5GoldGlovesOF,75

Not to mention completely healthy stunning comebacks from: Devers, Story, Casas, Grissom, Yoshida... and, ah what the heck, Hendriks, Whitlock, Fullmer, Giolito, Buehler, Sandoval, and Cora's hair.

Beleaguered be ready for B League basement.

2023 AL BA: Diaz, Seager, Bichette, Ohtani, Lowe, Yoshida... ... but we also know "break out" batters do more than just hit for high average. Story's three-year OPS in Boston is .693. Yoshida's two-year OPS is .775. They both had shoulder issues last year, when Yoshida had a higher Slugging % than Story. If both can somehow stay healthy, it will be interesting to see who is the more productive hitter. The Red Sox are absolutely stuck with each, so it's best we start rooting for (instead of ragging on) the regulars.

Henry disrespects his loyal fans by not allowing his front office to acquire the talent he can easily afford that will annually compete for titles. And if he instructs his generals to lie to the public, that is beyond despicable. But it's also easy to see how he could look at recent Red Sox free agent failures and lock all his valuables in a safety deposit box. What's mystifying is why he hasn't fired the entire front office and started fresh, instead of just changing one talking head every three years. Maybe he's not hungry enough anymore...

I never said he was so good, but he is a professional hitter -- and since Breslow is stuck with Bloom's past, the Red Sox might as well let him try to earn what he's owed. Let's see if surgery helps Yoshida's production this year. Lord knows the batting order can use one of the few guys on the roster who's not a whiff king.

Something to ponder: which dormant (or is that doormat) bat is more likely to break out in 2025: A. Story's; B. Grissom's or C. Yoshida's? Before you answer, keep in mind that two choices have never hit in Boston, and one of those has struck out over 30% of his ABs in three straight years. The third choice finished 6th in the AL in batting average and has a two-year K-rate of 13.3%...

Forest -- but not Run Forest since the street is up a hill. Recycle is Cobalt (luckily, not Teel).

I'm really stoked about this Red Sox offense in 2025! Sure, we lost our home run leader and didn't replace him. But all the injured guys from last year are definitely going to be better this season: Devers, Casas, Story, Grissom, Masataka YOSHIDA! We here on talksox know these Red Sox bats are all going to rebound from nagging aches and pains and actually improve the O to make up for losing TO. The front office has really stacked the line-up this offseason. We hold these lies to be self-evident, because old people have more experience than the youth for whom we root. Muscle pulls and tears are overrated, backs and knees are indestructible, and internal scar tissue never calcifies. We know that any injury that afflicts us totally goes away over time, and never recurs or holds us back from doing what we know how to do well: rake leaves, shovel the driveway, and push the garbage cans to the street once a week. So don't worry, Sox fans. Batters don't forget how to swing the bat, and physical issues will never prevent them from succeeding. Plus, Sam Kennedy assures you they're in the business of winning championships.

It should be obvious by now that all our pitchers are blowing out their arms by pushing down too hard when signing the documents. The Red Sox front office should just wise up: hand free agents lighter pens with ample ink.

Pretty good list. I was going to suggest another subset: pitchers we signed when they were actually good. But all I could think of was Eovaldi... who, yes, broke down a bit after he signed, but was still good when he pitched. Lackey? Price? Sale when he signed an extension? The first two were decent before but only for a short time after they signed in Boston. Mostly, they were broken in body or spirit. Sale was a great Red Sock until he signed here...

That sounds about right -- to chumps like me. But what about the pro fessionals in the front office? What do you think the odds are -- that they give themselves -- when they sign free agents every freaking winter who are damaged goods? Here, Paxton, here's millions of dollars to rehab for an entire season, then finally return to the mound the next year -- pitch one great month, then not get traded at peak value at the deadline, before breaking down again for the stretch walk -- and then the season after that, when you pitch for someone else and beat us, we'll trade them a prospect to get you back in Boston, where you can instantly get re-injured and never throw again.

Red Sox fans who watched their careers always knew Rice was a Hall of Fame hitter, but Evans was a better all-around big league player. Their career batting stats are very similar, except for BA where Jim has an edge, and OBP where Dewey rocks. Baines hung around longer than either, so was honored for his longevity. He still had only 38.8 career WAR, compared to 47.7 WAR for Rice... and 67.2 WAR for Evans. Rice had eight years with MVP votes, with six Top 5 finishes: 1, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5. Evans had five seasons out of eight receiving MVP votes ('81-88), with rankings at 3, 4, 7, 9, 11. Baines had four straight years receiving MVP votes ('81-84), but his highest finish was 9. Of course, almost all MVP votes for the trio came because of their bats. There was never any question that Dwight Evans was the superior outfielder -- nor that he was regarded as the best at his position for the better part of a decade.

