Seeing Brad Marchand hoist the Cup and Rafael Devers traded are reminders of how Boston's sports fortunes have changed
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
The Giants aren't the baseball favorites nor the defending champions the Panthers were, but they could emerge from the bruising NL West as a legitimate contender, especially with Devers's bat now in the lineup.
Advertisement
Were that to happen, Devers would add a second title to his résumé, the same as Marchand. Both won early in their Boston careers —
Related
:
Advertisement
In Marchand's case, that came true, playing alongside captains Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron, in front of goaltenders Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, scoring goals with David Pastrnak and David Krejci, making it all the way back to the Stanley Cup Final in
When the need for a franchise rebuild finally became too obvious to ignore, the Bruins accepted the reality that their current captain, the man who did his best to hold it all together, was more a part of their past than their future. And so
They did right by Marchand much as they once did by Bourque, whose loyalty to Boston across 21 Bruins seasons was so revered and valued that no one begrudged his trade to Colorado, where he won his only championship in 2001. So starved for success was Boston back then that Bourque's City Hall Plaza celebration with the Cup drew more than 20,000 fans, a particularly stunning occasion when looked through the prism of hindsight, and the ensuing six Patriots Super Bowl victories, two NBA Celtics titles, a Bruins Cup, and four Red Sox World Series.
Advertisement
Ray Bourque bringing the Stanley Cup to Boston packed City Hall Plaza on June 13, 2001.
JIM BOURG/REUTERS
Yet amid all that curse-breaking celebration for the Sox is the troubling recent trend. Since that last title in 2018, payroll flexibility has taken over where big-market spending muscles used to be. Much like letting the beloved Lester walk only to watch him win another curse-breaking Series with the Cubs, the Sox keep shedding core players. The
Meanwhile, since trading him away, the Red Sox have more last-place finishes than playoff appearances.
The Patriots are coming off two last-place finishes of their own, languishing in the basement of an AFC East they used to dominate. Such is their post-Brady world, one that tries to restart again this season under the hands of Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye. Brady's résumé in New England will not be surpassed, but that pesky post-Patriots year in Tampa Bay, when he won
But for every Betts or Brady, there's a Coates, a 1991 fifth-round draft pick turned
Advertisement
But times are lean again. Jayson Tatum is gone for the upcoming season after rupturing his Achilles' during a failed attempt to defend the 2024 NBA title, and the Celtics have to reshape their roster and finances. The Red Sox got zero major league help in return for Devers, other than unloading the $254 million balance of his contract. The Patriots are in Year 1 of Vrabel, and the Bruins in Year 1 of Marco Sturm.
All part of the sports cycle, a natural balancing of scales that, for two-plus decades, reached the highest of highs around here. Doesn't make it any easier to watch Marchand hoist the Cup, to watch Betts win the Series, or imagine Devers doing the same.
Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How light-hitting, Gold Glove 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes upgrades Cincinnati Reds' hitting, too
Charlie Hayes, a 14-year big-leaguer spent almost a decade in the major leagues with five teams before finally playing in October, winning a World Series with the 1996 Yankees after getting dealt by the Pirates in an August waiver trade. Twenty-eight years and 11 months later, his kid is hoping to get the same kind of bounce off a trade from the Pirates. More: The Reds added a longterm third baseman. What's that mean for prospect Sal Stewart? More: How Cincinnati Reds say trading for starter Zack Littell provides needed help for bullpen Not that the 2025 Cincinnati Reds bear significant resemblance to Derek Jeter's 1996 Yankees. But Ke'Bryan Hayes, the chip off the infield block that Charlie helped turn into the best defensive third baseman in the game, has big ideas since joining the Reds in a deadline trade July 30 – and joining the starting lineup the next night against the Atlanta Braves. 'That's why we play this game, to play in the playoffs and ultimately win a World Series,' said Hayes, who picked up two places and 10 games in the standings with the trade. 'If you're not playing to win, why are you playing?' On his first day with his new team, Hayes said he's looking forward to playing for Terry Francona, who crossed paths with his dad some as their playing careers overlapped in the late 1980s. And he said he already has felt welcomed in the clubhouse, which has a familiar feel not only because of all the times his Pirates faced the Reds in recent years but also because of personal connections with such new teammates as Hunter Greene, Gavin Lux and Tyler Stephenson. 'This is a really good team,' Hayes, 28, said. 'I'm just excited to be here and excited for a new chapter and just want to get out there and play hard and win games.' Hayes ranks among the top 10 players regardless of position in defensive runs above average and fourth in defensive runs saved. He's No. 1 at his position in almost every advanced defensive metric by a lot. He also ranks at the bottom in nearly every offensive metric among qualified MLB third basemen. Team president Nick Krall said the thinking behind adding Hayes, beyond the obvious overall lift for a shaky-fielding team, is the domino effect across two positions, including right field. Getting some of the worst production both offensively and defensively from both of those positions this season, the Reds were able to significantly elevate the defensive side of third base and shift Noelvi Marte into a more regular role in right – where his productive bat elevates the offensive side of that position. 'He's also got upside to be an offensive contributor if he can get back to where he was a couple years ago,' Krall said, before also mentioning the Marte bump in right. 'It is a defensive move, but I also think that it allows you to get more offense in the game.' Hayes hit .271 with 15 home runs and a .762 OPS in 2023, to go with a Gold Glove that year. 'That plays,' Reds closer Emilio Pagan said. 'Especially with his defense. Now you're talking like – I don't want to get ahead of my skis here – but that's perennial All-Star, MVP-type numbers with what he brings defensively.' That's the dream of the organization that just picked up the $36 million left on the remaining four years of Hayes' contract (including a $6 million buyout clause on a $12 million club option for 2030). It's also a big gap to bridge. But Hayes is thinking the same way and said he hopes new eyes and voices makes a difference. 'I've already talked with the hitting guys a little bit,' he said. He batted ninth in his Reds debut, lining softly to first in his first at-bat, popping to second in the fourth and grounding out to second in the sixth. He also started a big inning-ending double play in the fourth with the bases loaded – misplayed a chopper with the bases loaded in the sixth for a two-base, two-run error that tied the game. So much for that seamless transition. But then he added his third home run of the year in the bottom of the eighth inning, a three-run shot for his first hit as a Red. Maybe there's something to that theory about the bat? 'I'm hoping I can get back to swinging the bat how I know I can swing it,' he said. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How light-hitting Ke'Bryan Hayes helps upgrade Cincinnati Reds' hitting
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
A look at some interesting story lines from baseball's trade deadline frenzy
