Uncertainty seems to be the running theme of the Red Sox right now. Though they have World Series championships not too far in the rear-view mirror, recent seasons have seen them cut payroll and wind up in a middle ground between a rebuilding club and a frontline contender. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was recently fired and the search to find his replacement hasn’t yet shed light on which direction the franchise is heading.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Rafael Devers, 3B: $313.5MM through 2033
- Trevor Story, SS: $100MM through 2027 (includes buyout on 2028 club option; Story can opt-out after 2025 but club can negate that by picking up option)
- Masataka Yoshida, OF: $72MM through 2027
- Chris Sale, LHP: $27.5MM through 2024 (includes 2025 club option with no buyout)
- Garrett Whitlock, RHP: $16.75MM through 2026 (includes buyout on 2027 club option; deal also has ’28 club option)
- Kenley Jansen, RHP: $16MM through 2024
- Justin Turner, IF: $13.4MM player option with $6.7MM buyout
- Chris Martin, RHP: $7.5MM through 2024
- Rob Refsnyder, OF: $1.85MM through 2024 (includes club option for 2025 with no buyout)
Option Decisions
- IF Justin Turner has $13.4MM player option with $6.7MM buyout
- Club holds $11MM option on RHP Corey Kluber with no buyout
- Club holds $4.25MM option on LHP Joely Rodríguez with $500K buyout
2024 financial commitments (assuming no options are triggered): $129.1MM
Total future commitments (assuming no options are triggered): $555.1MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Nick Pivetta (5.166): $6.9MM
- Alex Verdugo (5.078): $9.2MM
- Luis Urías (4.098): $4.7MM
- Reese McGuire (4.027): $1.7MM
- John Schreiber (3.027): $1.3MM
Non-tender candidates: Urías, McGuire
Free Agents
If there were an award for the least consistent club in the majors, the Red Sox would be in the running. In the past 20 years, they have four World Series championships, more than any other team. But they have also finished last in the American League East six times in that stretch, including each of the two most recent campaigns.
As mentioned up top, the recent skid cost Bloom his job, which means the first order of business is to figure out who makes the decisions now. Various high-profile names have taken themselves out of the running, such as Mike Hazen, Kim Ng, Jon Daniels, James Click, Michael Hill, Derek Falvey, Sam Fuld and Brandon Gomes. Most of those executives have other commitments that would make it hard for them to consider a move to Boston, but it’s also been suggested that the appeal of the job might not be very high.
The higher-ups in Boston have given very short leashes to their executives recently. Ben Cherington was put in charge in October of 2011 but was replaced as the club’s baseball decision maker by Dave Dombrowski in August of 2015, despite the fact that the club had won the World Series in 2013. Dombrowski was then dismissed in 2019, even though he also brought a title to Boston the year prior, getting replaced by Bloom. With Bloom now out the door as well, it’s been quite a while since anyone has even lasted five years, despite the club’s many successes. It has also been suggested that the new hire won’t have much autonomy, with Álex Cora seemingly entrenched as manager and several other important jobs already filled.
It would be understandable if the gig weren’t viewed by everyone as a dream job, but there are only 30 of these to go around and there is still plenty of interest. Gabe Kapler, Craig Breslow, Thad Levine, Neal Huntington, Eddie Romero and Paul Groopman have been publicly reported to have been interviewed and it’s possible there are others who have sat down for a chat without it being leaked.
Once a hire is made, there will perhaps be more clarity on how the franchise envisions itself moving forward. But regardless of who eventually gets chosen, they will undoubtedly face challenges in improving the club’s chances going forward. The American League East doesn’t have weak spots, with each of the Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays having made the playoffs in 2023. The Yankees were bit by the injury bug and finished fourth but they will certainly be aggressive in the hopes of putting this season behind them.
Whether a hire has been made by the start of the offseason, the front office will have some formalities to attend to. Both Corey Kluber and Joely Rodríguez are sure to have their options declined after injury-marred seasons in 2023. Justin Turner figures to opt out after another strong season at the plate. $13.4MM is a strong salary for a player his age but the $6.7MM buyout means he only needs to find another $6.7MM in free agency in order to break even. The Sox will miss his bat but will likely need the designated hitter spot for other guys.
How aggressive the Sox will be for 2024 is an open question and likely won’t be answered until the front office business is complete. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the club’s payroll was one of the top five in the league for much of the century but they’ve dropped down since, settling at 12th place in 2023. Perhaps they will sign off on more spending after having reset their luxury tax status this year, but it also wouldn’t be a shock for a new exec to take a year to slow-play things and evaluate the franchise, an approach that is common.
When factoring in estimated arbitration salaries, Roster Resource pegs the club’s 2024 payroll around $167MM and their competitive balance tax figure at $187MM. Non-tendering depth infielder Luis Urías would knock those numbers down a few million, but the club isn’t too far from the $181MM payroll they had this year. They have a bit more room on the CBT side of things, with next year’s base threshold at $237MM, but it’s unclear if the club plans to spend up to or over that line.
The roster has its share of uncertainty, particularly on the pitching side of things. Chris Sale is coming off a somewhat encouraging season in 2023, as his 102 2/3 innings and 20 starts were more than he threw over 2020-2022 combined. But the results weren’t to his previous levels, with a 4.30 earned run average on the year. Perhaps he can fare better next year when he will be further from his injury struggles, but he will also turn 35 in March.
Nick Pivetta posted an ERA of 6.30 in his first eight starts and got bounced to the bullpen in May. He was able to get things back on track from there, with an ERA of 3.16 the rest of the way, finishing back in the rotation with a 4.04 ERA on the year overall. Brayan Bello made 13 appearances in 2022 but got a fuller audition in 2023, which resulted in some solid but not outstanding results. He registered a 4.24 ERA with a tepid 19.8% strikeout rate, though he limited walks and got heavy doses of ground balls.
Kutter Crawford had a 4.04 ERA this year with good peripherals, though it’s unclear if that’s sustainable since he’s never been a highly-touted prospect. Tanner Houck has shown some potential, but injuries have continually kept him in the range of 100-120 innings. The same is largely true for Garrett Whitlock, though he hasn’t even reached 100 frames since 2018.
Having six semi-plausible starting pitchers isn’t a terrible place to be in, but there isn’t much locked in, especially in the long-term. Sale is entering the final guaranteed year of his deal and Pivetta only has one arbitration season remaining. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Sox add someone here, though it might not be a top-of-the-market name, depending on where they plan to set payroll. Pitchers like Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Aaron Nola are destined for nine-figure contracts, but the Sox could perhaps set their sights on arms like Sonny Gray or old friend Eduardo Rodriguez. Beyond them are veteran bounceback candidates like Marcus Stroman, Jack Flaherty or Lucas Giolito.
