A ten-game winning streak has launched the Red Sox back into the playoff race, and all but confirmed that the club will be looking to buy before the trade deadline. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has stated that the Sox are looking at pitching options, and MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam opines that the Red Sox would likely prefer controllable pitchers in particular, so this new hurler could help support the club’s talent core for more than just the remainder of 2025. However, as of two days ago, McAdam noted that Boston hadn’t yet spoken with the Marlins about two controllable potential trade candidates — Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera.
While there’s still plenty of time before the July 31 deadline for the Sox to inquire about either pitcher, the lack of interest to date might indicate that Breslow simply might have other pitchers on his target list. Alcantara’s past Cy Young Award-winning form makes him perhaps the summer’s likeliest trade candidate, yet the right-hander has struggled badly in his return from Tommy John surgery. Cabrera is arbitration-controlled through 2028 so the rebuilding Marlins might not see a reason to move him just yet, and certainly not for anything less than a massive trade return. Health is also a concern with Cabrera, as he left Friday’s start early due to elbow discomfort but might be able to avoid the injured list after a precautionary MRI came back clean.
More from around the AL East….
- Yankees ace Max Fried left Saturday’s start after three innings due to a blister on the index finger of his throwing hand, and he told The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and other reporters today that it was too soon to tell whether or not Fried would be healed and ready to make his first start after the All-Star break. Fried is no stranger to blister problems, and the unpredictable nature of the injury means that it could be at least a few days before the southpaw or the club has any clarity on the situation. Despite some shaky results in his last three starts, Fried still finished the first half with tremendous numbers, including a 2.43 ERA over 122 innings in his debut season in New York.
- Speaking of Yankees pitchers, Luis Gil has been sidelined all season by a lat strain, but the reigning AL Rookie of the Year began a minor league rehab assignment today with Double-A Somerset. Gil threw 36 strikes during the 50-pitch outing, recording six strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work while allowing a run on two hits and a walk. This sharp performance is a good sign for Gil as he gets back to full readiness, and his long layoff means that his rehab stint will probably stretch into August. An in-form Gil would be a massive boon for the Yankees’ rotation for the remainder of the season, and the team’s trust in Gil’s health could inform how much of a push New York makes for pitching help at the deadline.
- Yimi Garcia may not need a rehab assignment for his sprained ankle, and he could rejoin the Blue Jays’ bullpen when first eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list. (Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling was among the members of the Toronto beat to report the news.) Garcia has pitched just once in the majors since May 22, as he was first sidelined by a shoulder impingement and then quickly picked up his ankle sprain that necessitated a return to the 15-day IL on July 5. The reliever threw a bullpen session on Friday and is slated to throw another soon, and his recovery from those sessions should determine the Jays’ next step.
- Rays right-hander Manuel Rodriguez will probably visit with doctors on Monday after experiencing elbow soreness during his most recent rehab outing, manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin and other reporters. A forearm strain sent Rodriguez to the 15-day IL just over a month ago, and Friday was supposed to be his final rehab outing, except the reliever’s elbow started acting up and his velocity dropped noticeably. Rodriguez has been an underrated bullpen weapon over his two-plus seasons in Tampa, delivering a 2.12 ERA over 68 relief innings since the start of the 2024 season. This isn’t the first time Rodriguez has dealt with a major arm problem, as an elbow strain cost him the majority of the 2022 campaign when Rodriguez was still a member of the Cubs organization.
Give me Alcantara or Cabrera.
I was thinking about what team would even be interested in alcantara and it definitely wouldn’t be the Yankees given it would cost them like 36 million total next year with the luxury tax he’s way too big of risk. The redsox definitely some like the team that would gamble on a guy like sandy.
Thats – Right, the Red Sox have a long history of acquiring pitchers who are injured or struggling to return from injury …. the results have been dreadful.
Any team that would trade for Sandy now would likely view themselves as playoff contenders who think they can “fix” him ASAP ….. highly unlikely. Best case scenario would be they “fix” him for next season, but that doesn’t help them now.
I would absolutely stay away from him if I was a team hoping to contend right now.
FPG
It’s time to give Cora and Breslow some credit.
I should have included Toro in a previous post,as off-season acquisitions playing well. The play he made to cut down that runner at the plate was sensational.
cdc – I agree, I’m glad you finally are. Every POBO and manager has at least some qualities and makes at least some good moves. Heck I’ve often praised Bloom for the Abreu and Pivetta trades to name a few.
I really think you should at least consider giving credit to Breslow for the Chapman and Wilson signings, especially Wilson who has been phenomenal and yet nobody here talks about. I’m just happy Breslow finally listened to me about signing Chapman …. took him a long time, but he did finally listen! LOL
Well I’m very happy the Sox have done so well against struggling teams the past couple weeks, it’s what mediocre teams do. Now hopefully they can advance to being a good team by going at least 5-4 over their next 9 games. If their pitching contains to hold up I think they can do it!!
It would be so nice if they can avoid the annual Cora Second Half Collapse. LOL
FPG
LOL . The way I’m interpreting your post it as if I’ve been lambasting ,both Cora and Breslow continually all season . That simply is not the case. Certainly not in the same vein of you and many of the posters on this site. Sure I have had disagreements with the way Cora handles the pen ,and I certainly was not high on the Chapman signing,but I’m not perfect. Anyway.