Last one out lock the door: The Twins traded 11 players off their 40-man roster in a span of four days, including Carlos Correa . On Monday, when the first of the trades went down, manager Rocco Baldelli correctly predicted it was going to be a difficult few days. Advertisement 'I'm kind of used to rolling with the punches and trying to find different ways to succeed,' he said. 'Kind of been used to that my entire baseball life. The psychological part of it is not going to affect me very much, because I know we're going to have to turn in a different direction. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We're going to have to challenge guys and put guys in different spots. I've seen this many times before. It's actually the way you find out about other guys by giving them opportunities.' With the team for sale, it's been an awkward season for Baldelli and other team officials, but president of baseball operations Derek Falvey didn't stop with players on expiring contracts. He Jhoan Duran went to the Phillies and righthander Griffin Jax was traded to the Rays. Related : Advertisement The Twins saved $70 million by trading Correa, but the return was only a Single A reliever who's not considered a prospect. Falvey, a Lynn native, held on to starters Joe Ryan and Pablo López , and acquired Mick Abel (for Duran) and Taj Bradley (for Jax) to fill out the rotation and serve as a base for rebuilding. Minnesota also has David Festa , Bailey Ober , Zebby Matthews , and Simeon Woods Richardson , who have combined to start 50 games this season. The Twins need to fill holes in their lineup, but have starters to trade. The hope is that new owners will add to the payroll. Carlos Correa returned to the Astros and appeared in Friday night's loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Charles Krupa/Associated Press Seattle sluggers: The Mariners now have the American League leader in RBIs in Cal Raleigh and the former National League leader in Suárez. Through Thursday, they had combined for 78 home runs and 175 RBIs. Suárez, who played for Seattle from 2022-23, had 36 homers at the time of the trade. That's the most for a player in a midseason trade since Mark McGwire had 34 in 1997 when he was traded from the Athletics to the Cardinals on July 31. McGwire hit 24 homers in 51 games for St. Louis. The Mariners also have Julio Rodríguez , Randy Arozarena , J.P. Crawford , and newly acquired Josh Naylor . That's a strong lineup to back an impressive rotation. The Mariners have made the playoffs once since 2001 and have never been to the World Series. Mr. Entertainment: A.J. Preller has run baseball operations for the Padres for 11 years. He's been more entertaining than most of his players with all the deals he makes. Advertisement Preller made five trades on Thursday involving five teams and 22 players. The Padres now have Nelson Cortes , Ramon Laureano , Mason Miller , and Ryan O'Hearn to further torment the Dodgers. San Diego trailed Los Angeles by only three games going into the weekend. Since becoming GM in 2014, Preller has made at least one trade with every team except Arizona. Since 2020, only the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and Rockies haven't made a deal with Preller. Yaz on the move: Mike Yastrzemski is going to make an unexpected return trip home. The Andover native was traded to the Royals minutes before the deadline, ending a successful seven-year run with the Giants. The Royals will be at Fenway for a three-game series starting Monday. Yastrzemski has played six games at Fenway in his career. He is 6 of 20 with two homers and four RBIs. Related : Yastrzemski will be a free agent after the season. He turns 35 this month, but is a solid platoon bat and an excellent outfielder and should not lack for suitors. Yastrzemski was an Orioles minor leaguer from 2013-18 before he was traded to the Giants and his career flowered. 'San Francisco gave me something I'll never forget — a chance,' Maybe nobody is untradeable: Arizona traded six players as general manager Mike Hazen embraced being a seller after resisting the idea throughout his career. He even managed to find a taker for Jordan Montgomery , who hasn't pitched this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Montgomery will be a free agent after the season, but Milwaukee agreed to take him and pay $2 million of his remaining $7.1 million salary this season as part of acquiring righthanded reliever Shelby Miller . Advertisement Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick said last winter that signing Montgomery to a two-year, $47.5 million contract was a 'horrible decision' and blamed himself for pushing for it. Long-term ramifications: The Giants traded four players to the Red Sox for Rafael Devers on June 15. One of them was 22-year-old outfielder James Tibbs . Tibbs had a .589 OPS in 29 games for Double A Portland, then was traded to the Dodgers as part of the return for Dustin May . The Giants were 13-24 after trading for Devers. Now the Dodgers have Tibbs. Imagine if Tibbs becomes a good player and haunts the Giants for years while a member of the Dodgers? He kept his promise: Brian Cashman said the Yankees would 'go to town' at the deadline. Cashman then traded for relievers Jake Bird , David Bednar , and Camilo Doval to upgrade the bullpen behind Luke Weaver and Devin Williams . Bednar had 17 saves for the Pirates and Doval 15 for the Giants. Austin Slater was obtained from the White Sox as outfield depth. The Yankees also added Amed Rosario and Ryan McMahon to work as a platoon at third base, and Jose Caballero as infield depth and value as a pinch runner in the postseason. Cashman made nine trades in all. 