Alex Mayes

What a forgettable start to the season it’s been for Jarren Duran. He’s mired in that fabled outfield logjam that is getting worse by the day, and when he is getting at-bats, he’s not producing. Alex Cora has moved him around the lineup multiple times to try and get his bat going, shuffling the 29-year-old from designated hitter, to left field, and then to center. In what may be the most damning piece of evidence that Duran is losing his grip on what little playing time he sees, he was pinch hit for by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the series finale against the Tigers. Instead of letting Duran attempt to get on base, even with a bunt as Kiner-Falefa was instructed to do, Cora would rather turn to someone who currently holds a .179 batting average over 12 games. That’s not to say Cora's thought process was entirely flawed; as of the series finale against the Yankees, Duran is slashing .194/.266/.306. Still, you’d think that someone Cora trusted to show up in big spots over the last two seasons wouldn’t be sat down for a veteran journeyman who arguably doesn’t have a true role on this team. Dive further into Duran's start, and things start to look even worse. He’s currently in the 18th percentile for expected batting average, the 20th percentile for xwOBA, and the 25th percentile for xSLG. The only red areas on his Savant page are his barrel rate and bat speed. Those are solid indicators of someone who can do damage from the batter's box, but not when everything else presents a glaring red flag. What’s maybe most concerning is the fact that Duran is chasing a ton of pitches this season. He’s currently sitting at a 34.0% chase rate, ranking in the 26th percentile, which is an increase from both his 2025 season, 31.1%, and his 2024 season, 28.1%. As with all things Duran, his 2024 mark was the best of his career. If you judge him solely on the eye test, you’ll see similar troubling trends. He’s swinging out of his shoes at pitches that never touch the plate while staring at fastballs pumped right down the middle. That’s not someone who’s just struggling, that’s someone who is completely lost in his approach. MassLive.com’s Chris Smite spoke to the Red Sox's skipper about Duran’s struggles and Cora had this to say: “…Now he’s not even doing that (walking)… Kind of like slow it down, even a bunt or something. Just get it going. We need him to run the bases, do what he does. Hit one in the gap and stretch it out to a triple or one of those ground balls that get through and get to second and get that energy going. We need it as a group, he needs it as a player.” Those are telling comments from the manager who pulled Duran in a bunt situation later that day. Should Cora have kept Duran in to attempt that bunt scenario, especially when Kiner-Falefa bunted the third strike foul? Possibly, but the fact Cora pulled him shows that the trust he once had in Duran is waning quickly. Unless the team finally trades an outfielder so that Duran, or even Masataka Yoshida, can get more at-bats, there’s no clear answer to the current problem. Duran’s struggles are likely due in large part to the fact that he’s sitting on the bench more often than not at this point in the season. As long as the outfield logjam continues to exist though, it’s not going to get any better. Duran’s All-Star 2024 was followed up by a quiet yet solid 2025. His 2026 season, though, paints a picture of a hitter who is falling further from his peak. His at-bats are unspectacular and the process behind them is even worse. As currently constructed, the Red Sox can't afford to give someone struggling this bad more opportunities... which is exactly what Duran needs to break out of this funk. View full article

We absolutely should have traded Duran two years ago. His rise felt unsustainable then and the front office should have capitalized on his value to make improvements to the team. The next best time to trade him was the deadline last year when, rumor has it, Leo De Vries was on the table. Now that he’s even more stuck in the outfield log jam and not producing, he has zero value.

Don't let the facts get in the way of freezing cold takes!