Yes, Wilson has been very good. The schedule certainly gets much tougher following the All-star game. All 3 of the National League division leaders.
The Red Sox actually have a long history of turning pitcher’s careers around. Often they’re lefties but not always. Moyer, Hill, Miller, Pomeranz, off the top of my head.
Unfortunately they also have a long history of trading away good pitchers.
cdc – No, not at all ….. I’m interpreting your post as looking at Breslow and Cora in a different light. Why are you bringing negativity here now? Oh God I hope you’re not the latest KD handle.
With Cora, he finally realized he was mismanaging a lot and he finally changed his ways. Was it because he was ordered to do so? I guess that’s possible, but I always give people the benefit of the doubt.
And with Breslow, he had some nice offseason moves. Besides the aforementioned Wilson and Chapman, how about the Narvaez trade? So far, so good!
Do you really not understand the main reasons for the win streak? It’s been talked about constantly on NESN, especially pregame and postgame which I get you probably don’t watch. Breslow and Cora have acknowledged their approach and decisions were all wrong, and they changed because so many people (including me and Red Sox Nation) were very vocal about it.
I mean if you’re a parent, did you just ignore when your kids made bad decisions? Or did you teach them and make them understand they were behaving inappropriately?
If you read my post a month ago, I praised Breslow for admitting he handled the Devers situation horrendously and for saying he would learn from it and behave differently in the future.. THAT is what you’re SUPPOSED TO DO as a fan …… give constructive criticism when warranted, and then praise them when they make corrective changes.
Anyway the Sox have a worse record now then they had going into last year’s All-Star break. We all know what happened immediately after last year’s break. Nobody is gonna bring me down though, if Cora continues to manage better and if Breslow acquires REAL TALENT this time at the deadline, then I think they’ve got a decent shot at winning the division. That’s not unjustified fanboy optimism like some people here, my views are based on logic. But I respect whatever approach you choose to take as a fan :O)
hayzee – Whenever I speak of the Red Sox, I am not speaking of prior successful regimes. Lucchino and Dombrowski were/are two of the greatest baseball operations heads in MLB history.
All of the guys you’ve mentioned were prior to the Bloom/Breslow regime of 2019-2025 …. assuming you don’t mean 2024 Rich Hill. LOLOLOL!!!
FPG
Ok .. Unless they totally fall apart after the All-star game,I do NOT want to trade Duran or Abreu. Especially Duran. Really anyone off the big league roster for that matter. The chemistry of this team cannot be discounted. Possible exception, Yoshida. I said possible. The Sox would have to eat a bunch of salary and include prospects to get the type of return that would be satisfactory. Don’t believe that’s gonna happen.
F
You are correct. Breslow must step up and show Cora and the ML players the FO believes in them . Time to acquire quality . Not that junk from last year. REAL TALENT .
cdc – It’s an interesting dynamic between Cora and the front office that definitely bears watching.
Cora will want to play the players that give him the best chance to win, but the front office will continue to make decisions based more on financial impact.
I’m with you, right now I don’t want to trade any of the 4 outfielders (realistically it would be either Duran or Abreu like you said).
But for none to be traded, Rafaela needs to play 2B.
Bregman re-injuring himself would allow Mayer to start at 3B, but I wouldn’t wish injury on anyone.
The Red Sox are way more than two guys.
hayzee – Agreed! All 26 players have contributed this year, with the exception of Wong. LOL
FPG
Forgive my ignorance… I do not know what a KD handle is …..
cdc – That’s a good thing! LOL! .it’s a poster that used to be here under many different handles pretending to be different people. He brought a lot of negativity posting a lot about specific other people here,
Would you trade Abreu for Goldschmidt and a pitcher?
Abreu’s bat would play in Yankee stadium very well.Goldschmidt has had a good season and would help Boston’s need for a first baseman.
TB – You’re saying give up 4 years of team control on a GG .822 OPS hitter for a 37-year-old two month rental first baseman who has only a .719 OPS since April 25th?
Red Sox Nation would tar and feather Breslow if he made that deal, unless the pitcher is Fried and NY pays half his salary.
He and FPG were buddies until they turned on each other constantly back slapping and saying GREAT POST after every nonsensical rant that each of them
A trade for Goldschmidt isn’t worth a discussion.
FPG is a TROLL. IGNORE him.
KD 17 was the ultimate TROLL with FPG acting as his wing man. Once everyone began ignoring KD he stopped posting.
cdc – Agreed! Months ago I had suggested Goldie for Grissom, which would be a fair trade and fill the needs of both teams. But at the time Goldie had a .922 OPS and the Yankee fans didn’t believe me when I said his numbers would come way down over time.
It’s kinda like where Sox fans are now with Bregman, Rafaela, Romy etc …. they think the hot streaks will continue all season.
Well the Yankee fans wish they had agreed with me now! LOL
no pretty sure KD got kicked off the page. One of his various screen names ranted about that.
Maybe, but when he reappeared under alias’s and was ignorned he quit.
Fever- The one exception for trading Duran is for a controllable front of the rotation starter.
If Duran goes they likely need another solid bat, probably at first (not that we really need someone at first unless Toro stops hitting).
