Rafael Devers is playing in his first full season with the San Francisco Giants, and his energy during team training has been very positive.

Devers was asked about his time with the Boston Red Sox after training. He told reporters, “It’s over.” He instead decided to talk about how his wife is expecting their third child together, a boy to join his two daughters. 

Buster Posey, Giants president of baseball operations and former MLB All-Star, said the sound off Devers’ bat was “different” in training camp.

During training camp last season, Devers wasn’t feeling nearly as well. The Red Sox had signed Alex Bregman during the 2024-25 offseason. Bregman plays third base, the position Devers had played for Boston for years. 

Bregman is a superior defender. Along with that, he told reporters that he plays third base, dispelling any rumors that he’d move to second base. The Red Sox reportedly wanted to move Devers to first base, but he didn’t want to do that. He played DH for the Red Sox until being traded to the Giants.

On June 15, the Giants acquired Devers in exchange for Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs III and Jose Bello.

Devers didn’t have the issues playing first base in San Francisco that he did in Boston. Although he was mostly a DH, he played 28 games at first base for the Giants. 

Devers has primarily been working out at first base during training camp. 2023 first-round pick Bryce Eldridge is projected to be the Giants’ DH.

The Giants will play their first spring training game on Feb. 21 against the Seattle Mariners. Devers will look to improve his first base skills before the start of the regular season. Devers had a negative-one Outs Above Average at first base in 2025.  

The Boston Red Sox have a record of 55-49, which is good enough for third place in the AL East and the third wild-card spot.

Boston finished the 2024 season with an 81-81 record and missed out on the postseason. The front office knew they had to make moves to compete in 2025, and Boston did just that.

The Red Sox made a trade for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet in exchange for four prospects. Boston also made big moves in free agency, signing third baseman Alex Bregman, starting pitcher Walker Buehler and closer Aroldis Chapman.

The Bregman signing caused drama with Rafael Devers because they both play the same position. Devers was asked to DH full-time as Bregman is a better defensive player.

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In May, first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Devers was asked to play first, but he declined because he was already asked to switch positions.

The Devers saga ended on June 15, when the Red Sox traded him to the San Francisco Giants for pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison. Boston also got two prospects in return.

Despite all the drama, the Red Sox are putting together a solid 2025 campaign.

The offense has been a bright spot for the Red Sox.

Boston has the second most hits, is in the top five for slugging percentage, and is in the top 10 for on-base percentage and home runs. One area where Boston struggles is striking out, ranking in the bottom three in the league.

Pitching has been up and down for the Red Sox. Boston is in the top 10 for ERA and preventing home runs, but is close to the bottom 10 for batting average allowed and walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP).

Boston will be interesting to monitor as the trade deadline approaches. Given Devers has already been traded, Boston could look to trade more of its veterans, but buying could also be an option, considering they hold the last wild-card spot.

Boston Red Sox Schedule & Tickets

• August 15: vs. Miami Marlins
• August 16: vs. Miami Marlins
• August 17: vs. Miami Marlins
• August 18: vs. Baltimore Orioles
• August 19: vs. Baltimore Orioles
• August 21: at New York Yankees
• August 22: at New York Yankees
• August 23: at New York Yankees
• August 24: at New York Yankees
• August 25: at Baltimore Orioles
• August 26: at Baltimore Orioles
• August 27: at Baltimore Orioles
• August 28: at Baltimore Orioles
• August 29: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• August 30: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• August 31: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• September 1: vs. Cleveland Guardians
• September 2: vs. Cleveland Guardians
• September 3: vs. Cleveland Guardians
• September 5: at Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 6: at Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 7: at Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 8: at Athletics
• September 9: at Athletics
• September 10: at Athletics
• September 12: vs. New York Yankees
• September 13: vs. New York Yankees
• September 14: vs. New York Yankees
• September 16: vs. Athletics
• September 17: vs. Athletics
• September 18: vs. Athletics
• September 19: at Tampa Bay Rays
• September 20: at Tampa Bay Rays
• September 21: at Tampa Bay Rays
• September 23: at Toronto Blue Jays
• September 24: at Toronto Blue Jays
• September 25: at Toronto Blue Jays
• September 26: vs. Detroit Tigers
• September 27: vs. Detroit Tigers
• September 28: vs. Detroit Tigers

Boston Red Sox Odds

The Red Sox have great odds to make the postseason at +115. Its odds to win the American League are +1500, and its odds to win the World Series are +4000.

