Much like Newman, the Sox are not “Ready to deliver”– The 2025 Offseason News (& rumors?) Thread

DeadlySplitter

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Oct 20, 2015
36,704
Screw it, give Fried a David Price like contract. It's that time of the cycle and we need him.

The Yankees do not need him and I'm very annoyed they are in this. Go after Bregman or something instead, man.
 

SoxFanInPdx

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Jul 15, 2005
3,364
Portland, OR
You're right. A team couldn't possibly win the World Series with a guy like that on the roster.
I'd prefer to not engage into a spat that has been all too common on here as of late, I respect the fellow posters on this board and value being here. Take a look at his numbers on Baseball Savant and it is really sobering. Here's to some good news the rest of week.
 

dynomite

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I thought so at first as well, but can anyone speak to this "FRV" catch-all catching metric on Fangraphs? It tries to represent most of what they can measure: "FRV - Statcast Fielding Run Value in runs above average (Throwing+Blocking+Framing+Arm+RAA)":

On this ranking of all 79 catchers with 100+ innings in 2024:
  • McCann ranks 75th
  • Wong ranks 78th (yikes)
Meanwhile Patrick Bailey and Cal Raleigh -- two of the best defensive catchers in MLB by reputation -- are indeed 1st and 3rd, well clear of most of the rest of the field.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
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LogansDad

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Nov 15, 2006
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Yah.. The backup C position is a bit tricky for them to fill this offseason whoever the backup catcher is will be wally pipped/DFA'd once Teel comes up... so the list of players that would willingly sign up for that are small. (IOW signing up to be a placeholder for the backup C position
Personally, I think they are in need of a starting catcher. This is why I was all in on Carson Kelly (and I am seeing his signing with the Cubs isn't official yet, so I am still holding out hope). If they can sign Kelly for a 2 or 3 year deal (he's only 30, I might even go 4 years, TBH), go with a tandem of him and Wong this year, and then offload Wong once Teel is ready (hopefully by the trade deadline, but more likely next offseason), I think that would be a best case scenario.

It looks like my dreams are crushed by the Cubs, as of yesterday, but my fingers are still crossed.
 

Bosoxman2004

New Member
Jul 15, 2005
143
Longview, Texas
This would be a TREMENDOUS get for the team. I think he should be a focus point not a pivot if they lose out on Fried and Burnes. I imagine the trade cost for Cease should be less than Crochet too.

I don't see why they couldn't get both too (One of Fried/Burnes and Cease) and just use the funds from the Soto chase to extend Cease too.

Cease
Fried
Houck
Bello
Giolito

With depth options including Criswell, Priester, Fitts

This would assume Crawford going out in the return for Cease.
 

bosox1534

New Member
Dec 17, 2022
348
This would be a TREMENDOUS get for the team. I think he should be a focus point not a pivot if they lose out on Fried and Burnes. I imagine the trade cost for Cease should be less than Crochet too.

I don't see why they couldn't get both too (One of Fried/Burnes and Cease) and just use the funds from the Soto chase to extend Cease too.

Cease
Fried
Houck
Bello
Giolito

With depth options including Criswell, Priester, Fitts

This would assume Crawford going out in the return for Cease.
I love Cease, but I would have to have an extension in place before I make that deal. Only one year doesn’t do them a ton of good for what it’s gonna cost.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Jul 19, 2005
4,149
This would be a TREMENDOUS get for the team. I think he should be a focus point not a pivot if they lose out on Fried and Burnes. I imagine the trade cost for Cease should be less than Crochet too.

I don't see why they couldn't get both too (One of Fried/Burnes and Cease) and just use the funds from the Soto chase to extend Cease too.

Cease
Fried
Houck
Bello
Giolito

With depth options including Criswell, Priester, Fitts

This would assume Crawford going out in the return for Cease.
Plus you'd be inching closer to the dream of reuniting the 2021 White Sox (Hendriks is in-house, too!). And hey, Yasmani Grandal, Eloy, and Moncada are all FAs!
 

BeantownIdaho

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Dec 5, 2005
652
Nampa, Idaho
I thought so at first as well, but can anyone speak to this "FRV" catch-all catching metric on Fangraphs? It tries to represent most of what they can measure: "FRV - Statcast Fielding Run Value in runs above average (Throwing+Blocking+Framing+Arm+RAA)":

On this ranking of all 79 catchers with 100+ innings in 2024:
  • McCann ranks 75th
  • Wong ranks 78th (yikes)
Meanwhile Patrick Bailey and Cal Raleigh -- two of the best defensive catchers in MLB by reputation -- are indeed 1st and 3rd, well clear of most of the rest of the field.
Well, he was Burnes' catcher....
 

