Latest news with #RafaelDevers
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers vs. Royals Highlights
Rafael Devers trade, Shohei Ohtani on the mound, and Mets face the NL East | New York 4 To 7 On New York 4 To 7 presented by Verizon, SNY's Niki Lattarulo is joined by Anthony DiComo to break down the Mets backlog in the infield, react to the Rafael Devers trade, and assess Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound. The two also share some insight as to how the Phillies and Braves have been this season as New York enters a 10-game stretch against their two biggest NL East rivals.
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Craig Breslow on Red Sox trade deadline mindset: ‘The future has to be now'
BOSTON — As the Boston Red Sox return to Fenway Park for their first homestand without Rafael Devers — a trade that may have signaled the waving of a white flag on a frustrating season — chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said that's not the case. In speaking to The Athletic before Friday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, Breslow said his focus remains on contending in 2025 even as the team entered the day 40-42. Advertisement 'I think we've talked a lot about looking to the future, at some point, the future has to be now,' Breslow said. 'We went into 2025 expecting to compete for the division and expecting to make it to the playoffs. We haven't played as well as we're capable of, but that goal still exists, and we're not so far away that we should be thinking about 2026 or 2027. 'There's a lot of games to be played between now and the deadline, but we are thinking about how we bolster the team,' he said. 'How we do identify the needs that we have and are aggressive in getting those players to put us in a position that we talked about all offseason.' With the MLB trade deadline just over a month away, Breslow already made one the most shocking trades of the season thus far in sending Devers to San Francisco for pitchers Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks and two prospects. Following the trade, the Red Sox went 3-6 on a nine-game, 10-day West Coast trip, returning home for three games this weekend against a division opponent in Toronto. As the Red Sox currently sit seven games back of the division-leading Yankees and two games out of the third wild card spot, there's urgency to play like a team capable of postseason contention. Breslow addressed three areas of need in starting pitching, bullpen help and another bat for the lineup. 'The bullpen has been really good for a really long time, we've asked a lot of them,' he said. 'And I think at times we see some of the work just catching up with guys. Hopefully getting Jordan Hicks into the mix there means that we can get guys like (Greg) Weissert and (Garrett) Whitlock and Justin Wilson an extra day when they need it.' Hicks (toe inflammation) is scheduled for his second rehab outing with Triple A Worcester on Friday and could join the Red Sox during this homestand. Starter Tanner Houck remains on the injury list with a flexor pronator strain and is scheduled to pitch following an opener on Sunday in Worcester. Hunter Dobbins (elbow) has been playing catch and may throw a bullpen this weekend. Advertisement Harrison, who made his first start for Worcester earlier this week, allowing four runs in four innings, is likely to be in the rotation mix at some point in the second half. Regardless, adding starting depth remains a focus. 'We have some depth built up, but whether it's injury or performance, we just haven't gotten that run of consistent deep starting pitching,' Breslow said. 'Garrett (Crochet) has obviously been excellent all season, but we saw the type of team that we can be when our starters are pitching deep into games.' On offense, the Red Sox have predictably struggled without Devers' bat in the lineup. Over the past nine games, they've averaged 3.11 runs per game and a .188 average compared to 4.84 runs per game and a .253 average leading up to the trade. The lineup will have some internal reinforcements soon, with Alex Bregman (quad) and Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) likely to return after the All-Star break, but Breslow suggested bolstering the lineup will also be on his agenda. Yoshida is expected to begin a rehab assignment for Worcester on Tuesday, where he'll also see time in the outfield. Bregman hit for the first time on Friday and will take grounders on Saturday. The team will reevaluate him next week to determine when he'll be ready for a rehab assignment. It remains to be seen if Yoshida could be traded over the next several weeks as he begins his rehab assignment. But since he hasn't played in a game this season and is owed more than $40 million through 2027, his trade value remains marginal. Breslow is likely to trade from a surplus of outfielders, with Jarren Duran's name surfacing on a few occasions already. Manager Alex Cora offered a realistic viewpoint with the trade deadline just over 30 days away. 'We've just got to play better,' Cora said. 'It's been kind of like the same thing I've been saying all along. We're that close. You can't go back, but a pitch here, a pitch there, a play there, or a play there, and it's a positive road trip. But it wasn't. So we have to improve.' Advertisement At the last trade deadline, Breslow's first in charge of the team, he acquired starter James Paxton, relievers Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia and right-handed bat Danny Jansen. Paxton, Sims and Garcia were injured and offered little help in the second half. The Red Sox weren't officially out of the wild card until the final week of the season, though, giving Breslow impetus to push harder this season. Having already traded Devers in a mid-June blockbuster, this season is already much different than last year, but Breslow said he's reflected on how this year might be different. 