I will be curious to see what happens with Casas next year and if he ever reaches his full potential. I don’t know if there is anyone available that could be a long term solution at first with power to provide a bigger offensive threat.
I wish Wong would start hitting again, not sure what is going on with him. Who would have guessed that Narvaez would end up being as good as he has been. That was a steal.
Do you think we should be trying to lock up Chapman for a few more years? I know at that age you expect to see a closer start to decline and he is obviously going to be expensive, but it has been a while since we had such a dominant closer. I would like to see them add one more dependable arm to the bullpen.
I think this trade deadline is going to be the most telling as to Breslow’s negotiating skills as well as if they are going to go for it this year. It has been quite a while since they made an impactful splash in July.
No KD wasn’t ignored. He literally came back with his forth of fifth alias, whined incessantly then accused people of getting him booted at which point I’m pretty sure he got kicked off again. He’s too obsessed and bitter to ever quit this site of his own volition.
What pitcher are the Yankees shopping? Don’t they need pitching as much as the Sox? Zero interest in giving up Abreu for a rental, so the pitcher would need be someone who can immediately impact the rotation and is under team control for at least a few years. .
Over the last month (June 13 through July 12), Toro has hit .205/.287/.241. He started hot, but has been sliding for a while now.
Lucas giolito is doing pretty good right now.
I don’t get the Alcantara fascination. The guy has been God-awful. 7.22 ERA. 9 losses. Leads in earned runs allowed. Granted, he’s on a really bad team but he stinks. They’re just as well off with Houck.
Sometimes stink is close to great and sometimes stink is close to mediocre.
Alcantara had been great.
So …
But yes, they don’t need him.
I saw him pitch in Miami – he looked awful. I think his ship has sailed…Boston should steer clear of him!
It’s like any other purchase. Two years ago, his price would’ve been close to Crochet. Now maybe a top-100 guy.
You’re buying a distressed asset at a distressed price.
It would a buy low situation because he would cost alot more if he was having a more consistent season, he was really good in June and still has good stuff. Twins closer duran would be the real prize of the trade.
When red sox got Nathan evaldi in 2018 he wasn’t having a good year removing from tommy john surgeryand he was a hero for red sox. Sometimes you gotta take a chance and roll with it.
I normally don’t bother speculating on trade scenarios this fanciful, but is there any world in which a package of Anthony and a couple of lesser prospects brings back Skenes from the Pirates? Anthony is obviously going to be great, but given the glut of outfield options the Sox have, trading the #1 prospect in the game and a couple of sweeteners for a pitcher of Skenes’ caliber with several years of control remaining doesn’t seem *that* outrageous for either side, especially with pretty much all of the Pirates’ offensive numbers as a team near the bottom of the league.
The pirates aren’t trading skenes. Not very another 3 years anyway people need to realize he’s about as untouchable as it gets in mlb.
I know they claim he’s untouchable, but the Red Sox have said that about Anthony, too… maybe it cancels out? A girl can dream
The Pirates sell 10,000 more tickets every time he starts. Not a chance.
Philly – They would sell 5,126 more tickets every game if Roman was starting for them everyday.
There is a road to acquiring Skenes but it’s a pipe dream at best. Padres desperately want Duran and if they truly thought this year they had a chance at a WS title they could send Leo De Vries to Boston for Duran (+).
Boston then could put together a package headlined by De Vries next year for Skenes.
Padres NOT getting Duran or anyone else. Chapman not going anywhere, for once he’s happy n having a tremendous yr. Anthony will never be traded, he’s the golden boy of the Redsox and Mayer is staying too. My guess is they let Bergman go n Mayer gets 3rd or Bergman stsys n Mayer do ones 2nd they trade Campbell after they messed the kid up. They can not trade Duran or Chapman if they want the fans to enjoy this season.
I agree that trading Duran would be a mistake. The players were furious and demoralized when they traded Vázquez in 2022, and he was far less of a spark plug for the offense than Duran is. If they absolutely have to cut someone, I’d rather eat the rest of the Yoshida contract than trade Duran.
spit – I agree Chapman won’t be traded unless they absolutely collapse the final two weeks of the month. BTW it was the Pirates who fixed him last year.
As for Bergman, he retired 33 years ago so not sure who you mean?
campbell isn’t messed up. He’ll be fine
Campbell’s long ugly swing messed him up
I completely doubt that. He’s not a Judge or an Ohtani. Slow your roll, Fever.
Philly – And you know that based on what, the 31 games he’s played in his entire MLB career?
Do you think Ohtani and Judge started out better?
Did Judge or Ohtani hit 500 foot grand slams shortly before becoming a major leaguer?
Disagree, Campbell did get messed up. He has been struggling to lift the ball for power as he was doing last year. It may have started with a minor injury (a rib pull), or it might have been something else, but you can’t seriously say he didn’t get messed up.
He will be fine in time, though, just needs to get back to what he has already proven he can do. Might take a few weeks more, hard to say.
The Sox got Abreu for Vaz who signed a big FA contract with the Twins to their regret. At the time I posted that the Sox should have traded Bogey, JD Martinez and the rest that they had no intention of signing.
The poster implied he was permanently messed up. He isn’t. in the long run he’ll be fine.
they for sure should have traded Martinez.
