Mojo Dojo Casas House: Boston Red Sox 2024

Because there are more deals to come, I can’t camp out in the hot stove thread, and because Cotillo published this interesting list of 24 predictions.

My favourites:

18. Curt Schilling is told to stay home when the 2004 team reunites at Fenway. Already a pariah, Schilling’s decision to publicly reveal Wakefield’s battle with cancer just days before his death may have been the last straw in his relationship with the Red Sox. There will be 2004 teammates who will be strongly against honoring Schilling, despite his massive role in that championship.

20. Kyle Teel is the first of the “big three” prospects to debut. Teel will tear up Double-A, get a quick promotion to Triple-A and be knocking on the door of the majors by the deadline. Connor Wong will cede the job by the end of the year. Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony will wait until 2025.

24. Alex Cora manages his last game in a Red Sox uniform. Either they play poorly and Breslow wants to go in another direction or they play well enough to make teams want to pay Cora handsomely in free agency. Both outcomes could lead to his departure, potentially for a big market team in New York or Los Angeles. Craig Counsell will get a large Edible Arrangement from Caguas.

4. Adam Duvall comes back but James Paxton and Justin Turner sign elsewhere. None of Boston’s top three free agents have signed yet. That could change quickly. Duvall’s market has been quiet and it feels like he may be had for cheap late in the winter. He was a great fit for Fenway and could return as a DH option... especially if he can play first base to give Triston Casas some rest against lefties. The Red Sox have talked to Paxton about a return but it looks like the Mariners are in play for him again. It’s all but certain Turner goes elsewhere. His market is similar to that of old friend J.D. Martinez.

5. Bobby Dalbec is finally traded. In December, Alex Cora went out of his way to talk about Dalbec having a role on the major league team next season but considering the history, that’s hard to believe. Breslow will do right by the player and finally give him a chance in another organization.

1. Bello becomes a full-blown stud

2. Casas is even better this year. Some ups and downs but basically both halves look like last year's second half. Legit scary territory

3. Jansen is mediocre and eventually traded for a bag of baseballs

4. Pablito becomes the new Brock Holt and is basically everybody's favourite player

more after the break

Re 3 they are looking to trade him rn

Also, Jarren Duran feels like someone they could trade and I cannot imagine a city a right wing guy like him would hate more than Seattle

Proud single father Trevor Story and his large adult sons.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GDmGm-mWYAAcwD2?format=jpg&name=900x900

where tf is Raffy

He’s not a young infielder? Like was supposed to be for minor league guys but Casas & Grissom supposedly wanted to go. It’s unfortunate that Mayer’s not there but they probably don’t want him at unofficial camp with him finishing the season injured last year.

Raffy needs it as much as anybody plus cmon man the vibes demand it

Idc, he’s got two young kids, who knows what’s going on with him

A day before the club’s Rookie Development Program media availability, Anthony, Mayer and Yorke took in the scene of flurries at Fenway Park. For California natives like Mayer and Yorke, it was their first time seeing snowfall.

Welcome to Boston.

“Just the walk back from here to the hotel, I almost slipped four or five times because I’ve never had to deal with ice on the sidewalk before,” Yorke, 21, said. “So it’s super new to me.”

“I woke up in the morning, and I looked out my window, as I usually do, and I saw snow everywhere and was like ‘This is crazy,’ ” Mayer, 21, said. “It was awesome, I was making snowballs, all that little kid stuff, enjoying the snow, but yeah it was cool.”

Thanks, I hate this

Turner and his representatives reached out, but could not get the Red Sox interested enough to engage in talks. He will be a significant, needed addition for the Jays https://t.co/gEa18aQjRY

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) January 31, 2024

Perhaps the biggest deal of the off-season?!

https://www.sportico.com/personalities/executives/2024/theo-epstein-returns-to-fenway-1234765152/

Epstein leaves his role as a special consultant to MLB with the move to FSG, but he will continue to informally serve the league’s competition and on-field committees. The special advisor role is part time, allowing Epstein to continue as an operating partner to sports-focused private equity group Arctos Partners, which has an investment in FSG.