'We went into (last year) thinking, 'OK, these are the needs of the team,' and we walked out of the trade deadline with acquisitions that address those positions,' he said. 'Whether they work out or they don't, the moves are going to be evaluated by the performance over the second half of the season. Ours didn't work out. It's not OK to just say, 'Hey, that's baseball.' The obvious question is, 'Why didn't they work?' 'Whether that's doing more work on the players that we're bringing in, having a better understanding of their ability to perform here at Fenway, there's always more questions that we need to ask,' Breslow said. 'Whether we bring in a standard household name or we bring in someone that is lesser known, the impact is going to be driven by what that player does from the day they get here until the end of the season. And we need to do everything we can to make sure that they're going to help us win games.' (Top photo of Rafael Devers: Eakin Howard / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox Trade Idea Sends Jarren Duran to Giants for Insane Haul of Prospects
Red Sox Trade Idea Sends Jarren Duran to Giants for Insane Haul of Prospects originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Amid a five-game losing streak, the Boston Red Sox's playoff hopes have taken a hit. While there is still a month before the trade deadline, and their trajectory can change on a week-to-week basis, the focus is turning to what direction Boston will take. Are they going to go all-in on the current roster or continue to sell off valuable assets in hopes of building a brighter future? Advertisement The Red Sox already shipped superstar Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a move that very well could go down as the biggest trade of the season. But what if the two teams connected again on another blockbuster? That is exactly what ClutchPoints' Baily Bassett proposes: Boston trade outfielder Jarren Duran to the Giants in exchange for three prospects: Carson Whisenhunt (Giants No. 2), Rayner Arias (Giants No. 7), and Carson Ragsdale (Giants No. 21). '[Duran's] numbers are slightly down this year, but he has still already hit eight triples. Duran is a speed threat who can hit for both power and contact,' wrote Barrett. 'He'd give the Giants a four-headed outfield monster and better their chances of winning this year's World Series. Plus, he obviously has familiarity with the recently traded for Devers.' Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is seen before a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Gorski-Imagn Images While the Red Sox may be reluctant to strike another deal with San Francisco, considering the fallout from the Devers trade, the package in return is stellar. Advertisement Whisenhunt, 24, is San Francisco's top pitching prospect and possesses an excellent repertoire of off-speed pitches, including a 70 out of 80 graded change-up. The left-hander projects to make his MLB debut later this season, and with how inconsistent Boston's rotation has been, Whisenhunt could feasibly slot into the starting five instantly. Arias, 19, is still in rookie ball. But in a crowded left-handed lineup, he provides some intriguing right-handed potential. Meanwhile, Ragsdale is a six-foot-eight-inch major league-ready relief arm with a plus curveball. Trading Duran is going to sting no matter what, especially being the lone All-Star in the outfield. However, with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow willing to make franchise-altering changes, moving Duran to the highest bidder makes logical sense – especially if it opens up an everyday position for top prospect Roman Anthony. Related: Red Sox Trade Idea Links Former MLB All-Star to New York Mets This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former GM Dan O'Dowd Blasts Red Sox's Craig Breslow After Rafael Devers Trade
Former GM Dan O'Dowd Blasts Red Sox's Craig Breslow After Rafael Devers Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Red Sox, and specifically chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, have come under fire since the Rafael Devers trade. The deal itself was shocking, but the fallout has been worse. Boston is 3-6 since shipping Devers across the country, and after clawing their way back above .500 and half a game out of the Wild Card, the team has collapsed. Losing five consecutive games and now 2.5 games behind the final playoff spot, the public scrutiny continues – this time from former Colorado Rockies' General Manager Dan O'Dowd. Advertisement Speaking on the latest episode of Foul Territory, O'Dowd criticized Breslow for how he views players. 'He does not act like [a former player] to me A.J [Pierzynski]. It's perplexing to me. [Breslow] acts like a lot of current General Managers, which its players are part of a portfolio that they buy and sell.' Odowd continued by blasting Boston's chief baseball officer for how he handled the Rafael Devers trade, including the forced positional changes that led to the star's distrust of the team's front office and unwillingness to work with them. 