Small potatoes likely in the world of 10+ year, $300+ million contracts, but I wonder how much team defense (as currently construed, as that's the only thing remotely predictable) plays into a pitcher's decision-making process. The Sox continue to say all the right things in that regard, but failed miserably to execute any plan to improve the defense on the field last winter, spring or summer. If YY values a team's defensive philosophy/approach, we can only hope Breslow et al., can make a viable case. Luckily, judging by Fangraphs "DEF" metric (Sox are 28th), the NYM (27th) and PHI (23rd) are in a similar boat. The MFY (11), SFG (12) and LAD (14) were all markedly better in 2023, but not otherworldly. I don't know the emphasis any of these teams outside of the Sox (or even the Sox for that matter judging by the offseason thus far) are putting on shoring up the defense, but I imagine it has to be at least a small part of the calculus.