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After the Boston Red Sox decided to move on from Rafael Devers in a blockbuster deal with the San Francisco Giants, it only makes sense if they sell at the deadline, right?
Well, that doesn't sound like it'll be the case. According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, things are trending towards the Red Sox acquiring a big bat, adding that Boston is also going to be on the lookout for a starter and bullpen help.
"The trade of Devers could make the Red Sox appear as though they’re in sell-off mode, but given how the club has performed of late, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pursue another big bat for the lineup to attempt to replace Devers," McCaffrey wrote. " It’s still too early for the Red Sox to proclaim themselves as buyers or sellers.
"A nosedive in the wake of the Devers trade over the next few weeks would surely push them toward selling, but at this juncture, it’s very much trending toward the Red Sox being buyers. In addition to a bat, starting pitching depth and bullpen help will be priorities."
The Red Sox have been one of the more disappointing teams in Major League Baseball, but have played decently recently. It's tough to get a good feel for them, considering they moved on from Devers, but they're 6-4 in their last 10.
If things continue to go this way for Boston, which many expected it to go into the year, the Red Sox should have a chance to make the postseason at least.
More must-reads:
- All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
- Injured Phillies pitcher takes big step toward return
- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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Yankees manager provides major update on Aaron Judge's injury
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge missed Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies with an elbow injury, and the slugger is now headed to the injured list. The Yankees fell 9-4 to the Phillies on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., which marked their third consecutive loss. Judge played in Friday night's 12-5 loss to Philadelphia, but Aaron Boone announced before Saturday's game that Judge was dealing with an "elbow issue" and would sit out. Following his team's latest loss, Boone shared some new information about Judge's injury. Judge has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, but the Yankees believe he can return in less than two weeks. When Judge returns to the lineup, Boone said it will initially be as a designated hitter. Judge is having an outstanding season. He entered Saturday batting .342, which is the best mark in baseball. The reigning American League MVP has 37 home runs, 85 RBI and a 1.160 OPS. The Yankees are now six games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and fighting to remain atop the wild-card race. It goes without saying that they are hopeful Judge will be able to return as soon as possible.
Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Green Bay Packers 3rd Year Receiver Turning Heads At Training Camp
The Green Bay Packers have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. A big reason for this is their wide receiver room. For the past three seasons, they have relied on rookies and second-year players to carry the load on offense from a pass-catching perspective. However, that has led to some inconsistent play. Last year, drops were a huge issue, especially for former fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks. He was able to get open but would drop the ball in key moments. Wicks is determined to change the narrative and is already turning heads in training camp. Green Bay Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks Looking Good Wicks was the star of the 2-minute drill during Friday’s training camp practice. He found a hole in the zone and ran the post route. Quarterback Jordan Love saw him immediately and unloaded a long ball. The former Virginia receiver was all alone and caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to end the drill. This was one of the many great plays Wicks made throughout the practice. He was asked about the play after the practice. “I knew I had the post,” Wicks said. “I had a man on me. I released, ran full speed. I knew X was over the top. So I stemmed out a little bit and broke flat across. It was a runaway, and J-Love gave me the ball and I ran under it, and that was all from there.” This is great news for the Green Bay Packers. Drops can often be attributed to a lack of confidence. They can snowball. Once a player drops one pass, it can snowball into more drops. The same can be said about catches. Once a player gets confidence, it can be hard to stop. If Dontayvion Wicks has gotten his confidence, the league should watch out. No Problems Getting Open Wicks had no problems getting open last year. According to ESPN Analytics, he was open on 84% of his routes, thanks to a quick burst off the snap and his ability to find gaps in the zone. However, getting open doesn’t matter if a player can’t bring in the ball. The Green Bay Packers hope this is the start of a new player in 2025. Matthew Golden has also looked good in training camp, and Jayden Reed has vowed to drop fewer passes as well in 2025. If that trio can haul in passes, this offense could be one of the best in the league. Final Thoughts We always have to be cautious about training camp news. It can sometimes point to what will happen in the season, but not always. However, this seems like a step in the right direction for the Green Bay Packers. If Wicks gains confidence now, that should carry over into the season.
Steelers' Secrets Revealed As Long-Time Assistant Exposes Team's Detailed Draft Process
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a weird position with their current team. The organization is clearly making the moves to win now, but the franchise also wants to set itself up for the future. Aside from a franchise quarterback, the team is full of young talent, and that talent will only grow as the Steelers are projected to have 12 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. There has been a recent injection of youth on both sides of the ball through the draft, as Pittsburgh continues to draft young players that have been able to make a meaningful impact. The rookie class in 2024 was good and has the chance to get better, and fans are excited about the rookies coming in during the 2025 season. In order for any team to have success it has to be able to hit on some players in the draft. Ideally, organizations want their top picks to work out, but the best teams find a way to select players later on in the event that can be impactful. Every team's process when it comes to the draft is probably a little different, and dynamics chance when going from team to team. However, long-time Steelers coach Keith Butler sat down with Talegate Sports to discuss what the process looks like in Pittsburgh. "The scouts have determined who's gonna be drafted high, who ain't gonna be drafted high." Butler said. "What you have to do as a coach is you gotta go in and, as a coordinator, I had to look at like 50 guys. In order to study those guys, you have to watch three or four games from their last year to see what kind of players they are and see what they do best and see what they struggle with or try to determine that. And then you go in and you stack the board. You try to put people up there that you want that you think fits what we do." Butler explained that scouts throughout the year get top prospects together for the coaching staff, and then positional coaches and coordinators take a look at the film of some of these players. This is likely where the Steelers start to get an idea of who the franchise will want to pay attention to during the NFL's Scouting Combine, as well as build out a schedule for visiting Pro Days. Butler has been with Pittsburgh in different capacities. He was the linebackers coach from 2003 through 2014, and he then served as the defensive coordinator from 2015 through 2021. The weight of his opinion during he draft process likely changed over his time in Pittsburgh, but he did mention that Head Coach Mike Tomlin has a ton of say through the NFL Draft. "It stops with the GM." Butler said. "But, the Steelers anyway, the head coach got a big say and the head coach usually if he knows his assistants, he usually has a good idea about what they think too." Tomlin having the most say makes sense considering he is the head coach, but Butler made sure to mention that he is usually on the same page with his assistant coaches. Other executives also have some say, including former General Manager Kevin Colbert when he was in Pittsburgh, and current General Manager Omar Khan. Steelers Seem To Be Breaking Out Of Streak Of Rough Draft Picks For a while, the Steelers struggled during the NFL Draft. Their first-round picks did not pan out in 2018 or 2019, and the 2022 draft was a disaster after selecting Kenny Pickett in the first round. The organization also took a lot of heat for selecting Najee Harris in the first round in 2021, as this was during the peak of the argument discussing the value of running backs. Recent drafts seem to suggest the organization is using a different strategy while approaching the event, which could be due to Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl, who has become known as some sort of draft expert throughout the league.
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