Fever- It’s odd to use those comps and anecdotes to predict how he will develop as a major league player. Hopefully he will be a star. But having gone to Pittsburgh games, I can tell you that crowds show up for Skenes in a way that they haven’t for any player in decades.
Wait – You are 100% correct. It’s painfully obvious KC got messed up because he was horribly abused and misguided by Cora and the coaching staff.
I do think he will most likely recover, but it’s certainly not a given.
Philly – I don’t look at just his performance, I utilize a wide range of criteria just like other analysts to form my projections. His mental makeup and demeanor are huge factors.
Not sure how much you’ve observed of him, but I’ve got good reason to be bullish. And I haven’t been this bullish in many years.
I’m sure you’re right about Skenes, he’s basically the current version of Pedro. I hope he continues to perform so well because I do have a soft spot for the Pirates, my favorite NL team.
His swing is so painful to watch. Anytime he makes contact it’s surprising to me. If someone would make a real effort to fix and shorten it, rather than just repeatedly tweak it, he could be something special.
I’m a Sox fan through and through- username is a just a reference to a TV series. Pirates are one of my favorite NL teams, too.
FPG
Regarding KC. I think it was you that inferred that because he went through each minor league quickly, they were not able to make proper adjustments against him. Then after starting so well in the majors , the ML pitchers and coaches were able to put together a book on him . That only took a month or so. I think there is merit to this way of thinking. He does have an
unorthodox swing. He is supposed to have ‘elite’ bat speed. It’s his turn to make the proper adjustments with help from video and great coaching. If he can ,he will be back and successful. Some defensive work also. I don’t think moving him around helped him, but I don’t believe that’s what really did him in. I think it was Blake Swihart ,they moved him to left field and allegedly really hurt him, I think it was because he could not hit a ML curveball.
cdc – Yes that was me who mentioned the lack of time for opponents to make adjustments to KC in the minors.
I agree with you on his unorthodox swing. Ironically if he was still with the Sox now that they’ve made the change of less launch angle and more contact, KC might have greatly benefited from it.
His defense is what really concerns me. Is he learning all these different positions because he’s that talented? Or is it because they are trying to find a position that he’s actually good at? Seems very similar to Grissom being moved all around by the Braves.
I don’t remember much about Swihart, other than meeting him at Foxwoods. He played first base too, that’s how ERod sustained his serious knee injury. Swihart even played a little 3B and 2B as well.
FPG
If they have made that hitting philosophy change in Boston don’t you believe that is something they would employ at all levels?
I know Swihart was a catching prospect with a good bat. Came up about the same time as Christian Vasquez . Vasquez was a much more refined defensive backstop. The Sox moved Swihart around to try to keep his bat in play. They also put Hanley Ramirez in left and that was a disaster as well.
Campbell is awkward in the field, they are trying to find a position where he can be competent. He might end up in LF except that the Red Sox don’t need that.
I disagree with your take on the coaching philosophy.. What you are seeing now is precisely what Fatse has been coaching all along. It simply takes time to get the message across, especially when key players in the lineup (now departed) are sticking to a very different approach. The clubhouse atmosphere shifted with the Devers trade, and players are working better with the coaches now.
The minor league coaching (both hitting and fielding) has been inconsistent, which is part of why players look very different at Portland and at Worcester. In many cases they are successful at both levels but with very different styles.
Harder to get system consistency with coaching than you might think, and there is a huge uproar when you let long-time employees go (as we saw with the scouting). Breslow is remaking the front office and development teams in his own philosophy, but that takes years to implement. We’re starting to see the results now, though, which is exciting – this team was crap for many years since Dombrowski was booted.
cdc – It’s hard to say for two reasons.
First, you always want to tailor an approach to the group of players on the team. The Sox don’t even have a Top 25 guy in homers, they are not a homerun hitting team like the Yankees, Dodgers or Cubs. And yet they are 3rd in MLB for strikeouts despite the easy schedule thus far …. something had to give there. But in Woosta, my understanding is it’s a different story.
Second, there’s been a big divide between the Red Sox and their minor league teams. They are not on the same page. For instance Cora and the Sox coaching staff believe the minor league staff is not teaching players proper defense and baserunning.
Wt26
Obviously I’m not an expert on the art of hitting. I would think each individual hitter has his own unique abilities to make hard contact,which is what hitting coaches are generally after ,IMO. What works for one may not work for another. Some guys spray line drives to all fields while others pull the ball 65% of the time.
It’s true there’s no “exact science” to hitting MLB pitching but there are outliers in a swing that MLB pitching can expose and take advantage of. KC’s swing has a loop and its length will make it harder for him to make solid contact consistently. That being said, he has an elite eye for contact and very quick hands which translates into great bat speeds. If he changes nothing, he’s gonna be a very streaky hitter that can guess correctly sometimes, and can take advantage of mistakes. But a pitcher that studies his report and executes his pitches, should be able to handle him with ease. Personally I would drop him to the hitter friendly AA, and completely rebuild his swing. Shortening it and removing the awkward loop.
Wait – C’mon man, blaming everything on Devers is ridiculous …. and now blaming him for the entire team’s hitting? Seriously? The same guy that some people are saying distanced himself from his teammates while in Boston? The same guy that some people insist all his teammates disliked? So how did he manage to influence their hitting without actually talking to them? Telekinetically?
