I was expecting some action from the Red Sox at this year’s trade deadline, but it feels great to see Craig Breslow and the rest of Boston’s front office finally follow through. Breslow made a total of three trades on deadline day, with the shocking acquisition of former first overall pick Adley Rutschman from in-division rival Baltimore generating the most buzz. I love the idea of adding Rutschman to this lineup, especially with underlying stats pointing to a potential breakout in the near future. The package necessary to get him was steep, however, with surging prospect Anthony Eyanson fronting a group of minor leaguers heading to Baltimore. Former top prospect and shortstop of the future Marcelo Mayer was also shipped out of town in another surprise move, netting Boston reliever Erik Miller from San Francisco in return. Breslow is displaying a lot of faith in the major league lineup by taking a sizable chunk out of the farm system, but I fully agree with the decision. I think this was a good deadline from him, and I’m excited to see how Rutschman and the other new additions meld into the existing lineup. Losing prospects stings no doubt, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a little prospect fatigue after recent years. The pressure is on to perform now, and there’s less than two months until the playoffs begin. Could this be Boston’s year in a historically weak American League?

I’ll be discussing all three trades, but I have to dig into the Rutschman deal first. I’ve been a huge fan of his game for years, mostly because of his skills with the bat in an era where catchers are typically inconsistent at the plate. When he got drafted in 2019, he looked like the kind of guy that deserved to go first overall. He was a fantastic young hitter — a rarity among primary catchers — and was just as impressive behind the dish. While he hasn’t fully performed to expectations these past few seasons, I think he’s going to slot into this batting order tremendously well. Boston was getting virtually nothing from the catching position offensively, so adding a player like Rutschman is a guaranteed improvement. He was named to his third career All-Star game this year, and previously won a Silver Slugger at catcher in 2023. A switch-hitter, Rutschman is one of the game’s best defensive catchers as well, and will hopefully bring some great defense to a premium defensive position for Boston. His slash line with Baltimore this season looked more good than great (.251/.331/.433), but predictive stats like xwOBA are suggesting that he can return to producing at an All-Star level. On top of that, he is a apparently a great locker room presence and could potentially be a leader on this team in some time. Now let’s discuss the package going to Baltimore:

Carlos Narvaez being included in a trade seemed almost inevitable, especially if Boston traded for a catcher. It’s been a steep fall from grace for Narvaez, who played at a near All-Star level for the first half of 2025 as a rookie. His acquisition was lauded as one of Breslow’s finer trades as recently as last offseason; he was taken for nearly nothing from the rival New York Yankees. Narvaez’s last calendar year has been a struggle, however, with last September’s issues at the plate carrying over into his sophomore season in 2026. He has slashed .189/.255/.311 over the last 365 days, putting his OPS well under .600. Potential off-the-field issues held him back as well this season, with former manager Alex Cora even benching the young backstop for a game back in April. While he was briefly envisioned by many as a potential catcher of the future here in Boston, I think most will quickly forget about him once Rutschman starts performing well. Prospects Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Enddy Azocar are all exciting in their own right, but Eyanson is definitely the main prize of the bunch. He was widely considered Boston’s second best prospect, behind only shortstop stud Franklin Arias. Eyanson recently appeared alongside Arias on Baseball America’s August update to their “Top 100 MLB Prospects” list, where he placed at #34 (Arias was #2). I’m a believer in Eyanson’s pitch arsenal, and I was sad to see him go, but I had a feeling he was heading elsewhere at the deadline. I’m a much bigger fan of Arias, and I realized that keeping him likely meant dealing Eyanson. That’s IF Boston planned on making a big splash, which they did. He’ll probably find success in the big leagues within a few years, but sometimes you got to give something up to get something back.

The Sox sent their #4 ranked prospect and former first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon in the deal as well, although it never fully felt like he gelled right with the Boston system. Breslow and pitching coach Andrew Bailey immediately got to work on tweaking Witherspoon’s delivery after selecting him 15th overall last summer, reworking mechanics from his time at the University of Oklahoma. Witherspoon wasn’t receptive to the changes, however, posting a 4.78 ERA across 17 appearances in the organization. He even recently reverted back to his college arm action, which actually saw some improvement. It was clear he wasn’t clicking with the program, though, and Breslow decided to capitalize on his value now. The Sox have been known, perhaps somewhat infamously, to hold on to trade pieces until it’s too late under Breslow’s regime. Players like Jarren Duran, David Hamilton, and even Marcelo Mayer (who I’ll get to) could have been traded in earlier windows for sizeable bounties, with several attractive offers being turned down over the years. Instead, those players remained with the organization until their value was a fraction of what it once was, resulting in lesser, unimpressive trades. I say all of this because I think Breslow is trying to get out in front of this happening with Witherspoon. He’s been identified by Breslow as someone who won’t pan out, and now his decent remaining value is being capitalized on. Enddy Azocar, Boston’s #5 prospect at the time of the trade, is much more raw at only 19 years old. An international signing from Venezuela in 2024, Azocar had exploded at the plate for Single-A Salem this year, posting an .875 OPS across 180 plate appearances. Breslow is again selling on the high here like he is with Eyanson, as it had only been a 39-game sample size for Azocar this season.

I personally really like the trade, as Rutschman slots perfectly in the lineup and on the field. The reaction from most mainstream sports media members, however, declared it an overpay on Breslow’s part. ESPN’s Jeff Passan, probably the foremost baseball journalist of the decade, said “They [The Orioles] crushed that deal” when talking about the trade on Barstool’s Pardon My Take podcast. “The Red Sox understood they were overpaying significantly,” he continued, “There was a tax for being in-division, there was a tax for keeping him away from the Yankees. But they got their guy.” Masslive’s Sean McAdam wrote in a tweet that one rival evaluator, when reacting to the trade, said “I'm absolutely dumbfounded by this...This is literally one of the most ridiculous trades I've seen in 30 years.” Boston absolutely gave up a haul for Rutschman, but I don’t really understand some of these more extreme reactions. The Sox did more than just fill several areas of need, they took a cornerstone from a division rival and simultaneously blocked the Yankees from doing the same. I understand the huge premium on pitching prospects like Witherspoon and Eyanson, but Breslow needed to make a move like this. One of the biggest reasons his predecessor Chaim Bloom was fired was due to his inability to move on from certain players — especially prospects. Building a farm system is important, but it’s also important to know when to subtract from that resource in order to add MLB talent. Boston has had too many highly-touted prospects end up hurt or ineffective over the last few years, so this is a move I’m happy to see. Breslow didn’t empty the farm either, and can revisit potential shortstop trades in the offseason if he wishes. I believe this deal will age well for the Sox, but as always, only time will tell. Now let’s get that extension done!

Later on during deadline day, Breslow sent former fourth overall pick and top-15 prospect Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco in a trade for hefty lefty Erik Miller — a reliever. This one stung, and genuinely shocked me a bit. The rumors that Mayer could be moved had been swirling around for months, with various sources pointing to Mayer’s work ethic, injury history, and ineffective play as potential points of contention with Boston. What surprised me most was the return: a one-for-one trade for a reliever. Miller has nasty stuff and three more years of control after 2026, so the return is nothing to scoff at, but it’s still a huge fall from where Mayer’s value was even six months ago. Back then, Mayer was almost moved as the centerpiece to a trade for Ketel Marte, Arizona’s star second baseman. I think most fans thought Mayer could have been moved, but really only as a large piece in a blockbuster deal. Seeing him moved in a straight swap for a bullpen piece is unexpected, but it’s an indication of his fallen value. Even when healthy, Mayer has been a far below-average bat, posting a 75 OPS+ across 114 games with Boston. I still think he was called up prematurely last season, and that he could’ve used some extra seasoning in the minor leagues. His value wasn’t zero, however, and Breslow did well to get a valuable piece in return. Mayer still has plenty of talent and upside, but it was quickly becoming apparent that he wasn’t going to work out here. I think Franklin Arias’ breakout year in the minors this season was also a contributing factor to the deal, along with the obvious fact Mayer had not yet signed a long-term contract extension. But then why did the front office stick by him this whole time? Those aforementioned points of contention have existed for years, yet still the Sox heralded Mayer as a future cornerstone at shortstop until recently. It just feels like a huge missed evaluation by the organization, and the failure to trade him at his peak value is just the cherry on top. We as a fanbase had to endure the horrific 2020 season in order to get the pick that selected Mayer, so seeing it all play out like this is upsetting. I hope he succeeds with Rafael Devers in San Fran, but I’m a little bummed that we couldn’t make it work here.

Adding Erik Miller to the bullpen is a fantastic move, and it’s immediately made Boston’s relief staff one of the best in the game. Miller joins a group already including Jovani Moran, Justin Slaten, Brayan Bello, Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock, and Aroldis Chapman. This move helps lessens the load on fellow lefty Moran, the only lefty in the pen outside of Chapman, who closes. This issue goes back to last offseason, where Breslow failed to address the hole left by former Boston southpaw Justin Wilson. The result was a panic $1 million contract in mid March to Danny Coulombe, who posted a 4.50 ERA in 22 innings this season and has since been released. Miller, now in his age-28-season, is currently enjoying his second straight season with a sub-3 ERA. Also drafted in 2019, Miller made his debut in 2024, where he was good for a 3.88 ERA in 67.1 innings as a rookie. He dazzled in limited action during his sophomore campaign the next season, allowing just 5 runs across 30 innings (1.50 ERA) until a UCL sprain in his left elbow prematurely ended his year. Back and healthy for 2026, Miller had a 2.76 ERA in 32.2 innings for the Giants prior to the trade. His strikeout numbers have essentially doubled from 2025 despite the higher ERA, but he still has work to do when it comes to allowing baserunners. Rather bizarrely, Miller has a great career ERA (2.97) despite also having an inflated career WHIP (1.358). His true talent, therefore, may be his run prevention under pressure, pitching better when runners are in scoring position. With three and a half years of control remaining, Miller is undoubtedly a valuable piece that fits nicely into Boston’s future plans.

Boston’s final deadline move saw AAA pitcher Tyler Uberstine swapped for Atlanta’s Eli White. White, a 32-year old outfielder in his seventh major-league season, is a useful utility bat and speedy pinch runner. With Roman Anthony potentially out for the season and Masataka Yoshida taking over designated hitter duties, Breslow is hoping that White can give members of the starting outfield trio a rest when needed. Outfielder Jahmai Jones, acquired by Boston via trade on July 14th, fills a similar niche to White on the roster, however. Jones is less experienced than White, but he has broken out with the bat in a small sample size (1.474 OPS in 23 plate appearances). White is much better defensively though, and his speed is a true difference-maker on the basepaths. Boston can afford to keep both on the roster for now, but a decision will need to be made if Anthony can get healthy. Uberstine, going the other way to the Braves, was never much to write home about hype-wise. Drafted in the 19th round of the 2021 draft, Uberstine became a name I was familiar with but not impressed by. His ascent through the minors was thanks to several solid seasons as a starter, but his usage in 2026 implies that the Sox may think he’s more suited to be reliever. Uberstine made his debut with the Red Sox in 2026, allowing one run in 2.2 innings before being sent back down to AAA Worcester. He could end up being a reliable arm in the major leagues, but I think it’s a move you do and you don’t think twice about. Craig Breslow has built a defense-first team, and White’s arrival only further reveals his belief in that strategy. With right-fielder Wilyer Abreu a little banged up and left-fielder Jarren Duran enduring a season-long slump, White could end up being a valuable piece down the stretch.