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 2-4 Runs Scored Last Week: 19 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 34 Standings: 4th in AL East 4.5 GB First Place Transactions: 04/14/26; Red Sox selected the contract of RHP Jack Anderson from Worcester Red Sox. 04/14/26: Red Sox Transferred RHP Johan Oviedo from 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right elbow strain. 04/15/26: Everyone changed number to 42. 04/16/26: Everyone changed numbers back to original from 42. Scores: Game 16 (4/13): BOS 6, MIN 13 Game 17 (4/14): BOS 0, MIN 6 Game 18 (4/14): BOS 9, MIN 6 Game 19 (4/17): BOS 1, DET 0 Game 20 (4/18): BOS 1, DET 4 Game 21 (4/19): BOS 2, DET 6 Series Breakdown/Highlights Twins Series: For as much went right in the Milwaukee and St. Louis series last week, that much went wrong in the series against the Twins. Garrett Crochet turned in the worst start of his career in the first game, lasting only 1 ⅔ innings while giving up 11 runs, ten earned, with zero strikeouts, and three walks. The offense came alive later in the game, but it was too little too late. Heading into game two, Sonny Gray was trusted to steady the ship against the Twins and he failed to go more than four innings after being tagged for five earned runs while walking one and striking out one. Finally, Connelly Early turned in arguably his best start of his young career. He went six innings, only allowing one earned run while walking two and striking out five. Perhaps most promising, though, Roman Anthony seemed to wake up this series. He went 5-10 during the three game stint and was far more selective with his swing decisions than he had been previously in the season. It’s the little things when the season is going the way it currently is. Tigers Series: In a weekend series that goes through Marathon Monday, we have the rare week in review that will be written before the series concludes. Game one was a classic pitcher’s duel that saw Ranger Suarez turn in his best performance in a Red Sox uniform. He tossed eight scoreless innings, giving up zero runs, walking one, and striking out four. He flashed his defensive abilities a couple of times and looked as poised as he could be in the first Fenway Greens game of the season. In classic Greens fashion, the win was secured on a walk off bouncing single from Masataka Yoshida, who grinned from ear to ear as he rounded first. Games two and three were less fun. The Red Sox had reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on the ropes a couple of times but failed to capitalize with ducks in the pond. Against such a dominant pitcher, not being able to push those runs across to chase him off the mound earlier in the game. In game three, Crochet seemed to be on the right track through the first four innings, throwing his fastball options better than he did against the Twins but things went off the rails in the fifth. His eight strikeouts are promising, but he’s hardly throwing his sweeper at all. It was his best out pitch last season, and one of the best breakers in the league, but he seems to not trust it at all right now. In good news, Willson Contreras launched another homer early in the game. Website Highlights The Red Sox Have Been MLB’s Least Successful ABS Team (Ryan Painter) Never Trust the Numbers: Greg Weissert Turning Season Around Following Homer-Laden Start (Adam Samrov) Trading Places: Should A Trevor Story-Marcelo Mayer Position Swap Be on the Sox’ Radar? By Ryan Salvaggio The Red Sox Still Have a Trevor Story Problem (Alex Mayes) Looking Ahead April 20: Tigers (Jack Flaherty) @ Red Sox (Sonny Gray): 11:10 AM EDT April 21: Yankees (Luis Gil) @ Red Sox: 6:45 PM EDT April 22: Yankees (Max Fried) @ Red Sox: 6:45 PM EDT April 23: Yankees (Cam Schlittler) @ Red Sox 6:10 PM EDT April 24: Red Sox @ Orioles: 7:05 PM EDT April 25: Red Sox @ Orioles: 4:05 PM EDT April 26: Red Sox @ Orioles: 1:35 PM EDT View full article