The bullpen has a bit more clarity, with veterans Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin each having another year remaining on their respective deals. Josh Winckowski, John Schreiber and Brennan Bernardino have shown promise to varying degrees and should have the inside track for jobs on next year’s club. That still leaves plenty of room for a free agent addition, though any investment here could be on the modest side with Jansen and Martin already giving the club strong high-leverage options. On the other hand, if the new front office decides to make 2024 a sort of evaluation year, maybe Jansen or Martin find themselves on the trade block.
On the position player side of things, the catcher position is probably the most wide open. The Sox gave plenty of runway for Connor Wong and Reese McGuire in 2023, though neither of them took firm hold of the job. They each posted a matching wRC+ of 78 with so-so defensive grades. Wong was great with the running game but poor in terms of blocking and framing, whereas McGuire was generally middling across the board.
Investing in a veteran backstop and non-tendering McGuire would be sensible, though the free agent options aren’t terribly exciting. Mitch Garver and Tom Murphy have strong bats but generally struggle to stay healthy. Austin Hedges and Martín Maldonado have strong reputations as defenders and pitching staff leaders but they’re both poor hitters. Gary Sánchez is arguably the best of the bunch but his half season in San Diego was strong enough that he may have played himself into a two-year deal. The trade route could feature unproven options like Joey Bart or Iván Herrera.
The infield is half set, with Rafael Devers having third base spoken for. He will likely require a move to first base at some point since his defense isn’t strong at the hot corner, but his offense continues to be excellent and he’s under contract for another decade. Whenever it’s time to move over to first, it could be a bit tricky since Triston Casas seems to have established himself over there. He has 29 home runs in his first 159 major league games and has walked at a 14.9% clip, but his glovework isn’t strong either, perhaps leading him and Devers to someday co-exist via the designated hitter slot. But for the time being, it seems fair to expect them to stay on opposite corners.
The middle infield is far more up-in-the-air, with the investment in Trevor Story yet to pay dividends. He hit at a league-average level in 2022 and then required elbow surgery in the winter, not returning to the big leagues until August of 2023. The results were grim, as he struck out in 32.7% of his plate appearances and didn’t do much impact when he put the ball in play. His wRC+ of 48 was one of the 10 worst in the majors, minimum 160 plate appearances, with mostly catchers and bench players around him on that list. The club has little choice but to hope that Story gets back on track, given the four years left on his deal.
As for his double play partner, that’s also a question. The club has taken chances on a number of light-hitting utility guys of late, with the list including Urías, Yu Chang, Pablo Reyes, Hoy Park and Christian Arroyo. Of that group, only Reyes and Urías remain. The latter seems likely to be non-tendered after a rough season and Reyes is best suited for a bench/depth role. David Hamilton and Enmanuel Valdéz are present as optionable depth options.
The club could certainly pursue middle infield help but the options there aren’t great either. Whit Merrifield, Adam Frazier and Amed Rosario are arguably better second basemen than what the Sox currently have in-house, but each are coming off fairly unremarkable seasons.
In the outfield, Jarren Duran had a breakout season in 2023, with a .346 on-base percentage and 24 stolen bases. Even though his season was ended by toe surgery, he should be pencilled into the center field spot, at least as the strong side of a platoon. Alex Verdugo had another passable season, with offense around league average and strong defense. He figures to be in right field, though he also stands out as a possible trade candidate in his final arbitration season with a projected salary of $9.2MM. Masataka Yoshida showed some encouraging signs with his contact-heavy approach resulting in a 109 wRC+ in his first MLB season. The defense was poor, as was expected, though perhaps the Sox are comfortable using their small left field and the DH spot to diminish the effects of his glovework. Long-term, it’s not ideal to have three poor defenders battling for the DH position in Yoshida, Devers and Casas, but it’s semi-workable for now. Rob Refsnyder will be in the outfield mix as a short-side platoon guy.
Younger options could be pushing for time in that outfield mix this year, as each of Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela got into 28 big league games this year. Abreu fared better in those, but it’s too small of a sample to draw broad conclusions from. Roman Anthony is considered by some to be a Top 100 talent and has reached Double-A, perhaps putting a 2024 debut on the table. Miguel Bleis is also a highly-regarded prospect but is further away.
There may be glimmers of hope for the farm to help out at other positions as well, with catcher Kyle Teel having just been selected 14th overall in the most recent draft. Shortstop Marcelo Mayer is a consensus Top 100 guy and second baseman Nick Yorke has been on some of those lists as well. Each of those three got to Double-A in 2023 and won’t be too far from the majors.
Despite all the uncertainty, there are many things to like about this Boston club. They just went 78-84 in the toughest division in the league, with a run differential of -4. It would only take modest improvements to get them into contention for a playoff spot.
Perhaps a new hire would like to take a year to get more looks at young players like Duran, Rafaela, Abreu, Anthony, Teel, Mayer and Yorke. There’s plenty of money coming off the books after 2024, with Sale, Jansen, Martin, Pivetta and Verdugo all potential free agents. Maybe some of those guys end up getting moved this winter, freeing up roster space for younger guys. They need help at catcher and in the middle infield, but there aren’t obvious solutions available in free agency and the Sox have possible long-term solutions in the pipeline.
All things considered, the ship isn’t in terrible shape. But as of right now, it’s unclear who is steering it, which direction they’re going or how fast they’ll be allowed to head there. There’s plenty of fog on the horizon but perhaps things will clear up soon.
In conjunction with this post, Darragh McDonald held a Red Sox-centric chat on 10-24-23. Click here to read the transcript.
the fact that keeping Cora on as manager that they’ve run through 3 heads of baseball in 12 year are keeping the sox from getting any top candidates should be a giant red flag for ownership however one thing that’s been consistent with this group is how tone deaf they are overall.
Think about the worst part of that statement right there:
Cora, a known cheater, who screwed up ST not once, but TWICE in not having the team ready for opening day by not having regulars play, not to mention his lineup and pitching handling woes, will have lasted through THREE PBOs by the time the next head honcho is announced.
Yet he got us a World Series and a good postseason run in 2021.
I don’t get you Cora haters… hate him for the scandal, fine, but hating him just to hate him isnt fair. Maybe not all, but several don’t use logic when hating him AS a manager.
His stupid and gutsy decisions paid off in 2018 and nearly in 2021. I’m a firm believer we don’t get far without him at the helm then
cora sucks at player preparation during spring training, at bullpen management, at in game management, at getting the most out of his players (just look at the horrible defense, base running miscues etc). A blind sloth could have brought that 2018 team to a WS victory. And on top of all that he’s one of the worst cheats in the history of the game.