Well, everyone’s asking: Did Breslow have a good deadline? Only time will tell with some of the players switching teams here, but yeah, I think Breslow did great here. I’ve given him an extremely hard time (and justifiably so) for his deadlines in each of the last two years, mostly for his hesitance and inaction. He has even made panic deals after missing out on his first choice, like when he hurriedly traded for Dustin May last year after failing to acquire Joe Ryan. But Breslow went to work this deadline with intent and a plan, successfully rewarding the roster for their effort to get back in the playoff race. As much as I liked some of the players that got traded away, it would be hypocritical of me to be prospect-pinching right now.

At each of the last three trade deadlines, the Red Sox were at least five games over .500. Despite plenty of opportunities to push these teams over the hump, Boston’s front office failed time and time again to make any meaningful moves. After infamously failing to get under the $230 million luxury tax threshold at the 2022 deadline, former Sox POBO Chaim Bloom’s silent deadline in 2023 cost him his job. Unsurprisingly, keeping the team in an expensive tax bracket while failing to properly support them was not a winning combination in the eyes owner John Henry. And no, trading for meager-hitting infielder Luis Urias and reliever Mauricio Llovera — who has been OUT OF BASEBALL SINCE — were far from “Win-Now” moves. The Red Sox would then crumble in August and September, and Bloom was summarily fired. With Breslow taking the helm in 2024, myself and many others expected a different outcome at the deadline — given the team had similar momentum. While Breslow technically ended up making several moves, the caliber of talent was fairly low among the lot. Relievers Luis Garcia and Lucas Sims hurled some of the worst innings I’ve ever seen, while catcher Danny Jansen failed to make a tangible impact. 2025’s deadline saw similar problems occur, with the aforementioned Dustin May trade highlighting another disappointing day of deals for the Red Sox. With all of this in mind, I’m thrilled Breslow finally made some difficult decisions and acquired serious talent. There are plenty of teams in the mix for the final two Wild Card spots, however, so now it’s time for the new additions and the rest of the team to go to work. The team got the support they deserved this year, no excuses now.

After being the worst team in baseball for the first three months of the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox have gone 26-5 over their last 31 games and catapulted themselves into the second Wild Card spot. This hot streak includes a shocking 15 game win streak, tying the franchise record for wins in a row. Now owning the third best record in the American League, Boston has quickly flipped from sure-fire sellers to one of the bigger buyers in the market right now. Sox President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow has already made a sizable trade, swapping talented rookie starter Connelly Early for Nationals slugger Curtis Mead. While I was a fan of Breslow kickstarting things with this trade, industry insiders and several media members have expressed concern over a possible overspend on Boston’s part. Before the trade dust had even settled, however, Mead’s wrist was immediately broken by a hit-by-pitch in his first game with the team — just two plate appearances in. With Mead likely to miss the next 6 weeks at a minimum, all eyes have turned back to Breslow with hopes of seeing the lineup improved again. With rumors flying around social media and the trade deadline tomorrow, will Breslow find the right trade and get a big deal done?

Curtis Mead’s injury didn’t necessarily harm the Sox as much as it did hamper potential improvement. Boston had been stacking wins long before the trade, and has so far continued to win since his injury. Mead was brought in to reward an already-good lineup for getting back into the playoff race, an improvement but not a make-or-break player in the short-term. That reward has been ripped away from the players as much as the fans, however, so I wouldn’t be surprised if members of the team are checking their phones just as much as me, searching for a new reward. What would that potentially look like? Well, according to reports, Boston is targeting shortstops, catchers, and any pitching they can get their hands on — for the right price. The internet was buzzing over a possible deal for Cincinnati Reds shortstop phenom Elly De La Cruz, but MassLive’s Sean McAdam quickly killed those dreams with a report that the two teams were unable to match up. Boston may still have interest in the Reds’ young flamethrower Chase Burns, but I wonder if a combo package is more appealing to Breslow at this juncture. Obtaining two of his needs in one large package would definitely make his job easier, but it doesn’t always line up that way. Breakout infielder Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins has been seemingly taken off the market, so the floated deal for him and catcher Liam Hicks is also dead in the water. Houston’s Jeremy Pena has similarly been taken off the market, and the Angels’ asking price for Zach Neto is supposedly too lofty, so where does that leave us? I’ve heard some rumblings around Texas’ Corey Seager, but would the Sox take on that kind of money for a player that’s potentially declining and on the wrong side of 30? I hope Breslow has a plan, because this market looks tricky to navigate.

Those are some of the players that could be coming to Boston via trade, but who could be on the way out? Marcelo Mayer is a name that has come up a lot, as his inefficiency at the plate is the whole reason the Sox are pursuing a shortstop in the first place. It’s likely that if Boston were to acquire a shortstop, Mayer would be going in the other direction. The top two prospects in Boston’s system, shortstop Franklin Arias and pitcher Anthony Eyanson, have also been the subjects of many mock trades online, with some experts believing that one or both may be required in a trade package in order to net one of the big fish. Despite there being several stars out there that I would trade Franklin Arias for, he was just promoted to AAA and is amidst a career season in the minor leagues. He has skyrocketed to the very top of most prospect boards, and I don’t want him to develop into a superstar with another team. I’m much more open to dealing Eyanson, but it all depends on who is coming back. The Sox are also desperately trying to trade polarizing outfielder Jarren Duran, but his trade value has tanked to nearly nothing in the last year. In addition to being one of the worst hitters in baseball, Duran’s constant attitude problems have become a distraction for him and his teammates time and time again. I’m all for moving him, but I don’t know who would even want him right now. With Early now traded, I think both Jake Bennett and Payton Tolle are not getting moved. Utility types like Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler are probably available, but would only be used to supplement a trade centered around someone bigger. I’m uncharacteristically confident that Breslow is going to get something done, so hopefully he can pull through for me. This could be his last trade deadline if he’s not careful, and I’m sure he knows it.

Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow restated his intention to make the playoffs after firing seven coaches at the end of last month. Among the firings was longtime Manager Alex Cora, swiftly replaced in the interim by Worcester Red Sox coach Chad Tracy. We are now 22 games into Tracy’s tenure, and Boston is 12-10 following a sweep of the Kansas City Royals. The Sox pitching staff, who struggled mightily in April with injuries and effectiveness, has turned into one of the most dominant in all of baseball since the firings. Rookies Connelly Early and Payton Tolle have helped stabilize the rotation, and the bullpen, spearheaded by closer Aroldis Chapman, has been largely lights out. Boston’s issue remains their offense, ranking near the bottom of most offensive categories league-wide — especially when playing at Fenway. Roman Anthony, billed by many as Boston’s most talented bat, has missed almost all of May due to injury. Caleb Durbin, acquired in lieu of Alex Bregman, remains the worst hitter in all of baseball. Even Jarren Duran, who had a fantastic series in Kansas City, is just now starting to show signs of breaking out of his season-long slump. Despite their poor performance and record, the Red Sox find themselves just two games out of the last Wild Card spot in a historically bad American League. Can Tracy figure out how to unlock this Sox offense and take a step forward? Or are they doomed to repeat the mediocrity of 2022-2024?

Fans are finally seeing the dominant rotation they expected at the start of the season. Ace Garrett Crochet has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and his return keeps getting pushed back, but Payton Tolle has stepped up tremendously during Crochet’s absence. Across five starts this year, Tolle has a 2.05 ERA in 30.2 innings. It now seems abundantly clear that he should have started the year on the Opening Day roster, especially since Johan Oviedo was (and still is) hurt. Fellow rookie Connelly Early has also been great, pitching to the tune of a 3.21 ERA across nine starts (47.2 innings). It’s frustrating to not be capitalizing more on two breakout rookie starters, but the rotation is still so exciting to watch. New additions Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez have also been electric to start the season, the former after coming back from injury on May 6th. Suarez has lived up to his big contract so far, and the Gray trade looks like a massive win. Outside of the Crochet injury, the only thing bogging down the rotation is Brayan Bello’s performance. Bello has been one of the worst starters in the league this year, a huge disappointment following a somewhat promising 2025 season from him. He’s not striking out batters anymore, instead walking them almost more often than not. His command has been horrendous, and I have concerns about his confidence in himself moving forward. Despite this, Bello has actually shown some improvement when he pitches behind an opener — a relief pitcher that takes care of the first inning for him. While there have only been two such appearances, Bello allowed just two earned runs across 13.1 innings following an opener. He was able to give Boston length while striking out 12, and he looked like a brand new pitcher to me. Bello’s most recent start was without an opener, and we saw him regress right back to poor play. If the Sox can find the right reliever to open for Bello, I’d like them to go back to trying that out. Bello needs to build confidence, and the opener seems to benefit him greatly.

The crux of Breslow’s issues remains the lifeless Red Sox lineup; a lineup that he himself failed to set up for success. Swapping Caleb Durbin in for Bregman has been a complete disaster so far, with Durbin recently losing his regular starting role thanks to his inactive bat. Breslow sent pitching prospect Kyle Harrison over to Milwaukee in the trade, who has blossomed into one of the best young pitchers in the game in 2026. I don’t know what the future holds for Durbin, but I don’t think anyone could have written up a worse start for him in Boston. Instead of adding more offense, Breslow relied on an infamously unavailable player in Trevor Story to repeat his production from 2025, while also expecting the 21-year old Roman Anthony to be the focal point of the offense. Story, whose bat has struggled similarly to Durbin’s, has landed on the injured list with a hernia problem. Anthony has been M.I.A. with a strained hand ligament himself, and it has me wondering where the offense is going to come from going forward. Most of the offensive production comes from three guys: Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, and Ceddanne Rafaela. All three have an OPS+ north of 125+, but there is a steep fall-off in production following them. Duran, Story, Durbin, Anthony, Carlos Narvaez, and Marcelo Mayer have ALL had lackluster starts to their seasons, embarrassing for a big-league lineup with much loftier expectations. No team is going to find much success if two-thirds of their lineup can’t hit, and that’s exactly what’s playing out in Boston. The Contreras trade was a great add by Breslow, but it should never have been the only impact move for the lineup. Bregman was such a crucial signing to make, both due to his production and his leadership, but Breslow seemingly underestimated the importance of both of those qualities. The question now is if Chad Tracy and the other new coaches can get these underperforming batters back on the right track. All of these guys are much more talented than their stats reflect, so I’m somewhat hopeful that they can still turn the season around. There are two months left to convince Craig Breslow to buy at the trade deadline, if he isn’t fired by then at least, so there’s time to go on a run. While I’m certainly not confident in the Sox after this abysmal start, perhaps the season isn’t dead after all.

