The Official 2025 Boston Red Sox Thread

[HuskyHawk]

What a day to start this thread. I've very excited for this season and beyond. Crochet looks like a stud, Buehler is solid, Giolito is back, Bello should take a step forward and Houck has already become a top of the rotation guy. Pen is pretty deep.

The Sox are flush with position players, they have too many if anything. With Bregman now the question is where he plays. Blocking Grissom or Campbell at second? Or does Devers shift to Dan Hurley? I think it's a good problem to have. The short deal is ideal because I expect Mayer to be the 3B eventually. My guess right now? Mayer and Campbell in AAA. Grissom added a lot of muscle and could win the 2B job. Anthony may make the opening day roster. Masa looks great and is expected to finally be able to play LF with his repaired shoulder. I don't think they know yet how to best use these players. I expect that if Masa plays well they could move him at the break, shift Devers to Dan Hurley, Bregman to 3B and Grissom/Campbell to 2B. I am sure that is the eventual future plan. Injuries could change things too. As for now, this team is so deep.

 

[Dove]

40M/year for Bregman. Wow.

 

[HuskyHawk]

40M/year for Bregman. Wow.

It’s really $30m when you factor in deferrals. But they needed a short contract. Can‘t block the young guys for long

 

[EnochRoot]

What a day to start this thread. I've very excited for this season and beyond. Crochet looks like a stud, Buehler is solid, Giolito is back, Bello should take a step forward and Houck has already become a top of the rotation guy. Pen is pretty deep.

The Sox are flush with position players, they have too many if anything. With Bregman now the question is where he plays. Blocking Grissom or Campbell at second? Or does Devers shift to Dan Hurley? I think it's a good problem to have. The short deal is ideal because I expect Mayer to be the 3B eventually. My guess right now? Mayer and Campbell in AAA. Grissom added a lot of muscle and could win the 2B job. Anthony may make the opening day roster. Masa looks great and is expected to finally be able to play LF with his repaired shoulder. I don't think they know yet how to best use these players. I expect that if Masa plays well they could move him at the break, shift Devers to Dan Hurley, Bregman to 3B and Grissom/Campbell to 2B. I am sure that is the eventual future plan. Injuries could change things too. As for now, this team is so deep.

Grissom goes to the OF or a late inning PR once Campbell is up. They're likely banking that Devers takes advantage to 'volunteer' to move to Dan Hurley for Bregman. Cuz he will lose that argument with Cora.

The burgeoning young talent on this team is pretty crazy.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Grissom goes to the OF or a late inning PR once Campbell is up. They're likely banking that Devers takes advantage to 'volunteer' to move to Dan Hurley for Bregman. Cuz he will lose that argument with Cora.

The burgeoning young talent on this team is pretty crazy.

Grissom is a pure 2B. Campbell is an OF who can move around. I don’t think Grissom moves to OF.

 

[The Viking]

40M/year for Bregman. Wow.

The cost of not having to buy his age 34, 35, and 36 years. I personally think its a great move and don't know why other GM's don't structure deals like this for guys around 30 years old.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The cost of not having to buy his age 34, 35, and 36 years. I personally think its a great move and don't know why other GM's don't structure deals like this for guys around 30 years old.

Honestly, if the team really needed a long term 3B/2B I'd say just give him 5-6 years at lower AAV. The problem the Sox have is that they have two guys ready to play 2B either right now or very soon. Their highest paid player is a 3B. They have an expensive Dan Hurley they can't trade. They have a hot prospect SS who is about a year away and who will probably wind up at 3B because they have a good/expensive SS now and more young hot prospect SS coming in about 2-3 years.

This team is set up to potentially be very good for a long time unless every one of these prospects fails.

 

[Waquoit]

The cost of not having to buy his age 34, 35, and 36 years. I personally think it’s a great move and don't know why other GM's don't structure deals like this for guys around 30 years old.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they try, but why would a 30yo accept such a deal?

 

[HuskyHawk]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they try, but why would a 30yo accept such a deal?

