AL East Thread

[chappee11]

OD

BRUTAL!

Matusz’s mother, Elizabeth, told authorities that the former athlete was battling drug issues and had made remarks like "there’s nothing left for me" and he "used to have it all."

She told police he had been clean for eight months, according to the Baltimore Banner. Two days before his death, on Jan. 4, Matusz was taken to the emergency room for reasons unclear. He was reportedly discharged that day and was advised to seek a mental health professional. He was taken to a facility but was not admitted.

He died on Jan. 6.

 

[steveringo]

Jarren Duran, Red Sox reach $3.85 million, 1-year contract, avoid arbitration

All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran and the Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration when they agreed to a one-year contract guaranteeing $3.85 million, a deal that includes an $8 million team option for 2026.

apnews.com

 

[bksballer89]

Santander to the Jays

5/92.5

 

[chappee11]

Santander to the Jays

5/92.5

This makes me even more upset that the Red Sox didn’t move on Teoscar. Then again, he probably wanted to stay in LA anyway.

This feels like a big overpay for Santander IMO. Nice power bat, though.

 

[Pure Steel]

Santander to the Jays

5/92.5

Some serious coin for the Santander Bank

 

[chillerdab]

The Jays missed our on everybody else, sp they had some spending money.

It’ll be weird seeing Taters in a Jays uniform. One of the guys who truly deserves the big paycheck - a rule 5 pickup in the dark ages of the O’s who completely changed his game.

Great locker room dude too.

 

[chappee11]

Thought this was interesting:

Most HR under each president

Biden: Judge 196
Trump: Trout 134
Obama: Pujols 272
W Bush: A-Rod 364
Clinton: Griffey 351
HW Bush: McGriff 137
Reagan: Schmidt 259
Carter: Schmidt 152
Ford: Schmidt 87
Nixon: Aaron 218
Johnson: Mays 181
Kennedy: Killebrew 139
Eisenhower: Mathews 313
Truman: Kiner 294
FDR: Foxx 353
Hoover: Ruth 182
Coolidge: Ruth 289
Harding: Ruth 119
Wilson: G Cravath 106
Taft: F Schulte 47
Roosevelt: H Davis 59
McKinley: B Freeman 46
Cleveland (both): S Thompson 85
Harrison: H Stovey 51

 

[chappee11]

Current HR leaderboard under Trump, where players will pick up where they left off four years ago. Judge will probably get the edge here before too long:

134 Trout
133 Cruz
131 JD Martinez
124 Arenado
124 Suarez
123 Bellinger
118 Machado
116 K. Davis
115 Judge
114 Encarnacion
113 Gallo
111 Harper
111 Lindor

 

[nynasty]

That is interesting. Figured Aaron hit so many over such a long period he'd be the leader for multiple presidents.

Only Schmidt and Ruth can claim that.

Also weird to not see Bonds name

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Already got my first tickets of the year. 65 days left.

Red Sox Truck Day is the day after the Super Bowl this year. Also the annual day where Mrs. SoxFan rejoices as my beard comes off.

Does it smell like a pennant?

 

[navamind]

Does it smell like a pennant?

View attachment 386384

Well, we did win the World Series the year he posted that...

 

[bksballer89]

Is there anything that can be done to fix mlb free agency. About to hit February and both Alonzo/Bregman not signed yet lol

 

[chappee11]

Is there anything that can be done to fix mlb free agency. About to hit February and both Alonzo/Bregman not signed yet lol

Boras misreading the market again. He got a zillion dollars for Soto(no complaints there), but he went to sleep on Bregman and Alonso and it is probably going to cost them both. This was the exact same thing that happened last year. Boras kept waiting for big deals that never came. The calendar is not his friend at this point. Pitchers and catchers in 2+ weeks.

 

[steveringo]

Boras misreading the market again. He got a zillion dollars for Soto(no complaints there), but he went to sleep on Bregman and Alonso and it is probably going to cost them both. This was the exact same thing that happened last year. Boras kept waiting for big deals that never came. The calendar is not his friend at this point. Pitchers and catchers in 2+ weeks.