In a move that has shocked myself and many others, the Red Sox have fired longtime Manager Alex Cora, who has been with the team since their championship win in 2018. Cora had also previously won a ring in Boston as a player, as part of the 2007 team. Alongside Cora, an astonishing six other coaches were let go: Bench Coach Ramon Vazquez (also hired in 2018), Hitting Coach Peter Fatse (2022), Third Base/Outfield Coach Kyle Hudson (2023), Assistant Hitting Coach Dillon Lawson (2024), Hitting Strategy Coach Joe Cronin (2021), and Game Planning/Run Prevention Coach Jason Varitek (hired after his retirement in 2012, uniformed role since 2021). President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow and CEO of Fenway Sports Group Sam Kennedy met with the media Sunday morning following the decision, where Kennedy indicated it was Breslow’s suggestion and it had the support of ownership. AAA Worcester Manager Chad Tracy will replace Cora as interim manager, but Breslow left the door open on another manager potentially being hired mid-season. I’ve never seen a team purge their coaching staff wholesale like this, and it happened before the end of April. Cora’s 2026 with Boston ends at 10-17, but tension has grown after years of mediocre results with expensive teams. Boston has over 130 games remaining in the season, and Breslow remains confident that they can turn it around. Personally, I’m not so sure.

I think doing all of this in April is insane, and it’s essentially punting on the season. I don’t know anyone that genuinely believes the Sox will suddenly turn it around under Chad Tracy, no offense to him. Tracy coached many of the Sox players in Worcester and is likely capable of the position’s demands, but he has zero experience at the major league level. Despite what Breslow says, I think he knows the team will suffer from this. Many of the players loved Cora, and the industry maintains that he is one of the best managers in the game. He seemingly lost a power struggle with Breslow, however, who jumped on an opportunity to push Cora out. Breslow, who is not considered to be anywhere near as good at his job, fired several of Cora’s biggest supporters too, like Vazquez and Fatse. It was notable that Dillon Lawson was the only one of the seven coaches fired to be initially hired by Breslow, while Breslow-appointed personnel, like Pitching Coach Andrew Bailey, generally avoided the sweeping round of cuts. Details continue to drop with each passing day, but early reports indicate a variety of concerns over Cora’s leadership and message here in Boston. While these reports come from front office leaks that undoubtedly favor Breslow and the Red Sox, it’s interesting to finally get some peeks under the hood to a regime that had been notoriously tight-lipped until last year’s Rafael Devers drama. Cora is likely to go the Devers route and not share his side of the story for a while, although he could technically do a tell-all at any moment. Devers being an active player complicates his ability to truly speak out, but Cora has no such circumstances holding him back anymore. This especially rings true after he reportedly turned down the Phillies Manager position soon after his firing, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. I’m not sure firing Cora makes the team better in any way, but maybe they could benefit from a new voice in the locker room. The issue now is finding that voice, and somehow convincing them to take an extremely undesirable position on a losing team in a tough environment. I don’t believe Alex Cora is blameless in all of this, but he’s far from the most guilty party.

So what does this mean for Craig Breslow? Well, it’s his team now. There is no one else to blame if this season continues to go south, and I’m sure he knows it. Breslow himself would probably also be gone already, if not for Boston’s inability to attract further General Manager candidates. Despite ownership’s rumored hesitancy to enter another GM search, I still think Breslow’s days are numbered if he can’t somewhat right the ship this year. His trades, outside of Garrett Crochet and Willson Contreras, have been largely horrible since he took over, and his ability to attract free agents leaves much to be desired. Ranger Suarez looks like he could be a good signing even with his early inconsistencies, but Breslow signed him at the cost of leaving their anemic lineup almost completely unaddressed. Contreras has raked to start the year, but new third baseman Caleb Durbin remains one of the worst hitters in the entire sport. Veteran starters Jarren Duran and Trevor Story actually each have a lower OPS than Durbin, contributing to what has quickly become one of the league’s worst offenses. Outside of the two Contreras and Durbin trades, Breslow did NOTHING to add to a lineup that barely squeaked into the playoffs last year — and that lineup had Alex Bregman. I understand Roman Anthony was supposed to be much better, but is this not a semi-predictable outcome with all of the pressure he is under? I maintain that Craig Breslow was expecting career years from way too many players, and the result so far has been Contreras and Wilyer Abreu being the only ones hitting with any regularity. I could see Breslow getting canned by the end of the calendar year, but I also have no idea who could (or would) replace him. With Crochet landing on the IL with shoulder inflammation, I have serious doubts about me finding ANY remaining enjoyment during the rest of the season. I’ll blog again soon when hopefully more info is out there and I have a better scope of the team’s situation, but this doesn’t feel like a step forward.

This season has gone as poorly as possible for the Boston Red Sox. Outside of Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras, no one in the everyday lineup is hitting out of the gate. The rotation looks far worse than expected, with big offseason expenditure Ranger Suarez getting roughed up in each of his first two Boston starts. Craig Breslow’s refusal to solve the outfield logjam has resulted in an awkward roster construction, with manager Alex Cora getting tasked with finding a spot for 5th outfielder Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida has been one of the team’s better hitters during his limited starts, however, only further complicating the issue. Jarren Duran has been bumped to a platoon DH role with Roman Anthony on Yoshida’s off days, a move I’m sure Duran doesn’t like. The defense is still horrific, with Anthony and Trevor Story raising eyebrows with their poor play. Alex Bregman replacement Caleb Durbin has been unimpressive at third, and one of the league’s worst hitters at the plate. The middle bullpen is having major issues, due to it being largely ignored by the front office this offseason. Craig Breslow maintains that this is a good team going through a bad stretch, and that the small sample size is making it look worse than it is. I think he built a weak roster, and bet on a lot of different things to go his way. Now we are all seeing what happens when those things DON’T go Breslow’s way.

Before the season started, it felt like this team could win anywhere from 70 to 90 wins. There were so many question marks in the lineup, especially after the failure to retain Bregman. Can Trevor Story, now 33, hold up at shortstop while being the bat he was in the second half last year? How will guys like Carlos Narvaez and Caleb Durbin look in year two? Can Roman Anthony be the best hitter on this team at just 21 years old? Will Marcelo Mayer become an impact bat in the majors? What is going on with the outfield logjam? Well, everything has since gone as bad as possible for the Sox. Story is looking overmatched at short, and is a non-factor with the bat. Narvaez and Durbin aren’t hitting, with the latter having an OPS of .333 through nine games. Roman Anthony might genuinely have the yips in the outfield, recently adding to his string of embarrassing outfield throws. He has two errors already in just five outfield starts, and hasn’t really put it together offensively either. Neither has Mayer, batting .185 with an OPS of .641. These are all the worst possible outcomes for Craig Breslow, who was hoping for an average team to overachieve and get a Wild Card spot. They are instead underachieving, resulting in the weaknesses that Breslow built into this roster getting exposed. Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman were sure-fire bats, but they cost a lot of money. Breslow thought that Story, Willson Contreras, and a bunch of players on their (cheap) rookie deals would suffice, and that his supposed focus on pitching and run prevention would make up for any rough patches. I guess he didn’t account for the pitching having a rough patch too, because now they aren’t winning at all.

Ranger Suarez needs to turn it around. He’s getting paid $26 million dollars a year through 2030 thanks to his cushy 5-year, $140 million contract from Breslow this winter, and has allowed eight earned runs in just 8.1 innings pitched. His velocity has dipped, and he’s failing to generate as many whiffs as a result. Johan Oviedo, one of Breslow’s other offseason additions to the rotation, woke up unable to bend his arm last Wednesday, and it is unclear when he will make his Boston debut. The last offseason addition to the rotation, Sonny Gray, got the win on Fenway Opening Day, but he still has an ERA of 4.50 so far. It’s still very early and these guys can turn it around, but this is not how Breslow was expecting his “run-prevention” pitching unit to start the year. Brayan Bello has also looked horrible, failing to strike out batters despite still generating whiffs. He has walked seven batters and allowed eight earned runs in 8 innings, good for a 9.00 ERA. Even if Garrett Crochet is lights out again this year, he only starts once every five days. Breslow once again bet on player’s overachieving, and the Suarez contract still feels like a panic move following their failure in the Bregman sweepstakes. It’s all so unbelievably frustrating, especially after how the Devers situation ended. The way Breslow operates is not the way a winning team should operate. Trade Devers and lose out on Bregman? Trade for Caleb Durbin. Need pitching behind Crochet? Trade for 36 year-old Sonny Gray, and overpay Ranger Suarez in a panic. Need several bats to make a competent lineup? Trade for Contreras only, and then hope everyone else takes a step forward. There is still time, but I don’t feel confident at all about this team.

After a long and uncomfortable offseason for most Red Sox fans, Boston has seemingly finalized their Spring Training roster for 2026. The Sox made the following trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on February 9th:

There is a LOT to unpack from this deal. The prize for Milwaukee in this swap is clearly Kyle Harrison, the former top pitching prospect previously acquired in — you guessed it — the Rafael Devers trade. Boston gets Caleb Durbin, a third baseman with upside after a promising rookie year, as well as some useful utility pieces in Monasterio and Seigler. While Durbin has the potential to be an exciting, above-average player at the hot corner, many are underwhelmed with this being the long-awaited move for an infield bat. There are still a few question marks remaining as players report for the spring, however, like what to do with Masataka Yoshida, or what the bullpen will end up looking like. Despite this lingering feeling of incompleteness, it also feels like Craig Breslow is done making deals of significance prior to Opening Day. We can finally begin to piece together how the Boston lineup will look like when the season starts next month, but I’m not sure how much I like it.

Breslow is now completely rinsing his hands of the return for Rafael Devers, conceding the trade was exactly what I (and many others) always knew it to be: a salary dump. Breslow sat down and fawned over Kyle Harrison, James Tibbs, and even Jordan Hicks after the controversial trade, only for them all to be shipped out of town within the year. This was always about clearing the books of a contract that he didn’t like, a move that looks worse following the failure to resign Alex Bregman. Boston pivoted towards run prevention with the signing of Ranger Suarez, but that left the lineup without the power bat it needed and an incomplete infield — especially following the sudden and serious injury to second baseman Romy Gonzalez. Signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year deal and trading for Durbin has solved the latter problem, but these issues were all avoidable if they just didn’t trade Devers. The self-inflicted nature of all of these problems is what makes them so frustrating. It’s the same feeling I get when I think about their current outfield logjam, which has left $18 million bat Masataka Yoshida without a spot on the team. Triston Casas and Kristian Campbell have a similar problem, but their minor-league options allow them to get consistent at-bats in AAA. Breslow undoubtedly improved the team in several areas this offseason, but he whiffed on the power bat, kicked the can on the outfield logjam, and didn’t really address the bullpen’s need for a lefty. I hope these holes don’t get exposed when the season starts, but that will depend on the development of almost a dozen young pitchers and bats.