A blind sloth? The season had us winning 108 games, which was above our team pythagorean win/loss record. We had a depleting bullpen at the end of the season.
Funny you never mention 2021 either when we had to win the last three games just to get a postseason spot.
He makes some questionable decisions that a blind sloth wouldn’t have had, but on a good year, they paid off.
You’re only good with what you have. Cora wasn’t always given the best players to begin with.
plenty of legitimate things to criticize cora about. 2018 isn’t reallyone them
I’m also not naive and have long wondered if there was any “magic” in 18. So many “clutch” hits. Moreland’s pinch hit HR comes to mind. Did he know what was coming? I feel bad questioning Moreland but with Cora, how can you not?
There definitely was timing hitting here and there but not all of it. He still made the shots. And we forget 2021. Yeah, we didn’t win, but he took a team that nearly missed the postseason and got a lot of them. He pushed the right buttons until the team got tired and worn against the Astros.
Cora sucks at everything. It always looks like he’s managing in Strat-O-Matic or APBA with his convoluted batting orders, and poor selections out of the bullpen. He can’t succeed without cheating. Even if they won a WS under him (not), it’ll be judged as tainted and rightly so.
I’m not a hater, but his bullpen moves made no sense this year. Sending out the same junk relievers when the good ones should have been available showed a lack of confidence in the lineup to get the job done. Any time your back end relievers go a week without pitching, you did something wrong.
I’ll also mention that we don’t get to the postseason in 2021 if we didn’t play the last few games like game 7’s of the World Series. Cora did everything in his power to get us those wins, even with the horrible bullpen we had. He has a good feel for the game that most managers dont have.
Judgement: I don’t hate Cora but I recognize his short comings and the fact that pretty much everyone hired to run baseball ops wants to pick their own manager.
Understandable. Notice I didn’t generalize everyone. There are just self-proclaimed Cora haters out there.
I don’t really care if Cora stays or goes unless him staying is keeping the Red Sox from hiring a good POBO. I find it hard to single out Cora when he has a coaching staff, including Jason Varitek, and an analytics department feeding him information and suggestions. He must be taking some of their advice.
Cora? Devers willed the team to the playoffs as I recall.
I try to be objective and Cora never paid a price after 17 came out. To miss 20 at the heart of the pandemic is not punishment.
We needed to win three games to tie the Yankees, not just one. We were struggling big time and we had to sweep the Nats. We did and then the whole playoffs with a depleted team and lineup was all Devers? I’m not buying that. Cora was responsible for getting us far in 2021, especially at the end.
Devers won three games in a tie or die situation? We HAD to sweep the Nats to get in and we just barely did. We had a depleted bullpen as well. Cora played a huge part in that, whether you accept it or not.
GA: The spring training approach in 2019 is on the organization not just Cora. I don’t see any way Cora didn’t get buy in from the coaching staff, players and GM. They all went along with it.
suit – With respect to the players and coaching staff, if they didn’t follow orders then it would be insubordination.
As for the GM, I’d like to think he left the managerial decisions to the manager. Cora seems way too cocky to go along with the GM’s orders if he disagreed with them.
Fever: I think there are too many people giving input for decisions to blame one person for everything. I could be wrong of course, but I just don’t see it.
Fever – I applaud you for swimming through all the ridiculous comments and politely addressing the madness.
I’m struggling with the article itself. I think it was supposed to be a laundry list of the roster for 2024 but it was totally unorganized and presented in the strangest way.
Who quotes total contracts when you are considering annual payroll?
Nobody cares that Devers total contract is $311MM they care that for the next 10 years the organization has WASTED $31MM of the $230MM Cap space on a guy who can’t field and fell drastically when the better hitters surrounding him in the past were ushered out the door last year.
Do we care if Yoshida still is owed $72MM? Or do we care that we have a second DH for $18MM a year and his defense is only slightly better than the worst 3B in baseball?
Do we care if Story is owed $100MM or should the number $23.3MM per year be the relevant number to put things into perspective?
I guess this article was designed to get people talking about something other than the POBO position. Too bad it is filled with so many inaccurate statements.
Wong had an OPS+ of 80. We desperately need an upgrade so he can drop back to where he belongs as a 40 game a year back-up at best.
Devers can’t play 3B if the team wants to win. He’s set the record for the most seasons with the most errors at 3B in the history of the game. That’s enough reason to move him, even for a novice baseball fan.
Why sign Justin Turner as the 3rd DH? Sure, if you play him daily at 3B nobody would complain but his body won’t stand up to that many games. So what value does he provide? None since Devers should be the DH and if not then Yoshida.
Speculation on the bad infielders that played in 2023 seems silly. It’s pretty simple. They all go. They are all non-tendered in December. Take out the trash so the new POBO has room to work.
“all things considered the ship isn’t in terrible shape”
I’ve never looked through glasses as rose colored as the writers. WOW!!!
The ship hit an iceberg named Bloom while it’s captain Cora was asleep at the wheel or cheating some of the deck hands at cards.
If you think the ship isn’t terrible please tell me if the following is true:
1 – We have no every day catcher
2 – Our first baseman looks great for the future but 2024 will be his sophomore season
3 – We have no second baseman
4 – Our shortstop is being paid $23.3MM and has put up an OPS+ of 86 in 137 games with Boston
5 – The guy set to play 3B in 6 full seasons has led the league in errors more than anyone else in history
6 – The guy set to play LF is the outfield equivalent defensively of the 3B and should be a DH only now that he’s in the MLB.
7 – Our center fielder had a break out season and needs to repeat it
8 – Our right fielder is league average and a clubhouse poison
9 – People are trying to bring back Justin Turner as the third DH since nobody cares about the defense
10 – There is no #1 starting pitcher
11 – There is no #2 starting pitcher
12 – The three young pitchers (Bello, Houck and Crawford) are developing into fine bottom of the rotation pitchers but might regress in 2024
13 – The standard 4 set up men (2 lefty and 2 righty) are missing one lefty
14 – The closer is back for his last year and he was born in 87 one year before the last full season World Championship for the Dodgers!! Yes, that long ago!!
Now add to all these things wrong with the ship the fact that the captain of the ship is a convicted cheater, bad manager and an embarrassment to Red Sox fans with integrity and you have a fairly substantial argument for the ship being in terrible shape. That’s why the new GM/POBO is so critical to reversing the Bloom Curse.
suit – I agree about input, when it’s a team effort then many people should be allowed to give input. But input is information, suggestions …. ultimately it’s the manager who makes the decisions.
