Alex Mayes

Since you listen to the podcast, you probably know that I do PA work for my local high school team. The biggest reason I love doing that is because it's just pure baseball. I don't have to look at stats, trends, or anything else that I don't want to. I just get to watch baseball and enjoy it. It's the same reason I go to games of teams I don't follow, I just want to enjoy baseball.

Rendon is why I gave the qualifier, haha. The sole reason I'd maybe put Bryant in front of him is because Rendon's first year with the Angels, it was 2020 but still, he was a productive player. Bryant hasn't been productive in Colorado at all.

The Bryant deal may be the worst contract in the history of the sport, all things considered. If not, it's likely top three.

I really think the Bryant deal has changed the way Colorado approaches every single move they make. They were never a trade heavy team before that but now it seems like they are terrified to make any significant moves because they were snakebitten so badly by a deal for a player that may never suit up again.

I'm not convinced we lose Gray honestly. I think he may be open to reworking that deal for an additional guaranteed two years with the way he seems to be enjoying being in Boston.

They haven't spent a ton of time in the rotation together, somewhere about 4 weeks in total before Early hit the IL. Once Early is back Tracy is going to have to be creative in rotation spots because throwing them back to back is likely going to mean one of them suddenly starts to get hit harder because their profiles are so similar. To be clear I really like both of them and think the Bennett trade was an incredible move by Craig, but teams are going to want MLB arms this deadline and, to me, Bennett has both the higher floor and ceiling than Early so I'd prefer to keep him around. I'd trade Eyanson for either Langeliers or Rutschman right now, just not for Goodman or Jeffers.

If one of them were right handed, I’d agree. But they are too similar to exist in the same rotation in my opinion.

I'm not overly concerned with Early's elbow right now, but I'm also not the GM of a baseball team haha. I think they'd pivot to Bennett before they offered Eyanson and you'd have to imagine that Colorado likes Bennett quite a bit.

Agreed on their demands. The bottom of the offensive part of his Savant page terrifies me though. I'd be happy with him, but there's a lot of swing and miss with very little walks in his approach.

From the Sox standpoint, Eyanson likely has a higher ceiling than either Early or Bennett and will likely be in the rotation next year at this rate. The reports from the A's and Rockies specifically say they are looking for major league a major league ready arm in return for either Langeliers and Goodman. That being said, I'd part with Eyanson for Langeliers but the holes in Goodman's swing worry me enough that I'd likely go Early, Witherspoon, Narvi as the central package with an additional bat if need be.

I actually said that the Red Sox may have fleeced the Brewers in the Durbin trade. I was eating my words for awhile but Harrison has fallen back to earth last I checked.

My gut says Eyanson is likely untouchable because he's being given the Tolle treatment. I also think Eyanson will be more ready for the MLB later this season than Tolle was when he was called up last year. Everyone else you've listed should be on the table. I'd lean trading Mayer before Arias but Arias is going to have way more value right now.

Absolutely, but I think Early or Bennett has to be included in any deal for a big name bat this year. Likely Witherspoon as well.

Perfectly put. Craig himself said that to put the best team on the field that they'd have to get uncomfortable. Right now is the time to get uncomfortable.

I hope so. I don't have a ton of faith in him to get something done at the deadline since he's fumbled the last two, but this team currently has a chance to be historic and adding at the catching position is what could put them over the edge.

I’m working on something about two of the names you mentioned.