'We certainly knocked on many doors regarding potential starting pitching. But obviously we weren't able to match up in that category,' he said. The Yankees worked to get Sandy Alcantara from the Marlins, but Miami held on to the righthander, who has a 6.36 ERA and is signed through 2026. Advertisement The Yankees have Luis Gil set to make his season debut on Sunday after recovering from a lat injury. That led to the release of Marcus Stroman . Releasing Stroman also could be viewed as the Yankees having confidence in rookie righthander Cam Schlittler of Walpole, who has made three starts. Yankess GM Brian Cashman kept his promise that his team would 'go to town' at the deadline. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press HIS HERO Yoshida reflects on Ichiro's impact Masataka Yoshida was 7 when Ichiro Suzuki made his debut with the Mariners in 2001. All the Japanese players in the major leagues to that point had been pitchers. For Yoshida and other hitters growing up in Japan, Suzuki was an inspiration. 'He was one of my role models,' Yoshida said. 'He showed you could get to the major leagues and be one of the best players.' So it was with a healthy dose of national pride that Yoshida watched the coverage of Suzuki's Hall of Fame induction last weekend. The first Japanese player granted entry to the Hall delivered a speech that was sentimental, funny, and thankful. 'That speech had the right message to the next generation,' Yoshida told the Globe via a translator. 'He was showing his gratitude to the people who supported him. I thought it was great.' Related : As a young player, Yoshida watched Suzuki and then Hideki Matsui on television, and made it his goal to play at the highest level. 'The reason I'm here is because of [Suzuki] and the other players of that time,' said Yoshida, who followed Suzuki by signing with Orix in the Japanese league. 'They paved the way. I think our job is to pass it on to the next generation.' There have been a record 14 Japanese position players in the majors this season. 'I'm proud of that for sure,' Yoshida said. 'But also of the other Asian players, too. So many players want to come here. That is the goal.' Advertisement It was Ichiro who showed it was possible. Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player granted entry to the Hall of Fame. Seth Wenig/Associated Press A few other observations on the Red Sox: ⋅ Craig Breslow has had some good offseasons. He hit on Tyler O'Neill and Justin Slaten before the 2024 season, and give him full credit for trading Alex Verdugo for Richard Fitts and Greg Weissert . He traded for Garrett Crochet and Carlos Narváez last winter, and signed Aroldis Chapman and Alex Bregman . Great job. The trade deadline work is suspect. Related : Luis Garcia , Danny Jansen , James Paxton , and Lucas Sims were worth minus-0.9 bWAR in 2024. They made the team worse. This season — with clearly defined needs and a supposedly deep farm system — Breslow delivered only Steven Matz and Dustin May . There wasn't a first baseman anywhere to be had, or a better starter? The old expression 'perfect is the enemy of good' seems to apply. Breslow sometimes seems more satisfied about what he didn't do than what he actually did. It's hard not to wonder if more Sox fans would have preferred that Breslow sold high on Chapman, Lucas Giolito , and Justin Wilson instead of making such cautious additions. ⋅ The 2020 draft and the machinations that accompanied it are interesting. The Sox took second baseman Nick Yorke with the 17th pick, a surprise to many draft evaluators who didn't see him going that high. Chaim Bloom signed Yorke to an under-slot deal and used the savings to land high school slugger Blaze Jordan in the third round. Yorke was traded to the Pirates in 2024 for righthander Quinn Priester . Breslow then traded Priester to Milwaukee in April for two prospects who haven't cracked the organization's top 30. Priester is since 10-2 with a 3.27 ERA for the Brewers. Jordan had an .872 OPS over 88 minor league games this season, but is viewed by scouts as a slugger who doesn't handle high velocity well and may not have much of a ceiling. He's back with Bloom, having been traded to the Cardinals for lefthanded reliever Matz, a rental. The other two players the Sox took in that draft, college lefthanders Shane Drohan and Jeremy