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

[Dewey'sCannon]

I'm not convinced that they NEED to add to the offense - I'd rather they spend their money on the bullpen (Tanner Scott). But if they do (primarily to add RH power) here's a plausible direction they could take:

Trade Abreu to CHC for Suzuki and put him in LF, with Duran in CF and either Rafaela or Anthony (whenever he's ready) in RF.

If you can include Yoshida in the deal with the Cubs (either by adding $ or a player, like Wincowski or a mid-level prospect, thenthis would open the door to sign Bregman. My preference would be a three-year deal, with opt-outs and options for years 4 and 5 that vest based on 150 GP.

If they could pull that off, the ;lineup look like this:

Duran - CF
Bregman - 3B
Devers - DH
Casas - 1B
Suzuki - LF
Anthony - RF
Story - SS
Wong - C
Campbell/Grissom - 2B

I think that lineup would score a lot of runs

 

[bosockboy]

View: https://twitter.com/cardinals_live/status/1878212441370247258?s=46

 

[E5 Yaz]

View: https://twitter.com/cardinals_live/status/1878212441370247258?s=46

So, maybe something will happen, unless it doesn't

 

[bosox1534]

View: https://twitter.com/cardinals_live/status/1878212441370247258?s=46

I dont think this guys source is worth a shit, he’s hearing Bregman to Sox is less than 0%, which I cannot see being possible based on other reports and comments by Cora.

 

[SouthernBoSox]

View: https://twitter.com/cardinals_live/status/1878212441370247258?s=46

I’m positive the Cardinals and Red Sox have talked. I’m also positive the Red Sox will only do a deal if it’s a home run deal.

The Cardinals have zero leverage.

1. The player has a full NTC
2. Has already blocked a trade
3. Has said he wants to play for Boston
4. Does not fill a position of need for Boston
5. Has a contract under water

The Cardinals GM stated his main goal of the offseason was to move Arenado and free up money and roster space. They are screwed here.

If I’m Boston I’d take Arenado but it would be more about an acquisition of Herrera than Arenado. I’d say we will give you Wong and Richard Fitts and you’ll give us Herrera + 15mm and we will do your the favor of TAKING Arenado off your hands.

And yea that’s an unfair trade but you’re complete stuck. We don’t need the trade.

 

[YTF]

I’m positive the Cardinals and Red Sox have talked. I’m also positive the Red Sox will only do a deal if it’s a home run deal.

The Cardinals have zero leverage.

1. The player has a full NTC
2. Has already blocked a trade
3. Has said he wants to play for Boston
4. Does not fill a position of need for Boston
5. Has a contract under water

The Cardinals GM stated his main goal of the offseason was to move Arenado and free up money and roster space. They are screwed here.

If I’m Boston I’d take Arenado but it would be more about an acquisition of Herrera than Arenado. I’d say we will give you Wong and Richard Fitts and you’ll give us Herrera + 15mm and we will do your the favor of TAKING Arenado off your hands.

And yea that’s an unfair trade but you’re complete stuck. We don’t need the trade.

If I'm running the Cards I can't get the words "Go fuck yourself" out of my mouth fast enough.

 

[SouthernBoSox]

If I'm running the Cards I can't get the words "Go fuck yourself" out of my mouth fast enough.

Which is ultimately why I don’t think a deal really lines up. The Cardinals have zero leverage and are better off doing nothing than something.

 

[YTF]

Which is ultimately why I don’t think a deal really lines up. The Cardinals have zero leverage and are better off doing nothing than something.

If you're Boston, the risk of being labeled with the reputation of being a shitty organization to do business with isn't exactly something you try to leverage. That didn't work out so well for Bloom.

 

[chawson]

If I'm running the Cards I can't get the words "Go fuck yourself" out of my mouth fast enough.

I don’t know, I kinda disagree here. To me it genuinely seems like we’re doing them a favor taking Arenado off their books, something maybe no other team is in a position to do.

It’s not exactly relevant to a BOS-STL deal, but the Cards got Arenado from the Rockies for next to nothing — basically four years of a cost-controlled #5 starter (Gomber), who’s been worth an average of <1.0 bWAR per year. They got about 18 bWAR from Arenado in his 4 years, plus cash from COL.

