Emoji Lookout Eyes Galore

They say there’s nothing new under the sun, but now we know that’s not true. We’ve not only seen Shohei Ohtani sign the biggest contract in the history of sports, but then also defer a mind-boggling amount of it to play for a mere $2 million per year.

So there’s that. We knew, though, that the Red Sox weren’t going to sign him, right? No matter what was said about his desire to be close to New Balance headquarters, that dream was never real. I’m not upset at all about Shohei.

Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

Craig Breslow struck fairly quickly with a couple of bang-bang moves. There was the only semi-shocking trade of Alex Verdugo, followed soon after by the trade for Tyler O’Neill.

And then we waited for the next moves. We waited while quite a few players came to agreements with other teams. There was:

• Andrew Chafin
• Jeimer Candelario
• Joe Kelly
• Will Smith
• Eduardo Rodriguez
• Tyler Glasnow
• Jack Flaherty

Hell, Seth Lugo has had several days to cruise around the KC suburbs with his real estate agent by now. (I mean, if he wanted to. I don’t know what he’s doing. This is how rumors get started.)

I’m not saying all of these players would have been a better—or even a good—fit for the Sox. But they’re all players we can’t have anymore. And I’m starting to have the uncomfortable feeling that I’ve been here before. There is nothing new under the sun.

Hearing promises, then reports of various discussions, then a lot of watching and waiting while other players find homes—and we begin to rummage in the castoff bins. Wait, again?!

Because I really started to have déjà-vu when I heard this: Cooper Criswell, owner of a 5.73 ERA in 2023, was signed by the Sox for the low, low price of $1 million after being designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto seems farther away every day. So does Jordan Montgomery. And Blake Snell. And what about our second baseman? Shoot.

It’s still too early to go into “fool me twice, shame on me” mode, right? But I find myself warily starting to unpack my things and settle in here.

“This is just me being impatient. Stop jumping to conclusions.” – Things I tell myself

Please let me be wrong about this. Sometimes I really love to be wrong.