Wu-Yelland , haven't gotten beyond the minors. Five years later, Matz may be the last chance for the Sox to get some value from that draft, however indirectly. ⋅ For the first time since 2007, the Red Sox faced a righthander named Clemens. Kody Clemens pitched the ninth inning for the Twins on Wednesday and allowed two runs on two hits — home runs by Yoshida and Romy Gonzalez . Clemens hit 86.7 miles per hour with a pitch to Abraham Toro that resulted in a grounder back to the mound. That was an offspeed pitch for Roger Clemens . But Kody has 26 homers and his pops didn't have any in 179 career at-bats. ⋅ The Sox have been involved in 18 walkoffs this season, winning eight of those games. It's the most since the 2014 team had 19 such games, winning nine. Related : ⋅ As was expected, MLB awarded the 2027 All-Star Game to the Cubs. The next opening on the schedule is 2028. Boston, Baltimore, and Toronto are cities known to be contending for the game. This will be the fourth All-Star Game at Wrigley, and the first since 1990. Only Municipal Stadium in Cleveland and old Yankee Stadium in New York have hosted four times. Fenway hosted in 1946, '61, and '99. ⋅ Jackie Jensen's 1958 MVP award Jensen had a .931 OPS that season with 35 homers and a league-leading 122 RBIs. He received nine of a possible 24 first-place votes. ⋅ Glenn 'Goose' Gregson joined the Sox for their three games in Minnesota. Gregson, 75, has been with the team for 24 years as a pitching coach, instructor, and coordinator. Now retired, Gregson is with the team in spring training and occasionally during the season. He lives in Montana, about a two-hour flight from Minneapolis. ETC. Jansen still impressing for Angels The Angels have only a 1.9 percent chance of making the postseason, but they added infielder Oswald Peraza and acquired relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia from the Nationals. (Yes, that would be the same Luis Garcia who was with the Angels in 2024 and was traded to the Red Sox at the deadline). The Angels were nine games out in the AL West at the time of the trade and 4½ games out in the Wild Card. Kenley Jansen could have returned some decent prospects. He went into the weekend having not allowed an earned run over 17 appearances and 16⅓ innings. He struck out 17 and walked two in that stretch. Take away a six-run meltdown against the Tigers on May 2 and Jansen would have a 1.25 ERA this season. He also has converted 20 of 21 save chances. Jansen, who turns 38 in September, has 467 saves, fourth all-time and 11 away from tying Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third. Jansen's 1,260 strikeouts are the fifth most in history by a reliever. Extra bases The Brewers averaged 31,323 fans last season. It's 31,041 this season. That's not a big drop, but Milwaukee went into the weekend 64-44 and leading the Cubs by a game. The Brewers have the fourth most runs scored in the National League, and are second in the majors in stolen bases. What are the fans waiting for? … Brian Knight retired after 16½ seasons as an umpire because of injuries. He was behind the plate for Jon Lester's no-hitter at Fenway Park on May 19, 2008 … Happy birthday to Kevin Morton , who is 57. The lefthander from Norwalk, Conn., played at Seton Hall from 1987-89. His teammates included Craig Biggio , Dana Brown [now general manager of the Astros], Mo Vaughn , and John Valentin . Morton was a first-round pick of the Red Sox in 1989 and made his major league debut in 1991. He was 6-5 with a 4.59 ERA over 16 games. It proved to be his only season in the majors because of underperformance and injury. Morton stayed in baseball through 1996, spending time in the minors with the Royals, Mets, and Cubs before playing briefly in Mexico and Taiwan. His son, Korey , was an outfielder at UConn from 2021-24 and played a season in the Astros system. Peter Abraham can be reached at
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Who Is The Team To Beat? Top Division Races? 5 Big Post-Trade Deadline Questions
From the risky gambles to the shrewd moves, we saw all sorts of deals go down ahead of the MLB trade deadline. But the dust has now settled, and we can turn our attention to the teams to beat and the top division races. Let's answer the biggest burning questions following Thursday's flurry of deals. 