5GoldGlovesOF,75

"Other teams have larger needs on the infield, some really need right-handed power in their lineup, and a select few have $35 million just waiting to be assigned on the 2026 payroll." This describes the Red Sox exactly -- even with Bregman in the line-up. But which team has larger needs on the infield? In Boston -- where they're all about winning championships according to the president -- there are only gigantic holes at 1B, 2B and now 3B...

Jersey burned down his restaurant so Junior couldn't hit Little Pussy there.

I always thought postseason performance should be factored when considering a guy's overall year. That's when it matters most, facing the best pitchers, hitters and fielders, right? Do you think the Phillies and Brewers would intentionally walk Ohtani if the on-deck batter was Kike, the King of Klocktober?

I'm sending Eaton if he's tippy-toeing because 99 out of 100 second basemen with half a brain are throwing to 1B for the freaking force-out to end the inning. And it's not unreasonable to think that Ben Rice - a crappy catcher who can't throw out base stealers - grabs the bouncing ball, panics and throws it so far away that even Duran scores behind Eaton... ... then the Sox go to Cleveland and win there, before getting body-shamed by the mighty M's.

A D1 star like Godbout is just a better bet than younger international signings or high schoolers. College prospects are often more polished products than the raw athletes getting on-the-job training in summer academies and rookie ball. Remember how sure the Epstein regime was of that shortstop from Arizona State, Dustin Pedroia? Only special high school talents like Marcus Betts got the big bucks to sign back then (makes you wonder if Theo were still in charge with his keen eye for generational stars if the Sox would've paid Mookie in 2020). Godbout is from UVA, where Early also came out of with his arsenal of pitches. Breslow loading up on mound draft picks from southern colleges only promises that more big arms will be on fast paths to The Show.

This is what I've been complaining about from the beginning: the fastest baserunner -- IF he was running the fastest -- should've been halfway home. I wrote this yesterday: The bigger question yet to be answered: how did the Sox' fastest baserunner supposedly running on the pitch and scoring on contact with two outs only get as far as third base -- on a ground ball that made it to the edge of centerfield? To me, it never looked like Eaton was ever sprinting full stride...but that doesn't excuse Hudson from not doing his job, either, and windmilling him in that situation. This wasn't El Guapo running. The Red Sox blew it.

The range for Japanese imports is only between two inhumans: Ichiro and Ohtani. For maybe a better perspective: in Yoshida's last half decade in Japan, he was good for at least 20 homers, a .330 batting average and .900 OPS. He also walked more than he struck out. In the big leagues, however, baseball-ref's Most Similar Batter is Pancho Herrera. So Masa is not a big dog in the majors, but a sidekick to the Cisco Kid. Yoshida's Most Similar Batter through age 30 is Les Fleming. Just be glad it isn't More Flailing.

Indolence? Letting some other source do the work... Or trusting an unreliable source: idiocy - insanity - inanity - imbelicika (I typed that in to confuse AI, who didn't recognize the word and had to admit he was an imbelice)

Dodgers almost made the worst baserunning mistake of the playoffs last night, but still won because teams keep putting Ohtani on intentionally so they can walk Mookie with the bases loaded. Bases loaded and Muncy blasts one deep to center that deflects off Frelick's glove, then off the wall and back into his hands. Dodgers were running back and forth all over the diamond, tagging up and then getting forced out at home and third base. Muncy didn't even get a hit on a 400-footer off the fence; it went as a fielder's choice. Maybe some ballplayers don't know that baserunners tagging up on a sacrifice fly can take off as soon as the ball hits the outfielder's glove -- but all professional coaches better know this rule. Most of the time that includes a catch... but not this time. Teoscar, tagging up on third, could've walked home as soon as the ball ticked off Frelick's glove. Instead he ran a few yards, then went back to tag again when he saw Frelick grab the bounce off the wall. LA fans can only hope the third-base coach didn't tell him to go back...

Nowadays with so many pitchers throwing 100 mph, a guy isn't guaranteed to stay in the majors -- even if he throws strikes -- unless he also commands a change of pace, like a splitter, slider or sweeper. That's why Tolle is still a work in progress, and Mason Miller is an absolute beast.

Cundall's notes about Arias worry me that he won't turn into the next Lindor. Like what I've read about Godbout so far -- but wondering, who's his ceiling: Meidroth or Jacob Wilson?