They did great in that trade, and are likely looking at a last place finish or two in the coming years. If I’m in the Cardinals FO, I absolutely do not want to pay Arenado for the back end of that contract. I want to move him now, put newly extended Brendan Donovan at third, and clear the lane for a midseason promotion of JJ Wetherholt at 2B. That’s valuable, and would be a factor in any deal. It will be even harder to find a taker for Arenado down the road as he further declines.

 

[SouthernBoSox]

If you're Boston, the risk of being labeled with the reputation of being a shitty organization to do business with isn't exactly something you try to leverage. That didn't work out so well for Bloom.

Agree to disagree. You can approach the situation with eyes wide open and let it be known you’re really only interested in a deal on your terms.

 

[Rasputin]

If you're Boston, the risk of being labeled with the reputation of being a shitty organization to do business with isn't exactly something you try to leverage. That didn't work out so well for Bloom.

Not trading for a player we don't want for the opportunity to pay him a lot more than he's worth is not being a shitty organization to do business with.

 

[YTF]

Not trading for a player we don't want for the opportunity to pay him a lot more than he's worth is not being a shitty organization to do business with.

It was the dickish tone of the post I was responding to that would make the organization come off in such a way.

 

[Rasputin]

It was the dickish tone of the post I was responding to that would make the organization come off in such a way.

I don't think the poster works for the team.

 

[YTF]

I don't think the poster works for the team.

I was specifically responding to the phrases, "If I'm Boston", I'd say" and "we'll do you the favor", but thanks for setting things straight.

 

[RS2004foreever]

Per MLB trade rumors, Yankees/Mets/Giants out on Sasaki

 

[Yaz4Ever]

So you’re saying we still have a chance?

 

[jwbasham84]

They are saying it's down to the dodgers, padres and blue Jay's..... no chance for us

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Red Sox finally made a big splash and signed a certain starting pitcher with the initials “RS”.

Absolutely shocked he’s not a Dodger.

Spoiler

 

[joe dokes]

As long as his wife's commentary is still part of the deal.

 

[SemperFidelisSox]

Early season Sunday night baseball schedule was announced. Red Sox are on once. April 6 vs St Louis.

 

[YTF]

Early season Sunday night baseball schedule was announced. Red Sox are on once. April 6 vs St Louis.

Fine by me, I much prefer Sunday afternoon baseball.

 

[Big Papi's Mango Salsa]

Just for the record, the Ms signed Donvan Solano for a 1yr / $3.5m deal. Someone we'd discussed (at least a little) across various threads.

I think this is an excellent deal for Seattle, and about what a 110-115 wRC+ player should go for, but more of a "deal" for Seattle in his case because he can play so many different defensive positions.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/mariners-sign-donovan-solano.html

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Early season Sunday night baseball schedule was announced. Red Sox are on once. April 6 vs St Louis.

A Sunday night game in Boston on April frigging 6th??? Could have been cold but bearable at 1PM, but F-you paying fans, enjoy freezing your asses off at night for no good reason other than ESPN wants it.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Red Sox finally made a big splash and signed a certain starting pitcher with the initials “RS”.

Absolutely shocked he’s not a Dodger.

Spoiler

View attachment 94731

Wow, I'd missed this!

My son might be the world's #1 Robert Stock fan. We got to know him a little bit back in 2007, when Stock was a C/RP for the Cotuit Kettleers. At the time, he was 17 years old, coming off his freshman year at USC where he had enrolled at just 16 as one of the finest prep prospects in recent memory. He was really poised and happy to chat with local kids hanging around the benches. [Trivia: the 2007 Kettleers had three catchers who would be future major leaguers: Stock, Caleb Joseph, and Yan Gomes.] I was later pleased to learn he was an exceptional student, 'cause dads are like that.

Cut to years later, my son followed Robert Stock on Twitter, because of course he did, and Stock turned out to be a great Twitter follow, sharing candid thoughts about his baseball career and what was going on in the world. Suffice to say, I'm pretty confident Robert's world-view on political issues would not have been in sync with most of his professional baseball teammates.

Welcome home, Robert!

