Who are the 2024 Red Sox?

[MongoLikeSox]

Mongo, looking forward for pitching, I think Breslow (with Henry in his ear) was only casually interested in Montgomery yesterday.  Today, having lost a middle rotation pitcher, they will be less interested as Boras will leverage Boston's remorse into a bigger contract.  Besides Monty probably never wanted to go from Series winner to work for a 65-75 win team, less than that today.
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My guess, they bring in a Lorenzen/Clevenger for $8-9mil as an innings eater, and a guy who can be insurance when Houck and/or Whitlock succumb to their own injuries.  Bad karma as it worked out, but most of the pitching deals produced guys coming of surgery next year, Hendricks (late 2024?) ,  Fulmer, now Giolito by bad luck for a historically healthy pitcher.  Don't know if Mata can ever be healthy enough to pitch in Boston.

I'm afraid I have to agree with you. I can't see a whole lot of good happening. The Giolito situation is bothersome on a few levels. That player option - 'oy!

Still, it would not be so horrible if Crawford and Houck can get over that 4-1/2 inning hump. I don't want to see Whitlock in the rotation. Too fragile so far. Winckowski might have had the role best suited for him last year. Just thin. Wicked thin. Not 2020 thin, but still thin. 

[elktonnick]

I can not recall this amount of indifference or lack of buzz for a Red Sox team since the early 60s. I do not think the FO is capable of turning it around this year.

[zenjak]

Yeah, yeah, AWOL guy, here. All the talk about this being a bridge year - I think Mgt plan is a new bridge every year built with the finest popsicle sticks scraped from the Fens pavement. The money will keep rolling in and they won't see a need to contend.

[longgame]

Hi Zenjak, I think you captured things well unfortunately. This is a season to root for the young guys and maybe some day the Sox will figure out that you need some veteran stars too.

[MongoLikeSox]

In other sports news, the FSG group has applied their methods to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Their fans hitting the bottle pretty hard these days. They traded one of their starts to the Carolina Hurricanes (Go Canes!!!) because they did not think they could keep him after this season. The Penguin fans and players are not at all pleased and are sound like the Red Sox fans and players have for the past 4+ years. I must admit that it's fun being on the other end of the stick, even if just for a moment. :)

Yeah, yeah, AWOL guy, here. All the talk about this being a bridge year - I think Mgt plan is a new bridge every year built with the finest popsicle sticks scraped from the Fens pavement. The money will keep rolling in and they won't see a need to contend.

The last couple of years are as low as I've seen it. I'm happy about the new up and coming core, but am afraid management will pull the rug out from under them once they get rolling. I can't see any sort of sustained success going forward with FSG. I'm afraid Cora's rant of still being the Boston Red Sox doesn't mean what we'd like it to mean.

[Sea Dog 23]

Speaking of FSG, it's ironic that the Penguins are building their future on youth and trading off their veterans.  That seems to line up with the goings on with another team in FSG.

[longgame]

Giolito officially done for the season.  Oh well.

[SeaBeachFred]

Well at least there was more dialogue on e board today than the previous four or five dull mornings.  Still, with Giolito coming up lame it further weakens what is already a tattered starting rotation.  Perhaps we can hope for semi-career years from the troops for maybe a surprise early in the going before our guys revert back to their usual unsuccessful ways.  You never what could happen and perhaps a full supply of rabbit charms might help a little, but I jest.

[Sea Dog 23]

Sox today signed 36 y.o. righty Chase Anderson to a major league contract.  He opted out of his Pirates minor league deal.  Anderson has appeared for seven different teams (Rays twice) since 2014 in MLB.  Something like a 6.10 era since 2020, so he'll need some work.

[elktonnick]

Sox today signed 36 y.o. righty Chase Anderson to a major league contract.  He opted out of his Pirates minor league deal.  Anderson has appeared for seven different teams (Rays twice) since 2014 in MLB.  Something like a 6.10 era since 2020, so he'll need some work.

This a real deep dumpster dive.

[elktonnick]

Just finished watching the last ST game.  We attended a bunch.  What is most notable about this current edition of the Boston Red Sox is there is nothing really notable about them.  They are at best a dull workman like team.  Other than tradition and a longstanding love of baseball, there is no reason to go to a game other than perhaps curiosity. 
With dull Dave O'Brien broadcasting there is less reason to watch them on NESN.  This is the least excited about an upcoming season I have been in sixty years

[Sea Dog 23]

Agree with elk.  There is just not any pizzaz in this years Sox.  I think that's by design.  They're 'throttling down' as they said LATER in so many words.  Their plan is 2025 IMO.  One of their 2025 hopefuls could be Richard Fitts, Dick Fitts?  Whatever.  A return from the Yannks in the Verdugo trade. 

Fitts pitched a good game against the Rangers yesterday as the starter.  3+ innings, scoreless on 2 hits, 3 Ks. hitting 95 and 96 velo.  Another return in that NYY trade was lefty Greg Weissert, who also pitched well in yesterday's game in relief.  Interestingly, Weissert was chosen over Bernardino, a real plus in the 2023 bullpen, to begin the year on the MLB opening lineup.  Like elk said above, this Sox team is going to test everyone's loyalty.  I guess I'll spend the year looking for the game within the game.  Maybe like - can Raphaela finally stabilize a porous Boston defense, while they put him at CF or at 2B.  The little things.