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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Red Sox Predicted to Trade Alex Bregman Amid Uncertain Free Agency
Red Sox Predicted to Trade Alex Bregman Amid Uncertain Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Red Sox are three games below .500 (29-32) and 8.5 games out of the American League East race. While not out of the Wild Card hunt, the clock is ticking on whether Boston will be a buyer or seller by the trade deadline. Following an offseason in which the team made pivotal acquisitions, such as trading for pitcher Garrett Crochet, the front office is willing to steer in a different direction to correct course before it is too late Advertisement Among potential options is trading away outfielder Jaren Duran to the San Diego Padres, who have shown interest in the 2024 All-Star, according to Denis Lin of The Athletic. Such a move would likely be to open up a position for top prospect Roman Anthony and bolster the roster elsewhere. Yet, If the Red Sox are open to trading away Duran, CBS Sports' Matt Snyder asks, who else could Boston consider selling? Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning at Fenway Fluharty-Imagn Images Atop Snyder's list is third baseman Alex Bregman. Although injured at the moment, Bregman is having a career resurgence in Bean Town, batting .299 with 11 home runs and an OPS above 930. He is also locking down the hot corner with six defensive runs saves, tied for second among third basemen, according to FanGraphs. Trading Bregman would be the ultimate sell-high move, one Boston may want to consider, given his contract status. Despite signing a three-year, $120 million deal this offseason, Bregman has an opt-out clause following the season. If the Red Sox record continues to fall in the A.L. East, Bregman and agent Scott Boras may have their eyes toward another free agency payday – a scenario the Red Sox would likely want to avoid. Advertisement On the other hand, by trading away Duran and calling up Anthony, Boston may believe it can give the team the spark necessary to make a playoff push alongside Bregman. The Red Sox are entering a pivotal stretch of the season with nine of their next 12 games being against A.L East opponents, including six against the New York Yankees. If Boston can come out with an above .500 record, momentum may shift closer to adding pieces at the deadline rather than considering selling high on Duran or Bregman. Related: Red Sox Get Major Update on Right-Handed Pitcher's Health Status This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox Sports
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Bold predictions for 2025 MLB season: Could both New York teams miss the playoffs?
The best bold predictions strike the right balance between improbability and practicality. They're unlikely, but they're at least within the realm of possibility. Predicting Aaron Judge will win MVP isn't bold; predicting Elly De La Cruz will hit 100 homers isn't rational. Steal 100 bases, though? Well, now we're talking. While that prediction didn't make the cut, here are 13 bold ones for the 2025 MLB season. (And if even one of them happens, I'm counting this as a win.) 1. Former college teammates win NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year In 2023, Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews made history as the first college teammates (LSU) to go in the top two picks in the MLB Draft. Two years later, more history beckons this season as the college teammates win Cy Young and Rookie of the Year, respectively. It's not hard to imagine Skenes, the Pirates ace and 2024 N.L. Rookie of the Year, being the best pitcher in baseball over a full season. But for both him and Crews to win at least makes this a little bolder. Crews was more solid than spectacular on his rise up the minor league ranks, but the Nationals outfielder possesses the all-around skills to make a leap. Don't worry, bolder prognostications are coming. RELATED: Ranking the 10 best starting pitchers in MLB for 2025 2. Another pair of former college teammates finish top three in AL Rookie of the Year voting A year ago, many expected a tandem of Rangers rookies to contend for a Rookie of the Year Award. It didn't happen for Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter, but it will this year for Vanderbilt dynamic duo Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, who seize their opportunity in the Texas rotation. Rocker wins the Rookie of the Year Award ahead of Boston's Roman Anthony, who finishes second, and Leiter, who finishes third. Jacob Wilson, who only hits five homers but becomes the first qualified rookie to bat .315 in a season since Mike Trout, finishes fourth. All right, time to get wackier … 3. In a wild trade deadline, Nolan Arenado goes to the Yankees, Sandy Alcantara goes to the Orioles, Luis Robert Jr. goes to the Phillies, Triston Casas goes to the Mariners and Rhys Hoskins goes to the Tigers … but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stays put With the Yankees and Orioles both within striking distance of the division lead at the break, they make dueling moves hoping to separate. Arenado turns back the clock in a resurgent first half, and the Yankees hope he can fix their offensive woes. Baltimore, in desperate need of pitching to pair with its explosive offense, gets the best arm available at the deadline. The Mariners finally deal from their pitching excess in an effort to add some much-needed pop, and the Tigers also bring some extra power to the infield. While the A.L. East is active, the Blue Jays, trailing in the division but not far enough back to pull the plug, hold onto Guerrero, who still has yet to sign an extension. The move doesn't pay off as the Jays still miss the playoffs while Guerrero reaches free agency. RELATED: 2025 Top 50 MLB Players: Is Shohei Ohtani still No. 1? 