 

[Yelling At Clouds]

They signed local guy Sean Newcomb to a minors deal, too (mentioned in the MiLB thread, too). He’s been pretty bad for a while now, but who knows?

 

[Big Papi's Mango Salsa]

They signed local guy Sean Newcomb to a minors deal, too (mentioned in the MiLB thread, too). He’s been pretty bad for a while now, but who knows?

Just because I looked this up the other day when talking about what a GM inherits or doesn't from their predecessor, and now Newcomb is here.

We discuss Breslow inheriting Anthony and Campbell from Bloom and how good that is - and they're really excellent prospects. Now think on Anthopolous who inherited a frigging diamond mine in Atlanta in terms of prospects (Acuna, Swanson, Albies, Riley, Anderson and Fried) not to mention Freddie Freeman. At the time, Newcomb (6th) was rated higher in their system than Anderson (7th), Acuna (8th), Fried (9th) and Riley (12th).

It's just interesting to look back at some of the team lists over time.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/2017/braves/

 

[Sin Duda]

A Sunday night game in Boston on April frigging 6th??? Could have been cold but bearable at 1PM, but F-you paying fans, enjoy freezing your asses off at night for no good reason other than ESPN wants it.

I sure hope you have something positive going on in your life, because you sound like the angriest of angry old men.

 

[Just Manny being Manny]

https://x.com/RedSox/status/1880287503468683442

The #RedSox Add 5 Non-Roster Invitees to 2025 Spring Training Roster: Pitchers Austin Adams, Yovanny Cruz, Noah Davis, Sean Newcomb, and Robert Stock.

 

[BeantownIdaho]

A Sunday night game in Boston on April frigging 6th??? Could have been cold but bearable at 1PM, but F-you paying fans, enjoy freezing your asses off at night for no good reason other than ESPN wants it.

I take it. you don't do football games. 45-50 isn't that bad.

 

[bosox1534]

A Sunday night game in Boston on April frigging 6th??? Could have been cold but bearable at 1PM, but F-you paying fans, enjoy freezing your asses off at night for no good reason other than ESPN wants it.

I went to the Chiefs Dolphins playoff game last season and the windchill was -30, and it was sold out. I think people will be able to handle a game in April.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

I have been to Fenway night games in April. It gets ridiculously cold in the bleachers, especially when the wind kicks up.
I also think it's pretty silly to compare an early season baseball game against the Cardinals to an NFL playoff game in terms of fan interest and willingness to deal with cold weather.
And the whole point is that they had the option of playing a day game, until ESPN ordered them to change. They play at night the next day, but that is a Monday, so there's no way they would play a day game. This Sunday game should have stayed a day game though. ESPN could have chosen the Red Sox to play a Sunday night game later in the year, or when they are on the road instead, but they don't care obviously.

 

[bosox1534]

I have been to Fenway night games in April. It gets ridiculously cold in the bleachers, especially when the wind kicks up.
I also think it's pretty silly to compare an early season baseball game against the Cardinals to an NFL playoff game in terms of fan interest and willingness to deal with cold weather.
And the whole point is that they had the option of playing a day game, until ESPN ordered them to change. They play at night the next day, but that is a Monday, so there's no way they would play a day game. This Sunday game should have stayed a day game though. ESPN could have chosen the Red Sox to play a Sunday night game later in the year, or when they are on the road instead, but they don't care obviously.

It’s not like you have to go to the game. If you are going to be that miserable don’t go. ESPN doesn’t care because nobody else cares other than you. People who want to go will go, people who don’t won’t go. You’re going to get cold games in April in Boston, just part of the deal. There will be plenty other day games to attend. I’m excited for the team to get some national exposure early in the season.

 

[BeantownIdaho]

Yeah, they could have had an afternoon game, but It's ESPN Sunday NIGHT Baseball... and the Sox are sandwiched between the final four and the championship game on Saturday and Monday. I'm not seeing any problem.

 

[E5 Yaz]

It'll get rained/snowed out anyway

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Well, according to MLB, April has been cancelled. At least for the Red Sox.

https://www.mlb.com/redsox/schedule/2025/fullseason?msockid=01cf87f3d5996392308f9498d43362da

@The Gray Eagle chose terror, and terror won.

