2026 Red Sox/MLB Season Thread

[smicker16]

This likely means that Anthony is the full time LF and that Duren is  gone is my thought. I feel this means Bauers will be full time DH besides maybe spelling Anthony and Contreras which means they are going to eat the Yoshida contract somehow.

[Donoghus]

This likely means that Anthony is the full time LF and that Duren is  gone is my thought. I feel this means Bauers will be full time DH besides maybe spelling Anthony and Contreras which means they are going to eat the Yoshida contract somehow.

This is the last year of the Yoshida contract, right?

[Silas]

I like it.  His 2026 Savant page is dripping red, which makes me think it's not just a lucky fluke season.  And the short track record is why we got him at a much more reasonable number than a guy like Arozarena is likely to get. 

If he flops, you're out $15M a year.  Not the worst.

Sox still need a right handed thumper....

[Phantom255x]

My main issue is that we're really hinging on both the health of Roman Anthony AND also hoping Mead and Bauers both aren't just one-hit wonders and can keep it going. It's risky from that standpoint. But I'm perfectly fine with just moving on from all of Duran, Yoshida and Story. Arias should be up the next time baseball resumes and will be our regular SS. Bauers can play 1B/DH and also some LF on occasion, and Anthony probably mans LF which I think in the long term is ideal assuming health. It also allows them to spell Contreras on occasion since Bauers can rotate 1B/DH.

I'm not sure they'll add another bat, but I think if they can add another high-impact reliever they should be in a good spot. The rotation looks great with Crochet coming back and bullpen still has Whitlock, Chapman, etc. I guess they can add another SP but honestly Houck/Kutter/Bello/Oviedo probably have as good of a chance at making it as a back-end SP.

Reality is, it's a weak FA market especially for hitting and I'm sure Elly De La Cruz and other potential bats are just too expensive. I guess they could dangle Arias + more for another SS but it depends how they feel about Arias. Mead is probably 2B, Adley catcher, Rafaela CF, Abreu RF and Durbin 3B. That part seems set. No clue about Casas but I guess they'll hope he can stay healthy in rehab and minor league stints first

[Goldstar88]

The Red Sox are not going to pay top dollar for a power bat. They did not want to pay Mookie, they reluctantly paid Devers and then salary dumped him. These are the type of contracts the Sox are going to be giving out to FA bats going forward.

[Roy H.]

The Red Sox are not going to pay top dollar for a power bat. They did not want to pay Mookie, they reluctantly paid Devers and then salary dumped him. These are the type of contracts the Sox are going to be giving out to FA bats going forward.

It certainly seems that way.  I would much rather see the Red Sox use their financial resources while still mitigating risk. One way to do that is offering shorter contracts, but overpaying on a yearly basis. Until the leak Institute a salary cap, there's no real reason for the Red Sox to have a payroll outside the top five in MLB.

But, John Henry disagrees.

[Vermont Green]

The Red Sox managed a 0.742 OPS out of the DH spot last season.  That is not too bad, middle of the pack in the AL.  For SS, the team OPS was 0.659.  That remains the soft spot in the line up.

The hope is that Durbin and Mead will solidify the production at 2B and 3B, Rutschman at C should restore some pop to that slot.  Contreras at 1B is solid.  The outfield should be fine, both hitting and defense.  I guess they view Bauers as bolstering the DH production (we'll see).

At SS, the options are Story, Arias, or bring in someone.  Maybe this is the time for Arias with Story in the mix as RH DH, and other fill in opportunities.  SS seems to me to be the place to spend some money, if they are going to spend some money, which they may not with the labor uncertainty.  With Story, if you limit his on field time by having him fill in as DH vs LHP, and then limited time filling in a SS and 2B, maybe he can stay healthy.  Devers could never stay healthy until he became a DH.

[Goldstar88]

The Red Sox are not going to pay top dollar for a power bat. They did not want to pay Mookie, they reluctantly paid Devers and then salary dumped him. These are the type of contracts the Sox are going to be giving out to FA bats going forward.

It certainly seems that way.  I would much rather see the Red Sox use their financial resources while still mitigating risk. One way to do that is offering shorter contracts, but overpaying on a yearly basis. Until the leak Institute a salary cap, there's no real reason for the Red Sox to have a payroll outside the top five in MLB.