I think Caleb Durbin could end up being a great acquisition for Boston, but I understand why many were expecting a player with more pedigree and pop. Those kinds of players came at a price that Craig Breslow was unwilling to pay, however, so a less proven bat like Durbin is the end result. Durbin was one of the Yankees’ more intriguing position player prospects in 2024 before he got traded with Nestor Cortes to Milwaukee mid-season for closer Devin Williams. He then started most of 2025 at 3B for the Brewers, posting a 2.8 bWAR and 11 homers across 136 games in his rookie year. He placed third in the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year voting, and established himself as a promising young bat and plus defender at third base. Breslow furthered his pivot to pitching and defense with this move, closing the door on a final push for power this offseason. I’m not sure how much I agree with his pivot, as I believe strongly in the importance of having power in the lineup, but I understand the move after losing out on Bregman. Looking at the roster right now, there’s a real possibility that Boston won’t have a 30 home-run player for the second straight season. Roman Anthony’s power could come around, and they could get a big season out of Wilyer Abreu or Willson Contreras, but there’s nobody (like Devers) that they can pencil in for 30+ homers. Maybe this team can produce enough power in the aggregate, but Breslow is relying on a lot of things going right for this team to be capable in the playoffs. That is, if they are good enough to make it into October in what will be a treacherous AL East. I have faith in the lineup and improved starting rotation, but I worry that Boston’s division rivals may have out-improved them these past few months.

Yet another domino from the much maligned Rafael Devers trade has fallen. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan: Jordan Hicks, 2/3 of his remaining $24 million salary, and prospect David Sandlin are headed to Chicago in the trade. Low-level minor leaguer Gage Ziehl is the return for Boston, a predictably meager throw-in for this type of money-saving move. The Red Sox are now back below the second Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold, saving them further money in taxes if they stand pat OR opening up the opportunity to add the bat they’ve been missing (please). Chicago gets a promising pitching prospect in Sandlin for their emerging core, and will be the third team to try and fix Hicks. The larger story here will be how big of a failure Hicks was in Boston, and Craig Breslow’s misidentification of him as an “elite, back-end reliever.” The Red Sox have now salary dumped the remaining money they took on from the Devers trade, and they’ve cut ties with two out of four of the players in the trade’s return package. If the Red Sox don’t make a significant splash before the start of the season, fans will be understandably irate. The options post-Bregman have grown thin, especially with Eugenio Suarez heading back to Cincinnati on a shockingly cheap 1/$15 million deal. I believe in Breslow to get a move done this time, however, as I don’t think he would’ve bothered to make this trade if he didn’t want to add. The quality of the addition, on the other hand, I’m not so confident about anymore.

The financial and roster ramifications of the trade are fairly important, thus Breslow’s willingness to part with a talented prospect like Sandlin. Per .@redsoxpayroll on Twitter:

While this will be interpreted by some as a purely money-saving move by Boston, I think it’s a precursor to a larger splash. It puts the Sox comfortably away (~$23 million) from the third CBT threshold, giving them plenty of room to add a player like Eugenio Suarez while still having spare funds at next season’s trade deadline. Suarez hit 49 homers last year amidst an All-Star campaign split between Seattle and Arizona, and would’ve no doubt been a welcome improvement to the Sox’s power-hungry lineup. I wasn’t in love with the idea of Suarez, especially if he repeats last year’s poor defensive performance, but Boston doesn’t have many options left at this point in the offseason. It is now February, and Breslow’s hesitancy to jump in on the Free Agency market has resulted in most of the major bats passing Boston by for other, more aggressive teams. The move did open up two 40-man roster spots for the Red Sox though, further alluding to an add from either FA or trade. A trade might be Breslow’s best bet given the options available, but that means he’s got to find a trade partner AND potentially give up more prospects. Most of the trades both recently and throughout his tenure have been with the White Sox (Crochet, Hicks, Chris Murphy) and Chaim Bloom’s Cardinals (Matz, Gray, Contreras, O’Neill), which displays at least some unwillingness from the majority of teams to trade with Boston. It will be up to Breslow to find a new trade partner, and it will force him to get uncharacteristically uncomfortable. Will he trade Duran plus prospects and fix the outfield logjam? Will he trade Bello and give the younger pitchers the reigns to the rotation? We will find out some answers in the next few weeks, but the Red Sox are rapidly running out of time.

On top of Hicks’ poor play in Boston, many have been quick to point out how much worse the Devers trade already looks for the Sox. Boston got four players in the deal: Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello. Hicks was terrible despite his elite velocity, and then promptly offloaded to Chicago with a prospect this week. Tibbs was traded for Dustin May last July, who had a 5.40 ERA across 28.1 innings in Boston before entering Free Agency this past fall. This leaves Kyle Harrison, a former top pitching prospect that hasn’t been able to find success in the majors, and Jose Bello, a 20 year-old pitcher currently in A ball. Barring a major trade, Harrison isn’t slated to get many opportunities in 2026 — and is likely being used as trade bait himself. Rafael Devers, on the other hand, continued to mash in his first half-season in San Francisco, and is under their control through 2033. Devers posted a 130 OPS+ across 395 plate appearances with the Giants, all while showing a sudden willingness to play first base. He is exactly the kind of bat that Boston NEEDS, and it’s a completely self-inflicted issue. I’ll keep my complaining to a minimum as I know it’s been discussed to death, but it just remains a mind-bogglingly bad trade. It also gave Alex Bregman all of the leverage he could have asked for, and now the he’s on another team. This is all to point out the kind of hot water Craig Breslow is in right now, and the pressure that is on him to make a move. If the reports of him not even making an offer to Eugenio Suarez are true, then I have absolutely no idea what his plan is. I don’t know if there is a plan anymore, and that’s a terrifying thought. Breslow didn’t make an offer to Kyle Schwarber either, and he lowballed Pete Alonso until he signed with a division rival. Was he really just banking on Alex Bregman coming back? Then he probably should have given Bregman that no-trade clause.

Boston has signed 2024 All-Star starting pitcher Ranger Suarez to a mammoth 5-year, $130 million contract, just a few days after losing All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs. This was the first Free Agency signing for the Sox this offseason, with Boston being the final team to make a signing this winter. While this move initially shocked me, it makes a lot of sense in the context of Bregman leaving. Boston could have signed another bat, but the other quality bats on the market would’ve cost even more than Bregman. Seeing how hesitant the Sox were to give out money to Bregman, the perfect leader and fit, made any other major FA bat extremely unlikely to me. Craig Breslow instead refocused on the starting rotation, making a major splash that has created a top-3 rotation in the sport. I had already resigned myself to the idea of Sonny Gray as the #2 in the rotation, so I’m pleasantly surprised to see money spent on an area of need. This is the largest FA contract dealt out by Boston since Trevor Story’s $140 million deal in 2022, but I’d prefer it if Suarez’s contract could age just a bit better. Although the Sox still have an incomplete infield and are in need of an above-average bat, the solidification of the starting rotation will hopefully lessen the need for run support every game. I’m still pretty upset about how the Bregman negotiations went down, but at least Red Sox POBO Craig Breslow isn’t letting it stop him from improving the team in other ways.

Ranger Suarez played in parts of eight seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, transitioning into a full-time starter during 2021 and into the 2022 season. Suarez’s 2021 season established him as one of the best young arms in the game, posting a jaw-dropping 1.36 ERA across 106 innings — including 12 starts. The Phillies added him to the rotation to start 2022, where he has posted a 117 ERA+ in the four seasons since. Injuries have limited his dominance, however, as Suarez has averaged 26 starts per season in those same four seasons. I’m personally not too concerned about his injury history, but it’s absolutely something to monitor during his first season in Boston. Suarez, like fellow Boston starters Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet, is one of the best groundball pitchers in the league. Remember what I said about the Sox having an incomplete infield? That needs to be sorted ASAP, or there will be nobody to field the hundreds of ground balls that this staff will inevitably generate. If Boston can fix their error problem and attain even league-average defense, then the lineup will have way less lifting to do offensively. This will no doubt be an issue for one of the league’s worst defenses, but I have some hope for improvement. The Boston rotation now looks as follows: #1 Garrett Crochet, #2 Ranger Suarez, #3 Sonny Gray, #4 Johan Oviedo, and about five different guys cycling through in the #5 spot. This will bump some starters to the bullpen, with Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, and Kyle Harrison being the most likely to me. Connelly Early and Payton Tolle may have had their starting opportunities limited, but I don’t think this move will stunt their development at all. Injuries WILL happen, and Boston is hoping that things fall into place. This was an impressive pivot by Breslow, especially so quick after Bregman signed elsewhere. Boston still needs another bat, but the large contract is a long-awaited sign of life from the Red Sox front office. Fans were looking for more of a commitment to winning, and Suarez represents just that.

I think .@redsoxpayroll on Twitter voiced my remaining concerns best:

The Red Sox being over the second threshold is great from a commitment perspective, but there is so much dead money on that figure. Masataka Yoshida is making $18 million with no spot on the team, and Jordan Hicks is making another $12.5 million to be a detriment to the bullpen. Patrick Sandoval made $5.5 million to rehab last year, and stands to make $12.75 million more in 2026 after not pitching since 2024. After the Suarez signing, Sandoval might be Boston’s 7th best starting pitcher. Young arms like Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, and Kyle Harrison are likely to get plenty of opportunities next year, further complicating any major involvement from Sandoval. This is all to say that before acquiring the position player they so desperately need, it seems like the Sox might look to trade away some money if possible. With the 3rd CBA threshold looming just over $15 million away, freeing up some capital would allow them to add a more desirable bat. Going above the 3rd threshold would move their first-round pick back 10 spots, on top of an exorbitant surcharge on every dollar over it. The savings could even come in the same trade that acquires an above-average bat, but some prospects or young pitching (Early, Tolle, Harrison) would likely need to be attached. Trading Jarren Duran would save $8 million while being an extremely valuable trade piece, but whether or not Craig Breslow will fix the outfield logjam remains to be seen. I’ll talk more about potential players that the Sox could acquire in my next blog, but the pool of players still out there is starting to diminish.