Everything I’ve stated about the change in hitting approach has been REPEATEDLY stated by all the NESN guys on the pre-game and postgame shows and during the games. Of course the team hasn’t officially stated they’ve dumped Driveline’s launch angle approach, but did you not happen to catch that at the exact same time of the approach change they officially announced they were doing away with the daily group hitting meetings emphasizing their “one size fits all, swing for the fences” approach and instead implemented INDIVIDUAL one-on-one meetings tailored to each hitter’s strengths and level of comfortability?
The hitting philosophy change occurred June 28th, immediately after they scored 28 runs over 10 games (that’s 2.8 Runs Per Game)…… and that 10 game drought was entirely AFTER Raffy left the team.
Watch that June 28th game and the postgame show, the NESN guys were raving about the drastic change in hitting approach. And they’ve been applauding the change ever since.
I mean if you don’t want to give me credit for emphasizing over and over how wrong it was to force every hitter into changing their swing to hit more homeruns, that’s fine. I certainly don’t need it to prove something that’s already been proven. But without question they forced KC to change his swing to hit more homeruns.
As quoted below:
“Based on recent reports and observations from June and July 2025, the Boston Red Sox appear to have adopted a nuanced and adaptable hitting approach, moving beyond a sole reliance on launching the ball for power
.
Here’s a breakdown:
The Core Four: The organizational hitting philosophy emphasizes four key areas: swing decisions, bat speed, bat-to-ball skills, and ball flight. This suggests a comprehensive approach rather than focusing on a single metric like launch angle.
Line Drives and Situational Hitting: While not abandoning the possibility of hitting for power (several players are on pace for 25-30 homers), there’s evidence of focusing on quality contact and situational hitting. The Red Sox have been successful in winning games in different ways, including getting on base and utilizing stolen bases, suggesting a well-rounded offensive strategy. This indicates a shift towards maximizing offensive opportunities beyond just the home run.
Individualized Approach: The coaching staff has implemented a system that caters to individual player strengths and weaknesses, including one-on-one sessions with hitting coaches in addition to group meetings. This allows for customized adjustments to hitting approaches, potentially incorporating various elements like launch angle based on the player’s profile.
Developing Young Hitters: The “Big Three” prospects – Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer – are being developed within this new hitting philosophy, emphasizing the Core Four principles. Their success is a key indicator of the Red Sox’s commitment to this approach.
Data and Technology: The organization utilizes advanced data and technology to track and analyze hitting performance, allowing for objective evaluations and targeted improvements in areas like exit velocity and other metrics. This means that while they might not exclusively focus on launch angle, they are certainly using data to inform their decisions about optimizing a player’s hitting mechanics.
In summary
The Red Sox’s current hitting approach appears to be a blend of traditional hitting fundamentals and modern analytics, emphasizing personalized instruction and a holistic development of their hitters, rather than a strict adherence to one particular strategy like maximizing launch angle on every swing. Their success in June and July 2025 suggests that this adaptability and individual focus are paying off.”
Wait – I totally agree it takes time to see the impact of a CBO’s presence. Despite all the people saying to fire Breslow now, he’s not going anywhere for at least 2 more years.
Every CBO deserves at least 4 years.
cdc – EXACTLY!!!
And that’s EXACTLY why the team on June 28th implemented one-on-one hitting sessions instead of having a group “one size fits all” session every day.
KC was doing fine with his approach until Fatse & Co forced him to change his swing with the hope it would lead to more homeruns.
Sean – Agreed, he needs to rebuild his swing back to what it was before this year.
I didn’t exactly blame anything on Devers, I said that the clubhouse atmosphere has shifted. They are readier to trust management and trust the coaches than they were previously, and you are seeing results from that. It is a young team, and they are responding to being managed as a young team. Previously there had been more of a “hands off’ approach that works with veterans like Devers but not so much the kids.
In short, when things change, things change. Simple if you think about it that way.
Tyler O’Neill is a far more extreme uppercut hitter than Devers, and had at least as much influence on Rafaela and Abreu breaking in last year. Note that both have their strikeouts way down this year?
Right! Young players need a lot more individual attention than veterans. The clubhouse vibe has shifted, and the focus is now on the young players going forward. That will help them grow and improve.
If you don’t see the connection to moving Devers, then that’s fine and I won’t insist on it. But it is a very obvious change and has produced results.
Campbell may need to shorten his swing a bit. That has always been a concern. He could get away with it in the minors because he has such quick hands, but major league pitchers can find a way to exploit any flaw.
I have confidence in him, but it may be more involved than simply getting back to an approach that works in the minors but less well in the majors.
Pittsburgh ought to ask for ten of a team’s 14 prospects. To start talking.
If Pittsburgh had any realistic chance of contending any time soon, I would agree that Skenes is the kind of guy who is basically untradeable. But holding on to one of the best players in the league (who’s unlikely to sign with you long-term once he hits the open market) just because he’s one of the best players in the league is a very bad way to get better. Just ask the Angels…
That being said, considering what the Padres gave up for two years of Soto, you’re probably right that Anthony would probably only be the beginning of the conversation.