Same with Cora being involved in the POBO hiring process, I think it’s a good thing that he gives his input … but certainly he shouldn’t be allowed to decide who to hire.
TF – Thank you!
Not only did I struggle with the article, the writer completely lost me when he listed Alfaro and Bleier as free agents.
Bleier was released in August and signed with the Cubs, who later released him.
Alfaro signed as a free agent with the Marlins in August..
Neither player ended the season with the Red Sox, they shouldn’t have been mentioned in the above article.
They’re still in a post-Mookie rebuild, and aren’t that far from competitive–in fact, a -4 run differential in THAT division proves they already are.
But….the defense killed them. When three starters (Sale, Crawford, Pivetta) all have WHIPS under 1.15 and ERAs over 4.00, it’s telling. All three WHIPS would’ve been top 10 in the AL.
Story helps that immediately (he was +6 DRS in ~35 games) and at a crucial position. Plus, he’s not in rehab. Not the hitter he was, but better than he showed. Urias, hopefully recovered from a gruesome injury, had two very good seasons at 2B in Milwaukee and can field the position.
Duran cannot; he’s a lousy CF. Putting Rafaela in CF and moving Duran to left improves both positions defensively. Rafaela is reputed to be a defensive wizard in center; just play him there.. It gets Yoshida off the field, too. Wong isn’t great, but he stops the running game. Those small changes make them light-years better defensively.
Verdugo is a plus defender in MLB’s toughest RF and will be highly motivated in his FA year, as will Pivetta. They need two good starters, one of the Nola-Gray-Yamamoto-Snell caliber. They may have to trade Duran (Verdugo has zero trade value) for another, or add a prospect or two. But give them two starters, better defense and a RH stick (Duvall did exactly what he was asked, but got hurt) and they’re in the playoff hunt.
oh….and suggesting Casas (whose OPS was fifth in the AL) is due for a sophomore slump is simply the hate talking. The guy has a terrific eye and monster power.
Mal W. –
I remember this season when Casas was compared to Dalbec on this site and they were claimed to be very similar.
Given that Triston was a passable first baseman in the minor leagues, I can see him improving in that part of his game next season.
Obviously, the offensive struggles in the first 2 months affected his defensive play in 2023.
If not for the great play of Baltimore’s Henderson, Casas could have won Rookie of the Year.
Story at SS makes the D much better. He hasn’t had ST or health the last 2 yrs. My choice for come back player in 24.
Good post, but I have a couple of quibbles.
I’m not a Duran fan, but he looked better both offensively and defensiely in 2023.
Rafael doesn’t look ready. another year in AAA won’t hurt him. That said, if another team though Duran was as good as his numbers looked, I’d trade him for value, and put up with Rafael’s lack of bat.
Same with Verdugo. He might be highly motivated to have a big year, and Anthony is presumably replacing him in 2025, so V is a keeper and a good QO candidate.
JoeBrady –
Rafaela stated that he wants to participate in winter ball to work on his approach at the plate – this suggests that he is well aware of what aspects he needs to work on.
If Ceddanne cracks spring training in 2024, I see no reason for him to be our starting centerfielder.
Rafaela has potential 20+HR, 30+ SB with elite defense, which he proved in his second straight season in the minor leagues.
Part of the pitching woes is the fact we never had reliable pitchers. Bloom was in love with erratic high k bullpen pitchers.
and in love with starters that can’t make it 5 innings
Hopefully, the new head will be old school. Get starters that can go seven and see how that saves the bullpen. Pavetta is the only one of the current crew that can do that. He’s playing for a new deal and may have the best year of his career in 24…most likely for another club. Hopefully not.
Honestly, though, Pivetta has longevity but he isn’t one to always write home about either. He’s had moments. I’d still resign him.
I’d add out of touch with their fan base. Hard to predict what’s going to happen when they are so rudderless. What a shiate show.
OMG, are you kidding me? Duran should be given the CF spot, outright, no matter who is pitching. He is the biggest positive about the Red Sox season, in 2023. Followed by the improvement of Casas and the decent outings by Bello.
It used to be that “last place” had meaning, and was utilized to refer to teams being “bad”. You know, minimum 90 losses, more like 95, sometimes 100+. For the occasional stronger team that still happened to arbitrarily finish last in the modern 5-deep division, usually the media would have the integrity to focus on the W-L record rather than the (in that case) misleading “last place” label. Sure, the Red Sox have finished last in their division 6 times since 2012, but a whopping 3 of those have been 78-84 teams. Given that a 78-win team can really only happen in a strong division, that means these are really .500 teams…e.g. mediocre, ordinary, competitive. The record or those would would be the way people reference these seasons, if society urged people towards accuracy rather than rhetoric. But this is the age of the hyper-critical internet fan, which means “last place team” has to be shouted from the rooftops with every opportunity, with too much of the media being happily complicit in that.
Anyway, the truth of the recent history of the franchise is pretty straightforward: always close but never quite to the level of the Yankees (overall) from 2002 through 2011, with 2 beloved championships in that period, followed by the crazy years of 2012 through 2015 (mostly poor baseball sandwiched around the surprisingly 2013 championship – with the franchise’s first literal last place finish since the 1930s, a second reasonable last place finisher, and the first of the three “fake” last placers), the Dombrowski-led peak of 2016 through 2018 (including the championship in 2018), and then the *mediocrity* of the 5 years since. Mediocrity, no matter what else someone might try to label it.
If you hold up the entirety of the performance of the Red Sox over the John Henry Era, no, this is not remotely a candidate for “least consistent”. It has featured 11 92+ win teams over the past 23 seasons and 4 championships to just 2 90+ loss teams (and only 91 and 93, at that). Oh yes, things have become somewhat inconsistent since Epstein left town, but results were quite consistent until then (meaning, almost half the period in reference) and since has been more a down stretch leading to an up stretch leading back to a down stretch.
The takeaways are 1) Theo Epstein was incredible leading the way for the franchise and 2) the somewhat-frequent shifts in approach and leadership in the years since his departure have not-surprisingly led to shifts in outcomes and a notable step down in quality.
You got it. The Sox have never been within 10 games of last in the AL. When Bal, Hou, Det lost 500 games in 5 yrs those were last place teams.
Spot-on with the W/L records. Being last with a Py W/L of 81-81 in the toughest division in baseball, is a nothing-burger.
This off-season feels like it could dictate a lot of their future. Gotta get pitching!
My prediction for the Red Sox offseason: Fever Pitch Guy won’t know who to complain about now that Bloom is gone
Cora is some pretty low hanging fruit on that one.