I'm sick of the Boston media saying, "Sign Bregman" - or - "You said you'd increase payroll."... I think Breslow's playing it right (offering no more than 4 years)...

They keep saying they need a right handed bat to even out the lineup. Let Grissom and Campbell take the reigns already... At this point, who cares if there is another year of growing pains...

If they're really desperate, just sign JD Martinez or Justin Turner - and ship Yoshida anywhere and pay his salary... How fun would that be?

 

[chappee11]

I'm sick of the Boston media saying, "Sign Bregman" - or - "You said you'd increase payroll."... I think Breslow's playing it right (offering no more than 4 years)...

They keep saying they need a right handed bat to even out the lineup. Let Grissom and Campbell take the reigns already... At this point, who cares if there is another year of growing pains...

If they're really desperate, just sign JD Martinez or Justin Turner - and ship Yoshida anywhere and pay his salary... How fun would that be?

While I think it’s stupid to spend money just to spend money, I think it’s shitty that the Sox have become the Minnesota Twins in the modern era. I never would have expected that based on the way Henry ran that team historically, but it is reality now. They really haven’t spent since 2018. Then again, their 2 big signings since then were Story and Yoshida and both were complete disasters.

I thought they could have improved with some relatively modest moves this Winter(Teoscar and Flaherty), but even those guys seem too rich for their blood. Buehler might be as good as Flaherty anyway, but they never replaced O’Neill and they need a power bat in the OF. I’m fine letting Campbell and Grissom(and Hamilton) battle for 2B. They aren’t signing Bregman and I never wanted him anyway(unless he was playing 3B and Devers moved to 1B).

Yoshida is a tough sell. They might be stuck with him. He’s probably better than JDM or Turner at this point, though. The ship has sailed on those 2.

 

[steveringo]

That got me thinking of the 26 I'd like to see...

C - Connor Wong
C - Sabol or Navarez - don't care

1B - Triston Casas

2B - Kristian Campbell

SS - Trevor Story

3B - Rafael Devers

IF - Vaugh Grissom
IF - David Hamilton

OF - Jarren Duran
OF - Wilyer Abreu
OF - Roman Anthony
OF - Rob Refsnyder

UTIL - Ceddanne Rafaela

DH - Justin Turner or JD Martinez

SP - Tanner Houck
SP - Garret Crochet
SP - Brayan Bello
SP - Cutter Crawford
SP - Walker Bueller
SP - Lucas Giolito

RP - Liam Hendriks
RP - Aroldis Chapman
RP - Justin Slaten
RP - Josh Winkowski
RP - Garrett Whitlock
RP - Brennan Bernardino

 

[chappee11]

That got me thinking of the 26 I'd like to see...

C - Connor Wong
C - Sabol or Navarez - don't care

1B - Triston Casas

2B - Kristian Campbell

SS - Trevor Story

3B - Rafael Devers

IF - Vaugh Grissom
IF - David Hamilton

OF - Jarren Duran
OF - Wilyer Abreu
OF - Roman Anthony
OF - Rob Refsnyder

UTIL - Ceddanne Rafaela

DH - Justin Turner or JD Martinez

SP - Tanner Houck
SP - Garret Crochet
SP - Brayan Bello
SP - Cutter Crawford
SP - Walker Bueller
SP - Lucas Giolito

RP - Liam Hendriks
RP - Aroldis Chapman
RP - Justin Slaten
RP - Josh Winkowski
RP - Garrett Whitlock
RP - Brennan Bernardino

Looks like 81-83 wins to me. Not nearly good enough to contend for anything.

 

[chappee11]

How cheap are the Red Sox that they don’t have $7m for a solid bullpen arm like Kahnle?

 

[Pure Steel]

How cheap are the Red Sox that they don’t have $7m for a solid bullpen arm like Kahnle?

I read they didn’t have any XS pants for him so it wasn’t a fit…..

 

[nynasty]

I read they didn’t have any XS pants for him so it wasn’t a fit…..

Tight pants Tommy lol

Be interesting to see if he can continue to be successful throwing that change over and over