder strikes out swinging, Yoshida strikes out swinging.

Guaranteed $45M -- even if you blow out a ligament trying not to break a finger smashing a big screen TV falling off your stationary bike? Most of these elite athletes have elite confidence in themselves, but most are also smart enough to sign for twice as many millions of dollars... once they're pushing 30 years of age, that is.

If the Sox go bold on bullpen -- as in overpay for Tanner Scott in a fierce bidding war -- then they stay away from longterming Burnes or Fried. But I'm good with Scott, and Jeff Hoffman, who wants to start (but who we know was an All-Star reliever in '24). The other rotation pieces will be a Manaea reunion with Bailey, and a trade for a lefty -- but not Crochet... ... Ryan Weathers, 24, from Miami -- come on up!

Fried sounds like the perfect guy to add depth to Boston's rotation... of rehabbing IL pitchers. Just to be on the safe side, the Sox should wait until he has that second surgery, then pay him to rest, recuperate and come back as good as a new name hanging in a clubhouse locker. When he suits up, said Sam Kennedy next summer -- referring to two summers from now -- he'll be better than any trade deadline acquisition we can find (especially since he'll be all paid for... well, except for what we'll owe him for player options he can exercise while not throwing most of the next half decade).

I knew it, from the moment they first started pumping those plastic dumbbells in his honor! I thought to myself, Even I can lift air...