…

On the baseball side, Epstein says he’ll act as a sounding board and executive coach, if needed, to the Red Sox baseball operations people. Notably, he hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow while at the Cubs. “I’m a full believer in him and what he and his team are going to mean for the Red Sox,” Epstein said of Breslow, who joined the Red Sox in October. “With the other sports, where I have a lot to learn, hopefully my experience not only with teams but with Major League Baseball and with private equity will come in handy, at least as a supportive resource for the people at FSG.”

I need to brush up on my Theo lore…only learned the gorilla suit thing recently

This is going to be such a train wreck. I can’t wait.

MLB announced today that a Netflix documentary crew will be following the Red Sox throughout the 2024 season.

It's been a project in the works since 2021.

More details here: https://t.co/gUAQGcLe6t

— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) February 7, 2024

oh my god.

cold open with Kennedy and Warner getting booed off the stage at Winter Weekend in Boston obv

Story Camp

this is going to be incredible

They don’t have final cut!

Of course, we all know who’s going to be the star(s) of this show

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F2LZahLXQAAjllO?format=jpg&name=large

Imagine if they call up Marcelo in September.

Sox Nation is going to collectively melt into a little puddle and then drown in his eyes

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFvo6z3WsAAXQOq?format=jpg&name=large

4 potentially great teams in the AL East and Netflix buddies up with the Red Sox...

For sure it'll be entertaining, I guess the best one to choose if you want drama

lmao those incredibly genuine “quotes”

Pivetta was the MLBPA rep who negotiated it!

Hopefully we get lots of shots of Trevor doing his stretches

Watched The Franchise last year, from 2011, and an underrated bit of these kinds of things are moments like this:

Amazing clip of Bruce Bochy telling Brandon Belt he made the team in 2012 🥲

"If you need a beer, grab a beer." pic.twitter.com/HuqL4tTlkN

— KNBR (@KNBR) January 11, 2023

Btw it’s underrated how fucking adorable Raffy is every time they mic him up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeRkiFBzZSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHtNAvTauCM

iirc Cora says he's not drinking these days, or at least not as much.

I'm stoked for the 2004 doc as well but i hope there's a cache of HD/film footage out there that hasn't been seen à la Last Dance, rather than, i dunno, AI-upscaled broadcast footage. i mean of course i will watch the hell out of it regardless.

They should adapt that Athletic article about the Idiots except there’d be too much nudity

in another decade we'll just be able to feed that article into a an AI as a prompt and we'll get the entire doc. you choose the nudity level.

“Constant”
https://i.postimg.cc/63wY6Dmx/IMG-4991.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/4yxPVpG8/IMG-4992.jpg

See if you can get the Mojo Dojo and Mojo Nixon threads right next to each other today.

Story Camp!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbHvkDUjfR0

The most coveted title of Story Camp: Knockout Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/5d1F5onwtK

— Red Sox (@RedSox) February 8, 2024

Vaughan Grissom looks like a fun hang

The right side of the infield is just going to be bro central

Alex Cora suggested that he sees a full season of Story as a reason to expect a significant defensive upgrade this year. His range to his right and cross-body arm strength are both in an obviously excellent place at the start of spring training. pic.twitter.com/Je8xh9e5Ru

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) February 13, 2024

Lucas Giolito didn’t know that former White Sox teammate Liam Hendriks was signing with the Sox until this morning when Hendriks texted him asking where he was and told him “I’m in the breakfast room.”

— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) February 19, 2024

Spring training gives us the best Content

Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock: Tigger/Eeyore/Bird of Prey/Koala/Black Bear/Winnie the Pooh/Dug

Houck deviated from the pack with his initial answer. “Honestly, I’m more like a cartoon character,” he said. “I’m like Tigger.”

If Houck is Tigger, then what would his closest friend on the team, Whitlock, be?

