5GoldGlovesOF,75

Makes sense. Then again, there's no doubt in my mind that Boston's best infield prospect -- the guy who looks like a big leaguer right now, anywhere on the dirt -- is Marcelo Mayer.

Not acquiring a premium closer this offseason is why I can't take this team seriously in the goal of going-for-it... and why I'm still stuck in the 80s for wins, even 89. Maybe a Schiraldi or Koji will emerge, because that's happened, what - twice in 40 years? No one wants to trade a star closer in his prime, and if they do, it's because they're about to get too expensive (or TJS). If you can swap for a legit closer, the cost is going to be steep (or in Brezspeak, "painful"). Kimbrel cost four prospects a decade ago, Edwin Diaz was just 24 when he went to the Mets (with Cano's bloated contract) for five prospects, including Kelenic, rated 4th overall on the MLB list. It's hard to believe Diaz just turned 30... Even Chapman, who always wears out his welcome, cost young stars lie Gleybar Torres or Cole Ragans. So if the Sox really want a good closer, be prepared to lose one of the Big Three.

In a few years, your three-man outfield could be the starting unit for the next great Red Sox team (while the other two may not even be playing in Boston). Can you at least envision that possibility?

It's a draft strategy to pick the best player available, and a draft joke here when the Red Sox always draft shortstops, because that means those guys can play anywhere. Most fans probably remember the Little League cliche that all the best kids play shortstop when they don't pitch. But nowadays -- in the world of multi-team sports in the same seasons and year-round -- those same players are also all catchers. Why? Because catcher is the hardest position, and only the best ballplayers can handle it.

Agreed. But anyone who watched his methodical bat flip on the follow-through of another home run vs. the Yankees yesterday knows Yoshida can help the line-up. And for the dislikers, if he still can't throw, he has a lot less trade value this spring, at least.

If Refsnyder platoons with anyone, at least early, it will be Abreu, who lost 20 pounds. There's a reason they played Rob in rightfield the other day.

Cora says he's his centerfielder. I think the Sox have made a commitment to their new pitchers to put the best defense out there that's available. Moving Ceddanne all over the place last year was for survival, but when everyone's healthy, Boston needs them in their best spots. Maybe they're grooming Campbell to be the new Zobrist, because his best spot is in the batter's box.

His arm isn't that bad, and the year he played it was just as strong as Duran's, but Masa always hit the cutoff. Yoshida doesn't have the wheels to cover a lot of ground, but for some reason people forget he was fundamentally sound out there.

A big part of the game plan this winter was to bring in veteran leaders, and the Sox aren't going to dis the incumbent veteran going into the season. That's dis- as in disrespect -- moving him for a rookie -- but also disrupt, as in his comeback re. a full season at SS. But if Boston really improves in other areas and looks like a legit contender, and Story's arm looks like a liability, then such a monumental shift could happen later this season. Hey, Theo is around, and he once traded the Face of the Franchise in mid-summer... just so the Sox could win the World Series!

That's who I was thinking of, because Old Man Story -- or at least his contract -- are here for the next three seasons.

They want to IL Yoshida because he can't DH -- not with Raffy in the dugout. But think hard, Red Sox fans, before you answer this: say it's extra innings in Fenway, and Boston starts an inning with its ghost runner on second base... the first batter due up is Hamilton vs. a tough southpaw reliever like Tanner Scott who is death on lefty swingers... since the Sox never bunt, which guy would you choose to pinch hit -- Devers or Yoshida? In other words, who is most likely to make contact and move the runner to third? I'm not saying Raffy isn't the better slugger, but it doesn't suck to have a guy like Masa in an offense full of whiffers (and Bregman).

I'm not opposed to starting both Campbell and Anthony over Hamilton and Abreu, because the two prospects are going to be more consistent extra-base threats -- and they may even be this summer. I am on record saying that Rafaela is playing centerfield and will not be platooned, and there's no going back with Devers at the hot corner. Bregman is the guy as long as he's here, and if he ever opts out, it will now be a lot easier to transition a younger guy to 3B.

Because of the bullpen moves this regime has made, I get the sense the current front office feels relievers are just too mercurial to invest in any longterm. Hot and cold, healthy and injured, fresh and tired -- bullpens are one big cluster fluctuation. For evidence, maybe we should look no further than the late-inning mound days of our Chief Baseball Officer and his pitching coach. The problem with this crew is that if Hendriks sucks and gets lit up, he'll lose his job. But if Chapman still throws a hundred, but walks the park every other 9th, they'll keep him... and give us all strokes and coronaries. Whitlock is easily the best pitcher in the pen. It's just too bad for us he's so good they want him for two-inning stints and not the 9th...