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The San Francisco Giants are in third place in the NL West and six games back from a wild-card spot.

The Giants finished the 2024 season with a record of 80-82, placing fourth in the NL West and missing the postseason.

San Francisco didn’t make many moves in the offseason, but signed shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year $182 million contract. Adames’ contract is the largest in Giants history.

The Giants also signed future first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander to a one-year deal.

San Francisco started the season hot and was in contention to win the NL West. On June 13, San Francisco was tied for first place in the NL West.

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On June 15, San Francisco made a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire star Rafael Devers.

Despite looking like contenders, the Giants went on a 13-26 run over their next 39 games after June 13, falling out of contention.

This season, San Francisco’s offense has struggled, led by Adames, Heliot Ramos, and Jung Hoo Lee.

The Giants are in the bottom three for slugging percentage and in the bottom five for home runs. The Giants are also in the bottom 10 for batting average and RBIs, and just outside the bottom 10 for on-base percentage.

Despite the offensive struggles, San Francisco’s pitching has been tough for opponents, led by Logan Webb and Robbie Ray.

The Giants have given up the fewest home runs and are inside the top 10 for ERA and strikeouts. San Francisco is in the middle of the league for batting average allowed, but in the bottom half of the league for walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP).

During this year’s trade deadline, the Giants were sellers. San Francisco traded closer Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to the Kansas City Royals, and relief pitcher Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets.

While it doesn’t look like the Giants will be contending this season, anything can happen in baseball. If the Giants can get hot like the team did at the start of the season, the Giants could steal one of the wild-card spots, but more likely than not, San Francisco will be watching the postseason from home in 2025.

San Francisco Giants Schedule & Tickets

• August 5: at Pittsburgh Pirates
• August 6: at Pittsburgh Pirates
• August 8: vs. Washington Nationals
• August 9: vs. Washington Nationals
• August 10: vs. Washington Nationals
• August 11: vs. San Diego Padres
• August 12: vs. San Diego Padres
• August 13: vs. San Diego Padres
• August 15: vs. Tampa Bay Rays
• August 16: vs. Tampa Bay Rays
• August 17: vs. Tampa Bay Rays
• August 18: at San Diego Padres
• August 19: at San Diego Padres
• August 20: at San Diego Padres
• August 21: at San Diego Padres
• August 22: at Milwaukee Brewers
• August 23: at Milwaukee Brewers
• August 24: at Milwaukee Brewers
• August 26: vs. Chicago Cubs
• August 27: vs. Chicago Cubs
• August 28: vs. Chicago Cubs
• August 29: vs. Baltimore Orioles
• August 30: vs. Baltimore Orioles
• August 31: vs. Baltimore Orioles
• September 1: at Colorado Rockies
• September 2: at Colorado Rockies
• September 3: at Colorado Rockies
• September 5: at St. Louis Cardinals
• September 6: at St. Louis Cardinals
• September 7: at St. Louis Cardinals
• September 8: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 9: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 10: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 12: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• September 13: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• September 14: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• September 15: at Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 16: at Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 17: at Arizona Diamondbacks
• September 18: at Los Angeles Dodgers
• September 19: at Los Angeles Dodgers
• September 20: at Los Angeles Dodgers
• September 21: at Los Angeles Dodgers
• September 22: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• September 23: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• September 24: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• September 26: vs. Colorado Rockies
• September 27: vs. Colorado Rockies
• September 28: vs. Colorado Rockies

San Francisco Giants Odds

The Giants are a long shot to make the postseason with +750 odds. San Francisco’s odds of making noise in the postseason are unlikely as the Giants have +10000 odds to win the National League and +15000 odds to win the World Series.

