Q/A With Subscribers

This community is something that I really appreciate. I, along with

Baseball Scoops

, have been doing this for almost 5 years and it’s awesome to see how this community continues to grow. I am grateful for everyone who follows and reads. I asked a few of my subscribers to submit a few baseball related questions and I answered them to the best of my ability. Hope you enjoy!

The Sox have a real logjam in the outfield for 2026. Between Duran, Rafaela, Anthony, Abreu, Yoshida, Refsnyder, and Garcia. Who stays and who goes? - Stan M.

I have a feeling the answer to this question will change over the course of the offseason and different groups of the fan base will have different answers. The definite lock for 2026 is Roman Anthony. He has mainly played right field but depending on who they keep, maybe he shifts to left field. I think Rafaela is likely to be on next year’s team because I believe the front office LOVES his defense. With center field being such a difficult position to play at Fenway Park, Rafaela would be hard to replace.

I think the trade conversation will once again come down to Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu. With Abreu being three years younger with one additional year of team control (4 total), he’s the guy that I think has the most trade value. I think Abreu can be the main big league piece in a trade for a legit starting pitcher along with a minor league package. Duran is one of the leaders on this team and maybe the favorite player amongst the fan base. Moving him would be hard for the organization to sell this team is trying to improve for 2026.

If the Red Sox can find a taker for the remaining two years of Yoshida’s contract, even if it’s just half of the money, I think you make that move. I am not sure they will be willing to eat the $37.5M that is still on his deal. The Red Sox will have to wait and see if Rob Refsnyder wants to play again next season but I would be willing to bring him back as a fourth or fifth outfielder. Jhostynxon Garcia is someone I would look to trade this offseason. He had a breakout season in this year in the minors, especially when he got to Triple-A. The power is legit but the strikeout rate (28.9% in AAA) is something that he may not be able to overcome at the big league level. I think Boston should maximize on his trade value this offseason and include him in a package for someone that will help impact next year’s roster.

If the Red Sox actually get in, can they make a run? - Frank R.

The answer is yes. My confidence in that statement would be drastically higher if Roman Anthony was healthy and leading off. However, the biggest area of strength right now for this Red Sox team is their pitching. And pitching wins in October. Boston has a legitimate ace in Garrett Crochet. He can go up against any other team’s ace and you feel like the Red Sox are going to win that day. Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello are wild cards but they have shown for extended periods this season that they can shut down really good offenses.

My main reason for saying yes is due to the Red Sox bullpen. Boston has the second best bullpen ERA in baseball. That’s something Red Sox fans are not accustomed to, especially after the last few seasons. They have the best 1-2 punch at the back of the bullpen in Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman. Both have postseason experience with Chapman having a ton of big game experience. After Justin Slaten’s dominant 7th inning Friday night against Tampa Bay, it appears like he is back to being himself after the elbow injury and could make a nasty trio of relievers with Whitlock and Chapman. I also like the left-handed options in Justin Wilson and Steven Matz. This bullpen has a chance to shorten games and take a lot of pressure off of the starters. If Boston is going to make a run, their pitching is going to carry them.

Of the teams that are in the playoff hunt, which team is the biggest sleeper? - Francisco G.

Call me crazy but I feel like it’s the New York Mets. They have been one of the worst teams in the sport in the second half and if the season ended today they would be watching the playoffs. But when you look at that lineup, it’s full of experienced players who have had big moments in October before. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo are all really good hitters and they have a lot of guys who can hit the ball out of the ballpark. Their pitching has a ton of questions but if their offense can get hot, it’s good enough to carry them. Everybody has written them off. And that makes them dangerous.

Can the Red Sox actually afford to drop Masataka Yoshida? - Alex J.

Yes. The Boston Red Sox can afford to eat $18.6M for the next two seasons because FSG is loaded with money. It’s not a good financial decision to just let $37.5M run right out the door but FSG should be about winning. We have seen them make a bunch of bad, big money deals over the years (Rusney Castillo, Pablo Sandoval, David Price). Eventually, you just have to move on and admit the deal didn’t work. With that said, it could affect how aggressive this team is in the offseason because if staying under the luxury tax or under the second luxury tax is a nonnegotiable, it makes Craig Breslow’s job that more challenging this winter. FSG made so much money while the team was careful with their money from ‘22-’24. It’s time to commit to winning just as much as FSG has with Liverpool soccer.

Who is the better pitcher, Garrett Crochet or Tarik Skubal?

- Allison H.

It’s difficult for me to hold out my bias in this question because I watch every single one of Crochet’s starts. The honest answer is both pitchers are extremely close in almost every category. Both pitchers are workhorses in a time when starting pitchers seem lucky to pitch 150 innings. Crochet has thrown 197 innings and Skubal has thrown 189 innings. Both pitchers are elite at missing bats. Crochet leads baseball with 249 strikeouts and Skubal has 233. Where Skubal has Crochet beat is in ERA (Skubal: 2.23, Crochet 2.69), BB/9 (Skubal: 1.4, Crochet 2.1) and HR/9 (Skubal: 0.9, Crochet: 1.1). If I had to pick between the two, I’d pick Skubal because this is the second consecutive season he has been CY caliber. But both pitchers are extremely talented and could be leading the CY race in the AL for the foreseeable future.

Send More Questions!

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