4. The Red Sox win the division by 10 games The Red Sox, meanwhile, run away in the East. We're accustomed to the division, perennially one of the most formidable in baseball, being a battle in recent years. That changes in 2025. Boston pulls away in early September, and for the first time since the Orioles won by 12 games in 2014, an A.L. East squad wins the division by double-digit games. The infield tandem of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers — who shifts to first base after a midseason Casas trade — plus third-place Rookie of the Year finisher Roman Anthony make the offense one of baseball's best, while the Orioles, Yankees and Rays battle for a final wild-card spot. Only one is available, though because … 5. Both West divisions get three teams into the postseason The Phillies win the division on the final day of the regular season, but the Braves clinch a wild-card spot early. The D-backs have already secured the top wild-card seed but can't catch the Dodgers. It's a fight to the finish between the Mets and the Padres for the last playoff spot, but the Dads win out behind an MVP caliber season from Fernando Tatis Jr., who finishes second for the award. The Rangers win the West, rookie Cam Smith and Cy Young candidate Hunter Brown help the Astros avoid a full meltdown in the post-Tucker/Bregman era, and Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo all finish in the top seven in Cy Young voting to get Seattle to the playoffs. Both Central divisions only get the winner into the dance, and the Orioles emerge with the final wild-card spot in the A.L. East. 6. … Which means both New York teams miss the playoffs The Mets finish the year with 88 wins behind one of the best offenses in baseball, but even David Stearns can't fix a pitching staff that ultimately dooms them as they finish in third place — one game out of the postseason — in the first year of the Juan Soto era despite a brilliant year from the 26-year-old. As for the Yankees, despite all the admirable moves they made in the wake of Soto going to Queens, the season looks eerily like a repeat of 2023. They again avoid a losing season, but they can't account for all the injuries. Judge can only do so much as the team finishes just one game over .500 and in fourth place. RELATED: Young Yankees making noise will help, but NY's offense still depends on Aaron Judge 7. The Diamondbacks go from a bottom-five rotation to a top-five rotation Getting the top wild-card seed means another strong year from the offense, which sees a bounceback season from Corbin Carroll, a breakout year from Jake McCarthy and help from top prospect Jordan Lawlar. But it also means the starting pitchers get back on track. Just about everything that could have gone wrong last year on the Diamondbacks' pitching staff did. While their bullpen still looks shaky heading into October, Corbin Burnes helps stabilize a rotation that gets healthy seasons from Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly to post a 3.70 ERA as a group, more than a run better than last year. Behind the Dodgers, this is the second-best team in the National League. 8. Bobby Witt Jr. produces MLB's first 200-40-40-40 season Two years ago, we saw Ronald Acuña Jr. produce the first 40-homer, 70-steal season in MLB history. Last year, we saw Shohei Ohtani record MLB's first 50-50 season. Given all the young talent in the game, it wouldn't be a surprise to see more power/speed threats rewrite the history books this year. It might not have the same ring as 50/50, but Bobby Witt Jr. will follow one of the all-time great non-MVP seasons by becoming the first player ever to record 200 hits, 40 homers, 40 doubles and 40 steals in a season. 9. A record 10 players have a 30-30 season …and Shohei Ohtani isn't one Last year, Ohtani, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jose Ramírez were the only players to record 30 homers and 30 steals. The year before, four players — Witt, Ronald Acuña Jr., Francisco Lindor and Julio Rodriguez — reached those totals. Never before has there been a season with more than four players to go 30-30. That changes this year when 10 (yes, 10) players — Witt, Lindor, Rodriguez, Ramîrez, Tatis, Elly De La Cruz, Corbin Carroll, Jackson Chourio, Michael Harris II and Jazz Chisholm — all reach the mark. De La Cruz doesn't steal 100 bases, but he does produce the first 35-75 season in MLB history. Ohtani, in an effort to protect against injury on the basepaths, is not one of those 10. 