5GoldGlovesOF,75

Or that there hasn't been a peep of speculation in the media of the club rewarding its hero's big season with a raise -- nor extension offer -- to make sure he's part of the next great Red Sox team. Boston baseball may be less relevant compared to past decades, but the popularity of a star player in his prime has never seemed more tepid. Old-timers and young-timers may remember the local and national hype surrounding Yaz, Lynn/Rice, Nomar, Manny/Papi, and Mookie. Yaz Bread, anyone? My son saw an online ad for Duran Soap; it is for acne...

The radical move is trading Duran -- but he's the one guy who will bring back the best haul. And I'm not even consulting a website that ranks players by assigning numerical trade values. Jarren Duran, All-Star MVP, was one of the top five baseball players in the world this year. He's in his prime right now, but maybe not quite young enough to be part of the core of the next great Red Sox team (only a year younger than Tyler O'Neill and Dom Smith..). Will the Red Sox be worse without Duran, but with another good pitcher in the starting rotation, Roman Anthony in LF, and Campbell or Grissom at 2B?

I mulled this, but also the possible grudges between a trio of high school testosteronis who once competed with each other for number one status in the eyes of coaches, teammates, college scouts, pro scouts, reporters, teachers, cheerleaders, and the school mascot. It's one thing to be dismissed by humans (comes with the badge of being a person), but no one wants to be dissed by a Wolverine -- especially one who might help you learn his instant healing powers... which all three now-older guys covet more than anything else.

Well, since TOR also stands for a rival city, how about a guy willing to meet all border requirements so he's eligible to pitch a big game there? What if the Sox have to play Montreal in a World Series! Or the expansion Saskatoon Sasquatches...

And we better believe Assistant VPs in analytics departments all over the map are celebrating the Tigers today -- the team that traded away a viable member of the starting rotation at the deadline, and just eliminated the mighty Astros... with an opener and a bullpen game!

The Royals? Their top three WAR leaders not named Witt are starting pitchers acquired in the past two years: Lugo, All-Star, signed for $15 mil per; Ragans, All-Star, traded for an old legendary closer version of Kenley; and Wacha, signed for $16 mil per... who some posters still don't think is worth a spot in the Thin Sox rotation when all he ever does is pitch consistently in whatever uniform he wears the past three years -- 38-14 with a 3.30 ERA in 76 starts with a 1.16 WHIP.

So the bullpen proved it could blow it around the Horn. Agree with notin, here -- relief pitchers will be the top free agent targets of our both our CBO and pitching coach, each a decent reliever in his own days...

A rational front office doesn't make radical changes to a .500 team on the verge of transitioning several minor league All-Stars into the lineup. The simplest and absolutely least expensive moves are to just make room for the new guys. Primarily, trade from surplus -- for example, lefty-swinging outfielders or middle infield prospects. Breslow and Company are too smart to create new holes by dealing Casas -- with zero MLB-ready first basemen to replace him... or move Devers to 1B -- with zero MLB experience at the position, and with zero MLB-ready third basemen to replace him. A major overhaul might make sense for a club that lost the most games in history, like the White Sox... but not for a break-even team like the Red Sox, with help already on the way.

All feasible -- good effort. I agree if there's a trade, it will include Duran or Abreu. I disagree Wong is definitely back. I have nothing against him, but Breslow has no loyalty to Wong, either -- the last vestige of the Mookie deal. Plus, if Brez and Co. really rely as much on analytics as the media says they do, then Wong as Boston's catcher has a looming expiration date.

"Internal bracing" -- the stand-up double for elbows and Red Sox fans everywhere!

Are there any Red Sox fans here who really think the 2025 starting rotation will improve with a Giolito comeback -- whenever that is -- from a major injury? Is there any reason to be confident he'll be as good/bad as he was the last year he pitched? ... that is, besides all the word salads that Kennedy, Breslow and Bailey will feed us about Gio all winter... (... maybe John Henry was the most honest when he said our expectations are just too high). ... or maybe Lucas' elbow was secretly hurting in '24 -- which he didn't want to admit, with free agency looming -- and he'll emerge even better soon from the corrective surgery.

Rafaela is more valuable because of his versatility as a player who can start in the majors at both the most important position in the outfield and the most important position in the infield. Cora and the Supreme Court lifers in the front office covet guys like that... Ceddanne's contract, however, also makes him a less desirable trade target than maybe every rookie in the MLB who has big league questions about his bat.

