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The Boston Red Sox are coming off an offseason where they were extremely busy.
Boston traded four prospects, including two that were consensus top 100, to the Chicago White Sox to acquire starter Garrett Crochet. Also, they added two-time World Series champion Walker Buehler via free agency.
The final piece of the puzzle was signing former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman to a deal that will total $120 million.
Naturally, many analysts have spoken about how the team has drastically improved. One of those would be former MLB third baseman Trevor Plouffe. Speaking on Jomboy Media's "Talkin' Baseball Podcast", Plouffe has high expectations for Boston.
"I think their ceiling is about as high as it gets man. I think that they can win the World Series, I really do" Plouffe stated while previewing Boston's 2025 season.
This would be a stark difference from what the Red Sox have done in recent memory. Boston has missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons, and has not won the division since 2018.
Later on in the episode, Plouffe also said "I think they are going to win the AL East." This remark is on the heels of the New York Yankees revealing that star pitcher Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery, and will miss the entire 2025 season.
More must-reads:
- Guardians POBO opens up about Emmanuel Clase investigation, what comes next
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- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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Top moments from 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductions
The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class had its day in Cooperstown on Sunday. This year's class included Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who were elected by the eligible voters from the Baseball Writer's Association of America, and Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Here are some of the top highlights from Sunday's induction speeches. Dave Parker's son reads poem written by Hall of Fame father Parker's induction into the Hall of Fame was long overdue, and he sadly did not have the opportunity to enjoy the moment of seeing his name in the Hall of Fame as he died June 28. That left his speech in the hands of his son, Dave Parker II, who read a poem written by his dad. Parker spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was an MVP winner, two-time batting champion and World Series champion with the 1979 "We Are Family" team. Dick Allen's wife remembers his kindness Allen was the other veterans committee inductee, and his widow, Willa Allen, spent the majority of her speech remember the kindness of Allen off the field as much as his ability on the field. Allen is going into the Hall of Fame as a Phillie but won the 1972 American League MVP with the Chicago White Sox. He led the league in OPS four times and was the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year. A reminder that Billy Wagner wasn't naturally left-handed Being left-handed is a huge advantage (and money-maker) for pitchers, and Wagner was one of the most dominant left-handed relief pitchers to ever step onto a mound in the big leagues. But he wasn't always left-handed. Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person but taught himself how to throw left-handed after fracturing his right arm twice as a kid. It led to quite a career. Wagner made a name for himself with the Houston Astros but also spent years with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. CC Sabathia takes playful dig at Ichiro Sabathia accomplished a ton in his 19-year big league career. He won 251 games, won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, was the 2009 ALCS MVP and a World Series champion. He still has apparently not gotten over the one individual award he did not win — the 2001 American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to fellow 2025 inductee Ichiro. Sabathia made sure to make a playful dig at that. Sabathia was the only American League rookie outside of Ichiro — who also won the American League MVP that year — to get a first-place vote. He received one. The others all went to Ichiro. Ichiro stole the show Ichiro stole 509 bases in his Hall of Fame career, and on Sunday, he added one more steal to his list of accomplishments by absolutely stealing the show at Cooperstown. He delivered two of the best lines of the day, first by calling out the one lone writer who did not vote for him, keeping him from being just the second unanimous Hall of Fame inductee ever (after Mariano Rivera). His best line of the day, however, might have been when he referenced his brief time as a member of the Miami Marlins toward the end of his career. Ichiro played 14 of his 19 seasons with the Seattle Mariners while also spending time with the Marlins and Yankees.
