How I would approach the deadline (GM Sim 2025)

So just to get right into it, the GM sim has cancelled this year. This post is just going to be me giving my thoughts on how I would approach the offseason.

1. This team needs another bat in the OF. Someone who can long side platoon RF. My preference would be someone who can also slip nicely into CF next season after Thomas walks. I also want a meaningful upgrade on Brennan, who is sporting a 99 WRC+ the last 2 years vs RHP. Guys who fit that are as follows:

Nootbaar - this is my preference. 3 years of control. Can play all three OF positions competently. No real significant splits. About a 120 WRC+ each way. I would trade Chase DL for him straight up. Yes. I would. Chase won't be playing CF, and has a what, 10-20% chance of being as good as Nootbaar is? I'll take the proven CF bat for 3 years vs the 15% chance he is just as good but can only play RF prospect. All day every day.

Duran - Would also welcome this, but I am not sure the reports that he is "sort of available" are true, plus I think his cost would be way more than Nootbaar.

Abreu - The other Boston name floating around as "sort of available". Also not sure I buy it, but he would be cheaper. He also has some experience in CF, so I can squint and see him fitting in CF. Not ideal though because although he is great vs RHP (130 WRC+ last 2 years) he is unplayable vs LHP. Would need to have a CF platoon next year and I have no idea who partners with him? Freeman? the career 85 WRC+ vs LHP? meh. I'd rather Nootbaar and not get fancy with stuff.

Tauchman - Could work. 112 WRC+ vs RHP the last 2 years, so a bit of an upgrade on Brennan. Can play CF as well. No splits. Only 2 years of control. This seems more likely than Abreu tbh, but Nootbaar is certainly "my guy"

Chase for Nootbaar straight up gives us this lineup:

Bo (C), Naylor (1B), Gimenez (2B), Rocchio (SS), Ramirez (3B), Nootbaar (RF), Thomas (LF), Kwan (RF), with a rotating DH and a bench of Manzardo, Noel, Hedges, with likely Brennan as the 5th OFer and one of Schneeman, Freeman, Martinez as the MI backup. I don't mind this at all.

Mike Yastrzemski would be my 1 year stopgap preferred option if they couldn't get a longer term solution in RF/CF

2. Pitching. Obviously. I would personally want at least 2 SP, if not three. This is how I would approach it.

Bieber - I'd be fine with a 1 or a 2 year deal. 1/10M with incentives based on number of innings or starts or something. Sure. 2/28M (8M this year, 20M next year or something) is also something I would sign up for. I would be pushing hard for him to be one of the three that I land. If I did not land Bieber, I would not be trying for a 3rd pitcher to land, as Bieber is more of my "ace in the sleeve" guy who comes back in June or so and pushes whoever is the #5 down to minors or DFA limbo and makes the rotation elite.

Steele + Tallion - This is the other massive trade I'd be looking at making. Steele is under control for 3 more seasons and is a great pitcher. Tallion is completely under water. I have no idea if CHC would be interested in something like this, but I do wonder if they would want to shed some salary so they could go after a Fried or a Burnes in FA as I am hearing they want to do. I would offer Clase + Straw + McKenzie for Steele and Tallion. We'd be taking on 25M, but shedding 14M, so only actually taking on 11M. CHC save 11M, get an elite closer, take on Straw money just to make the money work better for us a bit, and also get a wild card in McKenzie who is mostly just a roster casualty at this point as he has no options.

Doing these three things would make me extremely happy. The BP is still pretty damn good imo, even with regression baked in. You could also turn around and try and sign say Kirby Yates who is projected to get a 1/10M. Rotation would be Steele, Bibee, Tallion, Williams, Lively to start, with Bieber coming back and pusing either Williams to AAA or Lively to DFA land. Depth is Cantillo, Allen and whoever gets added for R5 reasons.

If that trade didn't work, I'd be looking at free agents. I don't see anyone else on the trade market as being good fits. SEA has loads of options but I don't see aligning with us based on needs since they need batting just as we do.

FA that I would target are: Boyd, Pivetta, Heaney, Buehler