The Boston Red Sox have a bit of a black hole at the catching position this season. There were high hopes thrust upon Carlos Narvaez after his stellar breakout season in 2025, but he’s yet to live up to any of those. He could be waking up as he ended the first half strong and seems to be continuing that through the start of the second half, but he's still responsible for a 53 wRC+. Connor Wong has had a much better 2026 than he had in 2025, but he’s not an every day player for a contending team. Mickey Gasper isn't an MLB-caliber backstop. What are we left with? A fair number of options with no clear solution. To solve the problem, Craig Breslow should call the Minnesota Twins and see what it would take to pry Ryan Jeffers from them. Jeffers is the exact type of catcher the Red Sox need. Narvaez is a defensive wizard behind the dish, but the step backwards he has taken at the plate is one of the reasons that the team is having to play a big game of catch up to begin the second half. Jeffers solves that problem in more ways than one. Offensively, he is a right-handed menace. While he’s not technically a qualified hitter this season—he landed on the IL with a broken hamate bone in May and was just activated on July 10—his Baseball Savant page is bright red behind the hashmarks. He also fits the team’s model of someone who is top of the league in bat speed, averaging 73.3 MPH, good for the top 10% of swing speeds in the league. He’s currently slashing .292/.404/.538 with a .406 wOBA, 162 wRC+, and a 1.8 fWAR. His strikeout rate sits at an impressive 15.3%, matching his walk rate. Once he’s qualified, that walk rate will have him near the top of the league. What's more impressive is Jeffers' fit with this roster. Going into the 2026 season, Breslow prioritized pull-air percentage when he targeted fan favorite Willson Contreras. Contreras has a pull-air rate of 26.5% this year; Jeffers is currently sitting on a 20.7% rate. In other words, he'd also punish the Green Monster during homestands. Along with the impressive pull ability, Jeffers offers the offensive approach the team has been preaching since Breslow took over. His bat speed is averaging 73.3 MPH so far this season and he’s clocked 40 swings over 75 MPH. Both of those numbers put him in the top of the league in terms of swing speed and fast-swing rate percentages. His swing length is also slightly shorter than league average at 7.2’. That's an incredible combination for power, hence how he already has eight home runs in just over 40 games this season. This could be due, in part, to changes Jeffers made in his batting stance this season. He’s now standing further back in the box than he ever has in his career, from 28.3” to 30.6”, while being closer to the plate, from 27.3” to 25.9”, and has shortened the distance between his feet from 36.2” to 33.5”. What this has done is opened his stance up from 8° to 11°. He’s getting a bit more time to watch the ball approach the plate and it’s paying dividends for him this season. There are two knocks against Jeffers when it comes to a possible trade. First, he’s an average-at-best defender behind the dish. He is ranked in the 62nd percentile in blocks above average, the 15th percentile in caught stealing, the 62nd percentile in framing, and the 34th percentile in pop time. Compared to Narvaez, Jeffers is a liability on defense, though that's true for most catchers. The potentially bigger hurdle for a Jeffers trade is it’s unclear if the Twins are willing to move off him (and if they are, what the cost associated with doing so would be). As we know, the American League is weak this year, and Jeffers offers the Twins a lot of upside behind the plate as they push for a Wild Card spot throughout the summer. If he can be had, it’s going to be expensive. The Twins are likely going to want highly ranked, close-to-MLB-ready prospects in return. While the Red Sox have one of the better farm systems in the league, would they be willing to pull from it for a backstop who reaches unrestricted free agency at the end of the season? It’s hard to say, but if the team is all-in on competing for a playoff spot this season, it may be worth the risk. View full article

We talked about this on the podcast that will be up shortly, but I think there's a case to make for exploring a Chapman trade still. I feel confident in Whitlock sliding into the closer role full time for the rest of the season and I think we're watching Chapman preparing to fall off a cliff. If he's held on to it's not a bad thing by any means though. I'd likely look to trade him this offseason because I don't feel great about him next year at all.

The theme of this is that if these four keep playing at the level they have been then the team absolutely should be buyers, not these four being on the trade block. These are arguably the four most untouchable names on the team right now. Welcome to Talk Sox!