Although he seems to be finally turning the corner at the plate, Roman Anthony has not gotten off to a start that both he and fans were hoping for. It’s a bit understandable as the Boston media circus and the organization have all placed an immense amount of pressure on the young slugger’s shoulders. After the team failed to bring back Alex Bregman, Anthony was thrust into the spotlight as the guy to carry the load offensively. He’s able to do that, but he’s only 21 and is currently in his first full season in the big leagues. Anthony’s start to the season mirrored the entire club’s: slow. From the beginning of the season until the end of the Cardinals series, he was slashing .200/.290/.309 with a .272 wOBA, 65 wRC+, and a -0.1 fWAR. In the most recent Twins series though, Anthony broke out. He went 5-for-10 with two doubles, two strikeouts, and three walks. As he was ascending through the minors, we heard a ton about his impressive eye and command of the strike zone. If we add that series back into his totals, we see the uptick. He’s now slashing .232/.338/.348 with a .313 wOBA, 94 wRC+, and 0.2 fWAR. What a difference a few games can make. Through the first month of the season, his steady plate discipline and eye to disappear. He was swinging through a lot of pitches that he had no business swinging at, and the numbers reflect that. He’s currently ranked in the 23rd percentile in whiff rate (30.4%), and his strikeout rate puts him in the 27th percentile at 26.3%. That’s less than ideal, but the Twins series looked different. He seemed more poised and confident in his swing choices. He wasn’t chasing as much and when he made contact, it was solid. And, in truth, that mirrors his contributions across the entire campaign thus far. The expected stats pass the eye test. An average exit velocity of 92.8 mph is nothing to sneeze at, and far more indicative of the solid work he's been doing in the batter's box to this point. He obviously has to correct his sudden penchant for whiffing; in particular, he's getting beat badly by off-speed stuff. His overall swing-and-miss rate on those offerings is 55.6%, which isn't sustainable at this level. There's no doubt that he has the talent to correct this flaw, but the league will adjust to even the slightest weakness that a player has. Anthony will have to adjust back, either by way of an altered plate approach or changing up his attack angle on his swing. Throughout his time in the minors, his offensive profile was built on the fact that his pitch recognition was top tier and he only swung at pitches he knew he could make contact on. We saw that last season once he was called up as well—he had an impressive eye at the plate. Right now, he's pressing to make things happen instead of being selective and looking for pitches he knows he can do damage on. Again, his at-bats in the Twins series looked far more like the at-bats he’s been known for since he entered the organization. There’s little reason to be worried about Anthony, even if he’s started the season slowly. He’s a young and has the ceiling for a perennial All-Star. His slow start has been less than ideal, but not everyone ramps up at the same rate in pro baseball. Sure, he demolished his time in the World Baseball Classic, but keeping that same energy through the start of a 162-game season is incredibly difficult to do. The underlying data is worth buying into, if only because the Red Sox need him to lead this offense in order to reach the heights they were built for. View full article

Was going to pan this list because I didn’t see The New Day at first glance, haha.

Ryan, what should our tag team name be?

But I don't feel like an Alan.

While I support trading both Duran and Masa, I wouldn't even entertain the idea until closer to the deadline unless the train comes completely off the tracks. The team is too fickle right now to do anything more than move pieces around.

You caught me.

Without a doubt. I'd also prefer to keep Rafaela in CF but you're absolutely correct that the biggest flaw across the board is roster construction.

The scorer is probably best friends with Alex Cora.

I agree 100% that it's not a lot for the modern shortstop, just calling out wrong claims when I see them.

Missed this comment when we were discussing, sorry about that. Last season I was against a Rafaela trade but I've warmed up to it now. Roman is likely still untouchable and he should be. I think the absolute worst case scenario with him, if he can't figure out the arm issues, is he can move to first base. Not ideal by any means, and won't happen while Contreras is around and healthy, but it would take a ton of pressure off him playing there. I said on the last episode of the podcast I'd move Ceddanne to second, Mayer to short, Duran to center, and Roman to left full time to put the best defensive unit on the field, but I still think the smart move is to trade Duran. His value will never be as high as it was in 24 when he should have been dealt, but he can net you something as part of a package now.

Actually, Trevor Story led the team in errors last season with 19, which was ten more than number two on that list. Abreu came in at eighth overall with five. Kristian Campbell ranked ahead of him though, with seven.

That's the kicker too. If Story is this team leader some people are making him out to be, he should be perfectly okay with it if it makes the team better. I think if you give Mayer more at bats against left-handed pitching then the platoon worry goes away. He's not a perfect offensive player by any means, but the swing changes he's made will have a positive impact the more often he's out there. Out of those two though, give me Monasterio. IKF isn't long for this team unless there's a major injury in the infield.

There's validity to that. Weren't they aware of his elbow issues in 22 and that helped make the decision to slide him to 2B? I recall reading that somewhere but can't put my finger on it now.

A likely unpopular opinion, but I'd DH him at this point. It further clogs the logjam of players on the 26-man roster, but I believe it's where he would thrive the most. It's impossible to do without trading Masa right now though.

You're spot on. I have my complaints about Cora, and its a growing list this season, but I think he's still a good manager at the end of the day. I think he's on a slippery slope to losing that title this year though. My biggest gripe right now is the Story situation as a whole. They had no problem making Devers move off third and then trading him when he wouldn't play first, but for some reason Story is untouchable. Devers came through the organization, he was forced to be the face of the franchise after his extension, but he was still moved around. Why is Story so untouchable here? It doesn't make any sense.