Longtime Maple Leafs Defenseman in Serious Contract Dispute With His New Team
The longtime former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is in a serious contract dispute with his new team, the Buffalo Sabres. Nobody appears happy to stay with the Buffalo Sabres organization. Most of the talented players on the team were included in trade or free agency rumors, and now, Timmins doesn't appear too excited to sign with the team. Indeed, the Restricted Free Agent, who was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Sabres earlier this offseason for Connor Clifton and a second-round pick, isn't close to reaching a deal in Buffalo. With arbitration hearings set to take place over the coming days, Timmins and the Sabres are likely to meet for that reason soon. Unless a deal is reached before then, the hearing will take place on August 2nd. The Ontario native is coming off a rocky season, where he played 51 games for the Leafs and 17 more in Pittsburgh after being traded. In those 68 games, the 26-year-old defenseman tallied 15 points, including three goals. After seeing three players around the NHL reach deals before their hearing date, some fans hoped to see the Sabres and Timmins sign a contract soon, but multiple reports confirmed that there hasn't been any 'traction' between both camps. As of now, five more players are scheduled to have salary hearings. Here's the full list, per PuckPedia: Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks) - July 28 Maksim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders) - July 29 Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets) - July 30 Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres) - August 2 Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs) - August 3 Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens) - August 3 It'll be interesting to see what kind of contract Timmins would get in a hearing, or if a deal will be reached before the date. With the Sabres' reputation, it's not surprising to see that he appears reluctant to sign in Buffalo. Hopefully for their fans, massive changes will be done to the team to make sure they can attract top talent and convince them to stay with the team.
Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Aaron Rodgers’ True Colors Revealed at Training Camp After Offering Olive Branch to Terry Bradshaw
When Aaron Rodgers appeared at the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2025, he was in the middle of a storm. The storm of rumors, speculations, and predictions was everywhere when no one knew if and when he was going to land in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room. That was the time when, among many critics and opinions, the Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw made a shocking statement about the free agent quarterback, to which Rodgers gave an answer recently. But, before learning about Bradshaw’s comment and Rodgers’ answer to it, let’s focus on how the Steelers insider revealed the true colors of the Steelers QB. The 41-year-old QB finally signed a one-year, $13,650,000 deal with the franchise. And days ago, he also started practicing at his 21st NFL training camp, out of which 18 were with the Packers and two with the Jets. During this training camp, a reporter who closely covers the Steelers’ training camp wrote an unexpected note on Rodgers’ real nature. Steelers Reporter Unpacked Aaron Rodgers’ True Nature Mark Kaboly, a well-known insider of the franchise, has been covering the Steelers from day one of the training camp. He generally posts about the on-field happenings when he covers the training camp, but on July 26, he went off the track for an important revelation- he talked about Rodgers. Kaboly wrote, “I’ve talked to Aaron Rodgers a couple of times since he signed, and in every encounter, he comes across as a personable and down-to-earth guy,” Kaboly said. And also added, “I always have and always will say that you need to make your own decisions about people and not what other people might say about a person.” Kaboly might be referring to those people and their comments against whom Rodgers calmly fought. He had also dodged one of the verbal shots from Steelers legend Bradshaw when Rodgers’ possibility was coming on the floor for the first time. But after the four-time Super Bowl winner’s harsh words to Rodgers, recently, the 41-year-old QB still offered Bradshaw an olive branch. Rodgers Showed a Unique Gesture to Terry Bradshaw’s Critical Comment When Rodgers was rumored as the Steelers QB two months ago, Bradshaw said, “What are you gonna do? Bring him in for one year? Are you kidding me? … That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there.” He had also called the then-rumors a “joke”. But Rodgers hasn’t spared the comment live on air and replied to it. Rodgers, after coming to the Steelers locker room and starting training camp, said on July 26, “I’ve known Terry for a long time, being a part of Fox. Terry’s a legend. He’s an absolute legend. He won four Super Bowls. He’s had a legendary career in the media. But Terry, like a lot of people, doesn’t know me.” Rodgers continued, “And, so, he’s got an idea of what he thinks about me based on what I’ve done, the documentary, what I’ve said, darkness retreat, whatever the hell you want to talk about. I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level. I feel like if he gave me a chance to get to know him, then we’d have a good friendship.” And finally said, “So, I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level if he’s open to it. And maybe we can go chew some bark or whatever the hell he’s talking about together.” Aaron Rodgers showed maturity while receiving the harsh comments and also showed patience in giving a tight yet respectful reply. There is a reason why Rodgers is admired even after 21 years in the league.
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