He’s not getting traded because of his years of control he’s so undervalued you could clone Roman Anthony and it’s still not enough. It’s not happening. 2 years from free agency then the talks can start.
They should just give him a no trade clause for two years just so it can shut people up. Sign something that makes it literally impossible for them to trade him even if they wanted to.
Why would they do that, “just so it can shut people up”. Fans are going to talk. What harm is there in that.
It’s a waste of time. Better off listening and actually learning what’s going on than thinking about delusional trade ideas
In any given year, there were a lot of teams for whom none of their top 14 prospects ever evolved into difference-makers who’d make that trade a win.
Skenes is the only reason anyone pays attention to the Pirates. They aren’t trading him
Anthony and spare parts/lottery tickets is nowhere near the asking price.
Anthony + Duran + Casas + prospects wouldn’t be enough
Ok Mrs. Skenes.
On paper, still not enough.
But as a RS fan, I wouldn’t do it. I like the makeup of this team.
Crochet had 1? year of control left when the Redsox traded for him. Skenes has 4.5 and doesn’t come with the injury/innings issues. He’s worth 5x what Crochet cost
Crochet had 2 years of control
Hearing Skenes won’t be traded this year, but maybe next year. The Red Sox definitely have the right pieces for him when or if he becomes available. Good luck.
Why would the Pirates trade Skenes? No upside. They would assume all the risk. We don’t even know his full value. The only real ticket draw for Nutting. They’ll hold on to him another 2 years after this season.
Agreed. Skenes isn’t going anywhere yet as there is zero benefit for the Pirates to move him. Conversely, lets say the Pirates are willing to move him and some GM convinces his boss to let him literally empty out the farm to get him and then Skenes blows out his elbow, who wants to fall on that sword?
@Rsox, I agree that the best counterpoint to this entire idea isn’t “the Pirates shouldn’t trade Skenes” but rather “nobody should empty their farm system for only one guy.” I actually think there’s a lot of (hypothetical) benefit to Pittsburgh in moving him, just as there would have been a lot of benefit to the Angels moving Ohtani and Trout when they had the opportunity and just as there was benefit to the Nationals moving Soto when they did.
You’re right, of course, that none of it’ll ever happen. But it’s fun to imagine.
The Nats were smart for moving Soto when they did and the prospect haul is starting to pay dividends. The Angels didn’t move Trout prior to the massive contract because he was Arte’s golden goose before Ohtani arrived. Arte didn’t move Ohtani at the ’23 trade deadline because he didn’t want to see an empty stadium for the rest of the season. In both instances the Angels probably would have been better off trading those players. Pittsburgh needs to see what they have with a rotation of Skenes, Jones, and Chandler before subtracting Skenes
thecrocusesareinbloom
I actually think there’s a lot of (hypothetical) benefit to Pittsburgh in moving him,
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In a rotisserie league, yes. But given PT’s inability to spend enough to create a contender, they are better off just keeping him and entertaining the fans 8 times a year.
At some point, this scenario will actually happen. But whoever acquires Skenes in the future will know that. It’s already part of the equation. And they’ll happily live with it
The Angels are in a unique position because Moreno gets paid extra money by the city of Anaheim for each ticket sold over 2 million per year. Their lease is structured to pay the team owner for great attendance.
Yet another reason the Angels will never get the true rebuild that they really need
Its also why Arte Moreno has instructed his GMs to sign big name position players over the players that fit their needs best and has refused to sign any pitchers to long-term deals since 2015.
If Anthony pans out as well as he has in the last few weeks, there’s no way the Sox will or should deal him. A passel of other good prospects, sure. Pirates ownership should be building around Skenes. If they don’t, then start the auction.
Anthony’s great! I don’t mean to suggest he should be touchable in most instances. But as we saw with Crochet, you have to give a lot to get a lot, and Skenes is about the biggest fish you could reel in.
My personal feeling is that it’s impossible to build a franchise around one starting pitcher because they only play every 5 days. There’s a reason the Yankees (don’t yell at me Yankees fans this is a little reductive of me) can perennially be “Judge and some other guys” and win pennants while the Pirates with Skenes are one of the worst teams in the league. In my opinion it would be wiser for Nutting to move him for a Soto-esque haul of young offensive talent that can actually carry the team on a daily basis. Not a perfect comp, but while I’d imagine Preller regrets the Soto trade, now, the Nats certainly don’t.
it was the Red Sox who once sent #1 overall prospect plus in the package for Sale a few years back but he wasn’t as young nor had as much control left when they did it. it didn’t exactly work out for the white Sox either as moncada and company didn’t open a long lasting window for them or anything. the package they sent for 2 years of Sale was equivalent to Anthony, Campbell and more though
stp – Three years of Sale, not two.
stel – I’m not a fanboy like some people here, but I have believed for a long time that Roman will be a perennial All-Star for at least the next decade assuming he stays healthy. He has it all, physical and mental skills. I don’t think he’ll ever become a great team leader, but I don’t really care about that.
It’s an absolute travesty the Sox held him down as long as they did, purely for service time manipulation. They would be in first place if he had started the season in the majors.
He’s 21 and about two months. This isn’t 1964.
Hypothetical, PCA for Skenes. who says no?
Dolla Bill
Hypothetical, PCA for Skenes. who says no?
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Could you throw in Baez?