If you actually read the article you'd have noticed that the problem I outlined had nothing to do with Story's offense, outside of the hole in his swing when he's thrown a low and away slider. It's specifically about how he is now a defensive liability at shortstop and should be moved for a better defender. The other players you mentioned were not addressed in this article because they don't factor into the discussion about Story's defensive inabilities.

I was really hoping that I wouldn’t have to start writing my essays on Trevor Story’s lack of production for the Boston Red Sox again this season. I didn’t want to highlight his glaring offensive issues, his mounting errors, or the fact that he shouldn’t be anywhere near the number two spot in the lineup ever again. Like clockwork. though, here we are. The Red Sox are underperforming and Trevor Story is right in the center of why. [Of course, as I write this, he goes off in a 2-for-4 day with a home run and five RBIs. All stats below are from before that performance, but know that he more than doubled his season-long wRC+ from 22 to 48 in that finale agains the Twins. Perhaps I need to chastise him more frequently...] Going into the series against the Brewers, Alex Cora finally dropped Story from the two hole in the lineup to fifth. Story’s presence behind Roman Anthony in the leadoff spot struck no fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. In fact, we surmised on the Talk Sox Podcast that having Story hit behind Anthony would only just increase the amount of intentional passes the young slugger would receive this year. Why pitch to someone who has the potential to flip the game on its head with one swing when you could put him on first and throw non-competitive pitches to the guy behind him who will likely swing away at them instead? Story offered no protection as the number two hitter, so dropping him in the lineup made the most sense. While he was batting second, Story slashed .119/.119/.214 with one home run, two RBIs, zero walks, and a 40.5% strikeout percentage. He posted a -18 wRC+ to go along with a -0.5 fWAR. From April 6-14, though, he hit .290/.294/.355 with 10 RBIs, a 2.9% walk rate, and a 20.6% strikeout rate while posting an 74 wRC+. He worked his first walk of the season on April 11 and had his first multi-hit game on April 12. Moving him down in the lineup seems to have unlocked something for him. There’s less pressure on him hitting in the middle of the order and he seems far more comfortable. The one thing Story can’t seem to fix though, is the fact that he’s going to swing away on low-and-away sliders. The book has been out on him for awhile now and when push comes to shove, he’s going to see pitches away out of the zone because the opposing pitcher just knows that bat is going fly. Story often looks shocked each time it happens, like he’s somehow expecting a different result. The only shocking thing is that he sees any other pitches besides those sliders when there’s anything at stake and he’s in the box. Somehow, despite all of that, the biggest hurdle to overcome with Story is on defense. He currently leads the team in errors with four. When a ball is hit to short, you don’t feel great about it. He’s botched some basic grounders by not getting his glove down enough, but more concerning is that he’s making throwing errors that look egregious. They are throws that you expect a major-league shortstop to make, but instead Willson Contreras is left sprawling out on the ground to try and pick a ball in the dirt that’s more than a foot outside of his wingspan. He currently ranks in the bottom half of the league with -1 defensive runs saved and -2 outs above average. Story is a net-negative with the glove at this stage of his career. What should happen, but likely won’t since Cora has doubled down on Story being the shortstop for the Red Sox, is that Story and Mayer should switch positions. Yes, you still need range at second, but it's a less demanding position coverage-wise. Mayer has proven to be a defensive wizard at any position he’s been asked to play for the team, but he’s a natural shortstop. Getting him to his long-term position sooner than later would likely pay immediate dividends for the team. Going back to last season, Story has committed 11 errors in his last 34 games at short. He finished the 2025 season ranked third in all of baseball with 19 errors and currently ranks second in total errors this year. If you were watching the series opener against the Twins, you saw Story's lack of defensive profile on display in the bottom of the first inning. You know what turns a bad inning into a terrible inning for a struggling ace like Garrett Crochet? Whatever it was Story was attempting to do here. The Red Sox need to figure out a solution to the Trevor Story problem sooner than later. Dropping him in the lineup was the first step in the right direction, but there’s still his defensive position that needs to be addressed at some point. Alex Cora is a good manager, and has proven early on this season that he’ll make changes to try and wake his team up. The thing that could put this team over the top is finally taking Story off shortstop and letting him move back to second base. It fully opens the door for Mayer to step into his own at the position he’s going to play long after Story departs the Red Sox. View full article