The Boston Red Sox are positioned to make a gigantic splash in free agency following the season.
Trading Rafael Devers was a controversial move indeed, but it undeniably freed up north of $230 million for Boston to spend on new assets.
Could the Red Sox use some or all of that money to go and snag an elite first baseman?
While Boston’s outfield appears set, the first base position remains a question mark.
One intriguing possibility comes from FanSided’s Drew Koch, who recently speculated on a bold move Boston could make involving a New York Yankees two-time All-Star.
“Another thievery from the Yankees could feature Cody Bellinger," Koch wrote.
"While the Boston outfield would seem to be under lock and key for the foreseeable future, Bellinger has plenty of experience at first base. He's got one of the sweetest left-handed swings in the game and could opt out of his contract with New York this offseason. Many baseball fans forget that Bellinger is still just 29 years old.”
Bellinger, a former National League MVP, is having a solid 2025 season, slashing .258/.324/.442 with a .767 OPS, 10 home runs, and 38 RBI entering Sunday.
Bellinger has a $25 million player option for 2026 from his three-year, $80 million deal signed with the Chicago Cubs, but Spotrac projects his market value at $21.9 million annually, potentially commanding a six-year, $131.6 million contract.
If he opts out, Boston’s front office, led by Craig Breslow, could view him as a worthwhile investment to push the team toward contention. Bellinger's veteran bat would fit nicely alongside the Red Sox youthful core.
More must-reads:
The Cleveland Guardians are quite a mystery heading into the MLB trade deadline, as no one seems to know whether they will buy, sell or possibly even do nothing before July 31. The Guardians are hovering around .500, but they are still smack dab in the middle of the American League Wild Card race. That's in spite of losing 10 straight just before the All-Star break. Even with Cleveland remaining in contention, there are some who believe the Guardians might sell given their conservative nature, but talk show host Bruce Drennan has provided some rather bad news for the team in that regard: the players they might want to move don't have much value. “No top prospects for a big bat, and I don’t necessarily see us selling players, like Carlos Santana or Lane Thomas. What can you get in return?” Drennan said. Drennan has a point. Santana and Thomas are both impending free agents, and neither has been all that good this season. Santana owns a .665 OPS, and Thomas has been on and off the injured list while hitting just .160 on the year. Of course, the Guardians would surely be able to land a hefty return for players like Steven Kwan and Emmanuel Clase, but it does not seem like Cleveland is going to move either of those two stars. Perhaps the Guardians will surprise some people and go all in by adding pieces at the deadline, but that isn't exactly in their nature. We'll see what happens before the end of the months, but it stands to reason that Cleveland might just stand pat, as Drennan anticipates. Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage
As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to search for different ways to improve the roster, one area where the team needs help is depth. This could see Toronto's front office explore multiple options to bring more talent to the team. And it seems that the Maple Leafs are being linked with a former All-Star to help bolster the team. That would be veteran Max Pacioretty, who spent this past season with the Maple Leafs. Toronto and reportedly have mutual interest in a reunion, but nothing has come about yet. Pacioretty was rumored to be retiring earlier in the offseason, but it seems that he could return for another season. The veteran only played 37 games for the Maple Leafs this past season, mainly due to injury. With the Maple Leafs, Pacioretty scored just five goals and put up eight assists. Since his time on the ice was limited, the veteran may want to come back to prove he can still produce. This would give Pacioretty a chance to go out on his own terms, rather than leaving following an injury-riddled season. Pacioretty would give the Maple Leafs some needed depth, and he could play an important role in the backend of the lines. While the veteran isn't the same player that he once was, he could still give this team a jolt if he can stay healthy. But whether he decides to return or call it a career remains up in the air. However, it seems that if he does return for next season, the Maple Leafs may be the only team that he considers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' signing of quarterback Aaron Rodgers was an immediately polarizing move that did not sit well with large portions of the fan base. It also did not sit well with one of the team's all-time greatest players, four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw initially referred to the signing of Rodgers as a "joke" and that he should "stay in California and go chew bark" in reference to Rodgers isolating himself in a darkness retreat last year. On Saturday, Rodgers finally had a chance to respond to Bradshaw and did so with a combination of taking the high road, and also trying to make light of it. “I whisper to the gods every single day. 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. 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." He ended the answer by saying, "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.” The Steelers were in a pretty desperate quarterback situation this offseason after completely overhauling the position for a second year in a row. They missed out on the chance to re-sign Justin Fields, let Russell Wilson walk, missed out on every other veteran who changed teams and passed on the opportunity to select a quarterback near the top of a weak quarterback draft class. (They ultimately selected Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round.) The whole Rodgers saga has been quite a soap opera for the Steelers as they waited around for months while he decided on whether or not he wanted to play this season, and if he wanted to play for the Steelers. Add in the fact he has had a tendency to cause some off-field distractions with his comments and weekly "Pat McAfee Show" appearances, as well as the fact he will turn 42 years old this season and hasn't been a top-tier quarterback in three years, and a lot of Steelers fans — and former players — were put off by the idea. The only thing that will matter in the end, however, is how Rodgers plays on the field. He has said all of the right things since joining the team, and his new teammates have all spoken highly of him so far, but it will still come down to results on the field. The Steelers have not won a playoff game in eight years and are facing added pressure each year to end that drought. They are hoping Rodgers has one more good year in him to help them advance in the postseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers won big when they acquired five-time NBA All-Star Luka Doncic in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks in February. But they also lost Anthony Davis in the process, which left them without a center for the rest of the season. Shortly after landing Doncic, the Lakers reportedly consulted him about a trade deal involving Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, whom Doncic had requested to play with, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst. More news: 3 Players Lakers Should Have Signed to BAE Instead of Marcus Smart The Hornets had accepted the Lakers’ offer that would give them Dalton Knecht, who was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, a 2030 pick swap and a 2031 first-round pick in exchange for Williams. However, the Lakers ultimately rescinded the trade deal after Williams reportedly failed his physical examination. Both Williams and his agent Jeff Schwartz do not believe William’s physical was the sole reason Los Angeles chose to cancel the trade. "I don't think it was solely because of my physical," Williams said to ESPN. "I felt like I could have contributed to them. But, obviously, they had second thoughts." Although Doncic and Williams had never played together, Doncic had selected the 7-foot center out of a list of potential trade targets for the Lakers. More news: Former Lakers Star Shaquille O’Neal on NBA All-Star — ‘I F---ing Hate’ Him Los Angeles was unable to acquire a dominant center after rescinding their deal with the Hornets. It ultimately came back to hurt them when they were eliminated in the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs for the second season in a row. Williams averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 44 regular season games with Charlotte. He played against the Lakers shortly after the cancelled trade and put up 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists across 29 minutes to help the Hornets defeat the Lakers 100-97. He was later traded to the Phoenix Suns on the night of the 2025 NBA Draft. The Lakers never commented on the claims that their decision to rescind their offer for Williams was due to anything more than a failed physical. But regardless of the reason why Los Angeles opted against Williams, the Lakers have finally signed a center for the next two seasons. 7-footer Deandre Ayton agreed to a two-year, $16.6 million contract with the Lakers at the beginning of July. More news: Massive 5-Team Blockbuster Trade Sees Lakers' LeBron James Shipped for $238 Million All-Star For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
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