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When the Boston Red Sox signed Alex Bregman in free agency, Rafael Devers was adamant that he would not play first base for the Red Sox.

On his new team, the San Francisco Giants, it appears Devers doesn’t have the same reservations.

“I’m here to give my 100%. … They are the men in charge,” Devers said. “I am here to play wherever they want me to play.”

Devers played the first 73 games of the season as a DH, unwilling to field for the Red Sox after Bregman took his spot at third base. The Giants have Matt Chapman at third base, but the three-time All-Star is seemingly willing to move to first.

Devers was openly critical about the decision to have Bregman take his spot at third base, a disagreement that likely played a role in the team’s decision to trade him.

Being on a new team has changed Devers’ perspective, leaving Chapman, a five-time Golden Glove third baseman, on the hot corner.

“Like I said before, I am here to play wherever they want me to do and to give my best,” Devers reiterated.

The deal between the two teams, made on Sunday, sent Devers to the Giants in exchange for Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, James Tibbs III and Jose Bello.

Devers had spent the entirety of his career with the Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox had an eventful weekend with some good and bad involved.

The Red Sox swept the rival New York Yankees, which gave the fans of the Red Sox a lot of joy, but after Sunday’s matinee game, that joy was ripped apart when it was shockingly announced that the Red Sox traded star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.

The Red Sox fans were not prepared for this weekend to involve a rollercoaster of emotions, and they criticized the franchise for being cheap.

Baseball Is Dead podcast host Jared Carrabis took to X to air his feelings out. “How the f— do you trade Rafael Devers? For A: That return and B: the moment in which you did it.”

Ringer founder Bill Simmons presented a theory on X about a possible reason for the trade.

The owner of the Red Sox, John Henry, also owns the Premier League-winning soccer team Liverpool.

Simmons hinted on X that the possible motive behind the trade was to help finance the newest transfer to Liverpool, Florian Wirtz. Liverpool reportedly paid his former club $100 million for the midfielder.

Devers is in the third season of a 10-year, $313 million contract and had been at odds with the team during spring training, after he was moved from third base to DH for the newly signed Alex Bregman.

It is not the first time the Red Sox have traded one of their star players, much to the frustration of the fan base – Mookie Betts was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2020 season for three players who did not pan out for the Red Sox.

Betts was in the final year of his contract and would sign a 12-year, $365 million deal with the Dodgers – and he has since helped the franchise win two World Series.

“I woke up still mad [about] the Devers trade,” Barstool founder Dave Portnoy wrote on X. “If you are trying to win, you just don’t trade your best hitter for nothing in the middle of the season. John Henry and [minority owner] LeBron [James] have turned the Red Sox into the Oakland A’s with fancy hubcaps.”

It’s the second time the Boston Red Sox have asked three-time All-Star Rafael Devers to switch positions in the past year. And Devers has every reason to be hesitant.

Following a big swing this past offseason to sign Gold Glove-winning third baseman Alex Bregman away from the Houston Astros, the Red Sox asked Devers to vacate his traditional spot at third base. He agreed to become a designated hitter. Then, under two months into the 2025 season, first baseman Triston Casas ruptured a patellar tendon. The Sox once again asked Devers to step up – but this time, they wanted him to play a position he had never played: first base.

The move makes sense mechanically. With Devers in place at first, the Red Sox would be free to select designated hitters from the rest of their offensive talent, likely bringing in Masataka Yoshida. But Devers rejected the idea, and can you blame him?

After getting off to a slow start, Devers is batting .285, with 31 RBI and a .901 OPS, all solid numbers. He’s been vital to Boston’s offensive game, and a position swap has the potential to endanger that offense and risk injury. First base isn’t a position that can be learned in a couple hours. It takes time and engagement – difficult, during the season – and carries substantial risk.

Devers expressed his frustration last week in a chat with Christopher Smith of MassLive.

“I just feel like it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position,” he said. “It was the GM [Craig Breslow] that I spoke with. I’m not sure what he has with me. He played ball, and I would like to think he knows that changing positions like that isn’t easy.”

