5GoldGlovesOF,75

I know you agree with the modern metric study that refutes the tradition of batting your best hitter 3rd that baseball minds have been doing for parts of three centuries. And that's ok, as the industry has embraced the trend to bat a guy 2nd so he gets more ABs. But managers have to consider their roster and the best way to produce as many runs. If he has only two good on-base guys and one elite batter, then the latter might be best used immediately after them. Batting Anthony after the two worst on-base men -- presumably the #8-9 guys -- seems inexcusable. On this offense, it may be even more egregious than Zimmer in 1978 batting two of his worst on-base regulars #1-2 in front of four Red Sox Hall of Famers (but at least Rice-Yaz-Fisk and Lynn could drive each other in)... The reason I wouldn't bat Roman 4th is I want to make sure my best power hitter always gets up in the first inning with a chance to give me a quick lead. I felt the same when Devers was here -- he batted 3rd last night and had one of SF's three hits. This debate is endless. DeRosa batted Schwarber clean-up in the WBC, but he followed Judge -- the game's best all-around hitter last year -- with Witt, maybe the game's fastest star hitter at leadoff.

I like your order, but Cora's not going to demote Story; AC doesn't read forums, so he actually believes what he sees in Spring Training. As for wherever Anthony bats, it's ideal as long as guys are getting on base in front of him. No matter how optimistic people are about the rest of the returning regulars, they're all career .250 hitters with big swing and miss. Roman is the best hitter with the most consistent hard contact rates, so it's imperative this offense positions him to drive in as many runs as possible. I understand getting the best OBP guy the most ABs possible, but in this offense he'll be more valuable with the most RBI opportunities.

The big change in his approach has been that Story is not flailing as much at outside pitches but intentionally hitting them to the opposite field. It's nothing new for good batters at any level, mainly because it keeps their head on the ball, which is the key to contact. And fans have been hearing it for years on broadcasts from guys with experience like Remy and Merloni (or watching it for the past four decades since Boggs played Jai-Alai with the Monstah).

But anyone who's watched a pitch challenge knows that if just one stitch of a ball outside the Strike Zone Width touches anywhere on the perimeter of the rectangle, that is also a strike.

Not disagreeing, because I've already said Early will be the most consistent starter in a rotation where injuries and age are bound to be a factor. Everyone is touting starting depth as the Red Sox strength, so it's not ludicrous to call that depth the key to the season.

I'm more interested in how the fresh Guiness affects the Red Sox left-handed hitters in Cincy... and Lodolo, once-coveted by a fan forum, starts the season on the IL (come on Tito -- couldn't he have just used his non-pitching hand to hold the mug).

A few points read elsewhere this AM: Four of the top five teams in Fielding Independent Pitching metrics last season didn't make the postseason... but the Top Five in runs scored all made the playoffs. The Red Sox offense is missing their top four batters vs. left-handed pitching from a year ago: Romy, Refsnyder, Bregman, Devers. And yet, over 50 percent of posters on the most infamous Red Sox fan forum pick Boston to win the AL East. Yow.

As a longtime coach, I always tell my batters to be ready to cover 26 inches -- because for some reason amateur umps like to give pitchers with stuff that moves at least two balls off the outside corner. (Now let's see how many posters can resist the temptation to reply to that description). With two strikes you gotta protect, but on pitches clearly beyond the zone sometimes that just means fouling it off to force another pitch -- and hopefully get a mistake. It just sucks that you might hit a dribbler back to the pitcher, which is the best scenario for a guy like Perdomo on a pitch four inches below his knee... but hey, maybe the pitcher comes from the Boston system, which trains moundsmen to throw away grounders into the outfield.

Wait a sec -- longtime Red Sox fans have literally lived on Planet Dearth when it comes to starting pitching. Maybe this year we will have a plethora... ... if not, at least we'll have Roman numerals -- or the Big Aura, as a departed former leader calls Anthony.

He's so fine, if he played for our beer league team, he'd be fined every game for insufficient fun. But someone's gotta pay the postgame tab (though everyone contributes, since we're all fine-minus).

Why are posters still talking about the possibility of a Campbell promotion if he starts hitting again? He can't play anywhere in the field at a big league level -- and ballplayers don't suddenly have a hot month with the glove worthy of the majors. Fans have to face the fact that mastering any defensive position takes many, many reps in game situations over multiple seasons. That's where the phrase "he needs some seasoning" originates. I even just made that up but it makes sense... If KC is batting .400 with 40 bombs the only place a contender can stick him is at DH -- and we all know the Sox are set there with a handful of rotating regulars. Put it this way: if Campbell gets called up, it means Boston is in trouble... with either several injuries or face-plants in the batting order.

Good thing Spring stats are meaningless or I'd be worried.

Yoshida will play some outfield because he's a fundamentally sound professional (just don't ask what that sound is). Now, here's an assessment of Kristian Campbell as an outfielder: doesn't get a good jump off the crack of the bat, doesn't charge base hits and still bobbles them, and doesn't move his feet so he can use his legs to make strong cut-off throws. Other than that, appears uncomfortable and uninterested out there. KC just doesn't look like a big leaguer at any defensive position. At least Rusney Castillo could play outfield.