I'm starting to realize it may have been awhile since you were a baserunner on second with two outs and a full count on the batter. A good baserunner taking a good lead doesn't start running when the ball is pitched -- but the second a righty pitcher like Cruz begins to lift his front foot. Replays show Eaton didn't take off until Cruz pulled his arm back about to throw, but he's still almost halfway to third when Yoshida makes contact. On a hard grounder heading towards centerfield, a fast baserunner at full stride is immediately thinking "I'm scoring," never slows down rounding third, and could've been halfway home when Jazz' throw for the force out bounced in the dirt past first base. But Hudson pointed him back to the bag... from where the third baseman was a mile away (shading in the shortstop hole for the lefty Yoshida). Again, if Jazz decides not to take the easy force-out on slow-poke Masa, and try for a longer throw to nab Eaton at third or home, he still needs to make 1. a perfect throw, and hope a teammate makes 2. a perfect catch, and 3. a perfect tag, and 4. Eaton doesn't slide in or kick the ball loose on the TAG PLAY (huff-puff-huff-puff). And we always want our third base coaches to be aggressive in that situation, because late in a tie game, the visiting team should always play for the win.

A million times. Late in a tie game on the road. Scoring on contact -- make them throw you out at the plate, trying for a run... instead of hoping against hope the next batter will come through for the Squander Lobsters. The bigger question yet to be answered: how did the Sox' fastest baserunner supposedly running on the pitch and scoring on contact with two outs only get as far as third base -- on a ground ball that made it to the edge of centerfield?

I was even skeptical he'd ever be the same again after the oblique injury from swinging the bat, unless he can somehow change his body and swing. I dunno, now Anthony is going through an oblique injury -- which we all saw on TV really start to disable him after a swing. The only hope is that some guys recover -- somehow -- and are as good as Shea Langeliers...

Brez wouldn't commit to Casas at last week's presser, and because 1B is an obvious position for any team's power outage, we have to expect an upgrade there... or at least a platoon bat. But when you really get down to it, injury-prone ballplayers are a myth; they're just ballplayers. Over-30 guys like Story and Bregman get hurt all the time, but look at all the young guys who missed significant time on the IL: Casas, Abreu, Mayer, Anthony (it should make Rafaela detractors appreciate his durable wiry frame). Bottom line: don't be afraid to spend big again for the best available talent -- so what if Bichette has a bad knee today, if it heals and he's ready to lead the league in hits again next year. The Red Sox window is now -- so fortify the line-up around around your good young pitchers... before they all blow out their elbows.

Of course. My brother-in-law is a brewer, and most brewers have been losing business since the pandemic (the industry is its own worst enemy, saturating taps with a million different IPAs -- which I can't drink because hoppy-hoppy-hoppy makes my old-man esophagus unhoppy, but what do I know? I've been told I'm "not the market" -- just give me some pilsner so I can watch the games and not get too excited). But the best reason to root for both Milwaukee and Seattle is that Milwaukee IS Seattle -- in baseball roots. The Seattle Pilots were an infamous expansion team that beat the Red Sox in my first ever game at Fenway Park in 1969 -- which was their only year in existence; the next season they moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers. Plus, Jim Bouton pitched for the Pilots, the year he kept notes for the greatest baseball book ever written: Ball Four.

I appreciate the idea of upgrading with Marte, but did a double-take at the heart of this order -- because it looks so much worse without Bregman. He really is the key to the offseason. And that's assuming Abreu and Story will each have entire healthy seasons, produce and not regress. I know Hoskins is a favorite Lowe-budget kind of choice for 1B, but acquiring a guy with 12 HRs, 43 RBI and a .748 OPS to bat third won't strike fear in the eyes of opponents... (...but it will in mine, since Rhys' career 25% K-rate will make for even more whiffing, followed by Abreu and Story). Maybe just a few adjustments will help: bat Marte, coming off a .376 OBP year, leadoff, Anthony 2, Bregman 3, and if we can't find a legit 40 homer guy for clean-up, go with a .300 hitter with 25 dingers like Yandy. Then we could get away with Story 5, and a contact man like Yoshida 6. I also still like Ceddanne 9th as a second leadoff with his speed on the bases.