Edit, because it seems to work now... the schedule was showing a few games in March, then skipping directly to May.

 

[soxhop411]

View: https://twitter.com/MarinerMuse/status/1880309787805773854


So which players would SEA think are a good "fit" for their Ballpark?

 

[TomRicardo]

View: https://twitter.com/MarinerMuse/status/1880309787805773854


So which players would SEA think are a good "fit" for their Ballpark?

Pitchers.

All joking aside, I think a Duran would have more value than Casas.

 

[StuckOnYouk]

Yeah its almost like they just want slashers with speed and no slow HR guys?

- like tom said. Duran would have been far more appealing to them

 

[8slim]

I have been to Fenway night games in April. It gets ridiculously cold in the bleachers, especially when the wind kicks up.
I also think it's pretty silly to compare an early season baseball game against the Cardinals to an NFL playoff game in terms of fan interest and willingness to deal with cold weather.
And the whole point is that they had the option of playing a day game, until ESPN ordered them to change. They play at night the next day, but that is a Monday, so there's no way they would play a day game. This Sunday game should have stayed a day game though. ESPN could have chosen the Red Sox to play a Sunday night game later in the year, or when they are on the road instead, but they don't care obviously.

ESPN is desperately trying to find early season matchups that will deliver strong MLB ratings to capitalize on the momentum the Dodgers-Yankees World Series created. MLB has been slowly disappearing from the national sports scene for years. The Red Sox and Cardinals are 2 of the 5 most popular teams in the game.

They're now playing the game a whole 6 hours later than originally scheduled, which might mean its 10 degrees colder at first pitch. And a million more people will watch the game than if it was Marlins-Braves, Rays-Rangers or Guardians-Angels, which are the only 3 games being played in warmer climates that day.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

MLB has been slowly disappearing from the national sports scene for years.

I'm not sure that this is quite correct. The World Series and NBA Championship viewership is very similar, and often the sports flip-flop for 1-2 most years. League wide attendance was up this year as well and has been rising.

We kinda have to get past the whole national passtime thing, that stopped happening in the 60s when football took over the nation's imagination with the Super Bowl. I know that it's crazy to a lot of people here, but that's almost 60 years ago! Baseball, basketball and soccer are constantly jockeying for second place, which is about the best that they can hope for.

Do I think that MLB does a really, really, really bad job marketing the game? Absolutely. But I don't think that baseball is disappearing from the national sports scene, it's less pronounced than it once was, but all sports (save football) are.

 

[tims4wins]

For whatever it's worth, ESPN has given the Sox a B- on their offseason to date.

 

[soxhop411]

For whatever it's worth, ESPN has given the Sox a B- on their offseason to date.

Yankees get an A...

And it leads with this gem..

Now excuse my while I try and recover from my laughing fit

This might be Brian Cashman's best offseason since he signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett, and traded for Nick Swisher before the 2009 season -- a string of moves that resulted in the Yankees' most recent World Series title. Maybe this run of moves will produce the same result. Amazingly, the Yankees have earned this high grade despite losing Soto to the Mets.

https://archive.ph/bJ5nQ#selection-17891.0-17891.378

 

[Big Papi's Mango Salsa]

I'm not sure that this is quite correct. The World Series and NBA Championship viewership is very similar, and often the sports flip-flop for 1-2 most years. League wide attendance was up this year as well and has been rising.

We kinda have to get past the whole national passtime thing, that stopped happening in the 60s when football took over the nation's imagination with the Super Bowl. I know that it's crazy to a lot of people here, but that's almost 60 years ago! Baseball, basketball and soccer are constantly jockeying for second place, which is about the best that they can hope for.

Do I think that MLB does a really, really, really bad job marketing the game? Absolutely. But I don't think that baseball is disappearing from the national sports scene, it's less pronounced than it once was, but all sports (save football) are.

Agree.

The more damaging thing - at least for purposes of this board - is that in Boston the interest in the Sox seems to have fallen off dramatically. It was back up in 2021, and that playoff game against the Yankees was outstanding theater.