If the Yankees advance, we won't get to actually watch them much on Fox or ESPN, because the Judge Cam will be played constantly during all games: There's Aaron Judge in the dugout smiling -- and three batters from now, he'll get to swing for the fences! (one out later) Judge in the dugout -- where he's on double deck... he's putting on batting gloves! (two outs later) And Aaron Judge is standing up -- wearing a batting helmet! Carrying a bat to the on-deck circle! (three outs later) Judge denied an at-bat -- but he'll hit first next inning! (Yankees in the field) Aaron Judge patrolling the outfield -- he'll lead off when New York bats! (Yankee pitcher strikes out batter) Judge is smiling -- only two more outs before he gets to bat! Judge is pointing to the sky -- at the satellite that runs the Judge Cam!

The Password made the all-minors first team ahead of Mayer and Teel. Gotta be a keeper, at least for one more year to let him regress. It's not like he's Paxton, bound to break down two years in a row and we're not trading him, but trading for him! (this is why I don't drink English Bitters, cuz I've had my fill...).

I got nothing against the Astros' Mauricio Dubon, who was once a farmhand in the Boston system. An all-purpose player, won a Gold Glove, and always looks like he's happy to be a big leaguer. Dubon is also part of maybe the worst Dombrowski trade, going with Travis Shaw in a package for damaged goods Tyler Thornburg.

It would be like trading a Bronson Arroyo for someone like Wily Mo Pena. Those days are gone forever, over a long time ago... oh, yeah (yikes, that deal is 20 years old, and the song quote is 20 years older than that...)

Most posters would take Mason Lose to get rid of Masa Overpay.

Nope -- at the presser, Brez listed three focus areas (in this order): defense, pitching and line-up balance. Regarding the latter -- which he noted as "obviously left-handed heavy" -- he never said he was going to spend on acquisitions, just that "we need to figure out how we balance that out" ... particularly to take advantage of the Green Monster in left field. Trading a few lefty bats for arms costs nothing and opens up opportunities for righty swingers like Grissom and Campbell, if/when they're ready... or The Password Garcia (just named as a starter on MLB's 2024 All-MiLB Prospect Team, along with Campbell and Anthony).

Breslow just called Bloom and offered him Yoshida in trade for Sonny Gray. Chaim thought it was an overpay, so asked to take Trevor Story, too... but for only one year... if the Sox also took Steven Matz -- as long as he could call it all off before the deadline. Brez said he was still evaluating his front office infrastructure, and would utilize every resource to make it as painful as possible for the underdogs. But he assures all he has full support of ownership to be the overdawgs.

What's more unbelievable: the Braves' ace who just pitched an entire season of Cy Young baseball suddenly couldn't pitch Game 162 with the postseason on the line... ... or: the guy the Red Sox paid for five years (including this one) to be their ace - but instead was almost always injured - finally stayed healthy enough to pitch almost an entire season of Cy Young baseball that lasted until Game 162 with the postseason on the line?

Refsnyder drove in 29 baserunners who weren't himself, with a 25% K-rate. O'Neill drove in 30 baserunners who weren't himself, with a 33.6% K-rate. Ref's team option is for $2 million... so why would I want to pay T.O. another $40 million? Campbell -- who is comfortable playing outfield -- might be a minimum-wage O'Neill replacement... that is, if Grissom wins the second-base job. Breslow has already said the Red Sox have too many lefty batters and wants to balance the batting order. If both Grissom and Campbell make the club, Brez doesn't have to spend any money to do that... ,,, then he could use the savings for more (I didn't say real) pitching....

Scott is so perfect for Boston, I'm convinced they'll pick up three other relievers I've never heard of instead -- for less money combined than what an actual big market contender will pay him. But at least one of the new guys will be a feel-good story, someone who once shined shoes for the mob, and had to work his way up to be a good earner as a member of a crew.

The key to rapid improvement is talent. The Red Sox aren't going to spend for big league talent because they have prospects not just on the verge of making the majors, but winning starting positions. Mayer may need some reps at shortstop in Triple A before Story moves back to second base, where he shined in 2022. Since then, the second basemen in Boston have been the worst in all of baseball -- and that right there is why Campbell, the best player in the minors, will get the opportunity to open next season as starter at the keystone sack. Roman Anthony will also be a starting outfielder at Fenway Park in '25, maybe even out of Spring Training -- service time be damned. No CBO under the Henry ownership really cares about that extra sixth year of prospect control -- because CBOs never last more than four years in Boston. The offseason won't be that complicated. Brez will focus on stockpiling inexpensive pitching, with the hope of transforming a few into valuable contributors. Maybe he will trade an outfielder for one of them, to open up a spot in the depth chart for Anthony.

Does every Rays' pitcher throw 98 mph? (just asking for a friend) Somehow they're blowing away the Red Sox, with nary a bleat from OB: "Sweeper, sweeper, sweeeeeeeee- purrrr"

Even OB is mailing it in this weekend. He just told viewers that Crawford's homers have been going through the roof -- doesn't he know they're playing at Fenway and not Tampa?