The tension got so dire that Red Sox owner John Henry flew to Kansas City to personally speak to Devers. Breslow called the discussion “an honest conversation about what we value as an organization and what we believe is important to the Boston Red Sox.”

Devers is continuing to hold strong in his refusal, and in the meantime, the story has ballooned. While he’s in just the second year of his 10-year, $315 million contract, analysts have speculated that Devers may be traded for his response, and plenty of fans have called him out for being selfish or disloyal to the team.

The more likely option is for Devers to acquiesce and move to first base. And then what?

Devers publicly criticized Boston’s management for not upgrading the roster last offseason. They did the same this offseason, ignoring their lack of first-base depth, and it’s costing them now. If Devers moves and he’s fine, that’s great. But if he gives in, becomes the ardent ‘team player,’ and plays bad defense at first base, what can the Red Sox do?

That’s the risk both sides are considering: that the switch won’t happen or that it won’t work out. And the Red Sox have already had to confront the risk of alienating their star player. It’s become a reality.

With Rafael Devers publicly stating that he does not intend to move from third base in 2025, newly signed Boston Red Sox star Alex Bregman is taking a more malleable approach. The longtime Astros third baseman is willing to move to another position, likely second, in order to help his new team.

“I think everybody here believes in their abilities,” Bregman told MLB.com this week. “I think all of us believe that if we all put together a good effort this season, we have a really good chance of being a winning baseball team. For me, I can only talk for myself, I’ll play wherever it helps the team win.”

Signing Bregman to a short-term deal is a low-risk value acquisition for Boston, but the team did not pick him up to address a need. Devers is one of the top sluggers in baseball and has played third for the Red Sox since 2017. 

On paper, Bregman is generally considered a better defender than Devers, which technically makes him more qualified to keep his position. On the other hand, it also makes him more likely to successfully transition to second base. In any case, Devers isn’t budging for now and Bregman is willing to play nice on his new team, and that’s the determining factor. The Red Sox’s infield is crowded, and perhaps tense, but it could also be one of the best in the American League.

Despite leaving the Astros, Bregman could still have a few years of elite production left. At age 30, he is coming off a season in which he hit .260 with 26 home runs, playing an integral role in the Astros’ turbulent run to the postseason. Houston’s dynasty has been on fumes as of late, but even after the season ended in the Wild Card, many players seemed intent on keeping Bregman for the next step. The two sides could not agree on terms, however, forcing the veteran to consider other offers.

The Red Sox have been largely disappointing since winning the World Series in 2018, but acquiring Bregman is a strong sign that the team is looking to compete in 2025. Devers may not be happy with the perceived competition, but Bregman can help this team thrive in a crowded A.L. East division.

The Boston Red Sox signed third baseman Alex Bregman in a three-year, $120 million deal Wednesday. With slugger Rafael Devers already at third for Boston, Bregman will likely move to second base.

Debuting in 2016, Bregman has won two World Series with the Houston Astros, where he has spent his entire career. When the off-season kicked off in November, many speculated that Houston would work hard to re-sign Bregman. Longtime teammate Jose Altuve was publicly adamant about the idea, propagating the theory. 

“We’re not going to be the same organization without him,” Altuve said at the end of the 2024 season. “In my mind, there’s not a chance this is the last one.”

As the months wore on, however, it became more and more apparent that Bregman and his former team landed in different places in negotiations. The two-time All-Star became the subject of increased speculation, with other teams reportedly entering the fray. Boston won out this week.

Based on the way that the Red Sox’s roster is developing, signing Bregman was clearly a matter of capitalizing on value. It wasn’t to fill a roster need, as Devers seems locked in at third while prospect Kristian Campbell is currently ranked the best second baseman in the minor leagues. Bregman’s contract includes deferred payments, which will soften the impact of what would otherwise be a $40 million annual salary.

