5GoldGlovesOF,75

Because most of the shmoes are only Assistant Vice President Shmoes? ... although if there were two shomes present, it would be more fun: So we prefer a righty -- shmoe what I told ya shmoe. How do you shmoe?

Yes to a trade of a good position player for a good position player. Absolute no to Abreu plus any MLB-ready starting pitcher, especially Early. That kind of deal reminds me of when the Mets were coming off a World Series win and acquired a 23-year old starter from the Royals for basically a back-up catcher named Ed Hearn -- who wound up playing 13 total games in KC and was out of baseball by age 27. Meanwhile, the Mets players couldn't believe they got David Cone, who by the time he was 25 went 20-3, was an NL All-Star and finished 3rd in Cy Young voting.

What about when Elvis was 24 and stopped playing the field for a 14-year old named Priscilla.

What we really need is for Brez to ignite some action this offseason, filling out his starting nine so we can all forget about the last spots on 26, and the 40.

Yep. That's why they're more likely to trade for more pop. And that focus on improved defense may just be to get another power pitcher who whiffs a lot of batters and keeps the ball away from mediocre defenders (except for throwing it around the horn after Ks).

Not if you can't hit home runs. Because that's the main way successful teams win close pitchers' duels in the postseason. We know the Red Sox can't play small ball, because they don't even have enough contact bats that can put the ball in play and hit behind baserunners. And we know they can't bunt, either. If they're just going to keep swinging for the fences, then we need a few more guys that can reach them...

Based on personal observations. Like most of us, I've watched Hamilton's shaky defense for two years in Boston. Like only a few of us, though, I've seen Sogard in person in Worcester play solid D at second base, shortstop and third base. Sogard's a good baseball player -- and the org obviously agrees, since he started in two of this year's playoff games. Hamilton didn't even pinch-run in the postseason. Was he injured?

Good example, but I'm not so sure on the totals. I've seen Sogard lay out to stop shots in both the shortstop hole and second base hole, and up the middle into centerfield. Hamilton's quicker, but Sogard may have better baseball instincts and get a better read on contact or swing direction or pitch shape (like Ripken did). I'd edit it to Sogard gets to 90. Then you have Sogard as a switch hitter vs. Hammy's occasional pop but lower OPS. Though we know they'll keep Davey for pinch-running...

It's bad enough to have 6-year 162-game averages of 7.2 WAR, 122 runs scored, 33 HRs, 97 RBI, .867 OPS, and win four Silver Sluggers, two OF Gold Gloves (plus a nomination for another at SS) and have three TOP 5 finishes for NL MVP... ... but then to get honored with the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award for being the guy who "best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field." LA must want a refund.

I don't know about you, but I have yet to see or hear a single mention by anyone in the org of Sandoval being counted on for the '26 rotation or even a spot on the pitching staff. Maybe he's a wait-and-see if-and-when-he's-ready guy. We do know that most pitchers take at least a half year to a year of actual competing before they pitch again like they once did...

Sogard's a good baseball player; Hamilton's a good athlete. If I'm trying to win a playoff game, I know which one I'd prefer coming off the bench. Not disparaging your choice, but I've personally seen enough shaky D in Boston lately to think that's not going to get it done. I also admit I'm tainted by just seeing all the big plays made by both World Series teams at the end of Game Seven...

If Cora had a starting eight like the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds, then he probably wouldn't platoon. Or the 1969-71 Orioles. But once free agency began, those clubs knew they couldn't pay all their stars, so they had to adjust. Baltimore manager Earl Weaver -- who helped invent analytics when he tracked batting splits for his batters, and pitching splits for his pitchers -- began to platoon at certain positions and still won. He learned, after losing in '69 to Mets manager Gil Hodges, who platooned half his line-up all the way to a title. Modern mid-market teams like Boston are always looking for utility men who can play multiple positions with some semblance of competence, because they're a lot cheaper than paying high profile stars stuck in one spot.

Then you haven't seen enough of Sogard there. I know I've seen enough of Hamilton there. And this is where we at, with currently one starting infielder on the Red Sox who are all about championships... ... with a manager who just ran the New York marathon in 4 and a half hours, which is how long it would take me to drive into and out of the Bronx if I hit the lights just right and didn't get lost.

Braves GM Anthopoulos on the day he traded Vaughn Grissom: “it was tough - one of the harder guys to move… Can flat hit, tremendous bat to ball skills. … He’s absolutely ready be an everyday player right now.” (Alex didn't state a specific level...)

Trevor Story said he opted in because the Sox are about to become a rocketship. But right now, his 2025 Opening Day double play partner is one of those boosters that just fall off into oblivion after the launch. Kristian Campbell. Has there ever been a Red Sox who in one year went from being Minor League Player of the Year to MLB starting line-up to completely dismissed as a viable option for the next big league roster? At least publicly, no one in the org or media or fan forums is counting on Campbell to contribute in the majors in 2026. Presumably, the front office has learned its lesson... while the media and fanbase are more suspicious of PR personnel crying "star." Just as surprising as these revoltin' developments, would it really astonish if KC suddenly broke out and became Barry Bonds again sometime next summer?