1. Lots of contenders improved, but are the Dodgers still the team to beat? Kavner: The reigning champs, even after a surprisingly quiet deadline, remain the team to beat. Still, for a franchise that touts "optionality," the Dodgers — who rank 21st in ERA — didn't do much to improve their outlook or their precarious pitching situation. Brock Stewart is a nice add and a weapon against right-handed hitters, who have a .327 OPS against him this year, but at a deadline that saw Mason Miller go to the Padres, Jhoan Duran go to the Phillies, Ryan Helsley go to the Mets and David Bednar go to the Yankees, the Dodgers opted to sit out of the top end of an active bullpen market and are now counting mostly on better health and better performance down the stretch from their stars. They have the talent, certainly, that it could work out, especially if Blake Snell, Max Muncy, Tanner Scott and Michael Kopech can come back healthy and — most importantly — if Mookie Betts can find his way offensively. But a quiet deadline, especially with the Padres once again pushing their chips in, is a risky choice. The field is much more wide open than anyone might've anticipated before the year began. The Mariners and Yankees stood out as deadline winners in the American League, and the Mets, Phillies and Padres are all much better positioned now to make a run in the National League. Still, I don't think any of them have dethroned the reigning champs as the team to beat. Thosar: Yes, the Dodgers are still the favorites to win the World Series. I'm not as surprised as others that they didn't do much at the trade deadline because, even if some of their stars and key pieces are injured right now, they're expected to be healthy and just as dominant as ever by the time October rolls around. The Dodgers operated this summer's deadline like they're not panicking about their repeat title aspirations, and that's the way it should be. If anything, I think everyone else having bigger deadlines is a testament to how desperately they tried to close the gap, particularly A.J. Preller's Padres. The division rivals were certainly big winners at the deadline, with upgrades all over the diamond and additions to their already powerful bullpen. And while it was terrific to see contenders being bold and going for it with splashy and risky acquisitions in a seller's market, I still don't think any one team has surpassed the Dodgers' excellent championship outlook. 2. True or False: The Mariners 'won' the trade deadline in terms of adding win-now pieces. If not, who did? Kavner: True, I think the Mariners won the deadline by adding Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor, filling their two biggest needs in the lineup with two of the best hitters on the market without depleting their farm system in the process. An offense featuring Suárez, Naylor, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, J.P. Crawford and Jorge Polanco combined with a rotation led by Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo certainly has an argument to be the scariest roster in the American League. Now, in terms of which team acquired the most "win-now" pieces, the answer is probably — per usual — the Padres, who addressed their issues with lineup depth (Ryan O'Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Will Wagner) rotation depth (JP Sears, Nestor Cortes) and at catcher (Freddy Fermin) while adding the most electric young arm in the game (Mason Miller) to what was already MLB's best bullpen. This is now a roster capable of contending. Of course, doing all that meant emptying the farm, but it's hard to say any other team added more "win-now" pieces. Their moves are as all in as it gets. Thosar: True. There are some rumblings around the league that the Diamondbacks were surprised more teams didn't try to make a big push for Eugenio Suarez, so good for the Mariners for going for it without taking a major hit to their farm system. The centerpiece of the deal was first baseman Tyler Locklear, the No. 9-ranked prospect in Seattle's system, and it's somewhat surprising Arizona wasn't able to do better than that, given Suarez was the top bat available this summer. In the end, the three players the D-backs received in return for the difference-making power hitter with the fifth-most home runs in baseball was underwhelming. Suarez, a rental, is as win-now as it gets, but on top of that, the Mariners aren't getting nearly enough credit for landing Josh Naylor. The first baseman's consistent production should be a huge boon for Seattle's already-solid lineup. There is no argument that the Mariners won the trade deadline. 3. Relief pitchers were among the biggest moves. Who came out with the most improved bullpen? Kavner: The two New York teams. If I had to take one, I'd give the slight edge to the Mets. Their bullpen had an ERA over 4.00 in July, and that's despite Edwin Diaz allowing no runs in 11 innings. They needed another left-hander with A.J. Minter and Danny Young out for the year, found their answer in Gregory Soto and then kept going, adding two-time All-Star Ryan Helsley and submariner Tyler Rogers, who has been a weapon against righties (.505 OPS) and lefties (.542) alike. The Yankees, meanwhile, had a 6.03 bullpen ERA in July and underwent their own overhaul. David Bednar and Camilo Doval are former All-Stars enjoying bounceback campaigns, and the Yankees may be able to get the most out of Jake Bird