He has an opt out. If there’s a strong 3B market next year or the year after and he had a good year, he can get a longer deal. Betting on himself really.

 

[Husky25]

Well those vibes lasted all of 72 hours. Devers, as of this afternoon, will not be happy if he's moved off 3B.

This is not a matter of Gold Glove A-Rod moving to 3rd, even though he was probably the better SS. Jeter has 5 GGs as well.

Bregman is by far the better defensive player than the (arguably) worst statistical 3rd baseman in Major League Baseball.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Well those vibes lasted all of 72 hours. Devers, as of this afternoon, will not be happy if he's moved off 3B.

This is not a matter of Gold Glove A-Rod moving to 3rd, even though he was probably the better SS. Jeter has 5 GGs as well.

Bregman is by far the better defensive player than the (arguably) worst statistical 3rd baseman in Major League Baseball.

Yeah. Not thrilled with the attitude. Seems he's overweight too. He's probably not the worst 3B in the league, he had the most errors among guys who qualified but there were only 5 of them according to Merloni.

 

[Waquoit]

Sox gotta Sox

 

[Waquoit]

Time to fire Breslow. This is being handled horribly, throwing Devers to the wolves to cover for his incompetence.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Time to fire Breslow. This is being handled horribly, throwing Devers to the wolves to cover for his incompetence.

Hell no. Look at the pitching prospects. Breslow has been superb. Devers should know how to speak English by now. Some of what he says has been mistranslated. Not sure why any sports organization would have much patience with a player unwilling to do whatever the team needs.

I don’t remember Magic Johnson whining about playing center when Kareem was injured in the playoffs.

 

[Waquoit]

Hell no. Look at the pitching prospects. Breslow has been superb. Devers should know how to speak English by now. Some of what he says has been mistranslated. Not sure why any sports organization would have much patience with a player unwilling to do whatever the team needs.

He's mismanaging his most expensive asset. It's a .500 team. That's superb?

 

[Waquoit]

I don’t remember Magic Johnson whining about playing center when Kareem was injured in the playoffs.

They call that small ball. Not a heroic sacrifice.

 

[HuskyHawk]

They call that small ball. Not a heroic sacrifice.

Nah, it’s just being a team player. Breslow has pitching prospects that look like future starters. That’s superb because the last one was Lester. They haven’t been able to draft and develop pitching in decades. That is superb. Devers is just a prima dona

 

[Waquoit]

Nah, it’s just being a team player.

Didn't Magic volunteer for the assignment? I know it wasn't forced upon him. Devers is no prima donna. Well run teams let their star, highest paid player know their future plans. They just sprung the Bregman signing on him and made sure everyone knew they thought he was a lousy fielder. He was the butt of nationwide jokes when he had a predictably poor start in his new role after capitulating, being a team player. And now, because genius Breslow didn't have a Plan B for the immortal Tristan Casas, they are putting unholy pressure on the man and killing him in public. Disgraceful.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Didn't Magic volunteer for the assignment? I know it wasn't forced upon him. Devers is no prima donna. Well run teams let their star, highest paid player know their future plans. They just sprung the Bregman signing on him and made sure everyone knew they thought he was a lousy fielder. He was the butt of nationwide jokes when he had a predictably poor start in his new role after capitulating, being a team player. And now, because genius Breslow didn't have a Plan B for the immortal Tristan Casas, they are putting unholy pressure on the man and killing him in public. Disgraceful.

Of course he did, because only a real POS wouldn't volunteer to do whatever the team needs. Bregman already said he'd play anywhere.

Rafi is raking right now, and was mistranslated according to some Spanish speakers. But he needs to understand what it is to be a leader and a team first player. He should have a first baseman's glove and should be practicing every day until he's ready. I agree he shouldn't be thrown out there now. But he has to make himself available to do it. It's a natural fit. He's a lefty and fielding grounders at the corner was never his issue, throwing was.