Red Sox fans have had a tumultuous few weeks to say the least, largely due to the lack of movement on the free agency front by Boston’s Front Office. The fanbase grows more weary with every big FA name that comes off the board, especially after Red Sox POBO Craig Breslow promised an aggressive offseason. Trades for starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo were honestly pretty impressive in terms of acquiring depth and what they gave up, but neither are names that are immediately going to wow anybody. Kyle Schwarber going back to the Phillies was predictable, but potential ace Dylan Cease and Mets all-time home run leader Pete Alonso both getting signed by division rivals absolutely stung. Either one of them would have been fantastic fits in Boston, but Breslow continues to show a hesitance to doll out long and expensive contracts to players in their 30s. Alex Bregman is in his 30s and will be likely even more expensive, but Breslow needs to do everything he can to keep the slugger in Boston. Signing Bregman back seems like the only realistic route to an elite bat in free agency left, but even that would only bring Boston back to where they were last year — not good enough to advance past the Wild Card series.

After seeing the massive contract Dylan Cease got from Toronto, I thought the Sonny Gray trade looked even better for Boston. Dick Fitts will be missed, but the Sox’s young pitching depth made him expendable. Johan Oviedo, Breslow’s other major trade acquisition thus far, is a young starter with a lot of upside despite his lackluster track record. While it did cost #5 Red Sox prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, he too had become expendable due to Boston’s young depth. These were both creative moves that capitalized on redundant prospects while their value was hot, but I also understand that most fans aren’t as impressed with these as I am. Many wanted Cease to end up in Boston, a big-money investment in the team and a bona fide #2 to slot in behind Garrett Crochet. Signing free agent Michael King is the redirection that much of the fanbase would love, but the general feeling is that the Sox might be all done adding to their 2026 rotation. Looking at how the starters line up, I unfortunately agree with that general feeling. Garrett Crochet at #1, Sonny Gray at #2, Brayan Bello at #3, and then some combination of Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, Johan Oviedo, Kyle Harrison, and Kutter Crawford making up the final two spots. There really isn’t much room here for another starter, not without risking the development of Early and Tolle. The Twins shut down any Joe Ryan rumors, and the Sox have seemingly moved on to other areas of the roster to improve. I would love for them to add another good pitcher, but it just seems unlikely at this point.

Boston’s offer to Pete Alonso was reportedly less years and money than Baltimore’s deal, with the Sox unsurprisingly reluctant to hand out a big deal to him. This sent a part of Red Sox nation into a frenzy, with many declaring the offseason in danger of being a flop. While I’m not quite on that level of concern yet, I understand why some are worried. Alonso and Kyle Schwarber were great fits, and the Orioles and Blue Jays out spending the Sox is annoying to say the least. There are still avenues to success this winter, however, with bats like Bregman, Bo Bichette, and Kyle Tucker still out there on the free agent market. There have even been serious rumors about Boston acquiring Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte, although his team-friendly contract would require a huge bounty of prospects and talent in a trade. I think if Boston can sign Alex Bregman AND make another complimentary move to the lineup, they could be better than last year. It wouldn’t be an A+ offseason by any means, but it would be far from the disaster that a few fans are fearing. If Boston whiffs on all of the players that I just mentioned, then the money saved in the Rafael Devers trade will not be getting used immediately — a decision sure to anger most of the fanbase. Fenway Sports Group created this need for a bat with the Devers trade, and fans feel betrayed by the money-saving move after several years of not spending big. Until John Henry repurposes that $250 million into the team, it’s just a move that saved him money and made the team substantially worse.

The disappointing implosion of the 2025 Red Sox continued against the Athletics this week, with the stunted offense averaging just 3.3 runs per game. The runners in scoring position (RISP) problem has reached an all-time low for the Sox, with Boston bats going 5-for-30 in such situations this series. Alex Bregman and Ceddanne Rafaela remain two of the worst qualified hitters in baseball since the All-Star break, a far fall from grace compared to their first-half dominance. Masataka Yoshida has been hitting cleanup for some reason, with an OPS hovering just above .600 on the season. Trevor Story has been the only consistent bat since Anthony went down, and he’s usually not enough to get the win on his own. With starters Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, and Payton Tolle faltering down the stretch, the Sox offense needs to find a solution to their situational hitting troubles. Wilyer Abreu’s return got pushed back again, but he should be able to start contributing in the next few days. Following this recent rough stretch, the surging Cleveland Guardians sit just 1.5 games back of Boston for control of the final Wild Card spot. With Anthony gone indefinitely and potentially out for the rest of the year, can Boston stave off playoff elimination?

On September 2nd, just a few days after the Anthony injury, Fangraphs had Boston’s playoff chances at 98.2%. After Thursday’s loss to the Athletics, the Sox’s playoff odds sank to 83.1%, representing a drop of over 15% in under 3 weeks. Boston went 5-8 in that span, allowing Cleveland to get back into the race so late in the season. The losses have piled on without Anthony in the lineup, with Boston unable to replace the production of their leadoff sparkplug. Despite Roman being in his first career MLB season, many experts already consider him as one of the premier leadoff men in the league thanks to his ability to get on base (.396 OPB in 257 ABs). His presence in the lineup likely also elevated the bats around him, offering others some protection on a team that doesn’t have a lot going offensively — especially without him. I think Craig Breslow’s failure to get a bat at the deadline has becoming glaringly bad in recent weeks, with the current roster deploying minor-leaguers like Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton as emergency depth amidst the slew of injuries. If it weren’t for Romy Gonzalez’s fantastic year at the plate and Nathaniel Lowe falling into their lap in August, the situation on the right side of the infield would be even more of a disaster. Anthony, Abreu, and Marcelo Mayer have all been out for long stretches in the second half, and the Red Sox have been almost entirely unprepared. An annoying result of this lack of preparation is Masataka Yoshida getting trotted out most days at DH, even after the team seemingly banished him for the first 3 months of the season. His stats remain dreadful on the year, but Boston has genuinely nobody else to turn to. A team that has to start two of Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard, David Hamilton, and Masataka Yoshida every game is not going ANYWHERE in the playoffs, especially when you take into account the others that are slumping. Plugging in Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder can get the occasional win, but it isn’t a path to consistent success.

The pitching side of things has been much less bleak for Boston, despite the rotation taking a step back. The bullpen remains largely dominant, with Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman proving to be quite the duo at the backend of the pen. Steven Matz has been a solid pickup for Breslow, and Justin Wilson has been a fantastic signing. Payton Tolle came out of the bullpen in the series finale, hurling three shutout innings and touching 100 MPH. If Giolito and Bello can gain some momentum in their last few starts, I don’t think I would have any worries about the pitching staff going into the playoffs. Obviously I would have preferred a starter like Joe Ryan or Merrill Kelly at the deadline, but I think Boston’s front three is still formidable — even more so if Tolle comes out after them. I guess I’m still a bit worried about the righty reliever depth following the general failure and ensuing banishment of Jordan Hicks, but Justin Slaten threw a pair of clean frames this series and could be the answer to my fears. I still have plenty of faith in Boston to make the playoffs, but I’d be lying if I said I had no worries about them in a potential playoff series. The Sox have a LOT of work to do and momentum to gain in the next 10 days, which admittedly isn’t that many days. It’s time to prove they’re a legit playoff team that deserves a chance at the 2025 World Series championship.

The Sox are sorely missing star outfielder Roman Anthony, who’s been out for all of September with an oblique injury. Boston is 6-6 on the month as a result, and they’re now essentially crawling to the playoffs during the season’s final few weeks. The power numbers are down across the board, and the situational hitting has struggled massively like it did earlier in the season. Boston still took the season series from New York 9-4, but it’s clear that Anthony’s injury has put a huge damper on the Sox’s playoff outlook. Wilyer Abreu coming back (hopefully) soon should help things, but will he be his regular self immediately after coming off the IL? I’m honestly bummed right now, both because of the significant injuries as well as the series loss to the Yankees. If this current iteration of the Sox can’t even beat a Yankees team that they dominated all season long, then how can I expect them to do much of anything in October? I’ve prepared myself for Anthony being out for the rest of the season, but I know an early playoff elimination is still going to sting. There were tons of expectations on this Sox team, with excitement building for months over them likely making their first playoff appearance since 2021. With Rafael Devers traded and Anthony out, however, Boston will need some other players to step up in the next few weeks. Alex Bregman, Jarren Duran, and Ceddanne Rafaela — I’m looking at you.

Duran is slashing .227/.277/.432 in the month of September. He was Boston’s most important bat in 2024, but he hasn’t really recaptured that level of play outside of an extremely good July. Bregman, who was the team’s best hitter this year through the end of July, has been slumping horribly since his return from a hamstring injury, slashing an underwhelming .216/.273/.333 this month. Ceddanne Rafaela, the defensive maestro in centerfield, is amidst the worst slump of the bunch. Rafaela was the team’s best clutch bat in June/July, but has since cooled down considerably. His September slash line is currently .105/.190/.184, good for just a .375 OPS across 42 plate appearances. While he is the 9-hole hitter in the lineup, Rafaela’s bat is a difference maker nearly every night when he is hot. This team could go on a run with all of their cylinders firing, but this version of Boston looks more and more like an empty husk. It’s been mostly on the starting pitching and the bullpen to earn wins as of late, but the bats can’t rely on them forever.

With nearly everyone struggling at the plate, the Rafael Devers trade could not be more glaring. I’m only still talking about Devers this late in the season because of Boston’s offensive void at DH, with groundout specialist Masataka Yoshida shoring up responsibilities since the former’s departure. On top of that, Boston got essentially nothing in return for Devers, with Sox GM Craig Breslow opting to salary dump their best player instead of getting a worthwhile return. Jordan Hicks, the only MLB-ready player from the trade, is on the phantom IL with a fake injury because of how badly he has pitched. Also on the phantom IL is Dustin May, who was acquired to be the #5 starter for Boston in a trade for James Tibbs at the deadline. Tibbs was the top prize that Boston got in the Devers trade, but that didn’t save him from immediately getting traded for an embarrassingly bad starting pitcher. The jury is still out on Kyle Harrison, but I’m personally not holding my breath. Harrison is at least up with the team now, but that has more to do with the pitching injuries than anything else. Breslow’s putrid trade deadline has only been further exposed by the onslaught of injuries, and it’s the main reason why Boston is struggling right now. Thank god the Nationals released Nathaniel Lowe, who’s 109 OPS+ with the Sox has been a blessing during these trying times. Boston has the Athletics at Fenway coming up next, and I’m hoping the Sox can find their footing soon — because there isn’t much time left.