In a turn of events that was so improbable Hollywood would have rejected the script just a month ago, the Boston Red Sox have rattled off a 13-game winning streak and are firmly in the American League Wild Card picture. After sweeping the first series of the second half against the Tampa bay Rays, they certainly have their eye on continuing the hot streak as we progress through the end of July. If things keep up on this track, then Craig Breslow will be keen to add pieces as the trade deadline approaches. That happening though, hinges on these four players not buckling under the pressure that leading a playoff-bound team comes with. #4: 3B Caleb Durbin Who would have thought that after the first two months of the season, Durbin would be looked at as a make-or-break player. After a couple of days off in late May, he has been on a tear at the plate. He’s currently slashing .236/.299/.392 with a .304 wOBA, 89 wRC+, and a 1.4 fWAR. While the slash line doesn’t look overly impressive, remember he was hitting well below the Mendoza line for weeks when the season got underway. He’s been Gold Glove worthy at third base on defense all year, and now that his bat is finally coming around, he’s one of the most valuable pieces on this team. While he’s not a pure power threat, he can drive the ball out of the yard with relative ease. His strength lies in his ability to get on base though, and while we’d like to see a higher walk rate than his current 6.6%, we’re not going to complain too hard. A couple of months ago, we hosted a livestream of the Talk Sox Podcast with Brewer Fanatic’s Jason Wang and Jake McKibbin. During it, Jake told us that we’d love Caleb Durbin eventually this season. At the time we thought he was crazy -- now, we’re finding out that Brewers fans are just as prescient as the team they root for. #3: LHP Payton Tolle It may feel a bit weird to include the rookie southpaw on this list, but he essentially plugs in as the number three starter for this team and needs to remain rock solid on the mound as he prepares to fly past his career high in innings. Tolle currently holds a 3.11 ERA with over 84 innings pitched with a strikeout percentage of 25.5%, a walk rate of 7.3%, a 3.23 FIP, and 2.1 fWAR. He had a couple of shaky starts this season and for the first quarter of the year, the offense seemed allergic to letting him win games when he was on the bump, but we seem to be beyond both issues at this point. Where the pressure lies for the youngster is in his pitch mix. He throws the ‘Three-Headed Monster of Hard’ with his fastball combination of a four-seam, sinker, and cutter, but when he’s operating at his full capacity, he’s featuring a devastating curveball that keeps hitters off balance and off rhythm. If he continues to be the dominant starter we’ve come to expect, then the biggest strength of the Red Sox will continue to propel them forward. If he runs into a second half wall, though, then it could be tough sledding for an injury-depleted starting rotation. #2: OF Wilyer Abreu We all expect Abreu to play Gold Glove defense in right field on a daily basis, but the steps he’s taken against left-handed pitching for the 2026 season have shown us just how special of a player he can be. Against southpaws in 2026, Abreu is slashing .345/.421/.527 with a .411 wOBA, and 162 wRC+. To put it simply, he’s been incredible against them. When facing a righty though, the numbers look vastly different. He’s slashing .227/.295/.406 with a .303 wOBA, and an 88 wRC+. To be able to help push the team in the right direction as they look to buy heading into the trade deadline, Abreu has to find his footing against righties moving forward. Luckily, he seems to have maybe done that early in the second half as he took Griffin Jax deep for two home runs in the first game back out of the All-Star Break. #1: 1B Willson Contreras The heartbeat of the offense, the leader on the field. Contreras has been as advertised since being brought over from the Cardinals. The Sox played great baseball while he was suspended for the altercation he was a part of against the Nationals, but the team goes as Contreras goes. When he slumps, it seems like the rest of the lineup is slumping. When he’s hot, as he’s been much of this season, everything in front of and behind him seems to click. On top of being an excellent offensive player, Contreras has settled first base in a way that hasn’t been seen in years in Boston. He’s smooth, picks anything near him, and now we no longer have to worry about the cold corner being a defensive black hole. As long as he continues to play well on both sides of the ball, the Red Sox are going to be in a great spot as we approach the trade deadline. View full article

