5GoldGlovesOF,75

moon: "The defensive alignment of Duran in LF, Rafaela in CF and Abreu in RF might be the best left-to-right starting OF defense in Red Sox history. Having Anthony knocking on the door offers more hope." Not a weak claim, based on Gold Glove consideration and dWAR. Anthony should be out there at some point this season, but it remains to be seen if his skills will raise or drop this unit. Other contenders in modern times: From the 2018 title: Benintendi-Bradley-Betts. All three nominated for GGs that year, which turned out to be the only time JBJ actually won, to team with four-timer Mookie (both were joined by Beni in '21). For an entire outfield core, the 1975 unit: Evans (steadiest), Lynn (most spectacular) and Yaz (1B in season, back to LF for the playoffs, where he was clutch). Back-ups with good D: Rick Miller and Juan Beniquez. Lynn was the lone Sox player honored with Gold, but in a two-year span -- '77 and '78 -- five OFs from the '75 AL champs won GGs: Yaz and Beniquez (on Texas) in '77; Lynn, Evans and Miller (Angels) in '78. The '75 Sox also had eventual Gold Glovers at C, Fisk, SS, Burleson, and 1B, Cooper (after he was traded for Boomer Scott, who once had GG metabolism in his first stint in baked Beantown). So actually, I need to change my name: 8GoldGloves,75.

Advance scouts are already sharing Cliff Notes with pitching coaches: Campbell has shown he can go the other way with authority, but on pitches middle-in angles his entire body out of the box trying to pull... Smoke him, high and inside.

Sox fans more than most know the impact of a lights-out closer, because the one big separator between Boston and New York for about 20 years was Mariano Rivera. The Red Sox have had plenty of good relievers this century, and even some All-Stars, but year-after-year consistency is so rare for any closer... and why Rivera is the only unanimous Hall of Famer. New York's YES channel still replays late-inning postseason wins from the 1990s and 2000s. But for all their heroic position players, magic acts are a lot easier at the end of games knowing the other team can't score.

Just pray the Red Sox can still control him in 2031! (I'll be happy if I can still control the TV remote by then)

Crochet will want a Yamamoto contract, so the Red Sox will pre-empt and offer $200 million in late summer of 2026, knowing his agent will laugh. That way, when he counters with $300M, they can trade him to LA for a teenage catching prospect named Posada Ups. The Dodgers will then immediately extend Crochet for $301 million. They already have a special account where they're stashing profits from worldwide merchandising, just waiting to fund the Croquet of Pigs.

A lot of grounders off Houck had eyes yesterday. And since it's still ST, there's the possibility he was trying to hone a new pitch or grip... but if there are any health reasons for giving up 10 earned, may want to temper expectations for a 90-win Sox season. If Houck had to join Bello and Crawford on the IL, that would mean Boston will be effectively missing its entire top 4 starting rotation (along with the departed Pivetta) from last year's .500 club. For the Red Sox to make the playoffs, Crochet and Buehler don't both have to be 20-game winners... but at least 30-game starters.

Brez showing Bloom how it's done.

But I definitely want my catcher strong enough to put a headlock on any batter charging the mound. As for the pitcher -- on any grounder hit to the right side, I need him get over to cover first base in time for a put-out (even if Mookie is running, Cole). Who cares if he can beat the batter in an arm-wrestle if the guy reaches safely.

Fans like a player who swears as much as they do when things go wrong, as long as he's not swearing at teammates or franchise Hall of Famers-turned-broadcasters.

Some fans couldn't believe the Sox thought he was worth $17 million a year! Looking at those postseason numbers, it is unbelievable that's all he got paid.

The underrated game was Game 3 of the '18 ALDS. Series was tied, 1-1, after the Yankees croaked Price. Judge was blasting "NY, NY" in Fenway, and Yankee fans were salivating as both teams headed to the hostile Bronx. Eovaldi waltzed in and shut them all up with 7 IP and one run, while Brock and the boys were putting up a 16-spot. Three years later Nate beat the Yanks in the Wild Card game, this time pitching into the 6th and only giving up a solo shot by Rizzo, on an 8 K, 0 BB day. It was a little better than Cole, who only lasted 2 innings while serving up HRs to Bogey and Schwarber (Sox could be in trouble this year without Cole tossing BP to Raffy).

