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The Boston Red Sox clearly had a big offseason.
Boston is 14-13 on the season so far and is in second place in the American League East. The Red Sox certainly have a lot of room for growth, but there has been some positive moments this season so far.
One thing that's important to note is that the Red Sox's front office did a phenomenal job this past offseason. Over the last few years, the front office has been hit with a lot of criticism -- and rightfully so. Boston wasn't spending heavily and wasn't overtly aggressive. The Red Sox looked like their old self this offseason and deserve some flowers.
The two biggest moves of the offseason were signing Alex Bregman and acquiring Garrett Crochet. Both have lived up to the hype. Bregman is slashing .320/.393/.563 with five homers, 21 RBIs, and a league-leading 10 doubles. He's currently leading Boston with 1.6 wins above replacement.
Crochet has made six starts so far and has a 1.95 ERA and is leading the league with 37 innings pitched. He also has a 44-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
These two have stood out, but it seems like every one of the Red Sox's biggest moves have paid off. Aside from Bregman and Crochet, the Red Sox added Aroldis Chapman, Walker Buehler, and made the decision to put Kristian Campbell on the big league roster.
All three have been the right move as well.
Chapman has a 1.93 ERA in 11 appearances and has a 14-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 9 1/3 innings pitched. He has four saves as well. Buehler had a tough start to the season, but has been great lately. Overall, he has made five starts and has a 4.23 ERA and 26-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 2/3 innings pitched. Campbell has cooled off recenlty, but is still slashing .286/.390/.452 with three homers and eight RBIs.
The front office deserves some praise for such a great offseason.
More must-reads:
- King of New York: Pete Alonso breaks major Mets all-time record
- Astros' playoff push dealt significant blow
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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Brewers' Quinn Priester tells the truth after escaping loss in comeback vs. Mets
The Milwaukee Brewers looked as though their hot stretch was going to end on Sunday, when the New York Mets jumped to a 5-0 lead. It was certainly not one of Quinn Priester’s best starts, as the right-handed hurler allowed six earned runs on 10 hits (including two home runs) while recording only two strikeouts and issuing a walk across 4 1/3 innings of work on the mound. It was an especially frustrating individual performance for Priester, considering how great he was in a previous start. Last Monday, Priester went seven innings long and gave up just an earned run on two hits in a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on the road. That was his 10th straight pitching win, and the streak appeared to be on the verge of getting broken in the Mets game. Fortunately for Priester, Milwaukee’s bats came alive just in time to secure another team victory — and keep Priester’s streak going. Priester speaks up on Brewers’ thrilling win against the Mets The Brewers managed to pull off a come-from-behind 7-6 victory, capped by a solo, walk-off home run by rookie sensation Isaac Collins. “It’s indescribable,” Priester said after giving up a season-high 11 hits (h/t Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “They definitely made up for a lot of my miscues today, but it’s a team game. I love being a part of this team, because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to smile right now.” On the season, Priester is 11-2 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 22 appearances (17 starts). The Brewers have now won their last three series via sweeps, and they will look to keep it going with a three-game set coming up against the National League Central division cellar-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates at home.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite an interesting quarterback room for the 2025 season. Of course, all the focus is truly on Aaron Rodgers and what he can bring to the team at this stage in his career. Behind him, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph serving as the primary backup. Skylar Thompson and Will Howard are competing for the third spot on the depth chart, but unfortunately for Howard, an injury has slowed his progress. Thompson took advantage of the opportunity, performing well in the first preseason game and possibly reclaiming the QB3 role. Before his injury, Howard had previously moved ahead of Thompson in the competition. Former teammate of Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger, recently shared his honest thoughts about the veteran quarterback’s performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roethlisberger, who spent years with Rudolph during his time in Pittsburgh, had a unique perspective on how his former understudy handled the game. While Roethlisberger acknowledged there were some areas where Rudolph could improve, he also praised his composure, decision-making, and ability to move the offense when needed. Roethlisberger discussed Rudolph’s performance on his Footbahlin podcast, noting that the veteran looked confident and in control despite limited opportunities. "You know I thought Mason [Rudolph] played really well," Roethlisberger said on his podcast. "I thought he did exactly what you would hope