Last year, the Red Sox missed the playoffs with an 81-81 record. Since winning the World Series in 2018, they have only earned one postseason berth. Sending away players like Mookie Betts and Chris Sale proved to be brutal errors and the team has wallowed in the AL East trying to regather momentum. At age 30, Bregman remains a strong hitter and capable infielder, and could provide a short-term boost to Boston’s lineup over the next few seasons.

When the Red Sox decided to build around Rafael Devers, they expected this.

After years of trading away young talent, cycling through aging veterans, and revamping the farm system, the Red Sox front office decided to pay one man: Devers. Entering the first season of a 10-year $313,350,000 deal, Boston needed its young slugger to carry the lineup.

Six home runs in six games should do the trick.

The 3B broke a franchise record Monday as he went opposite field for a 382-foot two-run bomb in the fourth inning en route to a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting six home runs in six consecutive games. Devers started his streak last Thursday against the same team he broke it against before homering three straight times over the weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dominican infielder did not break this record with fluky hits or windy days; four of his six long balls traveled over 400 feet as the ball looked like a grapefruit.

Devers finds himself in this position partly from his new approach to the plate. He struggled to lay off high fastballs when he first broke into the league and swung at too many pitches. However, he matured his at-bats, is second on the team in walks with 21 on the year, and leads the team in on-base percentage amongst the starters.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the home runs were the only thing going right. The Red Sox dropped two of three against the Rays last week before losing the first two games of their series against the Cardinals and falling below .500 for the first time since the season’s first week. The Red Sox won their last two games and sit at 25-24, a half-game back of the third wild card spot with over a quarter of the season played.

Devers’ home run total doubled during his scorching run at the plate, as he smashed ten long bombs on the year so far, one behind Tyler O’Neil on the roster along with 23 RBIs.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill was injured and required stitches after colliding with teammate Rafael Devers in the top of the seventh inning of a Monday game against the Cleveland Guardians. Both attempted to field a fly ball.

Both tracked the ball as it made its way to shallow left field, with Devers making the catch but not shortly after colliding with O’Neill. Both went to the ground, Devers laying motionless for a few moments and O’Neill holding his head showing the bleeding. Devers stayed on the field for the remainder of the game, but O’Neill was taken out and eventually given eight stitches above his left eye. He also went through concussion protocols and is expected to be re-evaluated next week.

“He has a big gash here,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said while pointing at his forehead, talking about O’Neill. “He got eight stitches. He’s going through the concussion protocol; hopefully, everything’s fine.”

Before the injury, O’Neill went one for two with a walk. But as a whole, he has been one of the most productive hitters for the Red Sox this season with averages of .301/.448/.761 along with hitting seven home runs in only 15 games played. In the majors since 2018, O’Neill’s 2024 marks have been the highest of his career, and the injury sidelines him after having four hits in the past five games. 

The Red Sox lost the Monday game to the Guardians 6-0 and fell again to them 10-7 on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Boston is even at 9-9 and last in the AL East. They’ve lost seven of their last 10 games, and with O’Neill now out for at least the next week, their immediate future also doesn’t look great.

Boston has two more games against the 12-5 first-place Guardians before traveling to Pittsburgh to play the 11-7 Pirates. That will be followed by another series against Cleveland, who they have yet to beat this year. Boston’s next 11 games are all against teams with a record above .500, and without O’Neill, they will be looking in every corner of the dugout to find some hits and offensive output.

Though his injury required stitches, all signs point to O’Neill passing the concussion protocol and rejoining the team sometime next week. After spending his first six in St. Louis, this is his first season with the Red Sox, and he is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.

The Boston Red Sox finished as the worst team in the MLB in 2023. That’s the third time they’ve done that in the past four seasons. This offseason, chairman Tom Werner responded, saying that the club would operate in “full throttle.” Since that comment, the Red Sox have stayed under the radar this offseason – and even cut their payroll by approximately $10 million since Opening Day last year.

Their biggest move so far this offseason has been the appointment of former Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow to replace Chaim Bloom as their new Chief Baseball Officer.

Through an interview with an interpreter on Tuesday, Red Sox Dominican third baseman Rafael Devers shared his thoughts on their past few seasons.

