The Boston Red Sox have had talks as of late about cutting payroll for the 2024 season and the names thrown around have been relievers Kenley Jansen, and Chris Martin among others. Today they did make a trade sending RHP John Schreiber to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for pitching prospect David Sandlin. This offseason so far the Red Sox have bulked up on pitching prospects something that the farm system has lacked over the last couple of seasons.
Schreiber started his career with the Detroit Tigers where he spent his first two seasons in the big leagues making 28 appearances going 2-1 with a 6.28 ERA, a 4.21 FIP, a 1.50 WHIP, a 1.6 HR/9, a 2.5 BB/9, and a 10.4 K/9. He was selected off waiver by the Red Sox on February 18, 2021. With Boston, he made 111 appearances with two of those coming as starts going 6-5 with a 2.90 ERA, a 3.28 FIP, a 1.17 WHIP, a 0.7 HR/9, a 3.5 BB/9, and a 10.4 K/9. Last season in 46 games he went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 46.2 innings.
The Kansas City Royals drafted Sandlin in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Oklahoma. In his first season in the Royals system, he appeared in one game going two innings and allowing just one hit while striking out three. Last season he made 14 starts going 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts in 66.2 innings.
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The New York Yankees continue to play like one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball. Despite their American League, MVP candidate, Aaron Judge, being reinstated from the injured list on Tuesday, the Yankees struggled mightily -- again. The Yankees took on the Texas rangers in the second game of a three-game-series, on the road. Judge was slotted into the No. 3 slot in the batting order, as the designated hitter, and Will Warren took the mound against the Rangers, Nathan Eovaldi. Warren was solid, giving up just three hits and issuing three walks while striking out five batters in five innings pitched. Trade deadline acquisition, Camilo Doval, and Luke Weaver held down the bullpen, keeping this game scoreless as it headed into the eighth inning. Then, Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, did the inexplicable. He brought struggling reliever, Devin Williams, into a 0-0 game, despite blowing two consecutive saves and giving up earned runs in three consecutive appearances. In the least surprising outcome ever, Williams loaded the bases before giving up a two-run single to Rowdy Tellez. The Yankees freefall continues, as they have an 18-29 record since June 12. The only team in the AL with a worse record over that timeframe is the Minnesota Twins (16-29). With the frustration seemingly at an All-Time high amongst Yankees fans, they've descended upon social media, and calls are mounting for Boone to be fired. Within minutes of the 2-0 Rangers win over the Yankees going final on Tuesday night, "Aaron Boone" and "Devin Williams" were both trending on X. And "#FireBoone" was popping up everywhere. The Yankees got just two hits on Tuesday and have scored just eight runs over their past four games. To make matters worse, recent trade deadline acquisition, reliever, Jake Bird, was sent down to the Minors prior to Tuesday's game. The Yankees traded away two prospects in exchange for Bird. Time will tell if the Yankees front office will make a change at manager by firing Boone, but it is apparent that Yankees fans overwhelmingly want to see that transpire. The Yankees next game comes on Wednesday afternoon, against the Rangers, when Carlos Rodon will take the mound against Jack Leiter. First pitch is scheduled for 2:35 p.m. EDT.
On Saturday night, surf royalty heir Kolby Aipa was involved in a tragic accident in Huntington Beach, CA. The 20-year-old grandson of iconic and innovative Hawaiian surfboard shaper, Ben Aipa, was put on life support; on Tuesday, he passed away. According to reports, Aipa was towing behind a car of friends on his e-bike when the accident happened. He was struck by the same vehicle that was towing him. Since the news of his untimely passing, an outpouring of mourning from the surf community – from Hawaii to Huntington Beach – has been flooding in. “This is the hardest post we will ever make,” began the tribute from the official Aipa Surf Company account. “We are completely heartbroken. We wanted to thank all the visitors, supporters, food deliveries, donations, flowers, cards, countless stories and photos his friends have shared with us, Drs and nurses that have taken care of our sweet boy. The HB community and everyone around the world have touched our hearts in an unimaginable way. Thank you for loving our boy.” Following in his strong surfing lineage, Kolby was an up-and-coming surfer himself. He was sponsored by the clothing brand AVVA, Dakine, Cobian footwear, and others. He was a member of the Huntington Beach Board Riders club. The Aipa Surf Co. post announcing his passing continued, speaking to Kolby as a human: “Kolby always had a way with touching the lives of whoever he met. His acts of kindness and caring was his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike. To everyone that reads this... pass his Aloha on. So, how Kolby treated you, treat others in that same way...In this you are continuing his legacy of Aloha. And you too can be like Kolby.” A memorial paddle-out for Kolby is being planned; stay tuned for more information. Rest in peace, Kolby Aipa. To donate to the GoFundMe, see here.