simply by getting him out of Colorado. There's more volatility associated with their moves, which showed in Friday's wild 13-12 loss to the Marlins in which all three pitchers struggled. Bednar was optioned at the start of the year before getting back on track, Doval had an ERA close to 5.00 last season and can be prone to free passes, and Bird's ERA jumped from 2.68 at the start of July to 4.73 by the end of the month — but the Yankees brass managed to turn a weakness into a strength. It's also worth noting that all three relievers the Yankees added will be with the club beyond this year. Thosar: I have to go with the Yankees (despite Friday's loss), though the Mets are not far behind. The former came out with the most improved bullpen because that unit was reeling before Thursday's additions, whereas the latter at least boasted the best closer in the majors in Edwin Diaz. In terms of ERA, the Mets' bullpen is ranked 11th, and the Yankees' is 20th. The Yankees have struggled without injured relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Fernando Cruz. Plus, there was the whole Devin Williams situation to be concerned about because, even though he strung together a large stretch of solid relief appearances in June, there is still a feeling of uneasiness when he takes the mound in high-leverage situations. He's prone to melting down when things go south in the Bronx, and I'm expecting the Yankees to let him walk away when he hits free agency this winter. That's in part why the additions of Bednar, Doval, and Bird were key for the Yankees. All three relievers have team control beyond this season, and even though Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that wasn't a conscious goal of his when he landed those high-leverage arms, it certainly helps the club both now and in the future. 4. What are the division races you're looking forward to the most? Kavner: Both of the West races are suddenly a lot more compelling, but it's the AL East. Did the Blue Jays do enough on the pitching side to hold off the Yankees and Red Sox? Can the Yankees' litany of moves — adding Ryan McMahon, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Amed Rosario, Jose Caballero, Jake Bird and Austin Slater — get them back on track, even with Aaron Judge ailing? What will Judge look like upon his return? Will Boston's disappointing deadline ultimately be its undoing, or can the Red Sox keep their momentum going into August? There are a lot of questions waiting to be answered. Thosar: It's both of the East divisions for me. The Mets entered Friday with a teeny tiny half-game lead over the Phillies for first place in the NL East, and I'm expecting these division rivals to duke it out down the stretch. It's a compelling storyline to watch the new and improved Mets potentially win their first division title in 10 years in Juan Soto's first season in Queens. Sure, many expected something like that to happen, but it's another thing to go out and do it. On the other side of town, even though the Blue Jays have held onto first place in the AL East since the beginning of July, it would be shocking if the Yankees don't at least threaten to win the division after all the roster upgrades they made at the trade deadline. Can Toronto really stay in first all the way through the end of the regular season? And are the Red Sox just a hot stretch away from inserting themselves into that conversation? Right now, the East is a beast. 5. A's, D-Backs, Twins: Which of the trade deadline sellers have the best reason to believe they're set for the future? Kavner: The Athletics had the best trade deadline of any seller, getting one of the top prospects in baseball in exchange for a reliever. Sure, Mason Miller has one of the most electric arms in the sport, and 18-year-old switch-hitting phenom shortstop Leo De Vries has a ways to go before we can definitively say what he will become, but that's the kind of move we just don't see at the deadline. It's a potential franchise-altering one for the A's, who also received three intriguing arms in the deal, including one of the Padres' top pitching prospects in Braden Nett, San Diego's 2024 Minor League Pitcher of the Year in Henry Baez and a 26-year-old reliever in Eduarniel Nunez, who has the stuff to help their bullpen immediately — he had a strikeout rate over 40% in the minors this year — if he can refine his control. As for Twins fans … I'm sorry. Thosar: As previously mentioned, Arizona's returns weren't that impressive, and the Twins deciding to blow the whole thing up wasn't convincing anyone that they're not completely set for the future. So I have to go with the A's here, especially since they received the highest-ranked prospects. Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner . Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar . recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
