Sale-ing Away

I know, I'm so clever with the title, right?

It came to my attention that I haven't commented on any of the big news coming from the Red Sox this offseason, and I'm sure you were all waiting and wondering what I think. So, here we go.

A new GM. Or baseball ops cheif, or whatever title Chaim Bloom used to have and is not somewhat covered by a position Craig Breslow now has. I never had that much of a problem with Bloom. I did think he had a flaw Theo had where he was a bit to willing to ride it out with his guys. In 2011 Theo made the calculated gamble to patch holes with his prospects instead of trading them for help, assuming the Sox would still win just enough to keep them in the playoffs. He was a game off. I saw Bloom as the same. Rather than trade guys to fill holes from injuries, he hoped to tread water until they came back. Bloom was similar. Rather than get replacements for Story or Sale, he hoped he could tread water until they returned. But, all the injuries seemed to linger forever, and he got bit. As far as roster construction, he didn't seem that far off. So, as disappointed as I was to see him go, I was glad to see a Theo guy in Breslow come take his place. Honestly, with Theo's endorsement, I'm shocked there were other choices. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if all the other options that "turned down" the Sox really turned them down by saying, "Aren't you going with Breslow?" Sort of like when Billy bean turned down the Sox and told them they had that Theo kid anyway. So I was very happy to see what Breslo could do.

He didn't waste much time by trading Alex Verdugo. He was a solid borderline all-star, but losing him doesn't seem like the end of the world. The Sox seem more than happy to go with their young outfielders, and I can't argue against that. Some combination of them should be able to fill in for things just fine.

Breslow wisely avoided the Ohtani/Yamamoto circus. I didn't want any part of either of those contracts.

The Sox were, however, to add Lucas Giolito to the rotation. While not as flashy, he's exactly what the Red Sox were missing. A guy you can count on to go out there and be good. He'll keep you in the game until it get in the bullpen. All the time. It's one of those things where you may not even notice. But, halfway through the season things just seem better, and you can't quite put your finget on it. Until you notice that last year the #3 starter went 4 innings giving up 4 runs, and Giolito is always going 5 and 3. Just that solid performance you need. Of course, he also has much more upside than that. If he can find his previous form, that would go a long way. He has a great floor, and a great ceiling.

Of course, the biggest news is the trade of Chris Sale. I'm amazed that when after the Giolito acquisition if mock rotations put Sale at the top and everyone responded with "he's not an ace anymore". If the rotation went Bello-Giolito-Sale, people would complain that Sale would never be healthy enough for that spot. But, now that he's been traded, he was apparently prime Pedro. Again, I like this move. Sounds like the Sox filled a position of need by getting a good young second baseman in exchange for a huge question mark. My guess is that replacing what they actually expected for Sale might not be difficult. Replacing what they "hoped for" from Sale? That might be tougher. But, there's still plenty of time to figure that one out. 

I'm excited to see how the roster fills out. This is going to be fun.

2021 Topps Stadium Club Blaster!

It's time for another blaster! Another 2021 Stadium Club one. It's been quite a while since I opened one of these on here. I wonder if there are different cards in this one. Only one way to find out, right?

Let's see how this one went!

Here's the box. I'm trying to decide how I like the recent trend of focusing on a single player on the box. On the one hand, it's clean and artistic. On the other hand...there are cards other than Christian Yelich in the box...right?

I mean even the packs have the same one player. Starting to wonder if this is a player set.

OK, we're safe. There's another player in this box! Great shot too. The ball is in the air. All of Chris Sale makes it in the shot. And the graphics aren't blocking any of the player. Near perfect.

Wow. This shot is near perfect as well. What a magnificent use of the horizontal orientation. On thing better would be if the name graphic were on the other side so it wasn't covering JD's thigh.

A third amazing shot. I guess this is a Stadium Club set after all. A wonderfully cropped show showing Xander's beaming smile. In this case, I don't mind Xander's missing legs. This shot does it all.

So, a better box than last time. But, that's not saying much. Three Red Sox cards with incredible photographs. Nothing too extraordinary though. Still always a fun box to open.

How did your box go?

