5GoldGlovesOF,75

Regarding young guys making the bigs, Bloom told us last week that Rafaela's timeline wouldn't be impacted by the parent club's needs -- but does anyone think Chaim's might be just a tad tempted by the Prospect Promotion Incentive in the latest CBA? Imagine bringing up a rookie whose success rewards the club both on the field and with an additional pick in the next draft? Fans love seeing a Florida phenom go North... and how can a sustained contender builder like Bloom resist!

It doesn't take a degree in Classics at Yale to make McGuire jokes.

Montero is not a good comp -- he was all PEDs. Mayer is all DQs -- as in vastly in need of considerable Blizzards: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Triple Pecan Cluster, Oreo Dirt Pie, Caramel Fudge Cheesecake, and a heaping helping of Heath... but no GirlScout Thin Mints, Butterfinger, Snickers, and never BenandCherry Garciaparra.

Come on: how many Bloom winters have we already spent absolutely convinced of certain roster needs that (we feel) are never sufficiently filled? Look at it this way: is it feasible in 2023 that Yoshida-Turner-Alfaro-Duvall will out-homer Bogey-JD-Vaz-Story? Now imagine Henry praising Chaim for saving around a quarter-billion dollars (by not signing X) in the process. If all those bounce-back batters -- with Masa bouncing forth -- support our bounce-back pitchers... and our bolstered bullpen does its job, the Red Sox could have the superball boomerang season of the decade! So far...

If Kike does go to the infield, he's talking like it will be at shortstop. He has said all winter (if Xander was leaving) that he wants to play shortstop full time. In a recent interview about recruiting Turner, Kike said an entire season at short, where he played all his life growing up (like most who go pro) has been a goal since he made the majors. He also said he was excited to pair with Story at second base, before the latest surgery news, but that he hopes it will now be later in the second half of the year. This might be why the Sox reported interest in Josh Harrison or Profar to play second makes more sense than a multi-year deal that Andrus must be looking for. It is also telling there have been no rumors of a possible Iglesias reunion...

I'll take Duvall, even if they also add an infielder. A right-handed power hitter who who can actually play outfield in the big leagues -- Red Sox could've used one of those for over a year now.

The more world champs, the better -- especially, guys who know how to beat Houston.

Maybe Hugh meant they suck at getting good free agents to sign their names to contracts in Boston...

The only thing I know about pitching is that it's hard to hit... but if the Rox hired me as an insultant -- from what I've seen of Seabold's stuff, I don't think Coors would be much of a home field advantage.

It's a pictograph

Ok with Alfaro as a platoon guy with McGuire, settling for half of his 162-game averages of 16 HRs, 62 RBI, with a .246/.701. Alfaro is 29, and on bb-ref his most Similar Batter through 29 is... Christian Vazquez. Bloom just re-signed Vaz for $2 million!

What is Boras' talksox alias? From now on, anyone who cites BTV is a suspect...

I know Profar is versatile but he was the regular leftfielder last year for the Padres. He's played 21 games in centerfield in his nine-year career. The last time he played second base full-time was four years ago in Oakland. The last time he played shortstop was 2018 in Texas. At least Andrus is a shortstop. As for offense, Andrus hit 17 homers last year, while Profar hit 15, the same as Bogaerts.

But there is a pattern for a patient GM that waits out -- not the market, but the scramble in reinforcement periods like the offseason and trade deadline. That's where Harm's being choosy and your about-the-money combine... for both guys like Bloom and players he recruits. Neither necessarily guarantees assembling a contender, though I've always favored quality over quantity. As for the dilemma that is Duran: I know he's the bullseye of the '22 debacle, but a player has to have skills beyond speed in college to get drafted, and then to succeed at each pro level in the minors to make the majors. A few years back there was a feature on Duran when he was batting over .400 in A ball. A video of a BP session showed him taking a two-step into each swing; obviously, better pitchers exploited that approach -- which he no longer does. Ballplayers constantly make adjustments. The ones who figure it out stay in the bigs.