In the four games that have followed Roman Anthony’s season-ending oblique injury, the Boston Red Sox have looked largely lost at the plate. Boston averaged 3.5 runs per game across the four contests, regressing significantly in both getting on base and situational hitting. Alex Bregman’s slump has been brutal for nearly a month now, and he’s posted a meager .312 OPS over the last two weeks. Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela have been struggling badly themselves, and Wilyer Abreu is still out with an injury that the team refuses to elaborate much on. Masataka Yoshida is still getting playing time due to said injury, and his ineffectiveness hurts the team nearly every night. Now that the pitching staff has regressed as a unit too, Boston is starting to drop more games as the season draws to a close. On top of all of that, Rafael Devers is hitting the cover of the ball in San Francisco — while the Sox’s return for him looks worse by the day. Jordan Hicks is one of the worst relievers in the sport, a far cry from the “dominant, back-end reliever” that Craig Breslow envisioned. Kyle Harrison isn’t developing as expected in the minors, with all of his pitches still looking sub-par. Even James Tibbs, who some thought was the true prize of the trade for Boston, was quickly shipped off to LA for disappointing starter rental Dustin May. While it would take a truly historic collapse for Boston to miss out on the playoffs entirely, the Sox are not positioned well for a deep run with their current level of play. They have a few more weeks to get back on the right track, but they need some of their key players to improve — and fast.

Jordan Hicks was brought in to be a key righty reliever out of this bullpen, with Steven Matz acquired as the lefty help. While Matz has largely excelled in his role, Hicks has been truly horrible in nearly all of his appearances. He is obviously under contract for two more years, so Boston is trying to find out how to fix him instead of eating that contract. With Garrett Whitlock having the 8th inning and Greg Weissert wearing down due to his high usage, Boston REALLY needed another effective righty arm. Justin Slaten has been battling injuries and inconsistency all season long, so the Sox were betting on Hicks being a somewhat reliable replacement. At least the bullpen has some great arms too, with Matz, Justin Wilson, Whitlock, and the wildly dominant Aroldis Chapman forming a fairly formidable unit. Chapman is currently putting up one of the best reliever seasons of all time, and he hasn’t given up a single hit in his last 15 innings. The predictive metrics have been pointing to a potential Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito regression, and I think we’re already starting to see it with the latter. Giolito missed the entirety of 2024 due to injury, so this could just be a case of him getting tired towards the end of the season, but it’s something to monitor as the playoffs draw near. Even Garrett Crochet had his worst start of the season, and he’s already 32 innings past his previous career high. These guys getting tired is exactly why pitching depth is so important, but Craig Breslow messed up on that front during this year’s deadline. Dustin May has been mostly horrendous since coming over from the Dodgers, unable to pitch at even a #5 starter level. Having May as the only backup plan for the failed Joe Ryan deal is proving to be a massive oversight, especially after injuries to Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts. Payton Tolle has essentially been brought up to be their #4 starter, but he’s going to have rookie growing pains (like in his recent start against Arizona). With limited internal options after Tolle, the Sox have been using May in tandem with the bullpen, usually deploying Brennan Bernardino as an opener. The hope is that the lack of depth won’t matter too much come playoffs, but the top-heavy rotation is costing them games down the stretch.

As mentioned earlier, a lot of the team has been slumping since the All-Star break. The pitching staff was able to mostly hide it for the last month or so, but the Roman Anthony injury changed everything. Anthony had quickly taken the league by storm and established himself as Boston’s best hitter, earning the leadoff spot with his fantastic ability to get on base. With that production now gone until potentially mid-October, the lineup feels lifeless. Wilyer Abreu is also likely out for a few more weeks, so there is no help on the way anytime soon. Batters like Bregman, Duran, and Rafaela simply need to play better, especially if they want to have any hope in the playoffs this year. Nate Lowe has been a welcome spark in this lineup, but he isn’t enough to carry an entire team like Anthony. I have enjoyed the resurgence of Carlos Narvaez, however, as he is a vital player on both sides of the ball when he is hitting. I still have a lot of faith in this lineup, but they need to figure out how to operate without Roman. The Athletics are up next, and will undoubtedly give Boston a tough battle. I see it as an opportunity to sharpen iron against iron and get this lineup ready for October, but it’s up to them to take advantage.

The Red Sox lost 2 out of 3 to the last place Pirates at home this weekend, an infuriating result that I hadn’t really anticipated. After steamrolling their AL East rivals in the few series prior, most fans were expecting a cakewalk. A rare bullpen implosion in Game 1 followed by a terrible Dustin May start in Game 2 was all Pittsburgh needed, however, as they took each contest handily. Payton Tolle did all he could in his first career start, throwing challenge fastballs in the high 90s with his massive arm extension. While it was the Sox bullpen that blew the game after Tolle came out, the Boston offense was hardly doing him any favors. Boston got outscored 14-5 across the two losses, again facing issues at the plate with runners on base. The Red Sox would do well to put this series behind them as soon as possible, but winning the finale at least gave Boston some momentum as they head into their series against Cleveland. Add in the surprising Aroldis Chapman extension, and the Sox could be poised to go on another run here against some weaker teams.

Payton Tolle is going to be special. Tolle’s duel with Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes was must-watch TV, trading unhittable fastballs back and forth. His 8 strikeouts were the highest in a Red Sox debut since Daisuke Matsuzaka’s 10 in 2007, and it feels like his fastball could be one of the league’s best soon — if not already. While I don’t really agree with Alex Cora’s decision to pull him in the 6th, I understand the caution around a special arm like his. Greg Weissert just simply CANNOT have an outing like that again, especially coming in for Tolle on his debut. Weissert’s implosion tacked on two earned runs to Tolle’s final line, which would have been a clean outing otherwise. I’m also completely out on the Jordan Hicks experiment, and I don’t care that he has 2 years left on his deal. He is absolutely useless every time he comes out, and he’s a hinderance to this team’s playoff hopes. Boston would be better off giving ANYONE else his roster spot, but I think Craig Breslow isn’t willing to admit defeat on that front yet. Rafael Devers is really hitting his stride with the Giants now, and I’d rather not be reminded of him every time Hicks strolls up to the mound. Speaking of Breslow’s defeats, Dustin May has been horrific for the most part. May was the backup plan after a potential Joe Ryan deal fell through, but I think it’s clear that Breslow picked the wrong guy. When you throw in the fact that they gave up James Tibbs in the deal, it looks like an even uglier trade. With Tolle presumably taking the #4 spot in the rotation and Walker Buehler released, Boston might not have another option for their #5 starter. With how dominant the top of their rotation is, however, Boston likely won’t need him come playoffs. One of those front-end arms, Lucas Giolito, pitched yet another quality start on Sunday. His return has been invaluable to this team, and I’m excited that he’s likely coming back next season. I do have to give Breslow credit on the Chapman deal, I thought he was long gone after this phenomenal year he is having. Breslow moved quick, and now Chapman is on a bargain deal for the next two seasons. The best closer in the AL, Chapman elevates this team in ways Kenley Jansen could only dream of.

Masataka Yoshida may be approaching the end of his tenure with the Boston Red Sox. His OPS now sits at .609, an unplayable mark for a player that doesn’t play the field. It’s tough seeing Kyle Schwarber hitting homer after homer for the Phillies, because ex-Boston GM Chaim Bloom gave Yoshida $90 million instead of the Philadelphia masher. Alex Bregman has been scuffling at the plate a bit recently himself, a large reason for the lack of runs this past week. I’m holding out hope that Ceddanne Rafaela can catch fire again before the end of the season, but he’s been scuffling since the All-Star break. Jarren Duran continues to be inconsistent, but he had a HUGE inside-the-park home run in Game 3 that gave Boston the lead. He finished 2-for-2 on the day, knocking in 3 RBI and drawing a pair of walks. Nathaniel Lowe has been a welcome and unexpected surge in the lineup, but it’s clear that this team is missing Devers’ bat. I think they’ll be fine once they bust a few slumps, but they only have a few more weeks of regular season to do so. Boston is now half a game back of the Yankees for the top AL Wild Card spot, which will decide the homefield advantage for the Wild Card series. They’re also just 3.5 games back of Toronto for the division lead, so we could be in for a very eventful month down the stretch.

The Red Sox took all four games from the Orioles at Camden Yards, and they looked great doing it. Roman Anthony became the youngest player in history to hit multiple leadoff homers in the same road series. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a clutch 2-run homer in the 9th inning, giving Boston the lead and eventually the win in the third game. Trevor Story continued his offensive tear, smacking a pair of bombs himself in the series. Perhaps most importantly, however, was just how nails the starting rotation was across the board. Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, and Lucas Giolito form as good a top-3 as anyone’s, if not better. Even Brennan Bernardino, who’s been sent down this season, now owns an ERA under two across his last 15 innings — many of those as a much-needed opener. While the Sox weren’t able to put more distance between them and the Yankees, they now sit just 3.5 games back of Toronto for the division lead. Boston has a stretch coming up against several mediocre teams, so getting through this mini AL East gauntlet was HUGE. Go beat up on the small teams now, and hopefully the others in the race will fade.

Bello, Giolito, and Crochet each hurled a quality start, with Giolito having maybe his best start of the year. He tossed 8 scoreless innings, striking out 8 and only walking 1. It’s looking like the 2019-2021 All-Star version of him might be close to back, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Bello has improved in a big way this year, with his ERA now sitting under 3 after this latest gem. Garrett Crochet is still an ace, even on days when he doesn’t have his best stuff. With Richard Fitts hurt and Dustin May struggling, however, Boston will need to get something out of Payton Tolle. Tolle, the Sox’s top pitching prospect, has just been called up from AAA, and will make his first career start against Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes tonight. I have massive confidence in Tolle, but there is always a level of uncertainty with rookies. He rarely walks anyone and has a filthy pitch mix though, so I feel like he could come up and dominate similar to Roman Anthony. Steven Matz, Garrett Whitlock, and the rest of the pen continued to be largely phenomenal, and Aroldis Chapman remains the best closer in baseball. He has allowed just ONE run since the end of May.

The Roman Anthony extension ages better by the day. His OPS+ is an impressive 140 after just 66 career games, and he’s starting to hit balls out of the park again. The undisputed savior of this team following the highly controversial Rafael Devers trade, Anthony has risen to the occasion and carries this offense. Speaking of rising to the occasion, Ceddanne Rafaela had yet another clutch homer. If he can get going offensively again like he was before the break, he will be a critical bat come playoffs. David Hamilton getting going a bit offensively this series should hopefully keep him at second base, giving Rafaela a pathway to regular centerfield starts. I still can’t believe Story is finally producing on this contract, I never thought I would see the day. Masataka Yoshida is still giving us nothing, so it’s nice to see at least one of Chaim Bloom’s signings performing well. Jarren Duran had a huge home run of his own, hopefully a sign that his recent issue with runners on base is coming to an end. These guys should be able to do some serious damage coming up, especially with all the weak teams up next. With Paul Skenes going tonight against Tolle, however, I think we’re in for a pitcher’s duel.