You could argue Kennedy/Henry for guaranteeing cora’s job security, which is costing them with talented GM/PBO candidates, but, then you’re still complaining about Cora in a round about way.
Even if Tek left for SF or elsewhere due to being blocked by… you guessed it, Cora…. it’s still a Cora-based complaint.
So, I feel fairly safe Cora gets a healthy dose of FPG’s ire.
GASox – Rather than ire, the more appropriate term is “constructive criticism” ;O)
We will see how things play out. If John Henry boosts the budget and they land Yamamoto, that would help offset some of Cora’s managing blunders.
Breslow would be a step in the right direction as well.
Oh it’s 100% cora now.
Fever Pitch Guy is such a troll that I am sure he was complaining even in 2018 when the Red Sox won 108 games in the regular season and a World Series! Lol
JC – You are looking in the mirror!!! hahahah The troll you see is actually yourself.
When will you idiots realize complaining isn’t trolling. It’s expressing a baseball opinion that disagrees with yours which likely makes it correct.
All you and the other trolls do are pick on people you disagree with. Not by out arguing them but simply by insulting them.
It’s pathetic. When you grow up, you’ll see how ridiculous you’ve acted on this website.
Troll thats just beautiful.your wealth of knowledge here has me in awe
Fletch – I have a sense of humor, and I honestly laughed when I read that ;O)
When you say criticize, do you mean now or when the season starts? I’m guessing you mean the latter as I’ve already done plenty of criticizing of John Henry, just like countless others have.
Here’s the thing: Totally unbiased people like myself don’t plan ahead of time to criticize certain people. We criticize when something is done that’s deserving of criticism. Funny how that works, eh?
I never said “criticize”
Some RS fans are still complaining about DD so there will always be someone to point fingers at.
YBC – That’s because opinions are like ______, everyone has them.
I still remember a “fan” arguing that Bloom is a better POBO than Dombrowski … can’t make this stuff up.
YBC – Point out the guys complaining about DD. I’ll go after them!!!!
No, on second thought, that would be a waste of time since they know nothing about baseball.
People should applaud or complain whenever they so desire without such backlash. Clearly, educated opinions don’t have to be written on this website or it would be half as populated as it is now.
Don’t you think it’s fair to complain until change happens? Nobody should have ever wanted Bloom since he wasn’t qualified for the job. Nobody should have ever wanted Cora since he wasn’t qualified for the job and THEN he dishonored the entire game with his cheating. These choices by ownership were faulty. Fans have the right to point out just how faulty they were. 104 games over .500 with one good GM and .500 under the bad GM. Cora’s mismanagement of pitchers, the line-up and resting players is epic. He isn’t qualified for his job.
When a player in 6 seasons sets the record for the most seasons leading the league in errors at his position, I think it’s fair to complain about his defense. That’s not being a troll, it’s being a concerned fan.
Paying a player $31MM a year when he IS THE WORST DEFENDER of all time seems like a mistake to most people so maybe it should be mentioned here.
I love reading Fever’s comments because they point out the ineptness of specific people in the organization that aren’t doing their jobs well. That’s a very valid comment to me, even if some may consider it complaining. rather than pointing out the issues.that need to be fixed.
I look at this site daily for the comments by the guys that are willing to speak out about the issues with the club because I know they also compliment aspects of the club when appropriate. It makes for good reading.
I also don’t care if someone writes something worthy of reading and it’s five words long or five paraphraphs long because I enjoy digging into the meat of what they are discussing.
There is too much animosity being expressed in the form of insults rather than counter arguments. If that changes, the website will be even more fun to participate in.
FletcherFan69;
There are far more here than Fever Pitch Guy.
No matter what they do there are a contingent of Red Sox fans that come on here and complain.
The last 2 PoBO’s – Dombrowski and Bloom – were crucified by Red Sox fans and jacked around by the owner along with his screwball chain of command. It’s a career-killer job. Yet in today’s MLB having a strong PoBO that puts an organization together that works in unison is mandatory to build winning teams. The Machiavellian style of management that John Henry has implemented for years no longer works.
The Red Sox need a lot more than 10 new quality players to even be competitive in 2024.
They need to sign Adalberto Mondesi again. Dude has 5 year service time for like 1200 ABs. For another $3 million they can probably get that to 1250 abs and another 20 Ks.
The myth of Adalberto Mondesi started out several years ago as an April Fool’s joke and has lingered on many, many years later. “Adalberto Mondesi” has always been a prank, an urban legend; there never has been a player by the name of “Adalberto Mondesi” in MLB. Prove me wrong, by showing him healthy, willing and able on ANY Major League playing field.
Do not trade Duran! End of story
I look at the authors take on the rotation and relief pitching and what he thinks the Red Sox will do, I instantly said out loud, “Here comes another last place.”
They need 7 moves to even be competitive. 2 Starters, at least one elite and the other quality, a quality lefty reliever, a starting MLB level short stop or second baseman, at least one upgrade in the outfield to improve hitting and power output, a catcher that is a starting level quality, and at least one more additional reliever to bridge the 7th to 8th.
You do those things in the AL east, and there is a chance. Catcher is the only thing they can afford to skimp on as long as whoever is playing is a stud defender. They fail on even a couple of those 7 moves, especially the first 1, and they are battling for last again next year with this team. They are a mess.
I agree with pretty much everything except the OF. I’m fine with them running some combination of Yoshida, Duran, Doogie, Aubreu, and Cedanne out there. The other issues are much more pressing… I’m even ok with the catching most of the time I think of it… just please, get a lot of pitching and a SS with a ton of range.
No matter what happens this off-season Red Sox will be at worst a third place team because New York and Toronto exist!!!
You mean at best? If the season started tomorrow, both RS and Yankees will be vying to not be in last place. There are no quick fixes for either teams. RS also have no one driving at the wheel with free agency quickly approaching.
Good point not to mention that right now the Yankees are being steered by someone who flunked the eye exam and the passenger riding shotgun is drunk as a poet on payday.
If the Red Sox were a comedy they’d be Ted 2
in fairness Ted 2 did have its moments
The new President of Baseball Operations will surely have the Bloom years as an exhibit, and his interviewers, to ask him how he will correct the Bloom missed opportunities in free agency that should have been signed.
Had the Red Sox signed Eovaldi, Wacha, Wheeler,…. who would have been signed with slightly higher offers, the end result in 2023 may have been good enough to make the playoffs. Bloom was not decisive enough, and his employers (FSG – Fenway Sports Group) was justified after off season misses and trade deadline inactivity.