The Pirates say no.
its a gamble trading for pitching! They are all terribly expensive in terms of prospect haul and or Money. Sox are changing their ways drafting pitching and trying to start their own pitching factory. They might trade an outfielder, but I’m not expecting them to do a big splash. This team has a good chemistry and are on a roll. I guess I’m good either way.
Red Sox still have a 40% chance at the postseason with the tough schedule ahead. I am not getting my hopes up until I see how they take the Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies
I agree with you, CtD.
The Sox are following the same pattern as the past 3 or 4 years. That’s .500 ball to start and then go on a tear right before the All Star game.
The FO wants to move pieces but end up half-buying for Public Relations at the deadline and then the team completely collapses to finish last.
I would like to see pending free agents, Story, and Yoshi moved no matter how much of the contracts we need to eat. Don’t worry about being buyers or sellers… just fix the roster.
We’ve been wanting ‘Let the Kids Play’ and have gotten our wish. Let’s see how far the can roll.
I’m all in on 2026. 2025 should be weeding the garden
It’s like a pendulum. Up and down. 10 wins in a row is a step in the right direction, but still need to be consistent
Neither Story nor Yoshida are “pending free agents”. Story has 2 years left on his deal with a team option for a 3rd and Yoshida has 3 years of team control with 2 years guaranteed and an arbitration year afterwards
That is, “pending free agents,” <—–That is called a COMMA. It means "And"
When did you turn into a troll, Rsox?
Cora- EXACTLY!
I have called for the Sox to be sellers at the deadline- and I still say they should be sellers at the deadline. (If anyone comes a-knockin’ for Story, move him and that contract!)
I’ll admit that a 10 game win streak looks nice on paper, and it’s nice to see the youth movement gaining momentum and confidence, but the question is whether this streak is sustainable.
The All-star break couldn’t have come at a worse time for the team, who would rather be playing than losing the momentum.
They are the talk of the league now- and will remain so for these several off days.
What happens when they start to lose again will be key. They could just as easily drop 10 in a row than not.
I’ll be thrilled if they go 5-4 against the Cubs, Phils and Dodgers.
They also have 2 series against Houston and 1 at San Diego coming up in early August.
It makes it sound like I’m rooting for them to lose- I’m not! I just don’t want the FO to make any knee jerk reactions early on and move key pieces to get others until we know that this season is more than a transitional one.
Addition by subtraction is just as valid a strategy as addition by addition- see the Nomar trade in ’04, no less the Devers trade, which I applauded.
Let’s let things play out a bit and see where things stand- then make additions as needed- as well as subtractions.
I think we have a good chance but it’s so hard to tell. Buy and sell
The way the Redsox were playing I was hoping for 7-3 in last 10… nothing can break my spirit now!! ( except Brias shutting them down in next 3)
olm – Stop the presses!
You’re saying you’re rooting against Brais this weekend?
To quote the great Herb Brooks…” the name on the front means a hell of a lot more than the name on the back”( though I hope the Sox don’t rough him up too much)
olm – The Sox won’t rough him up at all, he passed away in 2003.
Time to give Cora and the Front office some credit. A 10 game winning streak !! Are you kidding me .. Looks like the Devers situation has turned into a positive. The off season acquisitions , Bregman, Chapman, Crochet and Narvaez all playing well.
Not to be a downer but 6/10 of those games were against some of the worst teams in baseball and the other 4 were against what could be considered an overachieving Rays team. Granted they swept all 3 teams, but they have a pretty competitive schedule coming up after the ASG.
Winning 10 straight against any team is extremely hard to do
Good ol’ Red Sox fans always looking for the lead lining. A nation of Eyors.
hayzee – Come on, be honest …. would you really want the entire fanbase to be comprised of ignorant casuals who puff out their chest every time the team goes on a winning streak?
I for one prefer a logical approach to fandom, and I’m far from alone on that.
No, I don’t want Yankee fans.
But a little joy never hurts.
hayzee – We always find common ground, I totally agree!
DickieSox – You’re not being a downer, you’re being an intelligent rational Red Sox fan. The competition couldn’t have been much easier.
A historically bad Rockies team.
A Nats team so bad their manager and POBO got fired immediately after playing the Sox.
And a Rays team that not only was overachieving earlier in the season, they CAME INTO the Red Sox series with a 3-7 record in their previous 10 games and most of those losses were against bad teams (Balt, Ath, Min). As the RED SOX announcers said often through the weekend series, it was a good time to play Tampa because they were really struggling and their bullpen has been garbage.
Anybody who watched the series knows the Rays should have won Thursday if not for the boneheaded pitcher management of Cash, and yesterday was hysterical …. within a matter of minutes, the Rays lost at last one run because Simpson decided to stop running on a play he would have easily scored, and Mayer was sent home on a 3B interference call because the Rays don’t know about this year’s rule changes.
But I wouldn’t expect some people here to know any of that because they don’t actually watch or listen to the games.
Still, I’m optimistic the great pitching can continue to overcome the defensive and offensive deficiencies. Time will tell, I will decide to buy into the team if they can manage at least 5 wins over the next 9 games.