Panda damaged the goods they gave him: belt buckles, pants buttons, fan expectations.

It wasn't the day they were promoted, but definitely mid-summer. Btw: I expect Anthony to be the best hitter of them all at the big league level. Coaches and teammates are already noting his patience in the box, at age 20.

It was before Campbell was in Portland (or maybe not yet eligible). I read it on the Eastern League leaders' board on the wall at Dunkin Park; Mayer was first, ahead of Teel, who was third, and Anthony was lower.

I get the feeling Cora likes the idea of Campbell as an infielder-outfielder option who can hit. AC loves those versatile AC types. Maybe the front office evaluators also see more value for Campbell that way -- a player who may never be a Gold Glover at one position, but a bat-first guy they can plug in where needed.

Juju left his home in Tucson, Arizona Boston, Massachusetts grass

Maybe Story can be a star again at 2B (this is the second base thread). That doesn't mean Mayer will lead them to the promised land as a rookie SS, either. The Big Three will experience growing pains... and have their share of Ks, too, as they adjust. It is worth noting that when all the Sox top prospects were promoted from Double A last summer, it was Mayer who was leading the Eastern League in batting average. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing progress in '25, just not making Boston any World Series favorite quite yet.

Great guy, great teammate, great leader, but maybe overrated as the combined savior in the middle infield and middle of the batting order. We know he was as a Silver Slugger shortstop in Colorado, but his last good season was half a decade ago. Obviously, the Sox will improve if Story stays healthy enough to contribute some power and speed on offense, and range at short, but it may be unfair to expect any more All-Star seasons at this point. It's not his fault someone gave him a big contract. But his K-rate has been over 30% in all three of his Boston years, and his throwing arm will never be better than it is right now (there's no way a human can strengthen an artificial brace inserted in his elbow).

So like 20% of Nunez was better for his teams than if they used a fan from the bleachers. If I had to guess, it somewhere below his knees: calf muscles, toes, heels... ... but according to bb-ref, Eduardo's three years in Boston were worth -1.6 WAR, which is worse than a guy and his Australian Cattle Dog who can catch airborne frisbees on a dead sprint.

Story bounced another throw to first for another error yesterday. Middlebrooks blamed it on a case of Trevor "having too much time." Earlier, batting in the heart of the order with one-out and a man on third, Story struck out on a big looping curveball in the dirt. That runner never crossed the plate. Later, Bregman shortened up with two outs and two strikes to dump an RBI-single into center. Middlebrooks noted how important it is to finally have a guy in the batting order who can make contact and not strike out.

Maybe second base is still up for grabs. Campbell looked much better at 2B today, and very athletic, according to Middlebrooks (who noted KC was starting on the split squad line-up with all the rest big leaguers). He also lined a double and struck out twice -- his swing doesn't just cause him to pull his head; he literally pulls his whole body out of the box.

Duran is the star coming off last year, and Anthony looks like the star of the very near future. So one of the more intriguing stories this season is which outfielder will be replaced in the starting line-up: Rafaela or Abreu? The Red Sox like both guys for their gloves and bats, but Ceddanne is the one they signed longterm so far. My opinion is that posters here in '24 tended to slightly overrate Abreu and underrate Rafaela. Wilyer had a slight edge in WAR and won a Gold Glove, but it's arguable that because Ceddanne also played a lot of shortstop that he was more valuable AND had less WAR due to some Es filling in at SS. No one will dispute that Rafaela could also win a Gold Glove if he plays a full season in CF. At the plate, both had some pop, but Rafaela got on fans' nerves because the count was always 0-and-2 in almost every at bat. So, how many realize Abreu still had a higher K-rate? Rafaela stole more bases, but got thrown out more times, too. Some see a platoon as a solution, but if another contender suffers an outfield injury and comes dangling a promising young arm, which guy is gone? I give the edge to Abreu, only because he's still gets paid minimum wage.

2025 MLB players survey results: Best athlete, best teammate, and best choice for his own talk show after he retires -- Mookie Betts. This on the No-No Thread won't surprise Red Sox front office and ownership from 2019... Should we pay this guy market value; what he's actually worth? NO! But isn't he the ideal ballplayer and personality to keep here for his entire career as a Hall of Fame talent, Face of the Franchise, and Ambassador for Boston baseball forever after? Uhhh.. NO! What a No-No.