Eddie Romero has been with the Red Sox since 2006, through Epstein, Cherington, Dombrowski, and Bloom, in various rolls most recently assistant GM. I would not be surprised if he is the choice. All these candidates may just be a PR act to legitimize his getting the job.
The main question I have about the Bloom years was…how much restraint was Bloom under concerning the CBT??? FSG wanted Bloom under the CBT, and with the number of hole needed filling, Bloom managed to get the Red Sox to the 2021 ALCS! It was not a small feat. The JBJ miss in 2022 left a hole in the lineup, and lack of adds to the bullpen hurt, but that same problem has cost many, many teams WS champions. It happens. Bloom signed too many injured players expecting them to return to top form and not be injured (Paxton in 2022, Mondesi in 2023). No GM/PBO is perfect, and Bloom made huge strides with the farm system, which I believe was one of his mandates. FSG owns the Red Sox, and they can make changes whenever they want. I agree with this 100%. If executives do not want to work for them under this constraint that is their choice. Cherington deserved to be fired. DD’s firing was more of a knee jerk response. Bloom was too tentative in signings the last two offseasons, and inactive the last two deadlines.
There are free agents that will help the Eed Sox into the playoffs next year, and the new PBO will be responsible for getting them signed.
Bloom spent up to, or exceeded, CBT values in his years with boston excluding 2023. The biggest reason he didn’t last offseason was players declined his offers and he didn’t pivot to reallocate that money before the names were off the board.
Now that he’s gone I would love if he did an indepth honest interview about his thinking with some of his bigger head scratcher moves. Your chance to learn why he pulled Eovaldi’s offer. Was it ego? It’ll never happen, but, it’d be good reading.
GA, Yes I’d love it if he wrote a tell all book in 10 years and give all the ins and outs as you describe above. It definitely would be fascinating reading.
Keep Turner. Decline Kluber and Rodriguez, non-tender Verdugo, McGuire and Urias and keep Pivetta and Schreiber. That would be a start.
Verdugo’s attitude and laziness needs off the roster. Abreu looked solid (albeit in a sample size) and the money spent on Verdugo could be better spent on pitching
Verdugo is worth his ’24 salary. It’s his walk year and he’s a year more mature so perhaps he drops his shenanigans
Rsox – Turner is not needed unless he plays 3B. Yes, he will help if they choose to not present any defense yet again in 2024 but if they want to help the pitchers, then Turner has no place at DH.
Non-tender EVERYONE except –
Wong as back-up catcher
Casas as starting 1B
Story as starting SS
Duran as starting CF
Rafaela as starting RF
Devers as Starting DH
Bello, Houck and Crawford as SP3-5
Sale as SP6
Pivetta as Long relief
Whitlock as stress inning reliever
Martin Schreiber and Winckowski as righty relievers
Bernardino as lefty reliever
Jansen as closer
Trade Yoshida for a 3B/2B of the future.
The rest is Bloom trash and needs to be put on the curb so the slate is clean for the new POBO.
I understand why you want to move Devers off 3B, but I’d argue next season isn’t the season to do it. The Red Sox already have too many other needs -top of the rotation arms chief among them- to create a need at 3B in a weak FA class. Moving Devers to DH jettisons Turner’s bat, also making your lineup weaker.
It just seems like an awful lot of heavy lifting to get a starting Catcher, 2B, 3B and LF; while also adding a #1 and #2 Starter over the course of one off-season. Realistically, that’s a multiple off-season project.
Ask yourself, who costs the red sox more – Yoshida in LF, or Devers at 3B?
Turner’s bat is gone anyways. You’ve already got three DHs on the team – Devers, Yoshida, and Casas.
I’d argue since Casas has the least track record of butchering things defensively he’s the one to get the free pass for a year, leaving Yoshida and Devers. Let’s see if casas can improve his defense in ’24, and, remember he also may not look as bad if there’s less errant throws from 3b sailing his way.
I think the answer you get to is fixing 3B improves all your pitching results, a run saved is a run earned and all that jazz. And fixing 3b has a bigger impact than fixing lf.
Ask yourself this, in an imaginary world, a 3B in beltre’s mold (not that BOS can GET that) props up SS, and, relieves some pressure from Yoshida on some shallow LF balls.
There’s no LF move ever that does a lick to fix the problems at 3B, which is your biggest negative, and, longest standing problem.
The idea with a last place team is twofold. Upgrade wherever you can and solve blatant problems, not patch them.
Devers not playing third is an automatic upgrade by subtraction. Anyone can do what he does defensively, and nearly all can do it better. That is his reasoning for moving Devers. There are so many other problems that you may have to live with his garbage defense due to a weak free agent class, or exorbitant demands through trades for a legitimate 3rd baseman. I repeat, Devers is not a major league third baseman. He is not Boggs, do not expect him to transform as Boggs did from atrocious to gold glover. I take it as blessing when Devers survives making a play, and the fans, camera well, and dugout survive his throws.
What are we looking at? Two stud starters,1 elite in the two acquired. 1 premium lefty reliever. A starting caliber middle infielder at second or short. One more bridge reliever lefty or righty. An upgrade at catcher for a legitimate major league starter. Power/defense/average upgrade across the outfield in some combination of trades, free agents, or promotions. .270ish bad defense with low damage output isn’t a winning combo when you have replacement level output already at catcher and second. That is what you’re looking for to have a whiff at a playoff race.
The rotation is weak, and our bullpen fill ins would gut the pen for mediocre returns. We can be either weak in one or both depending on this off-season approach. To help both they need to be ambitious, very ambitious.
We lack a passable defense, and do not have much power throughout the lineup. There simply aren’t many consistent threats for pitchers to worry about going through the lineup.
There’s no way Devers isn’t playing 3B for the next 2-3 seasons minimum. Henry won’t be willing to admit that he ok’d that big of a contract for a 1B let alone a DH.
I agree with you. You won’t see Devers moved, so third base remains a liability, which means the improvements elsewhere have to be substantial enough to justify the value of purposefully retaining that liability instead of negating it.
That or place him in a third baseman internment camp where he is forced behind razor wire fences to become a major league caliber fielder.
I would think that he’ll work on his defense this offseason. He’s said he knows he needs to so that’s a start.
But in all honesty, where is the real incentive to do anything on Devers’ part?
His contract is guaranteed for basically his career. Compare his body-type and skill set to the fact he’s guaranteed $31m/yr through age 37 … if he’s playing at all otd be a dh slot where going from history’s worst defensive 3b to nearly replacement level player defense makes zero impact.
I’m not sure if it’s just lip service or not, but, I suspect he spends time in the batting cage if anything, and, not much more beyond that. Maybe he does a few fielding drills before deciding, nah, too much work, I’ll pass.