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 4-0 Runs Scored Last Week: 28 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 10 Standings 3rd in AL East 6.0 GB First Place 3rd in AL Wild Card Transactions 07/13/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Tommy Kahnle to a minor league contract. 07/14/26: Detroit Tigers traded OF Jahmai Jones to Boston Red Sox for Player To Be Named Later. 07/14/26: Boston Red Sox optioned OF Nate Eaton to Worcester Red Sox. 07/14/26: OF Jahmai Jones roster status changed by Boston Red Sox. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox recalled LHP Alec Gamboa from Worcester Red Sox. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jace Mataczynski. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Brett Lanman. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Lucas Davenport. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Josh Volmerding. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed OF Owen Hull. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Kide Adetuyi. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Mason Lei. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Kaleb LaFavor. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated 1B Willson Contreras. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Luis Calderon. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated OF Jahmai Jones. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jake Schaffner. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Wills Maginnis. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent LHP Carson Revay to a minor league contract. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed OF Martin Shelar. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated OF Jahmai Jones. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Colton Coates. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Alex Kranzler. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Jase Evangelista. 07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jacob Webster. 07/18/26: Boston Red Sox optioned LHP Alec Gamboa to Worcester Red Sox. 07/18/26: Boston Red Sox released LHP Danny Coulombe. Scores Game 95: BOS 10, TB 0 Game 96: BOS 5, TB 3 Game 97: BOS 7, TB 6 Game 98: BOS 6, TB 1 Series Breakdown/Highlights Rays Series: Talk about the perfect way to come out of the All Star Break. For the past handful of years, the Red Sox have ridden a wave of momentum into the Midsummer Classic only to come limping out of the gate in the second half. The 2026 Red Sox though? The team that many, including this writer, counted out as the calendar flipped from June to July? That’s not how they roll. The Red Sox decided that July was their month and it continued into this series. In game one of the Friday double header, a make up of a rainout from May 9, the team was without All-Star Willson Contreras for the final game of his suspension, but the offense wasn’t lacking in any way. The offensive outbreak was spurred by home runs from both Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez. Narvaez contributed three RBIs overall, tied for the team lead with Jarren Duran. Along with Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela, Caleb Durbin, and Tsung-Che Cheng all contributed one RBI each. On the defensive side of the ball, Jake Bennett was again fantastic on the bump tossing six innings of shutout baseball, only allowing one hit and striking out three. Alex Gamboa was called up to be the extra man for the double header, and he contributed three innings of two-hit baseball while striking out one. Game two was kicked off by a towering two-run home run from Wilyer Abreu, followed by a moonshot from Contreras. Abreu then added a second home run in the third inning, just for good measure. Anthony Seigler added the other RBI to the box score. On the pitching side, this was a bullpen game to end all bullpen games. The Sox used seven different pitchers en route to the win. Eduardo Rivera started the game, going 2.1 innings while allowing three runs and striking out three. Those were the only runs the Rays would score though as Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran, Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, and Aroldis Chapman all worked clean frames from the third inning on. Game three was arguably the game of the season so far. Patrick Sandoval wasn’t sharp, but he did his job through five innings. He struck out five while allowing four earned runs. Ryan Watson tossed two innings, giving up one earned run, while Whitlock and Chapman held the back end of the game together with an iron fist. Offensively, we’re likely looking at Abreu’s breakout series. To go along with the two home runs he hit in game two, he clobbered two more in game three, including the one that put the team in front for good. Yoshida, Rafaela, and newcomer Jahmai Jones all contributed RBIs to the win. If you want to hear one of the most electric calls of the season, and watch the reaction from the dugout and bullpen after Abreu connects, I’ve put it here. Dave O’Brien catches a lot of flack from fans, but he has been on fire with his calls during this stretch. Game four saw the ball handed to the ace of the staff, Sonny Gray, and he started off a bit shaky but he pitched his way out of traffic in the first three innings and only allowed one earned run on the day. He notched five strikeouts and, thanks to the offense coming alive in the third and fifth innings, notched his 11th win of the season. Weissert, Moran, and Watson all worked great out of the bullpen on the day, making sure the Sox could waltz to their 13th win in a row and another sweep of an AL East foe. Offensively, Contreras launched another homer and drove in two runs while Caleb Durbin, Romy Gonzalez, and Andruw Monasterio all contributed one RBI as well. This series was exactly what the Red Sox needed to do coming out of the All-Star Break. They put the AL East-leading Rays on the ropes in the first game and didn’t let up until the final out on Sunday night. It has truly been a magical run lately. Website Highlights Red Sox’s Elite Rotation Faces Existential Innings Crisis in the Second Half by Nick John Red Sox’s Furious First-Half Finish Demands Cautious Optimism from the Front Office by Ryan Painter Is Willson Contreras Primed for a Second-Half Power Outage? What History Has to Say About Fabled “Home Run Derby Curse” by Ryan Salvaggio Looking Ahead 07/20/26: Orioles (Shane Baz) @ Red Sox (Payton Tolle): 7:10 PM EDT 07/21/26: Orioles (Kyle Bradish) @ Red Sox (TBD): 7:10 PM EDT 07/22/26: Orioles (Dean Kremer) @ Red Sox (Jake Bennett): 7:10 PM EDT 07/23/26: Off Day 07/24/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 7:15 PM EDT 07/25/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 4:10 PM EDT 07/26/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 1:35 PM EDT View full article

Really like this question, going to have to do some sitting and figuring things out haha.