“I think he’s Eeyore,” Houck said with a chuckle. “I’m all over the place and he’s just kind of like –”
Whitlock chose that exact moment to amble over. The pitchers’ lockers are next to one another.
“I’m saying how I’m Tigger and you’re Eeyore,” Houck told Whitlock. “Especially at 7 o’clock in the morning, I’m definitely Tigger and he’s definitely Eeyore. Until you get coffee in him, he’s definitely Eeyore.”

“Eeyore?” Whitlock exclaimed, equal parts outrage and amusement.

“Until you get coffee in you, yes!” Houck responded.
“I mean, yes, Tigger is right for you,” Whitlock said.
Then, Martin walked over and told them he was a giraffe.

“Giraffes makes sense,” Whitlock said. “I’m a bird of prey.”

Because he’s going to be feasting on batters this season? “Oh jeez,” Whitlock said.

“I mean, that’s what you said you were,” Houck said with a grin.

“Birds of prey, they’re sometimes solitary, but huge family values and they always mate for life,” Whitlock said. “I’ll go red-tailed hawk, because that’s what we have in Georgia.”

“Wow, you really went deep on that,” Houck said.
Then, another pivot. “Now that I think about it, honestly I might be more of a koala,” Whitlock said. “I love these questions.”

“I’m a bear, because a bear always wants honey,” Houck said, pivoting as well. “I like sweets, I like Sour Patch Kids, Mike ‘n Ikes –”

“I think he’s a good black bear, because they’re not scary,” Whitlock said of Houck. “Grizzlies, you run away.”

Or perhaps Houck is Yogi Bear.

“Hey there, Boo Boo! I think I found a pic-a-nic basket!” Whitlock said, mimicking the cartoon character’s voice perfectly.

“I don’t know what I am,” Houck said.
“You said I was Eeyore,” an affronted Whitlock replied. “What the heck? I’m a depressed donkey?”
“He’s just low-energy sometimes,” Houck said. “Like you, before you have your coffee.”
“I mean, that’s true,” Whitlock agreed.

Postscript: The following morning, Whitlock told the Herald that after much discussion between the pitchers, Houck was the golden retriever Dug, from the movie “Up.”

Let’s hope he doesn’t get called up till next year

.@RedSox top prospect Marcelo Mayer spoke with @SamDykstraMiLB about rebounding from last year's shoulder injury and the adjustments he's made. #MLBTonight | @MLBPipeline pic.twitter.com/x6yLw7UphZ

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 5, 2024

I love him

Red Sox born & raised. pic.twitter.com/gzQodZjDUg

— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 7, 2024

TIL it’s bay-o

You should watch this, it’s the canonical Bello video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNuOnnQNPk8

https://i.postimg.cc/SsVRQhJK/IMG-6603.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/zvBBVcgF/IMG-6604.jpg

Proud dad Pedro

https://i.postimg.cc/65qjdz7W/IMG-6774.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/hGLpS5Yr/IMG-6775.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/q7V1HT1q/IMG-6776.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/JzBpFncS/IMG-6777.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GJCWRenXMAA2djm?format=jpg&name=large
Cook!

at Seattle! What a day for you. :)

Don’t even talk to me about split loyalties here, it was hard enough being simultaneously happy and sad (ok mostly happy) when Casas hit that Barry Bonds home run in SF last year.

at 24 years & 316 days old, Brayan Bello will be the 4th-youngest Opening Day SP for the Red Sox in the last 85 seasons, older than only:

1979 Dennis Eckersley: 24 y, 184 d
1961 Bill Monbouquette: 24 y, 243 d
1995 Aaron Sele: 24 y, 305 d https://t.co/oXXZUNZ5R9

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 19, 2024

Also, please let Trevor Story be great, he’s been making plays like this since he came back from injury

.@Tstory2 makes it look easy 😎 pic.twitter.com/rjtu6VQ1R8

— MLB (@MLB) March 19, 2024

That 'thing' on Isaiah Campbell's face is a thing of beauty. Can't even focus on his pitching when he's got that thing staring at you. That's a +1war stache

Doesn’t look like Bello had his best stuff last night but he still pitched five innings and gave up 2 earned runs (off a Haniger home run). No walks.