Just zero incentive to, and, any ‘pride in craft’ or whatever justification someone could give should’ve shown years ago.
Pride alone might be enough. Right now, he is a one-dimensional player. I have no doubt he is trying and has been for years to improve and not be a huge weakness. It has to be embarrassing to know people think your terrible, and know you are costing your team, and constantly letting down your pitchers. Look at Castellanos. No matter what he brings offensively, people know he is a liability when there is a mitt on his hand, anywhere.
My problem is that I do think he is putting in the work, I just don’t see it translating onto the field with any consistency after years.
It’s totally asinine to think that he’s not trying to get better. These guys have been driven to be the best of the best from the moment someone saw something special about them. It doesn’t just go away with a big payday. That’s a lazy take.
I agree, he is trying. He just isn’t improving to a level that is sustainable. With elite players pride is a huge factor.
Trollfree –
1. The basic catcher class this season is very weak, given the fact that Teel could debut as early as 2025, with a full 2024 in the minor leagues, I don’t see any reason to look for a basic catcher in a trade. I think Wong needs a better assistant than McGuire for next season to split the time equally.
2.Duran LF/RF.
3.Rafaela CF.
4.Devers 3B.
5.Abreu LF/RF.
6.Yoshi DH
You won’t be able to move Devers at third base next season, but improving the outfield defense by moving Yoshi to DH is a smart move.
7.Reyes/Valdez 2B
I don’t see any point in changing Yoshida to 2B/3B. A Reyes/Valdez mix could handle second base early in the season. Don’t forget that York will start 2024 in Triple AAA and could make his Major debut mid-season or later if needed.
The Sox also have another prospect in Chase Meidroth, who spent a full season at second and third base in the minor leagues A+/ AA and was named the organization’s 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.
Mayer, Teel, Anthony may debut in 2025. The Red Sox need to focus their efforts on acquiring quality starting pitching in 2024 with an eye toward 2025 and beyond.
Next season, the Sox could get close to 100 stolen bases from three players if they play a full season and stay healthy – Duran, Story, Rafaela.
Let’s face it this year is a bridge year. They need pitchers that throw 6 innings on a more consistent basis but I doubt it’s coming in free agency maybe the get one of the top 10 free agent pitchers but there is a lot of competition for pitching in free agency.
Perhaps they can trade for a starter this seems like a possibility. They need pitching.
I think you just go with the kids year if you can move Verdugo as part in a bigger trade for pitching turn right over to Abreu let Rafaela play center and Duran in left. Masa should DH since they aren’t moving Devers off third. I would have Valdez working on his 2nd Base defense all off season. I have no question that guy is going to hit it’s just a question if he’s viable defensively at second perhaps a Reyes/Valdez platoon wouldn’t be too bad with big offensive upside potential for Valdez.
Kyle Teel is coming fast. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him in 2024 especially if there is a catcher injury. He’s really good defensively he’s big league ready there. His offense isn’t far off either. He doesn’t hit the ball real hard but he handles the stick well and hit a ton of line drives. It’s also possible that Anthony forces his way into the conversation next year perhaps a late season call up.
The point is it’s a bridge year with some potential upside. Let’s see who the new head guy is I’m hoping it’s Breslow.
making yoshida a second baseman??? who’s proposed that?
Sox line up great w rays for a big trade ! Land Glasnow and extend him w the sale contract coming off the books. Then pick a couple other pieces rays deem costly and give them Duran as headliner.
Sox can compete for division next year. They are right there. Get a little better and build some chemistry
Whatever it is you’re drinking, please share.
Rays at least claim to be willing to increase payroll above this year’s number. They’re not as motivated to make a salary dump, and, the Red Sox can’t trade away young cheap talent for high priced players. They need that cash to spend in FA on other needs
Seems to me the best front office job in Boston is one of the multitude of second-in-command AGM/GM-type slots. They all seem to survive regime changes and they can’t be fired. The PoBO can’t change the team, but he’ll be fired win, lose or draw.
I know this will get backlash but I think one of the first things the new POBO should do is to try to trade Devers, he’s doesn’t have a no trade clause. I don’t know if there would be many takers given his big contract. Trade him for pitching and if nothing else a salary dump. I believe 30mil a year for a DH is insane. Trade Verdugo and Dalbec for more pitching. Somewhere on this earth there has got to be someone the Sox can hire to develop pitching. We can talk lineups and positions till we’re blue in the face but we all know that if we don’t have pitching we can’t win. I’d like to see them focus on fixing the pitching mess, which has always been a problem. Let some of the younger players start when they are ready. If they can sign a bat or two to help out great as long as it doesn’t hurt the young guys development. They can either really get down to addressing some major problems and possibly not being very good for a couple of years or they can keep putting band aids on everything. I’m for the latter because I’m tired of the same old crap every year.
Jimmy, the problem with trading Devers is that every other GM knows he’s got the same problems you do.
If this was fall of ’22 I’d say Cohen might throw cash to buy his bat. But even Cohen learned that approach doesn’t guarantee you anything, and, to be more selective with his big contracts.
These days you’d need to attach MASSIVE talent to Devers deal just to move it. To the magnitude where Devers + Bello + another good prospect brings back an injured player, lottery pick, or underwater deal. Devers bat as dh is worth maybe 12m-15m in free agency. So now offset 16-19m/yr, PLUS the injury and decline risk built into that contract that runs another decade.
Agreed on the difficulty of moving Devers in this day and age. I would still look into ways of trying to make it happen. That is a deal that should have never been done. Leave it to the Sox brass to listen to the fan base on that one and not other things. I think that contract will be an albatross around their necks for years to come. Hopefully it doesn’t rise to the Chris Davis level. Just depends on how Devers’ health holds up.
Hoping for another Red Sox and Yankees fight for 4th place in 2024.
Fans of both teams won’t like the comparison, but the Red Sox and Yankees have the same problem as far as lacking long time organizational planning in lieu of quick fixes.
I remember when the Sox had a lot of home grown talent in addition to some guys brought in by trade. They need to get back to that.
In all likelihood this is another bridge year.
The team isn’t as far away as most people seem to believe. The biggest problem for this team was starting pitchers who pitched one of the fewest amount of innings in baseball. When the starters went 6 innings or more the Red Sox won their games at something like a .600 pace which is a 97 win pace. Even with the defensive issues, which also need to be somewhat addressed, this team was a playoff team if they can their starters to go 6 innings. The real problem is where they going to find those types of horses. I love it when everyone says go sign three pitchers or go get Yamamoto and one of the other big free agents. It’s funny it’s like our fan base thinks it’s as easy as that. Nearly every team is going to be looking for pitching this off-season. We will be lucky to sign one of the top 10 free agent pitchers with all the competition.
