5GoldGlovesOF,75

Are fans not standing for it what makes them crybabies in others' eyes? Fans will still go to games, but if the product on the field sucks, we have every right to boo, leave early, and certainly call talkshows to whine, and type complaints to online reports, articles and on forums. Writers, columnists and talking heads, in turn, echo the general feelings of the fanbase, and generate their own gripes if the team they're covering blows. Posters here realize that we're not average fans. The average Sox fan doesn't dissect the Mookie trade every month for the past three years, but still views it as a crime against Red Sox Nation. The average fan just sees that he's still great, LA's in first again, and Boston is dead last again. The average fan may still take the family to an annual game at Fenway, but nobody except a diehard watches NESN when the Red Sox are in the cellar in September. Even some of us tune out -- or just go to sleep -- half-way through bad games.

But that also shows you how much LA valued and wanted Mookie. Might as well tack on the $48 to his longterm contract that they obviously had every intention of offering him... and make it a $400+ million dollar investment. A club willing to go that all in on one player wouldn't eventually cave to complete the trade and throw in one pitching prospect?

Either combo presents an outfield to play a big league game. But neither completes a World Series contender. Who is going to hit 30 home runs? The Red Sox need a serious upgrade in the batting order, especially without replacing Renfroe or Schwarber (Story isn't as good as both combined), and the real-time/impending loss of JD's power bat. And since most of us suspect Bloom won't be spending big for a full-time DH, somewhere in the outfield seems like the place to add that production.

If not, it's on somebody's clipboard. It would be irresponsible and unbelievable if a front office just built teams year to year and didn't consider who was projected to join a roster and even start in the near future... especially with an eye on the budget. As many posters continually point out here, GMs can't just throw bundles of cash at players every time they need to fill positions... particularly not if there's a cheaper alternative coming soon. The Sox re-signed Kike for just one more year. Does that in any way imply he'll be part of Bloom's "core of sustained contenders?" Or might he be using Kike to keep the position warm for Cedanne Rafaela?

You don't think the front office has whiteboards in their conference room with projected starting line-ups for the next five years? That doesn't mean they won't maybe trade Mayer in a package for Tatis, with the intent of moving him back to shortstop for the next decade, as long as he agrees to a contract amendment not to ride dirt bikes when infected with ringworm. But I hope not.

1. Story's staying at second. If Bogey leaves, it doesn't make sense for a guy like Bloom to pay big money for a new shortstop, when his top prospect can be a minimum wage fixture there in a year or two. Stop-gaps will be used in the meantime: Kike, Arroyo ("his bat plays"), Iglesias, etc... It's just like first base and Casas. Young player, minimum wage. How many times does Bloom have to say any moves "have to make cents for the franchise." 2. Verdugo stays in RF, unless Henry sells a fleet of yachts and signs Judge. Verdugo has proven he has the arm and can play RF in Fenway. A free agent power hitter can learn the Wall in LF.

Mmmm... wondering if Kike is also SS insurance if X opts out and leaves. Cora has played both Kike and Arroyo at short -- and not Story -- when Bogey rested. With Kike in CF and Verdugo in RF, the free agent budget could also be used for two more bats -- LF and DH. Then the rest of the spending can be devoted to pitching, pitching, pitching. Two reasonably priced candidates may be Brantley and Haniger. Mancini, as a RH-hitting 1B option, as well as part-time LF, more-time DH, would be ideal... except his price tag may be a lot higher, and it's doubtful Houston would let two starters go to Boston.

And he might get more. No posters establish the market. Remember when some here were convinced there was "no way possible" Bradley could ever make what the Sox paid him in free agency? And then Milwaukee paid him more.

Current market value. I didn't create Spotrac, just citing it. I'm not saying I agree with all their numbers: Verlander and deGromm over $40 AAV, Wainwright over $35, Kershaw and Rodon $31 AAV. A sustained contender might like to add Eovaldi to its staff -- an All-Star last year who led the league in FIP, and knocked off the Yankees in two different postseasons.

Sounds great for Wacha, but where does that leave Eovaldi on the market? At a couple years older, can he realistically expect at least his previous AAV of $17M... say 3 for $51? Gotta expect any good agent to ask 3 for $60, right? At what point does Bloom walk away -- or has he already (remember, he didn't trade Nate at the deadline)? edit: Bassitt is actually older than Eovaldi, and Spotrac's 2023 MLB Free Agent Tracker projects his AAV at just over $20, with Nate just under $20

It makes sense to land at least one of two starting pitchers who have already proven they can thrive in Boston. Let's see how/if Nate rebounds this month; if not, doesn't someone (foolishly?) pay Wacha more this winter?

