The Latest
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Is the future again now for the Red Sox bullpen?
The bullpen gambles paid off in 2018, so why not try ’em again? Because they wonât always work, is the simple answer. Going into this season, the Red Sox have the general goodwill and cachet of a World Series title powering them. (And if something worked in the past, folks, that means it’s definitely going to work in the...
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Now comes hard part for Alex Cora â the quest for a Red Sox repeat
Everything will be harder for Alex Cora this year. And his season may be harder to evaluate, too. Even if the Sox have a lesser year in 2019 than they did in 2018, Cora may actually do more as manager. In an encore to a 108-win season, Cora may have to do more to win, say, 97 games. But few…
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Potential free agent Rick Porcello sees âtroubling' landscape for veteran signings
A year from now, Rick Porcello could be the one who is unsigned come January or February. If his winter as a free agent is anything like this offseason or last, why wouldnât he still be on the market, looking for a team to pay up for a proven starter, someone who is a former Cy Young winner and...
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After a taxing 2018, Red Sox rotation will need workload watched this season
The lasting image of the 2018 World Series may well be the performance of a losing pitcher, a starter used in relief for three consecutive games, Nate Eovaldi. The Red Sox prioritized re-signing Eovaldi this offseason, and in doing so, committed to maintaining what everyone believed would be their core strength a year ago: the rotation. Most of the season,…
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Will Chris Sale need to âdial it downâ to avoid injury again?
Even in Ferraris, remember to obey the speed limit. What happened to Chris Sale in 2018 when his velocity dropped and he pitched marvelously, through pain, to close out the World Series? Was his left shoulder bursitis avoidable and did the teamâs slow ramp-up plan in the regular season have anything to do with it? Today, the accepted theory seems…
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Chris Sale has watched World Series final out âcouple hundred thousand timesâ
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. â Chris Sale is you and you are Chris Sale. He may even have rewatched the final out of the 2018 World Series more times than you. MORE RED SOX –Â Turns out, Sox had extension talks with Bogaerts “I’ve watched it maybe a couple hundred thousand times,â Sale said Saturday at Winter Weekend. âIt never gets old. Those…
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Bogaerts talked extension; Betts says deals âtough to come up withâ
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. â The mystery player the Red Sox talked to about an extension earlier this offseason was Xander Bogaerts, multiple sources said. The conversations never heated up or brought the sides close to a deal, but the Red Sox and Bogaertsâ agency, Scott Borasâ camp, did engage on the matter. Bogaerts can become a free agent after this season…
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Red Sox want Betts for âwhole baseball career'
BOSTON â Whether the Red Sox can keep Mookie Betts from testing free agency will be a hot topic until, well, he either hits free agency or agrees to a deal. At the least, ownership has a continued, stated interest in locking him up long term, as would be expected with the American League MVP. âHeâs one of the great…
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Red Sox owner says young players' production impacting free agency
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. â In a slow offseason, albeit one in which the Red Sox were not expected to do much, Red Sox owner John Henry gave some insight into his views of the free-agent marketplace and baseballâs economic landscape. Here’s his lengthy assessment: âTwenty years ago, roughly I think 45 percent of wins above replacement were due to players that…
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Henry: Red Sox may not spend much more, but not because of luxury tax
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. â The highest luxury tax threshold for 2019 isnât going to keep the Red Sox from adding a reliever, Sox owner John Henry indicated on Friday. Itâs simply the dollars overall that may keep the team that already has the highest payroll in baseball from spending more. Per Henry, the team is already very close to the golden...