drewski6

Right now, it feels like we have a host of problems and are not bad, but too far behind the elite teams to think of ourselves as a real threat to win it all next year. And I dont really see an obvious path forward.

They just developed an elite rookie SS and Schlittler is a beast. And Ben Rice broke out. Judge is too good to just fall off a cliff like that. Hes a first ballot hall of famer. I think next year is more of the same unless we get serious about trying to get better and squeeze some people off our roster. And I dont mean Duran and Stroy.

yes haha

I think Breslow feels vindicated by the idea of Tracy being a success. If Tracy is over-credited, than that means that Breslow had the balls to get rid of Cora, and it makes him look good for making that swap....

The Red Sox absolutely put too much in the collective basket of KC, Mayer, and Roman....ANd thats largely why its been a frustrating 5-8 years. And I do think its annoying when fans defend this approach. Are you still super jazzed that we replaced Bregman with 0 IP Ranger Suarez? Bregman had like 65 extra base hits this year that we like really really really could have used. I dont mind getting excited for RA, but he was always a worm killer. And the issue is that people were more than fine letting Bregman go for Mayer, overrating RA's hitting. Last offseason - people wanted to count on Casas for this last year.

Lot of negative energy, and I think if it was Sept 1, we would keep going how we've been going (bad vibes, no offense). It doesnt feel like we are a team who only needs to make small tweaks, but it feels like we are a team who will only make small tweaks. My fear is that they run back mostly the same positional group, and we have a bottom 10 offense again next year. ANd I dont think many posters here even care. Just as long as we stay sound defensively.

One 30HR/.900 OPS bat does not even keep pace with the yankees who will add judge to a team that just made us look like we are AA. And you need to count on injuries. Yankees lost Judge an Stanton but they have power up and down the lineup. So guys like Bellinger and Rice made them still scary. Do you want to be like the team who just got creamed or the team that just did the creaming?

Our defense was elite this year. As a third baseman, Durbin is so below expectations when it comes to extra base hitting. If we need to get better, guys like Durbin get squeezed. Unless you like 0-7 in the playoffs. He was chosen to bat ninth for a reason. He had like 39 xtra base hits thi year to like Bregmans 63. I see no reason to marry ourselves to a singles hitter, when we are desperate for extra base hits.

Also, Im factoring in that Durbin has trade value. This is a team that was elite defensively and struggled to hit , and it was our undoing 2 years in a row. Durbin may make sense as a guy to package up, as he may be a significant piece in a trade for a big bat. I think Roman will DH and Mead will take up an infield spot. I see Story/Arias as one player. And if we sign Suzuki, or maybe even Sogard wins the job....I can see Durbin having more value as a trade chip.

Theres something off. Roman seems like he doesnt want to be there. Contreras is talking s***, Gray is talking s***. After the hot streak, the vibes were pretty bad. I think that also contributed to us not being as potent as we should have been on paper. Contreras keeps talking about how data and computers shouldnt make decisions, and Breslow might trade him too. We dont feel like much of a "team"

I think Mead will start at 3B, Durbin will likely play 2b - but Im not sure he's penciled in as starter. I dont think we dump Story, so Durbin will have to compete with Sogard, Monasterio, Siegler, a potential external acquisition, and one of Story/Arias. I think likely , they will be fine with Arias starting in AAA, which should take Story out of picture for 2b. And I think they view Roman as a DH next year. Im not sure who gets the last OF spot, whether it be an internal competition between KC, Duran, potential external acquisition.

Also didnt limp in with no momentum last year like we did this year.

Prob the difference is Cora vs Tracy, lol. Feels like this years team was more talented.

Who slept with this guys wife to make him like this?

Worse than last year?

We were 26th in hits per run. Walks and singles is soooo 2006.

Durbin is fine, but when you have him, Sogard, Cedanne, and then you work in a 5'11 Arias who I dont think is going to be a big power guy, Duran is below for a corner outfield position, we cant count on Roman to carry us. If you work in Arias next year, I think teh offense is more likely to get worse - not better , because Contreras is 1 yr older.

If you like the results we are getting, keep doing what we are doing. But without a change, I dont see why we would expect the team to open next year as a good hitting team.

Durbin doesnt play SS or CF and therefore his defense is a nice to have, but you swap that out for an offensive player if you can. Unless he can play SS. But especially at 3b, I can live with the homeruns below expectation for 3b, but 1 triple and only 25 doubles in 600 plate appearances, you are just giving up too much. Singles , walkes, and defense is this team positional player mix, and its a great recipe to be mediocre. If this team rolled everyone back next year minus Contreras they would be in a lot more trouble than if they rolled everyone back minus Durbin. Other teams have plenty of guys who can hurt you with the bat. We all knew we werent going to score. And its not fair to blame it on short sample or yankess pitching. The announcers were talking about Fried throwing meatballs all game and we couldnt take advantage. Its not even really like debate worthy. Its obvious that the 23rd best offense , who has noodlebatted their way out of the playoffs two years running - shows that we went too far towards D at the expense of hitting. I would sway out Durban for a good hitting / average fielding 3b , no doubt. If Mead takes 3b (or 2b) then Durban can compete with Sogard and other options for an infield job. But guys like that you dont marry. Its too many singles and he needs conditions to be right to punish a pitcher.

Its not the type of playes we should be loading up on.

We had an elite defense and bad offense. And we were embarrassed in the playoffs. And we've struggled to hit at a level that can get by the Yankees for awhile now, and we have struggled to get past the Yankees for a while now.

Because the defense formula worked out so well. This team was like elite at D, and 23rd out of 30 at hitting. You flip that and we are on bye week. And why is your assumption that 20 hr guys cant field. I want more guys like Bellinger. More guys liek the yankees have, because they keep knocking us out. Durban is a backup on a championship team.

With all the strikeouts, and the popups that any major leaguer can put away - they are just not on equal footing (hitting and defense). Im not saying dont give a care at all towards D, I am saying when you prioritize it over hitting, you get what weve seen.

I do think they are wayyyy too passive and their approach is garbage. But most people complaining about approach are just old-school folks screaming about working counts and not swinging at balls, and i dont want to join that chorus because its not even what they teach. You need to stay ready for fastballs in your red zones. YOu need to keep your eye in your own red zone. You need to hunt your pitches. YOu do not need to worry about not swinging on balls. A curveball that is below the zone, and a ball, but not in the dirt....Is a meatball if you are a low ball hitter and you guessed curveball. Its about guessing pitches and guessing location. And realizing that 0-0 is a hitters count.

My point is that they blew us out and have Judge returning for 2027. And they were a four seed in the weaker conference. We fell significantly behind the top tier teams right now.