Unfortunately the team made a self enforced error of not capitalizing on that by doing nothing of note to prop up the team following that run, and letting four of the key players from that run leave in Bogaerts, JDM, Eovaldi, Rodriguez while doing a horrible job replacing them. Now they're probably battling the Bruins for 3rd place in the Boston market, and even that is closer than it has any right to be. Which is astounding to say as I was absolutely certain that whenever the Brady run stopped, the Sox would go right back to #1 in Boston.

Of course, I never really thought that the organization would get to the point it's been from 2019 to present in terms of lack of success combined with lack of massive attempt to address the MLB roster for such a long term. They of course have had their struggles (2012-2015 minus the whole World Series win) but they were always much more relevant.

It's another reason I'm certain that Crochet will be extended. He is the great hope of the pitching staff and probably the only addition made in the last 6 off-seasons (JDM) that have generated any kind of interest or positive buzz. Buehler might be the 2nd...


To be clear, I'm not trying to say winning the off-season is what matters. But - chicken and the egg of course - when you have incredibly boring off-seasons AND that translates to bad seasons, it's tough to rebound from.

 

[Plantiers Wart]

They signed local guy Sean Newcomb to a minors deal, too (mentioned in the MiLB thread, too). He’s been pretty bad for a while now, but who knows?

Sean is my cousin’s son. If only he could throw strikes. Saw him pitch for University of Hartford. Big lefty, throws hard.

 

[scottyno]

Yeah its almost like they just want slashers with speed and no slow HR guys?

- like tom said. Duran would have been far more appealing to them

He'd be far more appealing to every team, including Boston, because he's a much much better player with a much higher upside. Which is almost certainly why by reports this off-season the Sox considered him untradable while they explored moving Casas for the right deal

 

[soxhop411]

View: https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1880382431532118032


So.. Did Boras overplay his hand yet again? What team is left for him to use to extort a large contract from?

 

[SouthernBoSox]

View: https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1880382431532118032


So.. Did Boras overplay his hand yet again? What team is left for him to use to extort a large contract from?

The Blue Jays. I think he basically has a significant Blue Jays offer in his back pocket but doesn’t want to go there. So we’ve got a game of chicken.

 

[Marty’s Beret]

…We kinda have to get past the whole national passtime thing, that stopped happening in the 60s when football took over the nation's imagination with the Super Bowl…[snip]

to the included above part of this quote - I think there’s a fundamental difference between America’s sport and America’s pastime. Pastime speaks to me as something you put on the radio to enjoyably “pass the time” while mowing the lawn, or any number of activities (or non activities). Tii ok me baseball is a great way to pass time!

 

[Dewey'sCannon]

I think the obvious reason football is more popular is because of (1) betting; and (2) fantasy. Although fantasy started as a baseball thing with rotisserie back in the 80's, the weekly schedule for the NFL makes fantasy football much easier to play and more accessible to the masses, which drives ratings for even games involving bad teams (hey, I have a guy playing in that game!). And betting football has always been easy, and even easier now that sports gambling has been legalized. MLB is trying to make inroads on the betting front, but they'll never compete with football on betting or fantasy, which are big drivers of the viewership numbers.

 

[8slim]

I'm not sure that this is quite correct. The World Series and NBA Championship viewership is very similar, and often the sports flip-flop for 1-2 most years. League wide attendance was up this year as well and has been rising.

We kinda have to get past the whole national passtime thing, that stopped happening in the 60s when football took over the nation's imagination with the Super Bowl. I know that it's crazy to a lot of people here, but that's almost 60 years ago! Baseball, basketball and soccer are constantly jockeying for second place, which is about the best that they can hope for.

Do I think that MLB does a really, really, really bad job marketing the game? Absolutely. But I don't think that baseball is disappearing from the national sports scene, it's less pronounced than it once was, but all sports (save football) are.

The data suggests that overall fandom and viewing of the NBA is national in scope. That stands to reason, the NBA has marketed stars over teams for decades.

Baseball is the opposite. It has highly localized fandom and viewing.

So even when the TV ratings look similar, the composition of those numbers is quite different.

But I don't want to drag this thread off topic. My point was simply that Sox-Cards is an extremely attractive matchup for ESPN in early April. If fans have to endure 10-15 degree lower temps then dems the breaks.