I see the Sox as a team that will most likely finish anywhere from 1-4 games over .500. But this is all dependent on the health of the starting pitching. I am under the belief that they have one of if not one of the strongest young cores in baseball, and they should gamble on them to help them win a World Series. With a veteran signing or two, I think that in the next couple seasons, they can become a real contender.
Tender all except Goins. There will be room for more eligible hitters on the bench and we already have a star defender infield reserve (Yolmer/Madrigal).
Decline Castillo. I think McCann is a great player to build around and Collins will be elite soon enough.
Try to retain Abreu. He seems to be getting better with age and is a instrumental piece in the clubhouse.
I think since we are in need of a legit ace, Gerrit Cole would be a perfect signing considering he is only 28. Maybe 7 years in the ballpark of $157.5M (22.5M/yr). Although that I would be happy with this signing alone, if they wanted to bring in a veteran bat like JD Martinez, I would like that too, maybe 3 years, $40M (16M/yr).
I don’t think trades are necessary, but if we flop on the FA market, maybe go for a Jack Flaherty or a Max Fried type pitcher for maybe Dane Dunning, Yermín Mercedes, and Danny Mendick? Not really a sound trade but it’s the best that I can come up with.
So in conclusion, the 26-man:
Pitching Staff:
P Gerrit Cole
P Lucas Giolito
P Michael Kopech
P Reynaldo Lopez
P Dylan Cease
Bullpen:
LRP Carlos Rodon (But he can replace the starters as well)
LRP Josh Osich
MRP Carson Fulmer
MRP Jimmy Cordero
MRP Aaron Bummer
SU Evan Marshall
CP Alex Cólome
Position Players (In no particular order):
C James McCann
C Zack Collins
1B José Abreu
2B Yolmer Sánchez
2B Nick Madrigal
3B Yóan Moncada
SS Tim Anderson
LF Eloy Jimenez
CF Luis Robert
RF JD Martinez
UTIL
OF Adam Engel
OF/SS Leury García
INF Ryan Goins (if arb)
3B/1B Jake Burger
