Sox scored 6 runs in three games. It would have been nice to have Devers, who has great postseason numbers, in the lineup.
On the other hand the Red Sox can raise a "we saved some money" banner.
The Yankees lineup of hitters with four former MVP's and their top four, scored eight? no doubt more production would've been good but it would've been really nice to have decent, injury, free pitching outside Crochet. Some decent defense wouldn't have hurt either. 
A little more production game 2 and the Sox advance.
True, but you could also say:
A little better starting pitching and Sox advance.
A little better defense and the Sox advance.
...and so on.
Technically not true. They scored ZERO runs in the last game, so even if their pitching and defense was perfect it would have been a tie.
I was responding to the comment that they could have won game 2. If they win game 2, they win the series. NYY starting pitching was very good in the series. Maybe if Giolito goes in game 2, who knows. I see the top offseason need as starting pitching.
It's hard to ever really argue against starting pitching, but I'm less certain than in a long time. 6 of these are either rookies or rehabbing, so there's that, but it does look like 8 legitimate starting options?
Crochet
Bello
Giolito
Tolle
Early
Houck
Crawford
Sandoval
Meanwhile, we have a complete zero at 1B and DH, two places expected to produce runs. Casas comeback notwithstanding, he still has potential but we're going on year 5 here and he's barely above replacement level for his career. Give me a .250 / 30 HR type that can play everyday, another high leverage reliever, and retain Giolito / Houck / Crawford and next year could be interesting with a full year of Anthony, Mayer, Tolle and Early (and maybe Campbell).
Well, they had one. 
Indeed. To be fair, I wouldn't sign one that is out of shape, makes $300M, plays lousy defense and pouts.
Manny Ramirez was a lot of those things as well. For a player that?s going to give you 35hrs, you make it work. Also, management mishandled the whole thing with the ?leave your glove at home, you?re not seeing the field again.? They caused this.
Good luck finding another bat to replace Devers in the minors. Lord knows they aren?t going to pay a player like Schwarber to join in the offseason.
They had a ton of veteran support for Manny on those teams. Management bungled the Devers / Bregman thing for sure, but he definitely could have taken the high road at any point and never did.
This team has plenty of veteran players with Story, Bregman, Chapman, Duran, Yoshida, etc. it?s really Cora?s job to lead the team, though. Devers was unhappy about playing DH, but he agreed to it and was doing well when they moved him to SF.