No stat comparing arm strength compensates for making consistently accurate throws, from all points of a position. Shortstops that stood out in this regard on Red Sox champions: Orlando Cabrera and Stephen Drew. Both were money. Guys I can't remember being decisive either way (maybe they didn't have as many chances?): Julio Lugo and Xander Bogaerts.

I just never bought into Bloom's claim that Story's range would make up for his damaged wing. What good is a guy with speed to get to more grounders deep in the hole, if his throws barely reach first base from normal depth? Keeping a ball in the infield can save the occasional run if there are baserunners in scoring position, but so can a relay man with a cannon (who can also dissuade base coaches from even sending runners, like when Evans used to wind up from RF). Quick infielders can rob hits by snagging liners before they get to the outfield, but pre-pitch positioning is probably more consistently important. Mayer, not known as a speed demon, seems to be good at this. Mayer may be more Ripken, while Story is more Ozzie.

I'm not a Doctor Frankenstein (though I watched one on TV), but it would seem that Tommy John Surgery, bracing an elbow with a good tendon taken from another place in the same body, would have a better chance of melding, mending and even strengthening the area... rather than an artificial piece that's not made from human tissue, much less the same human. People function with fake parts (like hips and knees) all the time, but can elite athletes -- especially pitchers who throw as hard as they can -- ever be as good as new again? Isn't this the reason Bo Jackson couldn't play hockey?

In one inning yesterday he consistently broke triple digits on the jugs gun. Good thing everyone says stats in Spring Training are worthless.

For anyone who's been watching the ST games, the Red Sox have no big league-ready shortstops who are expendable as trade bait. Not only has Mayer looked solid, but Story threw two more balls away yesterday: one he heaved into the Twins dugout, another he bounced 20 feet away from Casas, which he couldn't have reached if he was Mr. Fantastic (or even Mr. Mediocre). For some reason they only gave Story one E, but there were two WTFs...

And without Dalbec, O'Neill, Smith, Cooper, Westbrook, Reyes, Abreu, Romy, and Zac Short -- all who had higher K-rates last year than Ceddanne! So did Casas, Story and Sogard, but they played last night...

Hamilton is on the team no matter what, just so he can steal 89 bases off Vazquez when they play the Twins.

Campbell, living up to his Barry Bonds nickname, just gunned out speed demon Byron Buxton from the LF corner. .

No-no-no -- I was saying Story and Mayer are our two best infielders right now. But that just means one of the Big Three should still start in Texas Opening Day.

Chapman will make all of us a lot older this summer.

And unless someone really expects, finally, some Story glory (circa 2020, his last season with MVP votes), then Red Sox management has to ask itself: is there a better all-around middle infielder in the entire system right now than Marcelo Mayer? Let's compare, anyway: both have the gloves, Story has wheels, Mayer has the arm, and at bat, both have some pop. As for those worried about Mayer's K-rate, we already know Story can whiff with the worst of them. We also know the dumb rules about keeping a man down to retain an extra year of "control" -- translation: so you don't have to pay him what he's worth if he's good (and still with the same org, a rarity after a half decade of MLB service)... ... so how unreasonable of fans who'd demand their favorite teams to start the two best players at two vital positions in the center of the diamond.

Verdugo -- "the centerpiece in the Mookie Betts trade" -- could be finished as a big leaguer before age 30... ... and yes, I insisted he be included in that deal (along with PITCHERS).

Mayer already looks like an old pro at any infield position. He's more sure-handed and composed than Campbell, Grissom and Hamilton (who I keep reading on forums as a dependable defensive infielder, when every game I watch he makes a shaky play). With Griz already demoted, it would make sense if both Mayer and Campbell made the roster, for added left-right bats, with Hamilton the utility guy now that Romy looks like he won't be ready. If Campbell gets cut, they'll him at both IF and OF in Worcester -- so he'll bat every day. Griz will play 2B when KC's in LF...

I'm just grateful a franchise like the Red Sox, who once refused to sign Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays, gave a guy like Yoshida a chance... ... and Wong, Narvaez, Casas, Campbell, Hamilton, Mayer, Gonzalez, Devers, Duran, Refsnyder, Rafaela and Abreu. And Bregman, who made it a point to learn to speak Spanish, even though his great-grandfather immigrated from Russia. And those are just some of the position players for Alex Cora.