“Everybody knows what we need. You know what we need and they know what we need. It’s just some things I can’t say. I’m not allowed,” Devers said. “They need to make an adjustment to help us players be in a better position to win. Everybody in this organization wants to win. We, as players, want to win. I think they need to make adjustments to help us win. I’m not saying the team is not ok right now but they need to be conscious of what are the weaknesses and what we need right now.”

Devers isn’t the only player on the team to have expressed his frustration with management in the front office. Closer Kenly Jansen has been in the postseason every season of his career prior to missing the postseason with the Red Sox last year.

“I definitely feel frustrated. I came here for two years where year one we were going to compete but by year two they were really going to go after it,” Jansen said. “I get it, there have been a lot of changes in this organization. They have a different vision now. I get it. It’s part of business … I would rather not [ask about the reason for the change in organizational direction], to be honest with you. Now I’m in camp and just try and focus to have a great season. Whatever happens, happens at this point.”

Since their World Series win in 2018, the Red Sox have slowly shaved off their payroll from $240 million in 2018 to a projected $195 million in 2024.

Red Sox fans, players, and even coaching staff can all agree that the front office is not prioritizing their team’s performance. Their best possible team is not being put on the field. With the Red Sox’s  history in the MLB, there’s no excuse for them to be in the middle of the pack for payroll. These questionable decisions from ownership are finally being publicly questioned by fans, coaches and players.

They couldn’t hold on to Mookie Betts or J.D. Martinez or Xander Boegarts or Andrew Benintendi. But after signing second baseman Rafael Devers to an 11-year, $331 million extension, the Red Sox finally managed to regain some semblance of direction as they try to rebuild their fledgling franchise.

For many, as the last key contributor from the 2018 Red Sox team that won the World Series, Devers was an artifact from an era when Boston was building something spectacular. With a stellar roster that was among the league’s leaders in offensive and defensive categories, the 2018 Red Sox were one of the best teams of the decade.

But instead of persisting as mainstay A.L. contenders, like the Astros and Yankees, the Red Sox have been inconsistent while slowly losing talented players to other franchises.

https://twitter.com/358baseball/status/1605232153658200064?s=61&t=R1KyehJY59grr3TA6WjU2g

An improbable run to the ALCS in 2021 is the only time they’ve made the playoffs since 2018. After the 2019 season, Betts left for Los Angeles, a massive blow. Benintendi departed for Kansas City the following year. Both players have made significant contributions since leaving Boston’s organization.

This off-season was another extremely important one for the Red Sox with multiple key players entering free agency. But losing Boegarts and Martinez to other teams was merely a continuation of a trend — the pillars from 2018 kept falling. Devers was the last man standing and the team went to great lengths to secure him.

Signing the young second baseman with plenty of upside is an obvious sign that the Red Sox are still interested in fielding a successful team in the near future. But much of the volatile turnover in recent seasons remains unaccounted for, and there are still plenty of questions the team will have to answer after a 78-84 2022 season.

Now a bitter reminder of a potential dynasty’s glory days, Devers could lead the way to a fresh start in seasons to come. The organization is still a long way off from redefining Red Sox baseball, but signing Devers is a sensible step to that end.

Tuesday’s AL Wild Card Game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees was a highly anticipated one with each team having their backs against the wall. The victor would go on to play in the ALDS against the 100-win Tampa Bay Rays, who won the stacked AL East that featured four 90-win teams. Both squads played a recently as late September 26, the Yankees’ sweeping the Red Sox with the help of Giancarlo Stanton‘s dominant three-homer, 10 RBI series.

The game even had historical significance, given the precedent of the 1978 AL East tie-breaker game, defined by the iconic Bucky Dent homer in the seventh inning to give the Yanks the lead.

Alas, last night’s game did not turn out the way Yankee fans had hoped for.