Agreed, and less and less bidding wars. The money is so good, in many cases it's really about where the player wants to live and work now. Except for clients of Boras, who's trying to squeeze every last copper cent from teams -- then it's wait until every GM is totally exhausted... but we're seeing that backfire more and more, as clubs have other needs to fill and can't be setting aside kajillions until Spring Training for one luxury item to add.

I'm rooting for the M's because they went all in at the trade deadline. Even though Seattle already had the MLB home run champ in Cal, plus three others -- Julio, Randy and Jorge -- with more HRs than anyone on the Red Sox, the Mariners still went out and acquired the TWO best power bats on the market: Naylor and Suarez. The Boston Pretenders really needed at least one of those two guys -- and still do (Naylor, and please not SwingandMiss Suarez). Maybe Brez will think the cost will be worth it next July.

Regarding Murakami, I consulted a fellow phantom scribe who wears the number AI on his back, and here's what he informed me (where do AI guys research?): "-48 Defensive Runs Saved at third over the past three seasons... best defensive position is widely considered to be first base or designated hitter" ... did not mention Raffy's name once

I'm not ignoring that as a possibility. We just saw a pitcher with a force-out at first base overthrow home plate instead and end the Phillies season. The big factor that no one seems to realize is that Eaton wasn't sprinting full steam ahead -- like a million baserunners in scoring position are taught to do with two outs on contact. Eaton even had a better head start since it was a full count, and should have been booking the second the pitcher lifted his front foot. As one of the fastest Red Sox runners, Eaton at full stride would've been halfway home before Jazz threw the ball anywhere... as a coach and player myself, I've seen plenty of guys slower than Eaton half-way down the line because they were "scoring on contact" -- sprinting until the inning ended. Hudson held him up, but it may have been because Eaton really wasn't hustling all out. If he was, there's no excuse ever for a coach not to windmill him home, late in a tie game on the road with a chance to eliminate the hosts. Who knows what kind of throw Jazz would've made. He wasn't exactly Greg Maddox throwing 90 feet to first with Yoshida tortoising down the line, let alone another 30 or so feet away from the plate...

That is a lot of work, and makes me want to trade for Sonny Gray even more now. Plus, sign Cease or Suarez (because Dombro "can't keep them all"). Other factors: with elbow ligaments so fragile these days, these days have to be considered more important than last year's or two years ago. Example: Trevor Rogers, as a guy who's arrived... ... also, maybe no stats quite capture the aura of certain stoppers in the postseason -- I'm thinking of Steinbrenner complaining that his front office let the Red Sox get Schilling, who he called "a warrior." For teams that want to go deep in October -- and isn't that the point -- I also have to favor Dave Stewart over Roger Clemens... at least, when they face each other.

Seeing Skubal and Crochet in the postseason really defines the term ace. Without looking at stats, they might both be top five guys in the AL MVP (after Raleigh, Judge and Ramirez). It's hard to imagine any staff where a club has "co-aces" equivalent to Skubal and Crochet -- they'd have to be heavy favorites to go all the way. How's this for the Red Sox definition of a #2: better than Bello? p.s. and not just statistically... he'd have to be someone fans would trust to get a playoff start...

For me, it depends how batters are making their outs, because a guy who strikes out 25% or more of his ABs has no chance of even making contact to move a baserunner a quarter of the time -- an affliction at epidemic levels for Boston in 2025. A walk isn't as good as a hit, because it can only move a baserunner one base at a time. It does up the pitch count, however...

Max, I know Devers is dead to most Sox fans right now, but I remember watching him spray ropes all over the field in 2019 when he was 22 and thinking he could be the best hitter in the league. That was the year Raffy had 90 extra-base hits, with career highs in batting average, slugging and OPS... and a career-low K-rate. But ever since, Devers tried to pull every pitch to New Hampshire and became more all-or-nothing like most modern sluggers. Not sure if it was ego, money ("home run hitters drive Cadillacs") or requests by the org -- but I hope none of those factors taint Roman Anthony's path to stardom. Anthony looks like he has the potential to command the strike zone and consistently use the Green Monster to win batting crowns, like other Red Sox lefty swingers named Lynn and Boggs. We also know Fenway doesn't favor lefty pull hitters, especially since the sky boxes installed behind home plate in 1988 blocked the wind currents that surely helped Yaz and Ted aim for the red seat before then... (or the protein shakes that helped Papi).