5GoldGlovesOF,75

That's it -- no more gray threads! Only blue and yellow, city connected threads. Or teel and roman...

Reporters asked my bad friend Sam the same thing at Jet Blue yesterday and he explained all Red Sox Nation needs to know about 2024: "It is what it is."

You're not sneaking that sarcasm past this thread's namesakes.

I have hopes for Grissom, and think that trade could define early Brez blows. In BP vids from FLA, Grizzley looks like Bogaerts from afar...

Today from MLB.com: "If Giolito can recapture his past form and Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford build on the positive signs they showed last year, the Red Sox might have a chance to sneak into the postseason." That would be cool, but why do the Red Sox have to sneak?

If only he could be like Putin, and just eliminate any critics and competition, despite being condemned by an entire world except for one bloviating thrall and would-be dictator.

Infinitesimal fortitude.

Don't let Werner see this -- next thing you know, he'll be telling reporters in Florida that the Red Sox making comebacks will be better than any talent available in free agency... or on the trading block... but maybe not in the draft, where they can pick more shortstops they'll be afraid to deal for real pitchers.

Even if we call O'Neill replacing Duvall even, the Sox are still down arguably their best hitter for most of last summer -- and certainly their most consistent RHH for five months (pre ankle-injury) -- in Turner. I understand the need to free up the DH to improve the overall team, but is it really reasonable to expect improvement in yet another area -- in this case, the offense -- that the front office chose not to compensate with established MLB talent?

Sam meant to say paramours (they're all cowgirls).

Would these kind of stats be acceptable for Grissom's first full season: .290ish with 15 HRs, about 10 SBs, and close to .800 OPs? That would give him Masa appeal...

I don't know any Sox fans that think O'Neill with replace both Turner and Duvall, but apparently the front office does, since -- after losing those two -- Tyler's the only batter with any MLB power success they've added. And no one said the goal is to replicate last season; my post about concerns was in reply to someone who said "Offense should be better." Again -- even if you expect every single hitter will improve, does the offense appear to have more or less depth than last season? If Cora is intent to bat a righty after Devers, how much protection will he get from Story or O'Neill, who each strikeout in 30% of their ABs?

Can we demote Bello and Casas, too, so we won't waste any premature adulation on them? They must have some options left.

Don't. Make me. Lose. CONTROL!!!!

For a perennial doormat, Rafaela should be in the perfect situation to win the starting job: by all reports, he already has one of the top gloves in baseball, and also starred on offense in the minors the past two years. I worry more the Sox will play an inferior centerfielder instead of a sure thing like Ceddanne, who will help the club improve overall. Like with Bradley, I could care less if he has holes in his swing -- because face it, half the roster already swings from their asses, and can't catch or run, either.

As a fan it's more fun when your team is bashing its way to wins. But the O is the area most underrated in its neglect this winter. It would be great if all last season's first-year Red Sox improve -- but progress isn't linear, and the sophomore jinx can be very real for batters who don't adjust as well as the editors of pitchers' books on hitters. Story has to be better, because only good teams can carry a glove man who bats .227 with a sub-.700 OPS, which is what he's done in Boston so far. For the new guys, would you take .287 BA, .716 OPS and a game-winning grand slam out of Grissom? Those are feats posted by Pablo Reyes in '23. Can O'Neill produce 44 homers and 154 RBIs? Those are marks combined by Turner and Duvall last year. Verdugo wasn't quite a star, but his career 15% K-rate was half of O'Neill's 30%. As for Devers, we'd gladly accept a repeat of 33-100-.851. But most who watched last year would agree that a better approach to situational hitting is needed. However, with even less big bats in the order to protect Raffy, opposing pitchers have even less reason to throw him anything in the zone. At least the front office can invest in longer bats...

It's ok, he's working out with Micheal Fulmer in the ghost gym that Sale, Paxton, Story and Mondesi haunted last year... or was it the year before? Remember, Sam and Tom said our players returning after the trade deadline will be better than anyone they could actually deal for. Wait, do they mean this summer or next?

I keep buying new combs for when my hair grows back, too. I'm waiting patiently for regrowth. So please don't mistake me for being moss elite.

This fan, among at least four or five others, will celebrate on antisocial media: The Budget! Reset! Get more players under Control! It doesn't matter if they're pitchers who throw with control -- or baserunners or batters who control impulses not to do dumb things or take dumb swings... Years of CONTROL! That's all that counts for Sox fans.

With Charlie Brown as acting CBO, starting himself on the mound, and playing his dog at shortstop. At least they try. But there's nowhere on the diamond for a football puller like Lucy.

... once the top free agent closer I rooted for the Sox to sign in January '21 -- but my message got lost in dalmatian and intercepted by the WHITE Sox. Wonder how that '21 postseason would've gone if Bloom paid up for Liam... So... does this make it easier to deal Jansen now -- or then?

Not blaming Petco, but savant's stats show it isn't a location that would boost a batter's performance (even for $280 million). Remember when Bogie would just poke singles the other way and hit .320 -- and Sox management coaxed him to go for more power? Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of VPs...

This may mean something: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast-park-factors Quick summary: Fenway is ranked #2 overall for batters; Petco in SD is #30...

At this point, I'd consider trading any reliever for starting pitching prospects. Like others here have said, it doesn't matter if you have a good bullpen, if your starters can't hold any leads.

I agree about the defense, mostly because it can't get much worse at the big league level before many of those involved lose their jobs. I want to agree about the bullpen, but doubt that Martin can have another historically near-perfect season. Houck and/or Whitlock and/or a few new guys have the potential to contribute to a unit that is always year-to-year on nearly every team. I can't agree on the starting rotation -- and not because we'll miss Sale trying to recapture his 20s, or Paxton throwing for one month like the best pitcher in baseball. But it is mind-boggling that one of the worst rotations in baseball lost two of its starters this winter -- and only replaced them with one new guy who allowed nearly 5 earned runs per game the past two seasons.