10…But Ohtani is one of four players with 50 home runs We haven't seen four players reach the 50-homer mark in the same season since 2001, and it's only happened two times ever. That was also the last year a player recorded at least 50 homers in back-to-back campaigns, when Alex Rodriguez accomplished the feat. This year, both Ohtani and Judge launch 50 homers for a second consecutive year, and they'll be joined in the 50-homer club by Brent Rooker and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who ups his price tag in a career year. 11. Mike Trout turns back the clock, ties career-high with 45 homers It's worth remembering, despite the many injuries the last few years, that he did hit 10 homers in 29 games last year. He's still a star when he's on the field. Just give us a 130-game season. Please? 12. With a boost from their new home stadiums, Isaac Paredes leads all third basemen and Brandon Lowe leads all second basemen in home runs Paredes finished tied for 76th overall and 12th among third basemen in home runs last year. That changes at Daikin Park, where his extreme pull-heavy power shines. He'll hit exactly double the amount he had last year, finishing with 38. Lowe hasn't changed teams, but he'll now be playing at the much more lefty-friendly confines of Steinbrenner Field. It results in a career-high 40-homer season. 13. The World Series pits the last two winners of the Fall Classic against each other All right, not exactly going all-out on the final prediction. But there's enough packed into this list already to call it bold, and there's just no way you can look at the Dodgers' roster and logically pick a different team. As for the Rangers, just about anything that could go wrong offensively last year did. I see that group trending back upward to become a top-five offense. And if (big, giant, massive if) Jacob deGrom can stay upright, the ceiling is as high for them as any team in the American League. The Dodgers become the first team to repeat since the 2000 Yankees, and calls for a salary cap (which won't happen) only get louder. Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner . recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 Fantasy Baseball predictions for the American League
1. New York Yankees 2. Boston Red Sox (Wild Card) 3. Baltimore Orioles (Wild Card) 4. Tampa Bay Rays 5. Toronto Blue Jays Paul Goldschmidt drives in 100+ runs, while Jasson Domínguez goes 20/30 and wins Rookie of the Year … Jazz Chisholm Jr. provides first-round fantasy value when on the field but spends time on the IL … Anthony Volpe breaks out and finishes as a top-10 fantasy SS, while Cody Bellinger gets a big fantasy boost with his move to Yankee Stadium ... Ben Rice and Will Warren are deep fantasy sleepers ... Max Fried disappoints fantasy managers, but Devin Williams is fantasy's top closer in 2025 … The Yankees' margin for error got a lot thinner after losing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, and the A.L. East should be a tight race. Triston Casas puts up a better fantasy season than Josh Naylor, who's going nearly 50 picks higher in Yahoo drafts ... Trevor Story goes 20/25 and is the best value at shortstop, while Alex Bregman also bounces back with the help of Fenway Park … Kristian Campbell breaks camp with Boston, but Roman Anthony receivers more ROY votes … Garrett Crochet becomes a bona fide ace and has a better fantasy season than Paul Skenes, while Aroldis Chapman is a top-12 closer … Boston wins a wild card spot thanks in part to its loaded farm system. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season] Adley Rutschman rebounds and finishes as fantasy's top catcher, but Jordan Westburg fails to live up to his lofty ADP (82.9) ... Tyler O'Neill and Ryan Mountcastle benefit from Baltimore moving in its left-field fences, while Jackson Holliday breaks out … Heston Kjerstad's ADP is higher than Colton Cowser's in 2026 … Félix Bautista finishes as a top five fantasy closer, as the Orioles reach the postseason again. Josh Lowe bounces back with a 20/25 campaign, while Brandon Lowe approaches 30 homers thanks to Tampa Bay leaving Tropicana Field for a warmer weather Yankee Stadium ... Christopher Morel goes 25/10 … Chandler Simpson, who's coming off the best contact (.355 BA!) and speed (104 stolen bases!) season in minor league history last year, becomes a must-add in all fantasy leagues once he gets called up … The Rays continue to have a loaded farm system and could easily win the A.L. East if things break right. A return of the old Shane Baz would help, but spring results (-2.1 K-BB%!) weren't encouraging. Bo Bichette and Kevin Gausman bounce back with monster seasons, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wins MVP … Andrés Giménez is a fantasy sleeper, and Max Scherzer pitches like an ace in between IL stints … Toronto is stuck in a tough division, but the Blue Jays are absolutely capable of making a playoff run in 2025. 