Stats was talking last year that Bello’s fastball was unusually hittable:

Last season, Bello threw 362 four seam fastballs to left-handed batters. They batted .333 with 8 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, and a .704 SLG against that pitch.

In his final spring training start, 1 of his 91 pitches was a four seamer.

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) March 29, 2024

No four seamers from Bello tonight. pic.twitter.com/QZmW2x2z8v

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) March 29, 2024

The season is officially back pic.twitter.com/34Y3CX5pXv

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) March 29, 2024

Also, Joely remains TERRIBLE, I have no idea why he made the roster over Bernie and I hope they cut bait on him sooner rather than later.

yeah i do not understand that either

i was reading that about bello’s fastball a couple of days ago. on the one, great that he’s adjusting, on the other hand, major league pitchers without a fastball are kind of a rare bird these days. the 0 walks is probably my favourite stat of the night

Watching it back both NESN and WEEI were saying Duran was distracting Casas and he didn’t look happy if you watch the bottom of the ninth back. Story’s like, you’re on your own bro, if he wants to eat you I can’t do anything about that.
https://i.postimg.cc/QdkyfGMK/IMG-8213.jpg

And that Rafaela triple! Ceddy/Story/Duran/O’Neill are going to be menaces on the basepaths and it’s fun. Especially impressed cos Cal Raleigh really is good at throwing runners out.

Yes, this. pic.twitter.com/CEQYoA07Sx

— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 29, 2024

- get Joely Rodriguez off this team and Bernie back ASAP
- Casas & Story both have timing slightly off, feelsbadman.jpg (though it’s literal March)
- need Grissom off the IL ASAP
- Cora’s continued inability to manage a bullpen in high leverage
- Devers pls don’t be out too long
- Abreu nightmare game :(

However:

+ can this team actually defend now? The starters look good!
+ the pitching. The pitching! 3 ER over 16 innings.
+ Trevor Story in the field
+ Ceddy just incredibly special
+ the speed on the basepaths is night and day
+ provisional YES on Tyler O’Neill

However

The Dunedin Police Department’s scanner on February 7, 2020 pic.twitter.com/IwJ8uzFjX7

— Pod On Lansdowne (@PodOnLansdowne) March 31, 2024

This is so cute, sorry if this offends. Masa is so loved, I’m always seeing guys hugging him

what is happening lol pic.twitter.com/YaQ2bw8o17

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) April 2, 2024

Kenley doing Kenley things

(unable to throw strikes against the *checks notes* bottom of the A's lineup)

Kenley is playing through a back strain atm iirc and also closed out the first game last night which was like 16 hours between outings for him. It was ugly but the man got it done. I don’t think they put him in there if they didn’t use most of the pen yesterday.

I have no idea how people suffer a full season of baseball. I couldn’t even look at gameday during the bottom of the ninth; I was sitting on the bed checking my phone’s lockscreen for a message from my friend telling me the game was over, while my husband* was following on his iPad and gleefully going “oh no he’s walked someone, double play? Oh no force out…” It’s rough, man, but an ugly scraped out win still counts just the same.

* he also watched my Spanish flu era king George Kirby get knocked around by the Guardians before turning to me and going “What is this, an all-hitter?” Who’d follow this fucking game?!

I love this trend, keep going Craig

Red Sox are in agreement with Ceddanne Rafaela on a contract extension, source tells MassLive.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 8, 2024

interesting look at the red sox consciously reducing fastball usage: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/not-so-fast-red-sox-cut-fastballs-in-new-approach/

Didn't reduce quickly enough to prevent Pivetta from hitting the IL. :-(

I’m glad you’re happy, Steve

:-( <> :-)

story out for the season

We know

I’m at opening day! I accidentally bought a ticket to tomorrow’s game first, so I guess I’m going to that one too

lol

This game is very boring to watch, I’m just glad Grissom will be back soon and I hopefully never have to see Valdez play 2nd again. If they move Rafaela to short they might be cooking. Nice to see Bello doing well, especially in the day.

