JoeBrady

Probably because we were already #1 in payroll, combined with the #30 farm. Except for the LAD and NYM, even teams with money also have limits.

Yoshi is pedestrian. All 30 should show some interest. But -0- teams will be making phone calls. But there has to be a couple that'll kick the tires. I mean, the LAA traded for Soler, so there's always a marhet.

Does that make sense to you? We're absolutely, positively not dumping Duran. And there is absolutely, positively nothing wrong with trading your #4 outfielder. And there is nothing wrong with trading Yoshi (I think he'll have a good year) and platooning Romy & Casas at DH (assuming health).

I still see no real reason to trade Yoshi, but I also think that Cincy would be interested. Lux and Hays took most of their DH PAs last year. Lux doesn't hit much, and Hays is gone. To me, it looks like they need a DH.

The problem is, we don't really know how Breslow is handling things. He might have a chess board on his wall with 20 different possible moves, and only 2-3 are gone. He might like Bichette as move 1B after Bregman, or he might not like him at all. We're not going to really know until ST, if then.

Tough to say what happened. He has really good career numbers against the NYY.

I would do it if they threw in Petty. There is no way to project him, but he was really good not so long ago.

Yup, I've mentioned it several times, but when we started Crochet, Bello & Gio, we were really good. Most teams are obviously better when they start their 1-2-3, but fared far worse with everyone else.

I think that's the ticket. I don't think it's fair value for Duran, but the fit is beautiful. Just random minutiae: Lodolo's H/A splits are very high with a .831/.598. Can leaving Cincy take the next step forward? Lodolo is HR-prone, but again, it's 37/21 H/A His games at NYM, Philly, what I consider higher spotlight games, are .472, .559, and .596. It's a SSS, but might indicate that he might do well in Fenway's spotlight. At age 28, and two years left, and limited career earnings, he could be a candidate for a small extension. He's had a couple of injuries, which makes him riskier, but maybe more apt to take some guaranteed money.

Always follow the money. I think Buffet said it best when he said the difference between a conversation and a commitment is a check. Same with the RS payroll. Same with the under/over. Just follow the money.

Your #4-5-6-7-8 is what gets you into the playoffs. Your #1-2-3 is what gets you to the WS. In 2007, Schilling said the smartest that he ever said. When asked who was going to finish 1st between us and the NYY, his reply was 'whoever gets the most starts from their regular rotation. We got 140 from our regular rotation, plus a little bonus from the prospects Lester, Gabbard and Buchholz going 11-1.

No, FG projects Devers for an .811 OPS and Yoshida for a .766. 45 more points is nice. But not $32M nice. In a vacuum, I'd gladly start Yoshida at DH, since we are already paying him, and Bregman at 3rd for the $32M we were committed to Devers. I think this ages well.

Raffy has decent athletic skills for a big guy, but I'm not sure he is overly focused. I thought he'd be a disaster at 1st. If he was told to start practicing 1st in October, maybe I'd have gambled. But just imho, I would not have expected good results last year replacing Casas. And I had -0- issues with him being replaced at 3rd. And while I think he should've volunteered to play 1st, I don't blame for being less than happy.

This is the gambling instinct in me. He averaged 31 HRs/600 ABs the past two years, albeit with contact issues.

That's probably right on Casas, but my guess is that the NYM want to see him healthy.

In that case, my apologies to Old Red. I had assumed his handle was a knock off of Old Fred.

The following chart shows the actual 2025 data by position, followed by the 2026 FG projections. This assumes Romy at 2B, Mayer at 3B, and RA at DH. This doesn't weigh anything. Obviously loading the lineup by OPS will increase the OPS and injuries will lower OPS. IRT to injuries, my assumption, not reflected in the numbers, is that any OF injuries will mean Yoshida's numbers would replace the injured OF's numbers. Make of it what you will. 2025 2026 s C 0.653 0.702 as 1B 0.691 0.787 as 2B 0.670 0.756 as 3B 0.777 0.724 as SS 0.736 0.712 as LF 0.781 0.761 as CF 0.774 0.723 as RF 0.822 0.788 as DH 0.823 0.802 0.747 0.751

Hence the but if we could get Skubal on the $300M/8 I mentioned,

They won't until they do. Every FA looks good, until they don't. I still remember the rejoicing in Colorado over signed Bryant, while I was telling them, before he even stepped on the field, that they should trade him to the RS, along with $51M. That's how overpaid he was, even on the first day. Bregman is better than that, but the number I came up with to Kimmi was $125M/5 based on his projected WAR and decline.

The only indispensable players are aces pitchers, or maybe just #1's. Everyone else is just a slightly better or slightly worse than the next guy in line. The difference between Bregman and Suarez last year was 0.3 fWAR. Alonso v Contreras was 0.8, mostly on then numbers of PAs. My point is that you can always replace someone. The Padres got excoriated for trading Soto, but a look at the historical numbers made it look like a sure winner. The key to me is that, if you acquiring a cheaper alternative, then you need to spend that savings smartly.

I doubt Romy gets us Vientos. But I would trade Casas straight-up for Vientos easily, though I doubt the NYMs make that trade. One extra year of control. A righty. A very nice backup for Mayer against tough lefties. At worst, he can platoon with Yoshi. At best, he can replace him. In 2028, he replaces Contreras at 1st.

I'm not sure what direction you're going. If you prefer HRs, then Suarez is better. If you like GG defense, then Hoerner is better. Heck, even Vientos is a better HR hitter than Bregman at this point.

Are you not Fred?

I was just making conversation, but if we could get Skubal on the $300M/8 I mentioned, then I'd make that trade. Not happily, but we'd have about the best rotation in BB.

My assumption as well. My argument at the time was that we weren't to extend Bregman at $30M to play 3rd when we had one of the top prospects in BB to do so. I was under the assumption that KC would be our 2B. The entire Bregman issue relates to KC not coming close to grabbing the 2B position. Last year at this time, I'd have been very happy with a 2026 IF of Casas, Campbell, Story and Mayer.