Red Sox 2025 Season

[Vermont Green]

I think Devers at 3B and Bregman at 2B is the best way to go, at least to start the season.  Devers will get banged up as will others. The prospects may or may not emerge. It will work itself out. 

I predict Devers ends up at DH sometimes but not all the time.  Better load management. He is fine at third, he just doesn't hold up playing every day. So play him at DH once or twice a week until he proves he can hold up.  He will probably hit better and play the field better.  It is a long season.

I know there are stats that say Devers is poor defensively.  I don't see him as all that bad.  He is certainly not a gold glove candidate but I have always felt that he is fine enough.  He makes some really good plays, botches some easy ones, overall to me, it is not all that bad.

[Vermont Green]

Devers is still nursing shoulder injuries and it does not appear that he will be healthy enough to start the season at 3B.  There have been rumors that he is on the trade block.  I am not sure I believe that.  But it certainly appears that he will be starting the season as the DH.

The related question is who will start the season as the regular 2B.  The answer to that may depend on whether they view Devers as the season long DH or if the plan is to put him back at 3B once he is healthy enough.  I think if the plan is Devers as the primary DH, then we will see Kristian Campbell as the regular 2B.  If they think that Devers will be in and out at 3B, meaning Bregman often moving over to 2B, then Campbell likely goes down to AAA and Hamilton and Vaughn Grissom will platoon.

Hard to believe that the season hasn't even started and we already have, what, 3 starting pitchers injured?

I look at this as comparing Yoshida to Campbell (or whoever is at 2B).  If Devers is at 3B, Yoshida is the DH.  If Devers is the DH, Campbell (or someone) is in the line up.  Sitting Yoshida allows another RH bat in the line up but I don't think any of these potential 2B will hit as well as a healthy Yoshida.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Devers is still nursing shoulder injuries and it does not appear that he will be healthy enough to start the season at 3B.  There have been rumors that he is on the trade block.  I am not sure I believe that.  But it certainly appears that he will be starting the season as the DH.

The related question is who will start the season as the regular 2B.  The answer to that may depend on whether they view Devers as the season long DH or if the plan is to put him back at 3B once he is healthy enough.  I think if the plan is Devers as the primary DH, then we will see Kristian Campbell as the regular 2B.  If they think that Devers will be in and out at 3B, meaning Bregman often moving over to 2B, then Campbell likely goes down to AAA and Hamilton and Vaughn Grissom will platoon.

Hard to believe that the season hasn't even started and we already have, what, 3 starting pitchers injured?

I look at this as comparing Yoshida to Campbell (or whoever is at 2B).  If Devers is at 3B, Yoshida is the DH.  If Devers is the DH, Campbell (or someone) is in the line up.  Sitting Yoshida allows another RH bat in the line up but I don't think any of these potential 2B will hit as well as a healthy Yoshida.

This isn't hard for me to believe, as it's been a frequent problem for the Sox pitching staff in recent seasons.

[Roy H.]

Devers is still nursing shoulder injuries and it does not appear that he will be healthy enough to start the season at 3B.  There have been rumors that he is on the trade block.  I am not sure I believe that.  But it certainly appears that he will be starting the season as the DH.

The related question is who will start the season as the regular 2B.  The answer to that may depend on whether they view Devers as the season long DH or if the plan is to put him back at 3B once he is healthy enough.  I think if the plan is Devers as the primary DH, then we will see Kristian Campbell as the regular 2B.  If they think that Devers will be in and out at 3B, meaning Bregman often moving over to 2B, then Campbell likely goes down to AAA and Hamilton and Vaughn Grissom will platoon.

Hard to believe that the season hasn't even started and we already have, what, 3 starting pitchers injured?

I look at this as comparing Yoshida to Campbell (or whoever is at 2B).  If Devers is at 3B, Yoshida is the DH.  If Devers is the DH, Campbell (or someone) is in the line up.  Sitting Yoshida allows another RH bat in the line up but I don't think any of these potential 2B will hit as well as a healthy Yoshida.

This isn't hard for me to believe, as it's been a frequent problem for the Sox pitching staff in recent seasons.

Is it a training / coaching issue?  Chris Sale looked ready for the scrap heap until he left Boston.

[Vermont Green]

Richard Fitts will begin the season as the Red Sox' fourth starter.  The 25-year-old righty will pitch the final game of Boston's four-game opening series at Globe Life Field against the Rangers on Sunday, March 30.  Fitts has allowed four runs in 14 ⅔ innings (2.45 ERA) over five games (three starts) this spring.

The Red Sox reassigned righty Michael Fulmer to minor league camp earlier Friday. He will begin the season at Triple-A Worcester. Only two candidates, righty Quinn Priester and lefty Sean Newcomb, remain for the fifth rotation spot.