Unless Yamamoto really wants to come to Boston I can’t see the Red Sox outbidding the Mets, Dodgers and Yankees. I think he ends up one of those teams with Boston and Outside chance from the big three.
I doubt that the Phillies let Nola walk I think he resigns with DD and the Phillies. I think there’s a good chance that CY signs Montgomery to stay in Texas. That leaves Snell, who I just don’t really like, Gray, Shota, Giolito, maybe Erod and a lot of other uninspiring options such as Paxton, Maeda, Montas etc. just look up the available starters it’s not good.
Maybe what needs to happen is philosophy change by Cora. I know the analytics say that you don’t want your starter to go through the lineup more then two times and Cora seems to live by that. What it doesn’t say when you do that you burn out your bullpen and in a 162 game season your killing your chances. Maybe Cora can let his guys go an extra inning next year and see what happens. I don’t see any scenario where three high end innings eating starters are coming through the door and since, Boston seems to foolishly give Cora a vote of confidence instead of letting the new HBO decide his fate, Cora can have that simple change of philosophy and see what happens. This is a bridge year let the kids play maybe you can make a trade for a decent controllable pitcher but I do know one thing it won’t matter if Cora doesn’t let his starters go deeper into the games.
Bruin1012 –
I hope Sox management learns from the mistakes of past years and doesn’t give long-term deals to 30-year-old starting pitchers. I think that the option with Yamamoto is the most optimal for 2024 and the Red Sox should outbid on him, 25 years, coincides with their competition window.
One of Gonzalez, Perales, Monegro could make a Bello-style breakthrough next season.
If the Red Sox want another quality frontcourt starting pitcher will have to make a trade, Verdugo, Houck and Perales could do it if they want to compete in 2024.
A combination of Yamamoto and one upper tier starting free agent would do wonders for the entire team. You vastly upgrade the rotation and vastly improve the bullpen by not having to poach it for mediocre starting pitching outings. One quality lefty reliever and your nearly set.
Why do I see a middling starter and another poached bullpen in our future?
There’s no question that would do wonders but it’s not realistic. It’s a pretty weak free agent pitching class outside the top 5 maybe and there’s at least 15 teams seriously looking for pitching. There’s almost no chance they get two of them and I think they will be outbid by Mets, Dodgers, Yankees for Yamamoto or any if the Top 5. It’s just not realistic.
In our view of our own management, it is unrealistic, but make no mistake. we can afford two elite pitchers as long as one is Yamamoto instead of two being free agents and still upgrade elsewhere. Things align for this and next year with the books for bold moves.
Also, remember the outlay is more for Yamamoto, but less year-by-year on multi-year contracts because of the way signing Japanese pitchers works. So big investment at lower annual salaries when compared to MLB free agents. If they pan out. IF.
Yamamoto is 25. Is 10 at 20 worth it if he pans out? Of course, it is. Yamamoto will not require draft picks and will fit better into the cap structure then even signing one B tier starter at current markets depending on who you target. The A list guys are going to go for a fortune and are just as much of a risk as Yamamoto is based on age and potential injuries on long term contracts. Yamamoto is a no brainer at 25 with his stuff. The problem is every team knows he is a no brainer.
That’s my point William it’s not a question if Boston can afford Yamamoto it’s do we really think we are outbidding the Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees. I don’t they will. I think the only way we get Yamamoto is if he wants to be here and we get close enough and he isn’t a guy that is trying to maximize every dollar. If he goes to the highest bidder then I don’t think we see Yamamoto in a Red Sox uniform next year.
William –
I think the new GM will need to get rid of the extra garbage in the bullpen that was in 2023 and protect Gonzalez, Perales, Paulino, Drohan, Bastardo, Castro, Scott, Song.
On a last place team with this many problems I don’t see a single player that is untouchable. NONE. The issue is getting value back and following my two rules. Did you upgrade, and did you solve blatant problems without just patching it? If you can’t get value back, or improve through subtraction, you have to stand pat on that player.
The bad thing about last is you know there are a ton of issues, and the beauty of last is that you can be as creative as you want because you know you can easily just come in last again with anyone you currently have if you don’t make drastic improvements. It sounds harsh, but it is true.
For example. I like Devers a lot. Devers is our best player on a last place team. You take Devers off the team, your defense improves at third, you free up 30 million, and you probably only lose another 4 or 5 more games. In the end, you’re in last place, again. I am not advocating for that at all. I am just saying you can be creative with-it improving defense and using 30 million to try to upgrade or solve problems in multiple other places. Hell, perhaps with one move you can leap out of last place and seize domination of fourth place.
I think Gonzales, Perales for sure need to protected. I think maybe Bastardo and Song but that’s debatable. I don’t think you have to worry about protecting Paulino, Castro, and Scott. The 2024 class is going to be a big rule 5 crunch but not this year.
William –
I agree with you and others who suggest removing Devers from third base but I think the problem is if you want to trade Rafa it wouldn’t be the best move for the future of the Sox.
Elite players in this situation will not want to sign with the Red Sox knowing that they could be moved at any time unless there is a no-trade clause.
And moving Devers doesn’t change the fact that the Sox need quality starting pitching if they want to compete in the East anytime soon.
I am not suggesting getting rid of Devers, I just used our star player as an example because of being creative with such a move with improved defense and 30 million to spare with a last place team.
I do think Devers is a terrible third baseman though. My wife is sick of hearing me say since his rookie campaign how much better he looks at first base after he hits a single then he ever will look playing third. She doesn’t find it funny fyi. I am not suggesting trading him, but he is dangerous at third. If not for Casas I would never let him play third again unless an injury forced it or the third baseman needed a day off.
I say go for it in the offseason. Sign Ohtani, trade verdugo, and go get someone like Aaron Nola. There’s enough depth that we can cover losing Verdugo. So flip him for a reliever with upside.
gravybaby –
Are you sure the Sox need another DH?
WOW!!! So many hard core Redsox fans!!! I love it… I thought as a fan in Illinois getting the publication DIE HARD made ME the biggest RED SOX fan back in 80”s early 90”s.. 75 to be exact ( Jim Ed) my favorite) till 70… So I’m not qualified enough to go so deep as you others…. But I do know one thing…. After a certain player was released our season went to hell!!! ( look it up!!!) no seriously look it up don’t know our record from his release date…
RB?
You know me to well!!! My modern day Bob Stanley.. only not as good…