Kevin Love is eyeing a return to his roots. The five-time NBA All-Star big man Love has a preferred destination on the buyout market, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Tuesday. Love would like to end up in Los Angeles. Now 36 years old, Love spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Miami Heat. He averaged just 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds over 10.9 minutes per game in 2024-25 but still managed to shoot 35.8 percent from three on the year. Earlier this summer however, the Heat traded Love to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team blockbuster deal. Now Love, a 17-year NBA veteran, is pursuing a contract buyout from the rebuilding Jazz. Though he is a native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Love played his college ball in Los Angeles at UCLA. He also has ties to both L.A. teams — he won an NBA championship with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and was also coached on that team by Tyronn Lue, who is now head coach of the L.A. Clippers. Both the Lakers and Clippers are currently sitting at 14 guaranteed contracts each. While they still have spots for two-way and Exhibit 10 players, that means the Lakers and Clippers are both down to their final open roster spot. The ex-rebounding leader Love still has some value, though probably more so as a jokester than as a contributing rotation piece. While Love clearly wants a homecoming to Los Angeles, he may have some convincing to do for either the Lakers or the Clippers to give him that final open roster spot.
The Boston Celtics have made yet another curious offseason move, trading 32-year-old 3-point specialist Georges Niang and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for RJ Luis Jr., an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract. On the surface, this trade was more or less a salary dump. While a rebuilding team, the Jazz are expected to absorb Niang’s 2024-25 salary ($8.2 million) in the trade exception they generated from shipping John Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers. This reduced Boston’s luxury tax by $50 million, according Third Apron salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan. For their efforts, the Jazz not only got a pair of second-rounders but a veteran that can teach their young players the nuances of professionalism. Celtics’ Georges Niang Trade Wasn’t Just About Salary Dump Though the Celtics obviously wanted to reduce their bill, the deal wasn’t just about that. Boston genuinely wanted Luis, per ZAGSBLOG draft expert Adam Zagoria. With that in mind, he entered the 2025 NBA Draft out of St. John’s, he played his freshman season at local UMass. That season, he averaged 11.5 points per game on 45.5 percent from the field. He also earned 10 starts, averaging 15.5 points per game in those contests. As a junior in 2024-25, Luis exploded for 18.2 points per game. His season ended on a low note. In a nine-point loss to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32, he went just 3-17 from the field, scoring nine points. Nonetheless, his body of work shouldn’t be overshadowed by the last sentence. Nor should the pedigree he enters the NBA with. In 2024-25, he was a Consensus All-American. His father, Reggie Charles, was a professional basketball player who spent 15 seasons overseas. For the last two seasons of his college career, he was coached by Rick Pitino. The Celtics undoubtedly have a complex history with their former head coach but there’s no denying his greatness at the collegiate level. What Can RJ Luis Jr. Bring To The Celtics? Flawed though he may be, Luis is a good get for Boston, especially on a two-way contract. With Jayson Tatum likely to miss at least the first half of 2025-26 after tearing his Achilles in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics have a lot of minutes to fill in at forward. As a result, players like 2023 No. 38 pick Jordan Walsh and 2025 No. 28 pick Hugo Gonzalez have a real chance of barging into the rotation. In a vacuum, they’re both rotation-caliber forwards but they’re raw, particularly offensively. That being said, if they’re trying to step into Tatum’s shoes, their limitations at that end are problematic. Tatum’s one of the most dangerous scorers in the league, averaging 27.5 points per game over the past five seasons. Luis probably won’t explode onto the season looking like a perennial All-Star. Still, he’s a more masterful scorer than either Walsh or Gonzalez right now. In the open court, he’s exciting, like many athletic wings with his length (6-foot-7). Yet, he’s not refined to impacting the game on the break. In the halfcourt, he’s able to use his handle and footwork to create space whether in the drive or in the post. Indeed, utilizing his instincts and body control, he’s actually pretty nifty with the ball in his hands. He even follows up his own shot, leading to frequent putbacks. Though he doesn’t have elite efficiency in any area, he’s a multifaceted offensive player who also has a knack for playmaking, particularly with regard to pocket passes. To improve his efficiency, he should cut down on his off-the-dribble attempts due to his tendency to take tough jumpers. All the same, while Boston waits for Tatum to return, the 22-year-old could play an important role.
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