MLB.com sirtainly agrees with you. In their assessment of the Top 10 offensive line-ups, they rank the Not-Tax Dodgers 1st and the Yankees --- I mean Aaron Judge --- 2nd. Red Sox fans had nightmares all winter long about those fearsome Bronx bombers from last year's ALDS: Judge's clutch game-tying pop-up off Duran's glove, and Jazz'z walk-sprint for the winning run. I can't even remember how NY scored in the final game because Boston got shutout. Seem to recall Early got lit up with bloopers and tweeners... ps. Sox didn't make the list but got honorable mention with a handful of other maybes

I think we're going to see a lot of IKF... at least in the first few months. He's never been a 4 WAR player and never had a .700 OPS. But he's a big league infielder, with a Gold Glove from the pandemic summer. And there are 6 million reasons why the Red Sox will play him regularly unless or until they prove they can't score enough runs to win.

Too much swing and miss at the top; it's inevitable that Durbin will work his way up to leadoff or second. His contact skills and speed make him the ideal guy to bat right before Anthony, whose run-producing potential may be wasted in too many ABs with nobody on base in front of him. This will be an offense that has to optimize any chances to score. Jarren-Caleb-Ramone-WiLLson-Wilyer-Trevor Soundtrack: Hungry Like A Wolf, Durbin Legend, Rock and Roll High School, We WILL Rock You, Every Pitcher Tells a Story

Welp, I watched the futures game on TV and saw some Red Sox pitchers that have some. As for the position players, my first impression is to apologize to ZZ Top; none of them gotta wear shades.

"Get a good pitch to hit, and take a slight uppercut swing." "Oh, and pitchers suck."

As MVP points out, the biggest factor that may give the edge to keeping Wong is pitchers on the staff (except the new guys) already throw to him. This means way more to the team than whether he can contribute with the bat or even peg out baserunners. It's normal on ballclubs at all levels to have starters request to pitch to their favorite, even if he's not the regular catcher. Batteries that work well together in game-planning and setting up batters give their team the best chance to win. The implicit trust hurlers have in their catcher to call pitches -- because he's on the receiving end of their stuff as the game progresses and knows each hitter's tendencies -- gives the entire club confidence. As a defender playing behind such tandems, the only thing worse than watching a pitcher lose command is a catcher who can't stop the deliveries. Varitek was the Red Sox' best catcher since Fisk, but who wasn't horrified with the 2004 ALCS on the line when Wakefield came in and knucklers started bouncing to the backstop...

Definitely.

Early would be my pick as the one guy on the entire staff to give the most consistent starts over the entire season -- a guy the team never has to worry about giving the Sox a regular chance to win... ... I didn't say the best starts, but consistent innings from a repertoire and delivery that seem less likely to have command issues or blow out an elbow -- compared to the rest of the rotation. Crochet had injury concerns before last year, Gray and Suarez are vets with mileage on their arms, and Bello's career so far has been a Russell Stover box of chocolates. Tolle and Oviedo are monsters but still working on control. However, though he deserves to break camp with Boston, Early will probably be sent down because management has more invested in other starters. But as soon as he's promoted to fill in for an injured arm, he'll be up to stay.

Most Home Runs: DR 15, Italy 12, Red Sox Outfield 10... ... three were game-winners: Yoshida, Abreu, Anthony, but another one made a pitcher quit the tournament. Nate! When Wilyer's HR off Don McLean flew over the fence last night, all I could think of was a song. I started singing Bye-bye Miss American Pie...

Cepeda was the greatest DH in history that year in Boston. I was in the stands the day he went 4-for-4 off the Monster and limped into second with 4 doubles. I was 13 and realized Orlando was the first big league ballplayer I could beat in a running race.

I have a confession; I wasn't rooting for them. I just can't root for Judge, who's not a bad guy but always the Number One obstacle for Red Sox fans. Plus, I'm sick of Fox constantly showing him in the dugout whenever he's on quadruple deck or when a teammate does something more noteworthy. I know the US players care, but a certain arrogant vibe turns me off, like when Skubal commits to participate, then bails on his teammates when they make the playoffs. Everyone can say they understand he has to consider future money and family and agents, but quitting on your team is unacceptable. And then the MLB-run WBC was going to let USA replace Skubal with another All-Star starter in Joe Ryan? That's just disrespectful to all the other rosters from all the other countries. Teel pulling a hammy and getting replaced by Gasper is legit, but Joe is a no-go -- I'm glad the Twins refused to let DeRosa start him. I was really just rooting for the Red Sox players on all the teams. But I'm happy for Team Venezuela, and a win that means so much more to them than gold medallions. Especially for their fans, whose passion for baseball comes from a place where football and basketball haven't supplanted it in interest. Captain Sal Perez, who guided his pitchers in keeping the US offense down, was asked what meant more -- winning the World Series or the WBC. "I love Kansas City," he said, "but tonight we're playing for 30 million people."

I know I was one of the first posters to suggest trading for Contreras -- righty pull power in Fenway, big contract Bloom loves to hate. And I look forward to watching him mash. I'm just baffled that he's being counted on as Cora's clean-up man, essentially replacing two All-Star bats in Bregman who replaced Devers, and he can't even pinch hit for Venezuela... Or as Drewski points out in his thorough post, not even DH? Sure, Geno hits more homers, but also strikes out more. Overall, Willson has a career edge in WAR and OPS, and made more All-Star teams. We've also been told Contreras is a better first baseman than Sox fans have seen for years -- while Arraez is not noted for his glove... so wouldn't Willson be an option for late-inning defense in a close game? Ok, that's my last WC fields comment.