These top 4 pitchers (Crochet, Houck, Buehler, Fitts) have all looked adequate enough in spring training.  Priester (age 24) has been OK while Newcombe (age 31) has looked great.  I guess they are giving Priester one more start before they decide?  This probably comes down to whether they want to bank on a vet who has had an up and down career or go with the developmental upside of giving a younger pitcher a chance.

[Phantom255x]

I just find it odd that Giolito has already missed over a season, and his very first pitch of ST he suffers an injury. And then apparently Bello and Kutter have injuries that were "lingering" and popped up again. Like... what did these guys do in the offseason? And if these were lingering injuries, why didn't we hear about them in the offseason.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Devers is still nursing shoulder injuries and it does not appear that he will be healthy enough to start the season at 3B.  There have been rumors that he is on the trade block.  I am not sure I believe that.  But it certainly appears that he will be starting the season as the DH.

The related question is who will start the season as the regular 2B.  The answer to that may depend on whether they view Devers as the season long DH or if the plan is to put him back at 3B once he is healthy enough.  I think if the plan is Devers as the primary DH, then we will see Kristian Campbell as the regular 2B.  If they think that Devers will be in and out at 3B, meaning Bregman often moving over to 2B, then Campbell likely goes down to AAA and Hamilton and Vaughn Grissom will platoon.

Hard to believe that the season hasn't even started and we already have, what, 3 starting pitchers injured?

I look at this as comparing Yoshida to Campbell (or whoever is at 2B).  If Devers is at 3B, Yoshida is the DH.  If Devers is the DH, Campbell (or someone) is in the line up.  Sitting Yoshida allows another RH bat in the line up but I don't think any of these potential 2B will hit as well as a healthy Yoshida.

This isn't hard for me to believe, as it's been a frequent problem for the Sox pitching staff in recent seasons.

Is it a training / coaching issue?  Chris Sale looked ready for the scrap heap until he left Boston.

Watching Sale win Cy Young last year was an awful experience for me. I don't know who's to blame, but seeing him do that after being a walking injury his last few seasons in Boston was maddening.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I just find it odd that Giolito has already missed over a season, and his very first pitch of ST he suffers an injury. And then apparently Bello and Kutter have injuries that were "lingering" and popped up again. Like... what did these guys do in the offseason? And if these were lingering injuries, why didn't we hear about them in the offseason.

Right. If they were banged up at or near the beginning of the offseason, was anything done to address those issues at the time? Did everyone just sit on their hands all offseason, hoping that everything would just get better on its own?

[Silas]

I'm not completely sold yet, but both ESPN and MLB.com are predicting the Sox will win the east and the pennant.  I hope they both are right...Wouldn't it be great to have both the Cs and Sox win it all this year!  Dodgers and OKC are standing in the way and would have something to say.

[Vermont Green]

I am not sold either in terms of winning the division or pennant.  But I think the team is vastly improved, in particular the pitching:

Young Starters:
Garrett Crochet  25
Brian Bello         26
Richard Fitts      25
Quinn Priester    24

Vet Starters:
Sean Newcomb    31
Tanner Houck      28
Walker Buehler    30
Lucas Giolito        30
Kutter Crawford   29
Patrick Sandoval  28

That is a lot of arms.  Even the vets are not that old, anything under 30 is pretty good.  There could be a realistic rotation of all under-30 starters (average age 26.6 years):

Crochet
Bello
Houck
Fitts
Crawford

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I'm not sold, especially given the bevy of pitcher injuries the Sox have endured the last few years, and there seem to be a lot of ifs (with pitching and hitting). That said, they certainly have more promise than in recent years.

[Phantom255x]

Hell, I'd be pretty ecstatic to make the postseason this year lol, let alone make the World Series.

I think WS is a bit of a stretch, but I think the logic is also the fact that frankly, the AL in general is pretty bad this year and even some of the top teams like the Yankees are dealing with major injuries (Gerrit Cole TJS, etc.). Also, a lot of the projections are high on some of the Red Sox' young players performing well (Campbell, Anthony, Casas, Mayer later on, etc.)

Another thing is, if you did a power ranking of the entire league, the first 4 or 5 teams are all NL. Then it's likely Texas, Boston, Baltimore and New York Yankees in some order from the AL. The NL is loaded, but the AL not so much.

My prediction is, the WS will be Rangers vs. Dodgers, but I do believe the Red Sox will make the postseason and potentially even the ALCS. 

[Birdman]

I?m a Reds fans but I seen lot of ppl are predicting Red Sox to go to World Series?

[Phantom255x]

WILYER ABREU IS UNTOUCHABLE!

[Silas]

Sox win their opener in Texas....5-2