Gerrit Cole took the mound for New York while former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi started for the Red Sox. Cole, who was putting up Cy Young-worthy number throughout most of the season, had been struggling over the past five games, going 2-2 with a 6.15 ERA, in part due to a nagging left hamstring injury. Last night was a test to see if the Yankees $324 million man would be able to deliver when it mattered most.

The Bronx Bombers got off to a seemingly promising start in the first inning, coming out aggressive in the box and making solid contact off Eovaldi. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Stanton launched a slider more than halfway up the Green Monster, however, it ultimately ended up being a loud single. The ball seemed to be a goner off the bat, fooling everyone from Stanton himself to Yankees’ play-by-play announcer John Sterling, which at least made for a hilarious call.

The Red Sox set the tone for the night in the bottom of the first inning. After giving up a two-out walk to blossoming star Rafael Devers, Cole hung a changeup right down the middle that was sent 427 feet over the center-field wall by Xander Bogaerts, giving the Sox a 2-0 lead.

Cole’s woes continued in the top of the third. Leading off the inning, Kyle Schwarber pummeled a 435-foot to right field, extending the lead to 3-0. The home run was eerily reminiscent of what had transpired during the 2015 Wild Card Game.

After allowing a walk to Devers, Cole was pulled from the game by Aaron Boone after just two innings of work.

Eovaldi, on the other hand, was dealing, striking out eight of the first 18 batters and retiring 11 straight during one stretch.

Yankees’ first baseman (and Schwarber’s former Cubs teammate) Anthony Rizzo was the only hitter to tag the right-hander, pulling a curveball around Pesky’s Pole for a solo home run to cut the lead to 3-1.

To the shock of many, including Eovaldi, Red Sox manager Alex Cora decided to remove his pitcher from the game after a subsequent in-field hit by Aaron Judge.

“When I went to the mound, he gave me this look, like, ‘What are you doing?'” Cora said after the game.

“It’s just such a tough game to manage. If he stays there and he hits a home run, then oof. We felt like our bullpen was ready for the rest of the game. We got lucky that the ball stayed in the ballpark, we made a great play, then we did a great job the rest of the game.”

The Red Sox thus brought in reliever Ryan Brasier to face Stanton. The substitution initially appeared to backfire, as the Yankees DH crushed a 400-foot line-drive off the Monster, again. The ball would have been a home run in 11 MLB stadiums. Instead, it ended up resulting in a costly out that would put a halt to the Yankees’ mid-game comeback, as the Sox nailed Judge at home plate after a perfectly executed relay.

The Red Sox added a few more insurance runs with two clutch hits by left fielder Alex Verdugo, slapping an RBI-double in the bottom of the sixth and then lining a two-run single in the top of the seventh to put his team up for good.

The Yanks did add a run in the top of the ninth inning with the scorching hot Stanton hitting an opposite field home run just inside the pole.

However, one cannot help but acknowledge the irony that Stanton’s weakest hit ball of the evening was the one that ended up going over the fence. It just may be the best way to summarize last night’s misfortune.

The MLB All-Star starters have been revealed. This season was the first time the league implemented a two-part voting process. The first phase of the voting had three finalists for each defensive position. Nine outfielders advanced to the second phase of voting as well as a designated hitter in the American League. The second phase of voting determined the All-Star Game’s starters.

The process saw nine first-time All-Stars selected by the fans to start this year’s game. The headliners included San Diego Padres’ shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who was voted to start as the AL’s designated hitter.

Mike Trout, who was voted as one of the starting outfielders for the AL, will be unable to play as he is recovering from a strained calf. Toronto leads all teams with three players making the starting lineup.

American League Starters:

• C- Salvador Perez 
• 1B- Vladimir Guerrero Jr 
• 2B- Marcus Semien
• 3B- Rafael Devers
• SS: Xander Bogaerts 
• OF- Mike Trout
• CF- Aaron Judge
• LF- Teoscar Hernández
• DH- Shohei Ohtani

National League Starters:

• C- Buster Posey
• 1B- Freddie Freeman
• 2B- Adam Frazier
• 3B- Nolan Arenado
• SS- Fernando Tatis Jr.
• CF- Ronald Acuña Jr.
• LF- Jesse Winker
• RF- Nick Castellanos

The National League team will be coached for the third consecutive year by Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, while Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash will coach the AL.