 

[Waquoit]

I don’t remember Magic Johnson whining about playing center when Kareem was injured in the playoffs.

Didn't Magic volunteer for the assignment?

Of course he did,

Do realize you just admitted that the initial point of our discussion was nonsense? I don't think you do. It's always this way with you.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Didn't Magic volunteer for the assignment? I know it wasn't forced upon him. Devers is no prima donna. Well run teams let their star, highest paid player know their future plans. They just sprung the Bregman signing on him and made sure everyone knew they thought he was a lousy fielder. He was the butt of nationwide jokes when he had a predictably poor start in his new role after capitulating, being a team player. And now, because genius Breslow didn't have a Plan B for the immortal Tristan Casas, they are putting unholy pressure on the man and killing him in public. Disgraceful.

How many MLB teams have a Plan B for every position player in their starting line up.

While overall I could care less about the drama, MLB's history is littered with 3b>1B>Dan Hurley>1B players. Once you lose half of a step or your arm strength drops a bit, you move from 3rd to 1st. And then you go to Dan Hurley. And when they need someone to Dan Hurley you occasionally put on a glove. I'd see it differently if Devers was 35 years old and he hadn't played the field in a while, but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask him to play 1st for a few weeks to a month while the front office works the phone lines.

 

[Waquoit]

How many MLB teams have a Plan B for every position player in their starting line up... but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask him to play 1st for a few weeks to a month while the front office works the phone lines.

Apparently, at least one less than 30. And they asked him, he said no, then they went DEFCON 1 on him. Myself, I think it was an unreasonable ask given what came before. What I think was unreasonable was to not already be working on a Plan B for a stiff hitting 182.

 

[Husky25]

After starting the season with high hopes, this team is super frustrating.

I don't think Breslow has mismanaged anything. Contrary to the Movie version of Moneyball, players have very little interaction with the GM. Even during contract negotiations, the GM is mostly in touch with the agent, not the player. Secondly, the Sox' interest in Bergman was no secret. They were on him all offseason. If anyone, Cora has mismanaged Devers' expectations. Regarding Devers playing 1B, I get his apprehension. As far as I know, he's never played the position. The ball comes off the bat very different. It takes practice to get good footwork around the bag and one can practice scenarios until the cows come home, it cannot simulate the split second instincts one needs at game speed. It's the sort of change that could certainly mess with his hitting. I do agree that they should have had him get acclimated during the offseason.

He's righting his ship at the plate, but he is not the Red Sox' only problem.

Bello and Houck (now hurt) can't consistently complete the 5th inning let along achieve a quality start. Bueller was getting better with every appearance, but hasn't pitched on over 3 weeks. Now, with their woes, he's expected to be thrown back in the fire with no rehab assignment. Giolitto is nowhere near where he needs to be or where they thought he'd be, and the 5th spot is a becoming a rotating cavalcade of misfit arms.

Not a good situation considering the bullpens is far from a strength as well. Garrett Whitlock hasn't been able to control the 8th inning for the last month or so and thus can't shorten the game. OTOH, it doesn't mean much if they can't get to him in the first place. Going forward, Burdi should help in middle relief, Hendriks is garnering more confidence from Cora in high leverage situations, but the lone bright spots so far have been Bernadino and Chapman, neither of whom can pitch every day.

They are still in 2nd in the AL East, albeit by default. They still have a losing record, are 4.5 games behind New York, and Toronto is nipping at their heals as being the better mediocre team.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think it is now 17 one run or extra inning losses. That's just crazy. That's not bad luck, that's a team that shoots itself in the foot.

It's a young group but they better figure out how to win close games soon or they are dead in the water.

 

[Husky25]

I think it is now 17 one run or extra inning losses. That's just crazy. That's not bad luck, that's a team that shoots itself in the foot.

It's a young group but they better figure out how to win close games soon or they are dead in the water.

They got one!!! 4-3 over the Rays.

6-4 over their last 10, 5-2 over the last seven. and the Golden Trio are all in Boston.

Turn this thing around, boys!