October 2024 Survey Results
2,390 total responses…
The Red Sox are an estimated $65M under the $241M CBT threshold for 2025. Do you expect the team to enter next season with a payroll higher than $241M?
14% — YES
86% — NO
Which best fits your ideal plan for the Red Sox offseason?
41% — Just spend money on pitching and keep all the position players
32% — Make painful, blockbuster trade investments into pitching
21% — Make smaller trades for pitching and spend to the CBT
5% — Want something totally different from listed options
1% — One year deals in free agency and keep developing
A qualifying offer is projected to be $21.2M this winter. The player can then accept that one-year offer, or reject and have a draft pick attached to their free agency. Who would you give a qualifying offer to?
Tyler O’Neill — 60% YES
Nick Pivetta — 22% YES
42% of respondents don’t believe Masataka Yoshida fits the roster. 15% would like him as the Red Sox DH in 2025. The majority 43% are indifferent to whatever the Red Sox plans for Yoshida are.
47% would like to see the Red Sox DH be a right-handed slugger. 20% are in favor of a Raffy Devers shift to DH, and 17% would like to see players shuffled through the spot. 11% want to stick with Yoshida, and the remaining 5% wrote in responses for “other.”
Justin Slaten’s 40% edged out Liam Hendriks’ 38% as the current favorite to open next season as Red Sox closer. Garrett Whitlock collected the majority of remaining votes, with 16%.
Marcelo Mayer received the most votes when it came to which of the Big 4 you’d most be willing to trade, collecting half the tallies. Kyle Teel and Kristian Campbell evenly split nearly all the remaining votes, and only a handful of people are most willing to move Roman Anthony.
If the Big 4 are all in the organization next March, 32% believe they are all opening the season in Triple-A, and 31% believe more than one are making the Red Sox opening day roster. Anthony only received 21% and Campbell only 11%. Only a small amount of votes for the other options.
67% of people are fine with Connor Wong opening next season as starting catcher, with a replacement level backup, and Teel in Triple-A. 23% believe Wong and Teel should open next season as the Red Sox catching tandem. 7% believe Wong should be replaced with a different starting catcher, and only 3% believe that Teel should open next season as Boston’s starting catcher.
If the Red Sox believe they can acquire a pitcher who is an ace, or could soon be an ace, would you be ok with trading Jarren Duran?
37% — Yes, that makes sense for the team
36% — Hesitantly yes
19% — Probably no
8% — No, I want him unavailable in trades
59% of voters want Ceddanne Rafaela as the full-time center fielder going forward. 30% would like him in a non-starting super utility role. 7% thinks the Red Sox should look to trade him this winter. Only small slivers of votes for playing him in the infield or sending him back to Triple-A.
The average grade for Craig Breslow’s first year 1-10 came out to a 5.1. Most respondents voted either 5 or 6, with a few more critics than high-end supporters.
A year removed from the Chaim Bloom era, where do you stand now?
31% – Thought it was good, still think the same
27% – Thought it was good, now looks a bit better
21% – Thought it was bad, now looks a bit better
9% – Thought it was bad, still think the same
8% – Indifferent then and now
3% – Thought it was good, now a bit worse
1% – Thought it was bad, now looks a bit worse
Should Wilyer Abreu be used in trade offers this winter?
72% — YES
28% — NO
Should the Red Sox offer a $200M+ mega contract to Corbin Burnes?
28% — YES
62% — NO
Last year, Merloni led as favorite NESN game analyst with 60% of the vote, this year he has increased his support to 68%. Middlebrooks and Youkilis have equal amount of support, with Millar collecting only a few percentage points.
Dave O’Brien’s overall rating as NESN play by play man came out to 5.3. The majority of his votes landed in the 5-7 range, but there were far more critics than strong supporters.
If it were up to you, would you swap out Dave O'Brien for Mike Monaco as NESN play-by-play man?
68% — YES
24% — INDIFFERENT
8% — NO
Are you happy the Red Sox wore their home whites and road grays far more frequently in 2024?
48% — YES
39% — I don’t care about uniform choices
13% — NO
How would you describe your passion for the Red Sox?
43% – Strong, but not near previous levels
36% – As strong as it ever was
12% — Fading slowly and steadily
6% – There is a level of apathy setting in
3% – Other… with the majority writing in about hatred towards ownership
Triston Casas is 4 years away from free agency, should the Red Sox try to sign him long-term this winter?
79% — YES
21% — NO
Should Triston Casas be used in trade offers for starting pitching?
16% — YES
84% — NO
Ken Rosenthal wrote about an idea for the Red Sox to trade Casas, sign Alex Bregman, and rearrange the infield.
9% — Like the idea
91% — Hate the idea