We'll take a guy who earns 35 career WAR, wins an LCS MVP, and bats .294 over 15 MLB seasons. The funny thing is that teenager Cespedes is a shortstop, and Kendrick played the following positions in the majors: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, LF, CF, DH. If he can hit, he can play somewhere...

1. NEVER A CONSIDERATION -- many of us assumed the Red Sox were never going to spend big money to replace Bogey -- not when they were focused on using it to lock up Raffy... plus, eight of their top 20 prospects are listed as shortstops, including #1. 2. check 3. NON-MOVE -- but remember, there are some posters whose data shows that signing free agent starters long and large never works out, at least in Boston (which I can't argue)... and then there are those who like to say "the time isn't right" (which I can't stand) 4. NON-MOVE -- for a big leaguer at any outfield position 5. check 6. NON-MOVE -- unless you'd start Kluber in a playoff game over Bello-Whitlock-Sale-Paxton, even Pivetta (the projected #5, who led the staff in starts in '22). Put it this way: if the Sox get to the postseason, the afore-mentioned rotation must have been healthy and successful. All we know about Kluber's last playoff outing is he was the 8th guy to take the mound for the Rays in the game they got eliminated and he gave up the run that did it. 11. Devers Forevers! This was so anti-Bloom that John Henry even flew with the braintrust to the DR to get it done... but it happened on Bloom's watch, and right now is the best signing of his Era for so many reasons...

And we didn't even sign them. GMs may be ultimately responsible, but since there were two different guys in charge with the same ghastly results, it's all blatant organizational failure.

Unlike the fable, our Boston tortoise has finished last twice and never first... but his club did pass some teams ahead of them one October. And let's give credit where it's due: one trade that made it happen was getting Pivetta, used in relief because Bloom tortoised on better back-end arms. Pivetta did give up what should've been the game-losing, ALDS-changing hit to Kiermaier, but give credit to Bloom again for signing Renfroe, who strategically kicked the ball into the bullpen. Bloom also traded Betts in time, because Mookie would never boot a ball out of the playing field, so that losing run would have counted. See, no blame here. Just kudos.

This just in on MLBtraderumors.com/boston-red-sox: Sterling Sharp is back! The Sox re-signed him! Did you know he had departed... "after a brief first trip to minor league free agency." Did you even know he arrived before that... "The 27-year-old had spent the tail end of the 2022 campaign in the Boston organization." Depth. Load up on those depth charges... Ka-bloom.

Incorrect. According to Matrix metrics, the strained flexor slowed Story's torque avoidance reflexes by 0.1 fraction of a second, and he couldn't remove his wrist from the pitch flight before impact... It's all there on baseballirrevence.com.

Friday the 13th talksox debate on the '23 Red Sox outfield: Looks like we'll be ok, as long as we have Moe and Larry as our corner outfielders. But who do we want to play center: Curly or Shemp?

Maybe it will be awesome, but just hearing Mr. Bloom address his students the other day sure sounded like a 4th grade teacher trying to contrive enthusiasm for their next Social Studies unit: the Oregon Trail! "No wifi, no headphones, no cell towers... but covered wagons! on dirt roads! for days and weeks and months!"

"I'll have what he's having..."

I've never heard Bloom mention any of these young pitchers by name in any conversation about the MLB roster for '23, but nothing would give a fan more hope for the staff than if one or two of them emerged as next-level legitimate in Florida, beginning next month. To me, that would be even more encouraging than watching one of the oldsters get their sea legs back on the mound (since we all expect them to start wobbling again soon).

Patience. You know Chaim would be remiss if he didn't explore all possible options, including those we abhor as all probable outcomes. He wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't wait and let other GMs do his job for him by signing or trading for almost any availables, thus narrowing the field and eliminating the chance for spending more money and years on stopgaps we're all clamoring for. Bloom will get us a shortstop and second baseman and MLB outfielder and catcher and under-the-hill under-control starting pitcher with control. And when he does -- remember what he promised at Raffy's presser -- "it's going to be awesome."