I figured someone would use stats to refute opinion. My opinion is based on watching Sogard in person at several Worcester games play second, short and third. He is always solid, with sure hands and a strong accurate arm. That's what I saw in every game. Hamilton, however he grades at second base, for some reason can't catch throws from catchers. I don't know if there's a stat for that basic skill, but my eyes have seen the gory on live Red Sox TV too many times in the past year or two. And every time Hamilton misses a throw, a baserunner is safe, and a pitcher has to throw more pitches to get out of an inning.

The Bloombino also said if he didn't trade Mookie, we'd never be able to recruit Garrett Richards!

Sogard is a better fielder than Hamilton at every infield position and a switch-hitter who can put the bat on the ball to drive in the winning run while pinch-hitting for Rafalea. Eaton is the fastest baserunner to never score from third on a ball thrown away past the first baseman on what should've been the winning run that eliminated the defending AL champs.

Ya, but longer lumber is easier to swing than underground bats.

Good back and forth from the posters. I love Diaz as a contact bat with pop and Naylor as a talent with attitude, especially if Bregman doesn't return or sign anywhere until it's officially Spring next March 20, 2026 (cough -- Bore Us). Also, good point about the splitter and old vs new. I remember how frantic the '86 Mets were to beat Houston in the playoffs before they had to face Mike Scott's splitter again, which they knew they couldn't hit. Eventually, Clemens found a lethal one (he called it Mr. Splitty), and I think Papelbon, when he was basically unhittable as a closer... ... memories fade, but I still recall some of my best moments as an old player at Cranston Stadium...

I'd rather tell them about the one time Boston beat him in the World Series, on a night he struck out 20, when a Red Sox popped up a bunt (because they can't do that, either) that fell in when Ohtani bulldozed Kike diving for the ball. Then Skubal in relief of Skenes whiffed Othani to end it.

I hope you don't mean it's a fad to hit the baseball instead of missing it. The pro game has trended to more all-or-nothing at the plate because of launch angle vs. more pitches that are harder than ever to connect with, like 100 mph velo and horizontal sweepers that break four feet. The view that Toronto is an anomaly is sad, and I think instead the Jays' way will inspire or wake up other clubs to go back to the basics of baseball that lived for over a hundred years.

Only works for opposing pitchers: 1. K machine, 2. K machine, 3. K machine, 4. K machine, 5. K machine, 6 K machine 7. CONTACT HITTER, 8. K machine, 9 K machine. Yoshida at 11.7% was the only guy who didn't punch out in about 1 of every 4 ABs. He really needs to bulk up and hit some solo HRs, so we can win a few pitchers' duels. While I have faith Anthony will have a better K-rate than last year's 27.7%, that still leaves seven whiffers. The best 2025 rates of those Sultans of Swing and Miss belonged to Duran and Abreu at 24.4% and 24.6% (including the breezy playoffs). In contrast, here are some '25 K-rates of a pennant winner that just missed a World Series ring: Clement 10.4%, Kirk 11.7%, Lukes 13.7%, Vlad 13.8%, Bo 14.5%, Gimenez 17.9%, Springer 18.9%. Barger, one of their worst, lowered his K-rate to 23.3% with a postseason that included a .367 batting average in 17 games with an OPS of 1.025. I don't mean to disparage anyone's proposals here, but just know how far away the Sox are from actually challenging the best teams. The young guys can certainly improve, though the vets are who they are at this point... but hey, the Jays finished last a year ago and changed batting coaches -- just to show it could happen.

One of the old trade taboos was never give up a regular position player for a pitcher. I don't adhere to the argument that a starting pitcher facing 700 batters equates to a hitter with 700 at bats... ... mainly because the bottom third of most teams' orders are weak from the first pitch of the game; meanwhile, hitters always face the best rotation each club can assemble, plus bullpens where nowadays the majority of relievers throw 100 mph with a change of pace all year (when an arm burns out, they just call up another from the farm). Skubal is as good as it gets once a week retiring the decent top six batters in every order, but a guy like Duran who posts every game can help him and his rotation mates win all week with the bat, on the bases and in the field. I'm not arguing with WAR, which is only one measure of value, but it's can't be any closer than in last year's AL MVP voting: Skubal 7th, Duran 8th.

As I typed "tiny purple fishes" my screen was abruptly interrupted by an AI bot: ""Tiny purple fish" can refer to several things, most commonly a type of aquarium fish like the purple emperor tetra, the galactic purple longfin tetra, or a purple dottyback. It could also be a misunderstanding of the term, such as a literal interpretation of "fish needs a bicycle" or the song "Tales of Brave Ulysess" by Cream... Listen, AI bot, that was no misunderstanding (acid in the Sixties was the truth). When I asked about a remake for this century, AI bot and his robot band came up with this: "Tiny microplastics run laughing through your reverse osmosis system"