If they could do that again this year, it could mean they win the ALCS! Boston has slyly Chicagoized its forces by adding Crochet, Giolito, Hendriks and Romy. They must be better than Teel, Monty, Meidroth and Wikelman.

When Breslow hired Bailey, I thought this was going to lead to more MLB pitching acquisitions, too. The latter had supposedly worked well with a few starters, like Webb and Manaea in SF; I also expected Brez to recruit a few from Chicago, or even prospects he had his eyes on when he worked in the NL. Maybe they all proved too expensive for Boston... maybe some of the minor leaguers Brez got knew Bailey... maybe the duo work closely with the analytics dept and just target affordables they figure they can fix. The Sox can still find gems on Craig's List, as well as on eBay.

Forums are platforms to vent, and give opinions, but I don't mind being told to shut up once in awhile for ragging too much. However, I think I speak for all Red Sox fans who are just tired of being told lies by those in charge of our favorite team (btw: the sox I wear are not red nor blue, just independent old man gray). If the front office is not going to spend on top talent, that's not ok, but we live to accept it -- just don't dishonor our loyalty with empty promises from those in charge. Cohen in NY made news for "being honest" -- why does that have to be refreshing? As a diehard, I'm always looking forward to watching young, new players break in, and to see if they can make an impact. If they become stars, welcome them as faces of the franchise with extensions -- don't lowball them with offers always below their market values... that's how you lose a Mookie Betts. If the plan is to focus on Campbell and Anthony and others this Spring -- and one or two of them tears it up in the Grapefruit League, great. Just don't insult our intelligence at the end of March by saying they need more seasoning when you send them back to the minors.

Sorry to sound so bitter. I forgot Sam Kennedy told us we were all about world championships, even if we have to spend over the luxury tax threshold. For a second there, I thought all the Red Sox acquired this winter were Oldman Chapman, a bunch of starting pitchers with elbow issues, and 17 back-up catchers. In another week it will be February and they'll all be reporting to Florida! LET'S GO!!!!!!!!

They're uncomfortable being honest. The truth hurts. The president embarrasses himself every time he opens his mouth. NESN.com is full of more BS than TV blab shows that zombify the ignorami with purported "news." No change in climate; even with the new administration, it's still arid. Desolate days, frigid nights.

I honestly think the Red Sox have been counting all winter on getting a compensatory pick for that Pivetta QO... in the very least to make up for one they'd have to give up to sign a guy like Bregman (maybe that's the hold-up). In the very most, they'd not sign anyone as usual, keep the pick, and hope they're smart enough to nab another Anthony or Campbell.

MLB Channel guys discussing their new Top 100 Prospects List last night quoted some evaluators saying Campbell is the best prospect in baseball by far and it's not even close.

I'm not defending Romy -- he's not my new binky like he is with the Red Sox -- but who you should expect to want to keep him around just to show how smaht they are, after digging him out of a bin at a flea market when he was cut by the worst team in big league history.

? According to bb-ref, Refsnyder played zero games at first base last year. The "regular" first baseman listed was Dom Smith, with Enmanuel Valdez at second base, Ceddanne Rafaela at shortstop and Tyler O'Neill in leftfield. But don't worry -- Breslow has upgraded by cornering the market on back-up catchers and pitchers with Tommy John Surgery.

How does Pivetta fit in? Since he is still unsigned, most true contenders truly trying to win would probably find a way to work out a multi-year deal to keep another starting pitcher in his prime on the staff. But this is Boston, where he turned down a one-year Qualifying Offer of $21.05 million... which means the lowball Red Sox will now offer him something like $24 mil total for the next three years... just to show they're still interested. Sam will just call it being "incredibly aggressive."

That's two reasons to keep Romy, besides the fact he stole more bases than everyone (even regulars) except speedsters Duran, Hammy and Ceddanne. Cora was a decent second sacker in the bigs, and that's another reason why I see Romy over Grissom-- unless Gris stops throwing like last year, when he looked like he was hailing a cab.

Romy has to make the club, since he's the back-up first baseman (20 g at 1B in '24, more than any non-Casas on this year's 40)... ... that is, unless Cora uses his Gold Glove rightfielder there, like he suggested a few weeks ago. What a powerhouse Breslow has assembled.

Watching the Red Sox sign free agent talent every winter is like sitting in those Fenway Park seats with the poles in your face. I was thinking about buying obstructed view tickets, but I'm not sure it will fit my budget. Instead, I got a bargain on some used sheets that I'll just drape over my TV when it's gametime.