2021 Topps Chrome Blaster!

Doesn't look like I've opened one of these on here yet...or I'm just forgetful. Of course, you all know what they look like already. Just like all the other Topps cards I've opened on here...but shiny! Let's see how I did!

Here we go!

The box, showing a couple players you're supposed to hope you pull.

The packs. There are lots of them, which is always exciting...until you remember there are only four cards in each one.

One of the cards was this one of Chris Sale.  Too bad he didn't pitch much for the Sox this year. The chrome shine actually makes the names harder to read. I didn't know that was possible.

Of course, neither did this guy. Interestingly, he's now back on the Sox. So...next year, will I get cards of JBJ on the Brewers while he's playing for the Sox as opposed to cards of him on the Sox while he's playing for the Brewers?

And, those are the highlights. I mean, a couple Sox cards are always nice. But, when you're going after Chrome...you're really looking for something slightly more significant. Pretty much a bust.

How did your blaster go?

2021 Topps Gypsy Queen Blaster!

It looks like this is the first time I'll be talking about this set! Always fun to include a new product. Gypsy Queen strikes me as an unnecessary product. I guess it's for people who like the old timey look, but don't like the odd card subjects you find in Allen & Ginter. So, maybe it has a role for some people.

How did I do in this box? There's only one way to find out.

Let's have a look!

Here's the box. Even that has an old feel to it.

And, the packs. Same theme.

And a Red Sox card! Not sure how I feel about an action shot in this set. I guess as the departure from A&G it makes sense. This is more of the fake old set.

Another Sox! Well, former Sox at this point. That's the risk you take with cards this late.

One of those fancy bordered parallels. Nobody I'm all that excited about. Or have even heard of. The pink is a nice color combo though.

So is the blue! Of course, I've heard of this guy. Always fun to get a Hall of Famer in your pack.

Especially when it's numbered!

All in all, a decent box. A couple Sox, a hit with the Puckett. Not sure I can expect much more.

How did your blasters go?

2021 Topps Series Two Big Blaster Break!

I'm actually assuming that these aren't called "big blasters" but I honestly don't know what else to call them. So, that's what I'm going with. The cards are the same as last time, but there's just more of them.

Let's see how it went!

Here's the box. It's apparently a Target exclusive, which is cool. I should also be on the lookout for exclusive Juan Soto cards. Good to know.

And, since the front didn't mention it, the top of the box mentions all the extra packs I'll find inside.

Just look at them all!

Chris Sale looking especially tall. 

An Arauz rookie. Great shot of number 36!

A fun throwback design of Rafael Devers. The picture captures a lot of action, but doesn't present the best face for Devers.

A nice celebration team card showing the team having a pretty good time.

A sparkly green card of some Yankee. 

A nice action shot of Matt Barnes. The horizontal format really works for this shot.

Look! It's the exclusive Juan Soto I was supposed to be looking out for. Apparently he's not kidding around. The black background is nice too. Wait, are they supposed to be black?

Or...is this a numbered variation? Well done by me!

Basic shot of Arroya batting. I think the cropping really works on this card.

Another rookie. Another crazy action photo. 

Great shot of Eovaldi staring down an opposing batter.

Michael Chavis wondering if he should take another base. I really like these "posed action" type shots. Clearly this is the middle of a play, but it's still a well composed shot.

And, then there's the opposite. As I said last time, this might be the best action shot in the set.

And we close it out with Vazquez threatening to gun down another baserunner.

So, quite the haul. Obviously, the extra packs gave extra opportunities. But, the Red Sox turnout was much appreciated, and the Soto parallel made sure it was a decent box. Very nice all-around.

Have you opened any of these?

How did it go?

2020 Topps Update Blaster!

It's time to open another blaster! This time we'll go with 2020 Topps Update! I know. I just opened one of these. You probably weren't very interested in my post about the last blaster. So, you're probably not interested in this one either. But, I'm writing about it anyway. So there. How'd I do? Let's see!

Here are the highlights...

Here's what the box looks like after it's been opened. It looks a like what it looks like before it's opened.

Again, I enjoy the substitute for the all-star cards. Going back in time and celebrating past all-star game accomplishments was a great solution to a unique problem. Plus, it gave me a chance to get a new David Ortiz card.

It also allowed me to get a duplicate Chris Sale card. You may remember I got this card last time.

