5GoldGlovesOF,75

A hunch there will no longer be a platoon at second base in Boston: one MLB exec said Kristian Campbell is the best prospect he's ever seen. Which bench-warmer stays on the roster: Grissom, Hamilton, or Romy? Maybe the latter, as a back-up at first base for Raffy (if a big trade is made).

Zimmer once said, "If ifs and buts were candied nuts, we'd all have a wonderful Christmas." That was years before he tried to headbutt Pedro -- which led to a downfall that will always be his lasting image (even though New York fans deny ever seeing the first part, live on TV for millions to witness... what a country).

MLB poll results of "executives" from all 30 MLB teams shows Anthony rated the #1 prospect and best hitting prospect. One exec also said Campbell was the best prospect he'd ever seen. When a player gets a vote for "best ever", that's a guy you want on the parent club asap. Also in the conservation were names like Harper, Trout, Acuna and Witt. Franklin Arias was named on two list: Most Underrated Prospect and Breakout Prospect. The Password didn't make any lists, because no one could spell his name...

Brez qualified the title of the thread with "I think" and "as much as possible" -- thus giving himself and Cora opt-outs.

If both sides are determined to make this happen, it can only mean both sides are trying to get rid of guys before their value plummets to Yoshida levels. And both sides must realize both Arenado and Casas are damaged goods to some extent -- one is past his prime; the other may never reach it because of a specific injury. The only hope for Red Sox fans is that in order to take on Arenado's contract, Breslow is smart enough to demand someone else actually good, like a pitcher without an elbow issue. Such a trade would also mean a major shift in the defensive alignment, because Boston can't be that stupid to play one of the best third base gloves of all-time at first base...

When he played for the Red Sox in the spring, he didn't even look like an infielder. He threw with his arm straight up over his head, as if adjusting curtain rods, with nothing on his throws. Saw him live a few times later in the minors and he looked stronger. Could drive the ball in the gap and steal a bag... but still limited in the field.

Almost as much as the pop-up ads for hand guns spread across my entire screen at the bottom of this page. But there's free shipping! (luckily, they can't reach my house by ship)

Now that's it's officially next year, even though the Sox weren't the big spenders their president promised, this offseason can still contain major changes that will generate excitement and hope for this and future seasons: Kristian Campbell starting at second base. Roman Anthony starting at an outfield corner. One is the Minor League Player of the Year, the other is baseball's Number One rated prospect. That means they're two of the very best in the training grounds for future major leaguers. So how much more ready for the big leagues can top prospects get? Pragmatists can caution about some aspect that still needs to be mastered, and adjustments -- but every single player at every age constantly has something to work on. I have no desire whatsoever to instead see a Grissom-Hamilton platoon at 2B; they may be good guys, but let's be serious, they're also two who participated in the worst group of second baseman of any team in the entire sport last year. In the outfield, neither Refsynder nor Yoshida is reliable on D, though their batting averages are higher than Rafaela's On Base Percentage. The Red Sox need star power, and the time is now.

The problem with prospective trade partners just might be more than a stint, because Casas' specific core ish could ruin his career. Before Tris can raise his value, he really needs to show the industry he's fully recovered and can swing just as hard -- and produce consistently, without recurrence of injury -- for at least a half season... like when he barreled the second half of his rookie year.

Duran got suspended for two games for verbal irreverence. He also led the team in strikeouts. There be opt-out flaws in all of our contracts.

Way too costly for a guy who in a couple winters could be fighting for a depth position on numbered, entirely-speculative board posts concocted by typists who will misspell both his namez a zzilllion times a week.

Hey, I just finished saving up $19 bucks for one of those big soft pretzels he sells at Fenway. But I still need another $5 bucks for a packet of mustard.

People here do realize that no pitcher started more Major League games on the mound in 2024 than Cutter Crawford? He's going to be in the rotation, and I wouldn't want to bet that any of Crochet, Buehler or Giolito make more starts. Plus, Crawdad's short-arm delivery should keep his elbow safe from the arthroscopes... but maybe he'll pull a rhomboid.

I assume a six-man and include Crawford. It's the next four or six starters -- on all clubs -- that will determine how good their "staff" is and how far they'll go. Are Criswell-Fitts and Co. ready to take Boston to the playoffs? Note: when LA signs Roki, they may have a 10-man rotation of good big leaguers.

It's not a question of talent or even durability -- because all rotations will feature many IL visits. It's all comes down to depth; can Criswell-Fitts-Priester-Dobbins-Sandlin-some other pick-up keep the Sox in the hunt?

The thing that the poison ivy-leaguers still haven't addressed: if the defense is Bottom 5, the pitching most likely can't be Top 5.

Make divided fronts. Once Anthony is ready (which could be now) does a newly-signed -- what, $25 million-dollar man? -- become a platoon DH? Or does Abreu get traded for a middle reliever; I'm assuming that's all Breslow has been offered or he would've made room already for baseball's #1 prospect. Don't get me wrong -- we totally need Santander's power in the heart of the order. But subsequent moves have to be made to make it fit... maybe that's what's holding this up.

Personality. No matter what fans think of Raffy's defense, he's Carita, their Big Puppy, almost always in a good mood. He may not be a leader because he's not a redass like Pedroia or call profane team meetings like Papi or Sale. But nobody ever said Devers is not a good guy. Vlad -- and this is just from what I've seen in games vs. Boston and New York on TV -- is always the first one off the bench whenever there's any confrontations between opponents, like brushback pitches or cuss words. He wants to fight, even if he's not the target. The only time we see Raffy get mad is when he makes mistakes. And Guerrero doesn't look like he cares at first base, where he's a negative with the glove. Merloni and Youk both called him out for being unprofessional and not even trying on some plays in a game last year. I'll take him as DH, but not to replace Devers, and definitely not to solve the problem at 1B.

That may have had something to do with the Big Guy. Devers in August/September: 42 games, .205 batting average, 4 HRs (none in Sept), 14 RBI (3 in Sept). It underscores how important it is to get quality protection for him in the batting order -- even just someone else streaky enough to carry a club for a spell so that Raffy won't further hurt himself swinging from the heels at every pitch.

The Sox didn't want to deal again with O'Neill's horrendous K-rate. They also know rookies never have any issues striking out trying to make contact with the best pitchers in the world (who share all their secrets on batter weaknesses on Whiff Wok).

They just don't get us. I was at a loud bar in Rome, ordering a couple beers. Gave the bartender a peace sign, and he filled five glasses. I crossed my arms and yelled, "No!" He filled five more.

It's ok, man. There's more honor being a dirt dawg than a Yale Boodog.

Yo-Yo-Yo!

Like... the bomb Hitler's officers planted under his table was positioned six inches over on the other side of the thick table leg at the meeting; that could've led to an earlier end of WAR and saved countless lives.

And the fans and the posters -- don't forget all those demands and expectations they put on Red Sox players, coaches, administrators and owner traitors... every single year. We'd totally expect Sale to lead us to the postseason, and then get hurt so he couldn't throw a pitch once it started.