There are very few things that make me as happy as a Red Sox win does, but a Yankees loss is definitely one of them. So, you can only imagine how elated I am when the Red Sox BEAT the Yankees — something they accomplished three times over the weekend. Roman Anthony hit a memorable bomb in the 9th inning on Thursday, flipping his bat in a surprising display of emotion. After Anthony put Game 1 out of reach, Brayan Bello absolutely dominated on Friday. His 7 shutout innings were nothing short of masterful against a tough Yankees lineup, especially in a game that ended 1-0. Game 3, on the other hand, was a lopsided Boston blowout win, with the Red Sox winning 12-1. Trevor Story and Carlos Narvaez both went deep, while Garrett Crochet delivered his typical ace stuff on the mound. The Sox dropped the series finale off of a rough Dustin May start, but the damage had already been done by Boston. The Sox have leapfrogged the Yankees in the Wild Card standings, and now have a one game lead as the top Wild Card team. Boston has all of the momentum they need to finish this season strong and get into the playoffs, and I couldn’t be happier. I almost forgot what this feeling was like.

I have a lot of confidence in the top half of the Red Sox rotation, but there are absolutely some questions concerning the #4 and #5 spots. Dustin May was acquired after Craig Breslow failed to get Joe Ryan at the trade deadline, with the hope he could slot into one of those spots. May has been very up and down, however, and his stats aren’t looking to great after getting knocked around by the Yankees. I’m still holding out hope that he can stabilize into a useful arm, but Boston is going to need him to step up — especially with Walker Buehler getting moved to the bullpen. That leaves internal options at AAA like Kyle Harrison or Payton Tolle for the #5 spot, and I feel like one of them will be joining the team shortly (I’d prefer Tolle). Crochet, Bello, and Lucas Giolito are going to be vital down the stretch, as their dependability continues to stack wins. Giolito has returned to Earth a little after a few dominant months, but he’s still terrific for a #3 starter in my opinion. Oh yeah — and Aroldis Chapman, who picked up a pair of saves in this series, has only allowed a SINGLE run since the end of May. His renaissance at age 37 has elevated the Sox to a new level, and shows just how important a shut-down closer is. I’m curious to see where he places in the Cy Young voting at season’s end.

Sunday’s finale was actually New York’s first win against Boston this season, bringing their head-to-head series record to an eye-popping 1-8. Boston has been playing well against New York for a few years now, but this season’s rivalry is unusually one-sided. I think this has to do with the mentality that the guys on this Boston team have, as they seem to consistently rise to the occasion during these matchups. Roman Anthony’s homer was no doubt a product of this, and the bat flip showed just how pumped up he was. Alex Bregman and Trevor Story also each had a great series, with their strong veteran leadership fronting an otherwise young lineup. Jarren Duran needs to improve on his situational hitting, but he remains an important bat in this lineup. With Wilyer Abreu on the IL now, these are the bats that need to step up and get the Sox across the finish line. Top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia made his MLB debut for Boston this weekend, and he’ll be trying his best to replace Abreu’s production as he acclimates to the big leagues. I’m admittedly a little disappointed as a huge Kristian Campbell fan that it wasn’t him that got called up, but I know it’s only a matter of time before he is back and up with the team too. The top Wild Card spot would give Boston home-field advantage in a pivotal WC series, so the Sox would do well to tack on a few more wins and put some distance between them and New York in the standings.

The Red Sox lost an embarrassing 2-game set to the Baltimore Orioles to start the week, in front of two sell-out crowds at Fenway no less. After getting a strong quality start from new arm Dustin May on Monday’s series opener, Jovani Moran and Jordan Hicks proceeded to give up a pair of runs each out of the Boston pen — pushing the game out of reach. Boston was losing much of the second game too, but then the newest Red Sox player, Nathaniel Lowe, hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th. The offense continued to fail with runners in scoring position (RISP), however, and Boston lost after stranding the bases loaded three innings in a row. The Sox finished a paltry 1-for-19 with RISP across the two games, with their previously strong situational hitting nowhere to be found. The Orioles have been playing a lot better as of late, but Boston could have (and should have) taken both games — especially with the solid starting pitching performances. The bullpen is a glaring weakness for this team, and they aren’t going to win much with the bats slumping too. The Sox still have sole possession of the second AL wild card spot, but they have a big road trip up next and they NEED to play well during it. There isn’t a ton of time left in the season, and Boston would do well to keep the other teams at bay with a few wins here.

Dustin May pitched admirably for the second start in a row, allowing just 2 runs across his 6 innings of work. If May can continue to pitch at this level, he could be the perfect #4 starter in this rotation. He deserved to earn the win in this one, but May unfortunately received no run support and the Boston bullpen put the game way out of reach. Speaking of the bullpen, add Jovani Moran to the list of below average relievers that aren’t going to work out for Boston. Him and Jordan Hicks were massively frustrating to watch on Monday, throwing uncompetitive pitches like their lives depended on it. Hicks had a clean inning on Tuesday, but he remains a huge disappointment both at his price point and as a part of the Rafael Devers trade. Boston owes Hicks $12.5 million for each of the next two seasons, so it’s unlikely he gets released before getting some run in 2026. I’ve always thought that the Devers trade was a huge swing and a miss in general by Craig Breslow and the Boston front office, but Hicks has been far worse than anything I could’ve imagined. They have a ton of work to do if they want to get Hicks right again, and I doubt he can even be useful this season at this point. Walker Buehler pitched fine by his standards, although his short, 4-inning outing required some extra effort from the bullpen. The pen was up to task this time around, however, allowing just one earned run across 7 relief frames. They looked a lot more like the strong bullpen that they were for a majority of the season, and less weak like they have looked the last week or so. Unfortunately for the pen, the main issue in this one was the stagnant Boston offense.

What could have been one of the best comebacks of the season quickly turned into one of Boston’s worst losses. Nathaniel Lowe, making his first career start for the Red Sox, hit a game-tying, 2-run blast in the bottom of the 9th to push the game into extra innings. Boston had been behind 3-1 since the 5th inning, and the game had seemed completely over already to most fans (me included). Despite the comeback, Boston left the bases loaded for the 8th, 9th, and 10th innings on route to one of their more unsavory losses in recent memory. 1-for-19 with RISP is inexcusable, especially the brutal at-bats with the bases loaded. The lineup has been top-heavy for a while now, but the slumping bats near the bottom of their order are getting exposed down the stretch. Carlos Narvaez and Abraham Toro have stopped hitting. Ceddanne Rafaela has been ice-cold offensively during his defensive transition to second base. Masataka Yoshida went 0-for-8 this series, and his defensive limitations continue to hurt his value to the team. Lowe could be an important spark down the stretch, but some of these players will need to step up if the Red Sox have serious postseason aspirations. The Sox have four road games against the Yankees starting tonight, with another 4-game road series against these same Orioles starting right after that. If the Sox go 5-3 or better across these eight games, it would go a long way towards securing that Wild Card spot. Not to mention that this is a prime opportunity to leapfrog the Yankees, as they sit just 1.5 games ahead of Boston. This series sucked, but it’s far from over for this team.

I admittedly wish I was much happier after a series win, but it felt like a sweep was right in front of Boston and they let it slip away. Sunday’s loss was one of the toughest of the season, and showed just how much this team leans on closer Aroldis Chapman to get those final three outs. Chapman was forced into Saturday’s blowout-in-progress thanks to another terrible outing from Isaiah Campbell, so Alex Cora told reporters that Chapman was unavailable for the finale on Sunday. The other arms in the bullpen simply didn’t step up, and a fantastic start from Garrett Crochet was wasted as a result. Craig Breslow’s quiet deadline is costing Boston in the pen now, as many are wondering why he only acquired Steven Matz — a lefty — and not a power righty to help down the stretch. With Matz blowing the finale and Jordan Hicks struggling immensely, there are a lot of question marks surrounding this relief staff. Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello bounced back in a huge way this series, however, each delivering a quality start and helping earn a win. I’d like the offense to have quality at-bats on a more consistent basis, but I’m still bullish on this team and their playoff hopes. The Yankees are right behind them in the standings though, so Boston has to keep the foot on the pedal and keep grinding out wins.

I don’t want to see Isaiah Campbell pitch another inning for this team. We can all safely mark the Campbell experiment as a failure and move on, no need for him to take up a 40-man spot. Since coming over from the Mariners for Luis Urias a little under two years ago, Campbell has been atrocious at the MLB level. He has given up an astounding 19 runs (18 earned) in just 14.1 innings, and is only still on the team due to his minor league flexibility. Whether it’s Campbell, Chris Murphy, or the since-released Jorge Alcala, Boston’s mop-up relievers aren’t getting the job done and are forcing Aroldis Chapman into games he has no business being wasted in. Internal options from the minors might be their best bet for quality innings at this point, but a solution needs to be found before the playoffs come around. Steven Matz, Garrett Whitlock, and Greg Weissert all could’ve stepped up yesterday, and Boston probably wins if even one of them showed up. Chapman cannot be the only one that can pitch in high leverage situations, and Boston needs mop-up arms that can do their job. The rotation, on the other hand, has been stellar, and I’m interested to see if Dustin May can build off his impressive last start. Crochet clearly didn’t let his last outing get to him, and he’s right back to looking like a Cy Young candidate, so I’m pretty confident in the rotation as of right now.

The offense could have done more against the Miami Marlins, but the Sox’s situational hitting was great throughout the series. Trevor Story has turned from a detriment to the team into an RBI machine and clutch veteran presence, and with Marcelo Mayer now out for the season with wrist surgery, Story’s defensive ability at shortstop has become almost as important as his improved bat. Alex Bregman and Roman Anthony have been an electric duo at the top of the lineup, getting on base at a high rate and putting the team in good positions to score runs. Wilyer Abreu, while having a fantastic series of his own, was pulled from the finale with an apparent calf injury. If Abreu is out for an extended period of time, Kristian Campbell could be back up sooner rather than later. Heavy-hitting outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia has been tearing up AAA, boasting an absurd 17 homers across 65 games in Worcester, but I doubt Breslow would promote him before getting Campbell right. Campbell has been hitting much better in AAA himself as of late, and Garcia moving ahead of him could mess with his confidence. There is some exciting new news that could bolster this lineup right now, though: Boston reached a deal with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe last night. Lowe was recently released amidst a horrible season with the Washington Nationals, although this is the first year he’s been this bad. Lowe averaged a 122 OPS+ and 2.8 WAR from 2021-2024 with the Texas Rangers, most notably being a huge part of their 2023 championship-winning team. If Boston can get him anywhere close to his old levels of production, their first base problem could be solved. Lowe will be the bat I’m most curious to watch as the Red Sox begin a 2-game set against Baltimore tonight.

