Red Sox 2nd Half Predictions

Your 5th and 6th prospects for 15 starts of a guy that's going to opt out at the end of the year is a hefty cost

The team hits the deadline at 56-50, 3 GB of WC3. The deadline is a buy and sell affair. Kiké is DFA'd for Reyes and Arroyo is eventually traded, leaving Valdez/Hamilton, Chang, and Reyes as the middle infield with Story looming. A rental back-end starter a la Michael Lorenzen or Jack Flaherty is also acquired to help stabilize the pitching staff with a lot of starters out. Normies start to get antsy because the team hasn't made a run in the standings yet or any sufficiently flashy moves.

But then they start to get healthy. Whitlock and Schreiber are back (and stay that way), Story finally comes back in early August, and Houck and Sale both come back towards the end of the month. By the time they get into the difficult part of the schedule from late August through the end of the year, the team has a top 10 offense and borderline top 10 pitching staff. They hold their own down the stretch and finish with a record of 88-74, good enough for a tie for WC2.

They lose the tiebreaker and are punished (rewarded?) by getting to play a three-game series against Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. In the playoffs, a rotation headed by Sale, Paxton, and Bello combined with a solid pen and a disciplined and deep lineup makes the team formidible. They end up dispatching Minnesota and beating Houston in the ALDS in 5 games before falling to Tampa in 7 in the ALCS.

Normies are furious that more was not done at the deadline to improve the team and call into WEEI en masse to complain about Chaim Bloom's second mid-rebuild ALCS appearance in 3 years. After all, did you hear they finished in last place in 2020 and 2022?

Two weeks ago I figured they should sell. Now they have roped me back in and I hope I will not be let down again.

I think a modest buy would make sense. I don't think Sale makes it back so trading for a SP makes the most sense, but not sure if ERod is the correct target. Whoever it ends up being you will need to give something up as you can't get something for nothing. Given the batch of middle infielders (all plus defenders) that the Sox just drafted I wouldn't be surprised if Yorke ended up being moved as the Sox evolve their system towards a no-shift MLB.... I mean haven't Kiké, Hamilton, & Valdez taught us that something needs to change defensively?

Agree. Naturally overshooting here. My hope is thay E-Rod would opt in to the remaining 3 years, but seeing how thin the pitching market is this off-season, it’s hard seeing that he would. Maybe Yorke and Wikelman?

NO NO NO, for the love of god, not those two for the uncertainty that is ERod.

I hear you on the uncertainty of E-Rod, but he’d be an improvement over say Kutter or even Whitlock if he has any setbacks. In all, I’m not sure if holding onto Yorke is particularly beneficial given his scouting projections and the middle IF logjams. Why not sell when his stock is potentially the highest it will be?

I like Yorke, be he has his warts. Not opposed to parting with him - in the right deal. And ERod isn't that for me. Now, perhaps Cora and others have some inside intel?? Would he even want to come back? Not sure the circumstances under which he left.

Precisely. Having Story @ SS and Chang @ 2B for the second half would mirror the exact approach in 2004. Their defense during the 1st half was downright awful with Nomar @ SS, Bellhorn @ 2B and Millar @ 1B. Their deadline acquisitions of Cabrera @ SS and Mientkiewicz @ 1B and plugging Pokey more @ 2B late in games is one the most understated reasons of how they turned things around that season defensively.

I'll go with 38-33 the rest of the way. That makes 86- 76 for the season. That was Rays record as 3rd wildcard spot last year. So, 3rd wildcard it is. Anything can happen from there.

I'll predict Kiki will last the full season with the Sox. Corey Kluber will not.(unless on IL all year). Adam Duvall will be a highly sought after trade piece at the deadline and will bring the Sox a prospect that slots in to the Sox top 20.

Most important, that the Sox/Astros game on August 30, will be the most exciting game of the season. Bello will shut the Stro's out, complete game and the Sox will score 10 + runs. Why? That's my Fenway Day this season !!!

Would you believe me if I told you through 91 games they only two games worse this year than the 2004 Red Sox

I'll play

45-26 (.634 pace) to finish with 93 wins.

Kluber has a dramatic comeback and second half. His bullpens now are being described as "sharp", a word that never would have been used prior to the IL.

We stay under the lux-tax barrier.

Yorke is traded.

Kiké or Deval are gone.

We pick up a bulk innings starter who isn't a significant pitcher, maybe for Yorke.

Red Sox go deeper into the playoffs than the Yankees.

If we do pick up a prospect, it will be for a prospect that doesn't need to be on the 40 man this coming off-season.

Bloom wins exec of the year.

Barring an injury to someone, Rafela makes his major league debut after he won't lose his rookie status.