DS… this is true but last two years vs White Sox netted 4-3 records… don’t get much worse than WS last two seasons…
I would be very hesitant to trade anyone off the ML roster if I was Breslow. Specifically Duran or Abreu. If you could include Yoshida with prospects to acquire a #2 pitcher, that’s a different story.
I agree 100%. I wouldn’t touch anything with the way we’re playing. We should be able to trade for a mediocre SP using prospects.
cdc – Which do you prefer, trading one of the starting outfielders or benching Mayer? That’s basically what it boils down to as the front office went back on their word and finally listened to me by moving Rafaela to 2B last Saturday.
Maybe they bench Yoshida or eat his contract, who knows with this regime. If they do, then the 4 outfielders can continue to rotate through the DH spot … but doing so basically renders both Yoshida and Refsnyder as useless.
FPG
I forgot you have a direct line to the managers and FO phone. ( LOL c’mon that’s funny)
Depending on the pitching matchup,that would dictate who plays and who comes off the bench. It’s not a perfect situation but what is ?.?. The Mayer play was crazy. Another taking advantage of the situation in front of you.
cdc – They blocked my phone number a long time ago ;O)
Well you’ve got 5 guys who hit RHP well right now (Yoshida, Anthony, Duran, Rafaela, Abreu) and three guys who hit LHP well right now (Rafaela, Anthony, Ref) so it’s only the RHP they need to resolve as far as playing time.
FPG
Lol. I kid cause I respect
Not sure why anyone would want to move Bregman at this time . Don’t tell me about next season. It’s about now… If he opts out or does not sign an extension ,deal with it for next year. He is an all-star 3rdbaseman ,plays good defense and is well liked and a mentor to the younger players on the team .. And a winner.
cdc – I agree, but I’m a little confused as I didn’t bring up Bregman at all …. we were talking about outfielders/DH only. LOL
FPG, are you quoting me without giving me credit, bro? You owe me beer or pretzels or both.
I will repeat last weeks prediction….
Bregman gets moved, Ceddy to the IF, Yoshi primary DH. Other 3 primary OF.
DBH – I give you all the credit for predicting it would happen!
But as you know, I’ve been advocating it since ST because I wanted Roman on the team ;O)
I readily admit I was foolish to believe the Red Sox would keep their word on Rafaela playing only CF this year. Sometimes I’m far too trusting. LOL
Just teasing ya, bro.
I would move Bregman by the deadline. He’s going to cost more than the 40mils he’s making now, so a new contract wouldn’t be worth it. Get controllable pitching in return.
Db69
Why would you move Bregman?? He would be a rental for a contending team. They are NOT going to give you a Frontline controllable pitcher in return… Tell me who and what team would do that..
Cdv, I didnt say Frontline, I said controllable. If you wanted a premium return then you’d naturally have to start talking add prospects or one of our outfield players or both. I would not like that.
Or maybe add in Chapman with the other team and Bregman or Chapman reaching an extension.
Realistically, a return of reliever or decent prospects would work.
All this comes from my point of view that the Sox dont make the playoffs or if they do get blown out in the first round.
I think the Red Sox should look to building a deal around “The Password”, Jhostynxon Garcia. He’s lighting it up in Worcester and is totally blocked. Would love to see him be the center piece for someone like Seth Lugo of the Royals or if they’re looking for someone more controllable, Jeffrey Springs of the Athletics. I think tampering with this current MLB roster will have a negative impact on the chemistry of the team.
I don’t agree. He could become part of the spelling curriculum for schools in New England.
I will concede that it would be fun to have a player’s name that is difficult to pronounce, in a state where there are so many cities and towns that have names that outsiders cannot pronounce.
Refreshing…an intelligent conversation about the Red Sox…
Paul Skenes will not be coming to the Red Sox this year. Ridiculous to think that even an inept organization like the Pirates would move him now . A couple of years from now , certainly . It’s shameful ,a good baseball environment like Pittsburgh cannot get its act together to put a competitive team on the field. Why purchase a team if you are unwilling to do what it takes to at least be competitive.
I would like to think that baseball could come up with a system for measuring owners and telling them to sell the team. But many teams are happy with cheap owners as it gives them places to shop for free agents. And so it goes.
There are a couple of certainties:
Big market teams will always out-bid small market teams. If PT, Cincy, etc. doubled their spending, so would NY, LA, etc.
At least 6 teams will finish last each year no matter how many owners you change.
It is not surprising how well the Sox have done since Breslow excised the cancer from the clubhouse. 16-9 since the trade.
I agree. This has trade has Nomar vibes!
Not sure why McAdam would be surprised the Sox haven’t contacted Miami about either of those pitchers. Cabrera isn’t any better than Giolito or Bello and Alcantara is worse than Buehler. The Sox wouldn’t waste time trying to acquire either.
He wouldn’t be replacing Gio. He’d be replacing our #5, if we even know who that is.
Bieber + Soroka imho.
Ken – Agreed, it’s amazing how so many go strictly by name recognition and past accomplishments.
Whoever ends up making a trade for Sandy Alcantara, could we please pronounce his last name correctly?! I am tired of hearing lazy English speakers, especially in the media pronouncing it AlcanTRA. Think of the “a” as in father. Spanish vowel pronunciation never changes. He is from the Dominican Republic
Al-can-ta-ra.
Keep it simple for the humanoids! Just say Sandy.