Devers 30, Story 25, Bogey 25 (or Swanson 25). Either way, the latter might happen... unless they really think Mayer is a year or two away, then maybe Iglesias returns at 10 for two (and to mentor the kid, and join the coaching staff). The way Bloom and Kennedy are already talking about spending this offseason -- responding to media pressure, which will only increase -- doesn't it seem like some legit splash names, plural, are inevitable? And I definitely include Devers as one of those. I just don't see another half-dozen versatile, utility types or rehabbing pitchers coming this winter... or Bloom trading really good prospects for MLB regulars. It makes sense if they're going to be over the tax threshold to just spend money. Early prediction (subject to change, depending on cost fluctuations due to stretch run/postseason performances): one big name starting pitcher, and one "professional" hitter/outfielder... ... although many of us here know there's a need for both Bassitt and Manaea for a little more than just one Rodon, and both Brantley and Haniger in the line-up.

Ok (the following is based on both small sample and too large sample sizw): we should hire that bullpen cop who raised his hands when Papi hit the grand slam to ticket Franchy anytime he tries to get near first base with a glove ever again. For the next month, at least, it is now a law that only Triston Casas is allowed to catch anything, including tasty pregame rays, on the right side corner...

Fair point. When guys like us spend time making trade proposals, we realize we're not experts and have barely any inside knowledge of factors behind deals that happen or don't. But when a guy like Tommy Pham says publicly he shoulda been here in the Spring -- I'm not saying the front office owes us an explanation, but at least we can hope a beat reporter or agent or someone can reveal some info...

Just remembering from my own subjective reality: there were as many posts here beginning last offseason, speculating/wishing/hoping/agreeing/disagreeing/discussing about moves that Bloom did not make -- players he did not acquire, positions he did not fill... than posts complaining about guys he actually added. You can't just defend him by listing the players he signed. Not when anyone who knows how to read a schedule in June knew who the Red Sox were facing in July, and the deficiencies on the roster.

I don't know if Casas can fit in with the '22 Red Sox. His first hit was an 0-2 pitch breaking outside he hit hit the other way... isn't he supposed to pull his head trying to pull that?

For his first month in the Show, we should just be lucky to finally see a first baseman who combines capable fielding with an actual knowledge of the strike zone.

Agree, but a below-average rotation of fill-ins is then directly related to the overwork, and subsequent ineffectiveness, of the bullpen. So one way to look at the offseason is that Bloom may invest heavily on more durable starters or a better, deeper cast of relievers. An either/or could be preferable to acquiring, say, one new starter and one new reliever...

Sargent Schrieber -- Peace, Sahge!

Sam Kennedy just confided to nobody. It wasn't a vote of confidence, just something he can't repeat, in confidence.

Trading Triston Casas unchecks all the boxes for a position the Red Sox shouldn't have to worry about for years. At 22, Casas is the top-rated first base prospect in all of baseball (26th overall). He is everything the Red Sox lack at that position: a good offensive player who chokes up and goes opposite field when down in the count, and was also just named the best defensive first sacker in the International League. For a parent club suddenly severely lacking in the longall, Casas' power potential only adds to his allure. He is 6'4, 250+ pounds and batted third for Manager Mike Scoscia's Team USA as a 21-year-old a year ago. Finally, when Casas makes the big leagues, he will be making minimum wage... until he enjoys some success, at which point Boston will sign him to a longterm contract that will make him rich -- but not break the budget -- and most importantly, lock up his prime years as part of the core of a sustained contender.

It's not even a bullpencil... how 'bout bullcrayon.

Unless you're the Dodgers, who in the past year: inked Bauer when he was Cy Young, right before he became a banned deviant; traded top prospects for Scherzer, who then signed with the Mets; lost their best pitcher and WAR leader from '21, Buehler, to injury for the season... and yet, they're still 50 games over .500!

How does a big market team contend for World Series rings over a sustained period of years? Ideally, it combines developing prospects into big leaguers and acquiring additional talent via free agency and trades. It's almost impossible to just buy up all the top big name free agents every winter. And as history has shown, at least half those guys never turn out to be worth the money anyway. It's also bad business not to pay market price to retain homegrown stars as they approach free agency. Replacing All-Stars in the line-up is hard enough, but some favorites are just irreplaceable with the fanbase. The industry trend these days is to lock up young stars through their primes with longterm contracts that make them rich for life, but won't totally obliterate a club's yearly budget in the process. Unfortunately for Chaim Bloom, most of his top prospects haven't even made the majors yet. We don't even know if they'll be MLB stars. In the meantime, he really has no choice but to trade some and also spend big on established players to put a competitive and entertaining product on the field. The fun really starts in about a month...

No idea re. the latter; all speculation, as usual. First priority is always pitching, but most starters in their primes who were too expensive, like Ray or Gausman. I would've settled for Matz or Gray, and both turned up injured and basically busts. Relievers were also too costly here, so we weren't seeing Iglesias for $48M or Graveman for $24M or even Kelly for $17M. Houston paid Hector Neris -- 2 for 17 -- the going rate for a decent set-up man? They have the best record in the AL... Some of us would've taken David Robertson for $3.5 any day over Diekman, though.