1. Minnesota Twins 2. Detroit Tigers 3. Kansas City Royals 4. Cleveland Guardians 5. Chicago White Sox The health of Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton will be key, but all three can be elite hitters with the potential to destroy their ADPs. Buxton, who's coming off his first normal offseason in years, finishes as a top 25 fantasy outfielder … Edouard Julien is one season removed from posting a 135 wRC+ and is a deep fantasy sleeper … If Joe Ryan's velocity is right, he'll earn Cy Young votes … Both David Festa and Zebby Matthews become popular waiver wire adds once they get called up … Minnesota benefits from playing in the A.L. Central and wins the division. Gleyber Torres bounces back and goes down as one of the best fantasy values at second base, while Spencer Torkelson knocks 25+ homers … Tarik Skubal dominates again, while Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, Casey Mize and Jackson Jobe all possess intriguing potential. Flaherty, who recorded the third-best CSW (31.3%) among qualified starters last season, destroys his ADP (SP41) ... Tommy Kahnle leads the Tigers in saves … Detroit's staff has undeniable upside, but a shaky offense leads to a missed postseason. Jonathan India finishes as a top 15 second baseman, while Hunter Renfroe is a deep fantasy sleeper ... Bobby Witt Jr., who hit .382 and saw his OPS jump 273 points at home last season, will continue to benefit from Kauffman Stadium … Cole Ragans, who somehow saw his K% spike to 30.7 in Kauffman last year, is capable of winning the Cy Young despite pitching in an extreme hitter's park ... The Royals finish just outside the playoffs. Steven Kwan is a fantasy fade, but Kyle Manzardo is a sleeper ... Bo Naylor finishes as a top-12 catcher, but Emmanuel Clase isn't a top-three closer … Gavin Williams, whose 4.86 ERA came with a 3.67 FIP last year, recorded a 32.4 K-BB% with a 0.98 WHIP over five spring starts. Yet, the former first-round pick is somehow being drafted as the SP60 in Yahoo leagues ... Joey Cantillo begins the year in the bullpen but finishes it as Cleveland's third-best starter … Progressive Field had decreased HR an MLB-high 23% over 2022-23, but it was more favorable for homers than Coors Field in 2024. It will be interesting to see how Progressive Field plays in 2025. The White Sox are generally projected to win the fewest games and score the fewest runs this season. Luis Robert Jr. goes 25/25, and an eventual trade helps his counting stats … Mike Clevinger thrives with his move to the bullpen, finishing as a top 20 fantasy closer … Chicago has some intriguing players in its farm system, but the White Sox are in clear rebuild mode in 2025. 1. Texas Rangers 2. Houston Astros (Wild Card) 3. Seattle Mariners 4. Los Angeles Angels 5. Athletics Wyatt Langford's September gains continue, and he's a first-round fantasy pick in 2026 … Joc Pederson and Josh Jung are major profits at their ADPs, but Texas' bullpen causes fantasy headaches … Kyle Higashioka swats 20+ home runs and overtakes Jonah Heim as the Rangers' top catcher … Jacob deGrom, who owns the lowest OBP against in MLB history, reaches 160.0 innings and wins the Cy Young award … Kumar Rocker, who's being drafted as the SP92 in Yahoo leagues, finishes runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting … Injuries have already tested the Rangers' SP depth, and a midseason addition to the bullpen is needed, but Texas wins the American League pennant. The pull-happy Isaac Paredes gets a big fantasy bump moving from Wrigley Field (and Tropicana) to Houston's short left-field porch. Paredes had twice as many expected homers (26) at Minute Maid Park last season compared to Wrigley Field (13) … Yordan Álvarez will win a Triple Crown one year if health permits … Spencer Arrighetti has a better fantasy season than Hunter Brown … Hayden Wesneski is a deep sleeper, and Lance McCullers Jr. should be stashed in all fantasy leagues with IL slots … Houston wins a wild card spot. T-Mobile Park was more extreme for pitchers than Coors Field was for hitters last season. Andrés Muñoz had the third-biggest home/road split of any pitcher since World War II. The Mariners' starting staff all possessed extreme home/road splits: Logan Gilbert (2.49 vs. 3.94), Luis Castillo (3.15 vs. 4.25), George Kirby (3.06 vs. 3.89), Bryce Miller (1.96! vs. 4.07) and Bryan Woo (2.47 vs. 3.29). Mariners' pitchers will continue to get a huge boost from their home park, but it's a hurdle for Julio Rodríguez (.655 OPS at home last season) … Mitch Garver approaches 20 homers while seeing at bats at DH with Mitch Haniger released, while rookie Ryan Bliss steals 30+ bases … Seattle's staff is impressive, and the Mariners could easily win the A.L. West, but they just barely miss the postseason in 2025. Mike Trout stays healthy enough to surpass 30 homers, as the Angels enter with a far better offense than pitching … Logan O'Hoppe splits work more with Travis d'Arnaud than expected. J.T. Realmuto and Austin Wells should be drafted ahead of O'Hoppe. Joey Bart, who's going undrafted in 83% of Yahoo leagues, has a better fantasy year than O'Hoppe … Jo Adell hits under .220, but Kenley Jansen finishes as a top 12 fantasy closer … The Angels tie the A's for fourth place in the AL West. A's hitters should benefit from their new climate and significantly smaller foul territory moving from Oakland to a temporary home in Sacramento. Oakland has decreased homers by 19% over the last three seasons, which is the second-most in MLB. Brent Rooker had the fourth-highest wRC+ (171), the fourth-most homers (24) and the third-most RBI (66) on the road last season. He's a hitter to target in 2025 … Lawrence Butler ends the year as a top-20 outfielder, while Mason Miller finishes as a top-three fantasy closer … It's undoubtedly sad to see the A's leave Oakland, but there's clear excitement with the move to Sacramento. AL MVP: (dark horse: Wyatt Langford) AL CY YOUNG: (dark horse: Joe Ryan) AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: (dark horse: Kumar Rocker) ALCS: over