The rest of the MLB’s All-Stars will be named on July 4. Pitchers and reserves for each team will be determined by a process that considers selections made by the Commissioner’s Office and the player ballot choices.

Major League Baseball announced the largest vote recipients for the 2021 All-Star Game, reporting the top-three most popular choices at each position. These players all advance to the next round of voting, which will conclude on July 1.

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Pitchers and reserve players for the game are made based on a mix of both fan input as well as an analysis done by the Commissioner’s Office.

While stars such as Shohei Ohtani and Fernando Tatis Jr. were given nods for the next round, other notable figures including José Ramírez, Francisco Lindor and Trea Turner did not get enough votes to move on to the next round. These players can still make the All-Star Game, although the path is a bit less conventional and assuredly more difficult.

Mike Trout and Byron Buxton were two of the most notable names in the outfield for the American League, although others are getting large vote counts (Aaron Judge and Michael Brantley, among others) and some currently on the injured list will most likely be joining them at Coors Field in mid-July. In the National League, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Nick Castellanos sit at the top of outfielder voting.

The infield voting in the American League is led by names such as Salvador Pérez at catcher, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for first base, Marcus Semien at second, Xander Bogaerts manning shortstop and Rafael Devers covering third.

In the same positional order, the National League is led by Buster Posey, Max Muncy, Ozzie Albies, Fernando Tatís Jr. and Kris Bryant.

The National League squad will be headed by Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts, and the American League will be guided by Rays’ manager Kevin Cash.

The game is scheduled for July 13.

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Opening day of Major League Baseball is just around the corner. That means it is time to take a look at each team’s prognosis heading into the 2021 season after the 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign.

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After winning the 2018 World Series, the Red Sox rapidly declined, in large part due to their pitching staff. Boston had an elite 3.71 ERA in 2018 when they were world champs. In 2019, they dipped to 19th in the league with a 4.70 ERA before finishing 28th last season with a terrible 5.58 ERA. Their poor pitching is the reason why the Red Sox finished dead-last in the AL East with a 24-36 record, one game behind the Baltimore Orioles. Boston has the offensive firepower to put up a ton of runs, however, things may not go so smoothly unless the Red Sox find a few hidden gems in their pitching staff.

Check out Boston’s projected starters.

Boston Red Sox Projected Batting Order:

1. OF Alex Verdugo
2. SS Xander Bogaerts
3. 3B Rafael Devers
4. OF J.D. Martinez
5. OF Franchy Cordero
6. OF Hunter Renfroe
7. 2B Enrique Hernandez
8. C Christian Vazquez
9. 1B Bobby Dalbec

Boston Red Sox Projected Pitching Staff:

• SP1 Eduardo Rodriguez
• SP2 Nathan Eovaldi
• SP3 Garrett Richards
• SP4 Tanner Houck
• SP5 Martin Perez
• CL Matt Barnes

Boston Red Sox Team Outlook:

The Red Sox have an offensive foundation with a winning core with the likes of third baseman Rafael Devers, outfielder J.D. Martinez, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts in the lineup. The additions of right fielder Hunter Renfroe, second baseman Enrique Hernandez, and utility man Marwin Gonzalez have only helped this offensive foundation grow stronger. However, the team’s pitching staff does not look as promising.

With Chris Sale out in 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Boston has many questions to answer about their pitching staff. The Red Sox added right-hander Garrett Richards in early February. They also have right-handers Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez, who have the talent that could help Boston win.

They also signed Matt Andriese, brought back Martin Perez, and picked up relievers Adam Ottavino and Hirokazu Sawamura. The bullpen lacks a defined closer as Matt Barnes did not secure the role with his 2020 performance. The team’s pickups will surely help the bullpen improve this season, giving them more outs to save games. From the looks of it, Boston will have streaky value in 2021 and will probably not contend in the season’s postseason.

Boston Red Sox Schedule:

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