This one too. But, let's be honest. You can't have too many Ryan Webber cards. Can you?

And here's Sox newbie Kevin Plawecki. An actual update card. Not bad.

So, there you have it. Four Sox cards, but two doubles. I guess I'd still call this box a success.

How did your box go?

2020 Topps Update Blaster!

It's time to open another blaster! Or, technically, it's time to tell you about another blaster I already opened! This time we'll go with 2020 Topps Update! I've always enjoyed these pacs with their mix of stare, rookies, and fun/different cards. How'd I do? Let's see!

Here are the highlights...

And, of course, "highlight" always means a look at unopened packs. Right?

Here's the odd medallion card. Well, I guess it's actually a collector's coin. If Topps is going to make up a card with something in it, I'd prefer a better theme than this.

A Red Sox card! One of the best part of Topps Update for me is the cards of players from that year's All-Star game. It's a fun way to add content to a set that would otherwise be full of people you didn't care about...yet. Of course, this year there wasn't an All-Star game. So, Topps made the great choice to highlight players from years past. Like Sale here. 

Oh phew. I was afraid Jose Peraza wouldn't get a Red Sox card this year.

Another card celebrating All-Star games from previous years. In this case, it's the Home Run Derby from 1999. It's not a Red Sox player, obviously, but as someone who attended that derby McGwire's performance is always fun to remember. 

Hard to tell from the picture, but this is a super awesome gold version of Ryan Weber's card. A mega-hit if I've ever seen one.

Yeah. I could have done without this card. Even if it's a chance to get another Red Sox card of his.

Thankfully I also added the standard version of Ryan Weber. I hate it when you have the parallel but not the base.

So, there you have it. A nice selection of Sox cards, actually, and one Fenway card. I'd call this box a success.

How did you box go?

2019 Topps Holiday

OK. So, I'm finally doing one of these fairly close to the release date. Although, still not all that close. I was actually afraid I had missed out on this product. I despise Wal-Mart and avoid it at all costs. So, I didn't even notice that these cards were out until I started seeing tweets from others. By then, I didn't see any at my local Wal-Mart, and couldn't even find them on the Wal-Mart website. I had resigned myself to just buying the Red Sox team set at some point. But, on a whim yesterday I dragged myself to Wal-Mart, and lo and behold there were a half dozen or so boxes sitting on the shelf. I quickly grabbed one, and started opening. (Well, started opening later that night after I purchased the box and brought it home. But you get the idea.) How'd it go?

Even the box is festive. Sorry the pictures are so dark. Was was having more trouble than I realized.

Ten packs was a nice surprise. Seem to open lots of boxes these days from products with half that many.

First pack was the best of the bunch. Two Red Sox cards, and the SP Yelich candy cane bat. I'm usually not a fan of the intentional photo variations that Topps has been doing in its sets. But, for a themed set like this one that is supposed to be fun, it really works and was done well.

Two more Red Sox in the next pack! Is this a good time to mention that I LOVE the design? In past years the snowflakes have been fairly subtle...which is of course one way to go. But, I love the full-on holly borders on this year's set. If you're going to have a theme, go for it!

Joey Votto was the best card in the next pack. No Red Sox cards this time.

Jose Altuve led the next pack. The holiday theme really makes me not mind seeing the same image/design that I've seen on so many other sets this year. A lot more variety than an Opening Day logo or a chrome sheen.

Another Red Sox! And, this time it's stud rookie Michael Chavis. I'm excited to see what this kid brings next year.

Speaking of stud rookies, Fernando Tatis Jr is definitely one of the draws in the set.

Another Red Sox rookie! This one not quite as well known as Chavis. 

And another stud rookie! If he can fix a few holes, this guy is going to be a beast.

The box promises one auto or relic. I was hoping for an auto. But, I got this card of former Red Sox Jon Lester. I like the design of the relic, again carrying that "Holiday" theme as fas as it can go.

We'll close the box out with World Series hero Max Scherzer. 

Over, all not bad at all. I love the cards themselves. I got a good helping of Red Sox cards, and two of the top rookies. I could have done better with my SPs and my hit, but you can't get everything.

Have you opened a box of this yet? What did you think?