Boston came close to winning this series, and could have even swept if a few more things went their way, but the Houston Astros took 2 out of 3 in the end. Garrett Crochet had his worst start of the season in Game 1, lasting an uncharacteristically short 4 innings — giving up 5 earned runs. The Red Sox scored 6 runs, but fell short thanks to another bullpen implosion from Jordan Hicks. The second game was a fun blowout win, however, and Dustin May really shocked me with how well he pitched. Roman Anthony and Alex Bregman both hit homers in each of these games, continuing their offensive tear at the top of the Sox order. Boston was only able to plate one run in the finale, which was not enough to overcome yet another bad Walker Buehler start. That leaves us with a 2-4 road trip, which is fairly disappointing when you look at the lost opportunity to gain ground in the playoff race. Luckily for Boston, it looks like the worst might be behind them for good this time. The Sox have the 24th toughest schedule remaining for the rest of the season, and won’t be challenged like this again until they face Toronto and Detroit for the last two series of the season. They still have to beat up on the middling and non-playoff teams, but Boston is in a playoff spot and have the talent to get it done.

I’m not at all concerned about Crochet’s rough outing; I think it’s only human that he has an occasional bad start. His workload will be something to monitor down the stretch, but I don’t expect this to be come a trend. Dustin May delivered exactly what was envisioned by Craig Breslow when he traded for him at the deadline. He may not be Joe Ryan, but May once held the pedigree of a top pitching prospect and clearly still has that ceiling of talent. It has always been about health and consistency with May, but he could be a useful arm in a rotation that desperately needs them. 8 strikeouts through 6 scoreless innings was a statement start, and I hope to see more like that from him in the near future. On the other hand, Walker Buehler likely wouldn’t be on this team still if they weren’t so stretched thin for starters. I’m done watching him pitch for the Sox, and he’ll likely be released soon with those salary escalators in his contract. The bullpen has been largely great for Boston, outside of Rafael Devers trade piece Jordan Hicks. Hicks has been embarrassingly bad since arriving here from San Francisco, and he is still under contract for $12.5 million each of the next two seasons. Breslow said in the Devers trade press conference that he believes Hicks is a dominant, late-inning arm, and Hicks was the only MLB-ready player that came over in the trade. If Boston can’t get him right, the return for Rafael Devers is going to look even worse than it already does.

The bats have been good on the whole in the second half, but it’s no secret that the Red Sox play better at home. I’m excited to see them get back to Fenway and hopefully stack some wins, especially with the softer schedule coming up. Roman Anthony has been fantastic out of the leadoff spot, drawing walks and reaching base at a rate that few rookies ever have. Anthony has all the makings to be a star in this league, so I’m elated that Breslow worked quick to extend him a few weeks ago. Alex Bregman, who is the next guy that Boston has to extend, remains the best hitter in the lineup since coming back from injury. Even playing at around 75%, it’s clear this team needs him playing as much as possible. Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran have heated back up, and Ceddanne Rafaela has been much better at second base. The main issue remains the first base problem. Abraham Toro, despite homering this series, is still an offensive hole and cannot be the full-time 1B. Romy Gonzalez is another option down the stretch and has been hitting well, but the potential return of Kristian Campbell complicates things. Masataka Yoshida has been hitting better out of the DH spot, so I don’t think benching him for Campbell would be the move. I don’t think Campbell should be platooned when he comes up either, so Breslow has his work cut out for him. For now, expect Romy over Toro going forward until a bigger decision is made.

After Boston won the series opener, thanks in part to a surprisingly good Walker Buehler start, the Red Sox dropped games 2 and 3 in frustrating fashion. Boston struggled to contain ex-cornerstone shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who knocked in a pair of runs in Saturday’s game and tied the game twice. These were his first career hits against his former team, stamped by his third homer in a 4-game span. After Roman Anthony tied the game in the 9th inning, Garrett Whitlock lost the game in the 10th. The Red Sox followed this up the next day by getting carved up by Padres starter Michael King, who struck out 7 across six strong innings. Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello both had disappointing starts for Boston too, but the Padres are one of the better teams from the National League. I’m not too concerned about anything here, but these will be the kinds of teams that the Sox will have to face if they can work their way into the playoffs. There are definitely still a few major questions surrounding this team. Who is going to play first base in the short-term with Abraham Toro struggling? Is the bullpen deep enough to weather the rest of the season? How much longer of a leash do guys like Buehler and Masataka Yoshida have? As the season begins to wind down, Boston will need to figure out some answers and put forward their best lineup.

A report before the start of the series from MassLive’s Chris Cotillo revealed that Buehler was on much thinner ice with the organization than I previously thought. Buehler is set to earn an extra 500k dollars every other start he makes until the end of the season, a solid reason to release him now given his extremely poor play in recent months. Buehler responded strong to the talk, however, and hurled six shutout innings en route to a 10-2 blowout win for Boston. He’s likely bought himself a few more starts, but Buehler is going to need to find some consistency to keep his job on the team. Giolito and Bello just didn’t have it this series. Giolito walked 6 batters, and allowed 4 earned runs in 4.2 innings. I personally think Alex Cora likely left Giolito in a bit too long at the end of his outing, resulting in a much worse line and the loss for the one-time Chicago ace. Cora is ramping up his pitchers for the playoffs as well as preserving his taxed bullpen, but he shouldn’t be sacrificing wins to do so. Bello walked 3 batters himself, and allowed 5 earned runs to cross the plate. These are both pitchers with workload concerns, and I understand Cora’s point of view is stretching out their starts, but a tight playoff push needs to be treated as such. Craig Breslow already failed to do so at the deadline, so now it’s up to Cora and the players to get invited to some October baseball. Sox ace Garrett Crochet is certainly going to need some help as the season comes to a close, so I’m keeping faith.

I think it’s time for Abraham Toro and Masataka Yoshida to stop getting regular at-bats. Toro, while still useful first base depth, has been one of the worst qualified hitters in the sport for a while now. I loved how he and Romy Gonzalez stepped up following the Triston Casas injury, but they are far from the solution as we head towards the postseason. Kristian Campbell has been hitting very well in AAA as of late, but his defensive struggles are ever-apparent as he continues to learn first base in the minors. A Campbell/Gonzalez platoon might be the best option following Boston’s stagnant deadline, but it needs to be addressed soon. Additionally, Yoshida’s involvement this year has been bizarre start to finish. After spending months away from the team rehabbing what seemed like a trivial injury, Yoshida was brought back into the fold by management at perhaps the worst possible time. Boston began this season with three starting outfielders: Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu. Following the Rafael Devers trade, they decided to promote Roman Anthony to the MLB roster as a starting outfielder and rotate the DH spot. Abreu and Rafaela are Gold Glove quality in the field, and Anthony has been fantastic since being promoted. Duran is the weakest fielder, but is maybe the best bat and de facto team leader. They probably could have gotten away doing this if they didn’t bring Yoshida back, especially just a few weeks after Roman’s promotion. This move has forced Rafaela into the infield while Yoshida takes the DH reps, limiting the former’s value immensely. Yoshida is not a player that we should be accommodating, especially at the expense of other players. He has been a league average DH for parts of three seasons, and was clearly overpaid by Chaim Bloom. Why did they bring him back at all? He should’ve been traded by now or, if not, bought out and told to hit the road. This team has no use for the little that he brings to the table, and they really never have. The best lineup needs to be out there game in and game out down the stretch, or you’re doing a disservice to yourself and the fans.

I’m glad I waited a few days to write about Boston’s trade deadline, because the Sox seem wholly unhindered by the lack of additions. Jarren Duran looks like an MVP again, and I’m grateful he wasn’t traded for pitching. Trevor Story has turned from a DFA candidate into the reigning AL Player of the Week, delivering clutch hit after clutch hit and hitting for power. Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello look like legit #2 and #3 options in the rotation down the stretch, and deadline additions Steven Matz and Dustin May could offer some relief for their over-worked arms. Boston finds themselves amidst another impressive winning streak — this one already six games strong — and the vibes couldn’t be higher. This is definitely a playoff-bound team, and I haven’t had this much enjoyment watching them since 2021. I was admittedly underwhelmed by the trade deadline, but winning cures all and I’ll lay of Craig Breslow (for now).

Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve LOVED Joe Ryan in a Red Sox uniform. He would slot perfectly into this rotation, and is a controllable arm for the future. Based on what’s being reported, however, it seems Minnesota was fairly uninterested in a prospect-only trade for Ryan. Breslow has since stated that he didn’t make anyone on the MLB roster available in trade talks, but went all-in with their prospects. Names like Jhostynxon Garcia, Payton Tolle, Franklin Arias and more could have netted a player of Ryan’s quality and control, but it looks like they couldn’t line up a deal. I think Breslow didn’t want to mess with the chemistry on the MLB roster, which is honestly pretty fair given how important certain players are to this locker room’s culture. So, the end result is Steven Matz and Dustin May for Blaze Jordan, James Tibbs, and Zach Ehrhard. Not really a fan of the May trade at all, as I think Tibbs is much more valuable and perhaps the best piece from the Rafael Devers trade, but I think Matz is a solid get for only Blaze Jordan. We’ll see if they should’ve done more (Merrill Kelly, Eugenio Suarez) in a few months, but I think this team is good enough as-is to make the playoffs.

I think I forgot what it was like to feel like this about the Red Sox. Now 12 games above .500, they have finally escaped mediocrity. Boston’s win streaks have been electric, from thrilling walk-offs to blowout victories, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. Jarren Duran, a name that was frequently brought up in hypothetical trade talks all season long, went yard AGAIN last night while playing some stellar defense. I was a little down on Duran in June, and I was open to him being a possible trade chip with the current outfield jam. Since he has now fully returned to his All-Star form, I think he’s pretty close to untouchable again — and clearly Breslow agrees. Roman Anthony has been a revelation at the top of the order, reaching base at a rate that few rookies do. He scored his first walk-off hit in their sweep of the Houston Astros over the weekend, and he has solidified a lineup that needed his help. I’m not worried about his tweaked back at all, and I expect him to be back in the lineup soon. Trevor Story can’t stop knocking in runs, and he finally looks like the player we all envisioned back in 2022. Aroldis Chapman is the best closer in baseball right now, and the rest of the bullpen has been mostly impressive (excluding Jorge Alcala). The rotation, outside of Walker Buehler, has been much better too, and I could see it being one of the better staffs in the playoffs if they can make it.

After two more home games against the Royals, the Red Sox have a tough 6-game road trip that sees them face the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros back-to-back. Boston obviously just swept first-place Houston, but a road series boasts a new level of difficulty. Once they’re past that, however, Boston has a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way. There is a Toronto series in late September that very well may decide the division, but the Red Sox should have no problem securing a Wild Card spot at the very least — IF they can make it through these next few weeks. There are a few workload concerns as the season goes on though, with key players like Garrett Crochet, Carlos Narvaez, and Marcelo Mayer all having never played a full season’s worth of games. Matz and May can alleviate some of the bullpen stress, but Boston is going to need these key guys to push themselves to new heights. Alex Bregman has been doing just that as he continues to play through injury, hitting .296 in the second half with a .833 OPS. Secure the series win against Kansas City now, and then tackle that road trip with momentum. Two more months to decide the season.