'Raffy didn't handle it maturely, but I don't think the expectation was that you should have expected that he was going to handle that maturely,' O'Dowd said. 'If they had flown to the [Dominican Republic], and they had looked him in the eyes and they have said, 'Listen, you're not a real good defender. We got a chance to sign [Alex] Bregman or trade for [Nolan] Arenado. We're going to do that. So, let's talk about what the transition is for you." Advertisement O'Dowd also shared with the Foul Territory crew what Boston should have down to avoid the fallout with Devers and how they could have changed his mind about moving to first base. 'I think they should have immediately put a first base glove on him, and I think Raffy should have recognized that his long-term value in the game or even getting into the Hall of Fame someday, it creates way more value if he's playing a position [rather] than DH'ing.' Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Miron-Imagn Images The nail in the coffin for O'Dowd was Breslow's message to the fanbase after the deal and the subsequent struggles of the team approaching the trade deadline. Advertisement 'They screwed themselves with their comments after the Raffy Devers deal. I don't think they're a good team. I think the sum of their parts does not equal the bigger part. I think they should be sellers at the deadline,' O'Dowd said. 'When you come out publicly and say, 'Hey listen, we're not taking a step back after the Devers deal.' Your credibility with your fanbase begins to erode to the point that it may not be salvageable if you keep going back on the things that you promise.' As Boston and Breslow attempt to pick up the pieces post-Devers trade, the team is currently 40-42 and looking to take advantage of a three-game series against the rival Toronto Blue Jays this weekend. Related: Red Sox Trade Idea Sends All-Star to Giants for Insane Haul This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB Power Rankings: New Team Rises To Top, Red Sox Dive-Bomb Amid Struggles
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new but familiar team is back atop the 13th edition of Newsweek Sports' MLB Power Rankings. The Los Angeles Dodgers have overtaken the Detroit Tigers for the No. 1 spot, ending their long run atop the rankings. The Dodgers have won five straight series and tied the Tigers for the best record in all of MLB at 51-31. More news: Veteran Utility Man Elects to Leave Yankees, Sign With Mets Elsewhere around the league, the Los Angeles Angels clawed back to .500 after an impressive series sweep of the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox continue to go in the wrong direction since the Rafael Devers trade, and could end up being forced to sell at the deadline if they continue to falter. Over in the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers have continued their surprise season, and are yet again a threat in the suddenly crowded NL Central. The Chicago Cubs, Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds are all at least three games over .500. DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 26: Teoscar Hernandez #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers showers Shohei Ohtani #17 with seeds as he enters the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Colorado Rockies in... DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 26: Teoscar Hernandez #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers showers Shohei Ohtani #17 with seeds as he enters the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Colorado Rockies in the seventh inning at Coors Field on June 26, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. MoreMLB Power Rankings 1. Los Angeles Dodgers (51-31) 2. Detroit Tigers (51-31) 3. Chicago Cubs (48-33) 4. New York Mets (48-34) 5. New York Yankees (46-34) 6. Houston Astros (48-33) 7. Philadelphia Phillies (47-34) 8. Tampa Bay Rays (46-35) 9. Milwaukee Brewers (45-36) 10. San Francisco Giants (44-37) 11. San Diego Padres (44-36) 12. St. Louis Cardinals (44-38) 13. Toronto Blue Jays (43-37) 14. Cincinnati Reds (42-39) 15. Seattle Mariners (41-39) 16. Arizona Diamondbacks (41-39) 17. Cleveland Guardians (40-39) 18. Texas Rangers (40-41) 19. Los Angeles Angels (40-40) 20. Boston Red Sox (40-42) 21. Minnesota Twins (39-42) 22. Atlanta Braves (37-43) 23. Kansas City Royals (38-43) 24. Baltimore Orioles (34-46) 25. Washington Nationals (33-48) 26. Miami Marlins (34-45) 27. Pittsburgh Pirates (32-50) 28. Athletics (33-50) 29. Chicago White Sox (26-55) 30. Colorado Rockies (18-63) Biggest Risers Los Angeles Angels (+4) The Angels just don't go away, coming off a sweep of the Red Sox while also taking three of four games from the Yankees in New York. With an upcoming series against the lowly Nationals, the Angels have a real shot of heading into July with a winning record. Biggest Fallers Boston Red Sox (-5) The Red Sox have struggled offensively ever since trading superstar designated hitter Rafael Devers (shocker). After winning three of the first four games following the trade, they've lost five in a row and are closer to the last place Orioles than the first place Yankees in the AL East. Minnesota Twins (-5) Not long ago the Twins were seven games above .500 at 34-27, looking like a surefure Wild Card team. Now, they're three games under .500 and a whopping 11.5 games back of the first place Tigers in the AL Central. There's five teams ahead of them — the Mariners (who own the third Wild Card spot), Guardians, Angels, Rangers and Red Sox — for the third and final Wild Card spot.