to see from your backup quarterback. He went out there I think, he solidified himself… as the two." He pointed out that Rudolph’s familiarity with the Steelers’ system allows him to step in without disrupting the flow of the offense. With Rodgers leading the way, Rudolph providing a steady backup presence, and the QB3 competition between Thompson and Howard continuing, the Steelers’ quarterback depth will be a storyline worth following as the 2025 season approaches. "Let’s see how he does this week and the next week," Roethlisberger said. "I thought he played really well. I thought he was efficient with the ball. He threw the ball down the field. As a team, you like seeing that because that gives you confidence going into the season that if something were to happen one game for Aaron… you have a guy that you feel confident who could go in there. Same thing when we had Charlie Batch, you had Bruce Gradkowski, you had Byron Leftwich, you had Dennis Dixon and Josh Dobbs. Any of those guys. You just feel confident he can go in and just get it done for you." Roethlisberger had high praise for Rudolph, and hearing him mention him alongside names like Charlie Batch shows he has faith in Rudolph’s ability to be a reliable backup in Pittsburgh. There is a strong argument that Rudolph is one of the most dependable backup quarterbacks in the NFL, which is a significant asset for the Steelers in the 2025 season. Steelers' Mason Rudolph Has Great Preseason Game Versus Jaguars Rudolph only attempted 10 passes on Saturday night against the Jaguars, but completed 90 percent of them. He threw for 84 yards and one touchdown. While preseason football can be difficult to evaluate, he performed well in roughly a quarter and some change of action. His efficiency and composure reinforced the notion that the Steelers have one of the league’s most steady and trustworthy backup quarterbacks heading into the regular season. Roethlisberger is confident Rudolph has now locked up his spot as QB2 for the 2025 season. Steelers fans are now super eager to get updates on when Howard will be back from his injury. Howard and Thompson will fight for the QB3 spot. What grade would you give Rudolph for his preseason outing against the Jaguars?
Celtics' ownership move should concern Lakers governor Jeanie Buss
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.
Canadiens rumors: Montreal’s trade strategy tied to Carey Price
The Montreal Canadiens made multiple moves in NHL free agency to improve their roster. After making the playoffs but being eliminated in the first round by the Washington Capitals, the young core of players hope to improve in 2025-26. Still, the lynchpin of Carey Price’s contract could hinder future moves. The former fifth overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens is due $10.5 million this year. While he has not played since April 2022 due to a lingering knee issue, and it seems like Price’s career is over, he has still not officially announced retirement. This means his salary is on the books for the Canadiens in 2025-26. The team will need to play a waiting game with the Price contract overall. Price was the fifth overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2005 NHL Draft. He broke into the NHL in 2007-08 and quickly became a fixture for the Canadiens. After starting 41 games in his first full season, he would continue to be the primary starting goaltender for nearly a decade. He would play in 72 games in 2010-11, winning 38 times and breaking the franchise record for minutes played in a season. The goaltender would continue to break records for the team. In 2014-15, he broke the Canadiens’ record for wins in a season and save percentage. That year, he would win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL MVP, and the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender. Price is a seven-time All-Star, a member of the NHL Quarter-Century team, plus has won the Ted Lindsay Award and William M. Jennings Award in his career. Future Canadiens moves depend on Carey Price The Canadiens are currently $4.8 million over the cap for the 2025-26 season. Part of this is the $10.5 million cap hit of Price. Much of the future market for the Canadiens revolves around their former netminder. This will come to a head on September 1, when Price is due $5.5 million in a signing bonus. This takes away money from the available cap space for the team. While the goaltender is due just $2 million after that, with 60 percent covered by insurance, this is still a significant cap hit for the team. The reason September 1 is so valuable for the Canadiens is that they would eat the $5.5 million of cap hit, making the cap hit for another team just $5 million. This makes his contract much more manageable for a team willing to take it on. After paying the remaining $5 million, the contract expires at the end of the season. The waiting game comes into play there. The Canadiens have noted they do not want to use a roster spot for Price. While the team could use long-term IR money, this hinders future flexibility with the team over the cap. Long-term IR will allow them to be up to ten percent over the cap, but also not allow them to make major moves. With the timing of September 1, a team could take on the contract of Price with extra cap space, while getting something else in return. Meanwhile, it allows Montreal more financial flexibility. While Price’s career is over, his contract creates one more year of questions.
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