*Sox commentator talks about Columbe having a teal glove and whether or not it goes with the Orioles’ black and orange.*

User Sharivari, as bored by this game as I am: teal and orange is a classic combo, man doesn’t know what he’s talking about

teal and black...the color combo that launched 1,000 expansion team unis in the 90s.

Tbf they then brought up in a latter inning the teal glove is because his child is autistic and he is active in autism awareness and education(teal being associated with that), which I liked learning.

I love Story so much, this hurts. I wanted a great year for him more than anyone.

Trevor Story just spoke for about 5 minutes. He was in tears, and had to pause several times to collect himself.

— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) April 9, 2024

teal and black...the color combo that launched 1,000 expansion team unis in the 90s.

― j.q higgins, Tuesday, April 9, 2024 2:37 PM bookmarkflaglink

San Jose Sharks have entered the chat.

Scenes from the postgame clubhouse: Trevor Story in tears at the thought of missing the year, Jarren Duran punching his locker and pronouncing repeatedly that he (expletive) sucks for dropping the flyball.

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) April 9, 2024

We're all like Jarren Duran sometimes fr fr

Hard watch. I feel so bad for him.

Anyone who rips players for getting hurt or is ripping Trevor Story today ... watch this. If you're still unsure after, you'd score a N/A on an EKG https://t.co/dM4lmWoIDp

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 10, 2024

just in case tracer didn't see dayo post this on the broadcasters thread:

IT'S HERE
IT'S FOUND

21 yrs ago I was a NESN truck intern watching Jerry relentlessly roast Don over what a lunar eclipse is. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard to this day. Enjoy the best six min of your week. (Enormous h/t to @sidsethupathi)

--> https://t.co/OCzRzDL0ak

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) April 9, 2024

aw thank you

JUSTIN
SLATEN

JUSTIN
SLATEN!!!!!

JUSTIN SLATEN

this young moose

Cash considerations and a minor league arm for this guy, what a steal

xp when you write moose I just assume you mean Casas

not sure if I'll be able to post pre-game so now will have to do...

Happy Patriots Day!

wink and kenley: just not good enough

hamilton, joely and bobby d: not even major league baseball players

everybody else i’m pretty happy about. despite what happened today abreyu is a sick player, love him

I love Abreu too. Special guy.

bobby dalbec is now 1-for-30 with 18 strikeouts

could i do better? no. but i wouldn't be *much* worse

He was getting absolutely rinsed by Massholes. Feel he didn’t really help himself with his “It’s not a slump” comment

pic.twitter.com/qCSok6kpz8

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) April 19, 2024

Cotillo prediction from January looking very good rn

15. Wilyer Abreu exceeds Alex Verdugo’s production in right field. As difficult as Verdugo was at times, the Red Sox wouldn’t have traded him if they weren’t supremely confident in Abreu’s ability to step into the right field position. As of now, that’s the plan. Abreu will have a better offensive season than Verdugo did a year ago.

He’s a fuxking MLB baseball player that’s for damn sure

He was such a guy today. We were thrilled watching him and he is only going to get better. Elite eye and he’s got pop and a great arm too.

left maybe not his natural position - he got fooled on a couple of reads - but always managed to recover

Cora is playing him in right but said they put him in left cos of the size of the outfield there

Carpenters who rose again in their early 30s pic.twitter.com/e84LENx1bP

— Liam Fennessy (@LiamFennessy_) April 21, 2024

Rafael Devers:

"I don’t know how people outside the organization see us but I think we’re a very capable group. We have very young talent here. They’re doing their job, stepping up and it’s very positive for us to win despite all the injuries."

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 25, 2024

I intended to post this anyway but I’m definitely doing it to annoy Tom D (who I love!) now

OH MY, ABREU! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/jl4d9XbGtK

— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 29, 2024

even with all the bullpen meltdowns, the red sox lead the MLB in team ERA by almost half a run

Plus four starters on the IL. Can we do some drooling over rule 5 superstar Justin Slaten itt please? He is A Guy.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GMdWuwTWAAAVU8K?format=jpg&name=large

He looks like he's from the 1970s and his name is like Jeff Beerbohm