But, John Henry disagrees.

John Henry has 4 WS championships as owner. He does not have anything to prove. The Red Sox are just a piece of his portfolio and it?s about maximizing profits. If the Sox win another WS they will have to do it like the Brewers did.

[Vermont Green]

Starting pitching, in my view, is always the most important aspect of a team.  You need to have good top end starters and you need depth (pitchers are always getting injured).  Here is what BOS has going into 2027:

Crochet
Tolle
Suarez
Bennett
Bello
Houck
Oviedo
Crawford

That is not bad.  Tolle, Suarez, Bennett, and Bello should all be reliable starters for the team.  I think Bello will bounce back.  Tolle should be able to pitch at a good #2 level.  Bennett and Suarez should be able to provide solid innings.  Crochet of course carries some durability risk.  That is the biggest issue as it stands

If BOS can somehow get Gray back, or an equivalent top of the rotation vet, this starting rotation should be one of the best in the game again.  BOS starters were 4th best in the AL in terms of ERA last season.  I don't know what to expect from Crochet so having another top end starter is probably necessary to compete.  As it stands, the team is gong to be heavily reliant on Crochet pitching like a top 5 starter again.  Houck could bounce back also, which would be huge.  He was an all star not too long ago.

[Roy H.]

The Red Sox are not going to pay top dollar for a power bat. They did not want to pay Mookie, they reluctantly paid Devers and then salary dumped him. These are the type of contracts the Sox are going to be giving out to FA bats going forward.

It certainly seems that way.  I would much rather see the Red Sox use their financial resources while still mitigating risk. One way to do that is offering shorter contracts, but overpaying on a yearly basis. Until the leak Institute a salary cap, there's no real reason for the Red Sox to have a payroll outside the top five in MLB.

But, John Henry disagrees.

John Henry has 4 WS championships as owner. He does not have anything to prove. The Red Sox are just a piece of his portfolio and it?s about maximizing profits. If the Sox win another WS they will have to do it like the Brewers did.

Which is just a waste of financial resources.  The team's revenue isn't being reinvested into the team.  Sox fans pay the highest ticket prices but get a mediocre product to make a billionaire richer.

Henry should sell.

[slamtheking]

The Red Sox are not going to pay top dollar for a power bat. They did not want to pay Mookie, they reluctantly paid Devers and then salary dumped him. These are the type of contracts the Sox are going to be giving out to FA bats going forward.

It certainly seems that way.  I would much rather see the Red Sox use their financial resources while still mitigating risk. One way to do that is offering shorter contracts, but overpaying on a yearly basis. Until the leak Institute a salary cap, there's no real reason for the Red Sox to have a payroll outside the top five in MLB.

But, John Henry disagrees.

John Henry has 4 WS championships as owner. He does not have anything to prove. The Red Sox are just a piece of his portfolio and it?s about maximizing profits. If the Sox win another WS they will have to do it like the Brewers did.

The Sox will never match what the Brewers do.  They do not have the drafting nor farm management/training in place that the Brewers have been building for well over a decade. 

Sox best option is to find good players that'll take a shorter but more expensive deal or take on reclamation projects they're pretty sure they can get good value out of.  They have the financial assets not to have to penny pinch like the Brewers

[Goldstar88]

The Red Sox are not going to pay top dollar for a power bat. They did not want to pay Mookie, they reluctantly paid Devers and then salary dumped him. These are the type of contracts the Sox are going to be giving out to FA bats going forward.

It certainly seems that way.  I would much rather see the Red Sox use their financial resources while still mitigating risk. One way to do that is offering shorter contracts, but overpaying on a yearly basis. Until the leak Institute a salary cap, there's no real reason for the Red Sox to have a payroll outside the top five in MLB.

But, John Henry disagrees.

John Henry has 4 WS championships as owner. He does not have anything to prove. The Red Sox are just a piece of his portfolio and it?s about maximizing profits. If the Sox win another WS they will have to do it like the Brewers did.

Which is just a waste of financial resources.  The team's revenue isn't being reinvested into the team.  Sox fans pay the highest ticket prices but get a mediocre product to make a billionaire richer.

Henry should sell.

I agree, but he seems to be just reinvesting the profits from the team elsewhere. Sox are such a cash cow. I doubt he ever sells.