BeantownIdaho

New Member
Dec 5, 2005
652
Nampa, Idaho
I love Cease, but I would have to have an extension in place before I make that deal. Only one year doesn’t do them a ton of good for what it’s gonna cost.
Yep... just like Vladdy Jr... I don't see a lot of guys in their position that will sign an extension with being traded since they can get to the market and get a billion dollars.
 

YTF

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All the noise about the Red Sox being aggressive and ready to spend seems like Boras created smoke, at this point. If they don’t land Fried / Burnes and no trade for Crochet, what are we looking at? Sean Manaea, Jack Flaherty? Jose Quintana? Buehler? Pivetta? Rea?
How it all shakes out remains to be seen, but the noise isn't a Boras creation.
“I think we’re always in this position trying to balance the short term and the long term, but I think we have strongly signaled, and we don’t intend to change, that we’re going to be prioritizing the short term.”Breslow continued: “We’ve asked a ton of our fans in terms of patience, and tolerating finishes well below where the Boston Red Sox should be, and so it’s time to deliver, and that may mean taking a bite out of the future in order to prioritize wins in the short term.”
 

RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
57,046
deep inside Guido territory
All the noise about the Red Sox being aggressive and ready to spend seems like Boras created smoke, at this point. If they don’t land Fried / Burnes and no trade for Crochet, what are we looking at? Sean Manaea, Jack Flaherty? Jose Quintana? Buehler? Pivetta? Rea?
It is definitely not Boras created smoke. It came straight from the mouth of Sam Kennedy. It’s what set expectations sky high.
 

YTF

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Personally, I think they are in need of a starting catcher. This is why I was all in on Carson Kelly (and I am seeing his signing with the Cubs isn't official yet, so I am still holding out hope). If they can sign Kelly for a 2 or 3 year deal (he's only 30, I might even go 4 years, TBH), go with a tandem of him and Wong this year, and then offload Wong once Teel is ready (hopefully by the trade deadline, but more likely next offseason), I think that would be a best case scenario.

It looks like my dreams are crushed by the Cubs, as of yesterday, but my fingers are still crossed.
Yeah I'm feeling similarly and as frantic as folks are about the obvious needs, it's a bit of a head scratcher to me that this wasn't done earlier even if it took a little bit of an overpay. Much of the existing staff could certainly benefit from having a better defensive catching in the fold and while it might not be a huge factor in the decision making process of potential FA targets it does show an attempt to improve a part of the game that may affect their performance in a positive way.
 

Rich Garces Belly

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Jun 14, 2009
365
Yah.. The backup C position is a bit tricky for them to fill this offseason whoever the backup catcher is will be wally pipped/DFA'd once Teel comes up... so the list of players that would willingly sign up for that are small. (IOW signing up to be a placeholder for the backup C position
I’m not positive about that, the new catcher they acquire could stay as Teel’s backup while Wong plays a super utility role. Wong’s bat is valuable and he has looked serviceable at second, first, third, and left. I’d like to see them bring in a better defensive catcher, if the Murphy rumors are true I’d be all over it.
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
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I’m not positive about that, the new catcher they acquire could stay as Teel’s backup while Wong plays a super utility role. Wong’s bat is valuable and he has looked serviceable at second, first, third, and left. I’d like to see them bring in a better defensive catcher, if the Murphy rumors are true I’d be all over it.
If Wong is not catching here, he should be traded.
 

E5 Yaz

polka king
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Hey, they tried hard. If that and having his high school buddy on board weren't enough ... whatcha gonna do?
 

JohntheBaptist

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Jul 13, 2005
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The Yankees just got pantsed on a huge FA in a way that they never get pantsed on a huge FA. If their reported interest is true, and that 7-year report is true, Fried ain't happening. No way BOS outguns NY for a FA pitcher both want, and that's before you consider NY wouldn't want to lose out twice in a row, BOS never outbids anybody anymore, and 7 years for a 31yo is not their neighborhood.

We'll see. Feels like there's always a reason why not these days, though.
 

NickEsasky

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
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Jul 24, 2001
9,861
At some point the Red Sox need to realize the market is the market and if you want to sign a free agent you need to put on your big boy spending pants.