Latest news with #Passan
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
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Jeff Passan Calls Out Red Sox For 'Lack of Urgency' Amid Roman Anthony Decision
Jeff Passan Calls Out Red Sox For 'Lack of Urgency' Amid Roman Anthony Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Red Sox have been struggling in their recent games, falling further behind the playoff field for the 2025 season. One of the main talking points hasn't been the record, however, but the team's decision not to call up top prospect Roman Anthony. Advertisement During a segment on the Section 10 Podcast, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan called out the Red Sox for their lack of urgency. Passan also criticized the Red Sox for their inconsistent plans and questionable decision-making following an 'urgent' offseason. "The lack of urgency is what surprises me," Passan said. "Putting Kristian Campbell on the opening day roster was an urgent move. Trading for Garrett Crochet was an urgent move. Signing Alex Bregman was an urgent move. Where'd the urgency go?" With the moves the Red Sox made in the offseason, there was a sense of urgency. Campbell starting on the big league roster form day one is an urgent move. The additions of Crochet and Bregman are urgent, or win-now moves. Leaving Anthony in Triple-A in comparison, is a befuddling decision. Advertisement Passan is far from the only person in the MLB world that's questioning the Red Sox indecision with their top prospect. At 21 years old, Anthony is the best prospect in baseball, and should be on the MLB roster. Through the first 55 games of the Worcester Red Sox's season in the Minor Leagues, Anthony is hitting .296 with 9 home runs. He also has 24 RBI, 3 stolen bases, 60 hits, 9 doubles, 2 triples, and an impressive 53-46 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (48) is congratulated after he scored a run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at BayCare Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images The decision to leave Anthony in the Minor Leagues isn't a statistical one, as he's more than proved he's capable of getting the call-up. Insiders like Passan are also unsure of what the Red Sox are doing. With a season slowly unraveling, the Red Sox are running out of time to make the postseason. Advertisement It's still early, but each day Anthony isn't on the MLB roster, that's one game potentially lost. With a competitive postseason field in the American League, one game could be the difference in the Red Sox making the postseason or not. Passan's call-out of the Red Sox stems from the team's decision to keep Anthony in the Minor Leagues. He questions the teams thought process, especially with how the Red Sox's season is currently unfolding. Related: Alex Cora Provides Lackluster Roman Anthony Red Sox Update Related: Red Sox Catcher and Two-Time All-Star Expected to Retire After 13-Year Career This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MLB Insider Calls Cubs Trade Fit for Recent 17-Win Ace, If He 'Becomes Available'
MLB Insider Calls Cubs Trade Fit for Recent 17-Win Ace, If He 'Becomes Available' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Cubs could use starting pitching help at the MLB trade deadline if they want to be considered serious World Series contenders in 2025. Advertisement And ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan highlighted a very intriguing trade fit on June 3, but there's a catch. This recent 17-win ace and Cy Young finalist finds himself on a team that was not originally expected to be a seller this season. Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen was identified as a trade fit for the Chicago Cubs if he becomes Reiner-Imagn Images After going 2-8 over their past 10 outings, the Arizona Diamondbacks have dropped to 28-31 on the year. If that trend continues, insiders around the league believe they could begin a sell-off that better positions them for 2026 and beyond. Passan is one of those insiders, identifying Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen as a potential Cubs target to watch for if he becomes available. Advertisement After detailing a trade idea for Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara on June 3, Passan added that "the calculus here could change if [Framber] Valdez or Gallen becomes available." "Among Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon, the Cubs have a perfectly OK starting rotation to take into a playoff series," Passan noted within the article before warning: "Considering the lineups they could face in the NL playoffs -- the [Los Angeles] Dodgers, [Philadelphia] Phillies, [New York] Mets and Diamondbacks, among others -- OK might not be enough." Gallen is off to a rough start in 2025, similar to Alcántara, with a 5.54 ERA over 12 starts and 66.2 innings pitched. But this is still a 29-year-old recent ace with dominant stuff that we're talking about here, and the Cubs would benefit from either of the two high-end starters joining their staff. Advertisement Having said that, Gallen's potential availability via trade all depends on Arizona's status as a buyer or seller. This massive Diamondbacks decision could hinge on fellow starter Corbin Burnes' upcoming prognosis following an elbow injury. Related: Cubs Trade Idea Urges Chicago to 'Take a Risk' on Former Cy Young Starter Related: Cubs' Shota Imanaga Sends Message to Chicago Fans Amid Pending Return From Injury This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Orioles rumors: What Jeff Passan is hearing about a core player trade
The post Orioles rumors: What Jeff Passan is hearing about a core player trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 Baltimore Orioles season has been a catastrophe so far, complete with the dismissal of manager Brandon Hyde. With a playoff run nearly impossible, the intrigue in Baltimore now shifts to the trade deadline, and as ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote on Tuesday, the Orioles are open for business. Advertisement That doesn't mean, however, the team will blow it all up. 'Nobody expects general manager Mike Elias to move a core player, though — especially after last year's deadline, when he dealt Kyle Stowers, who is primed to be Miami's All-Star this season,' Passan wrote. 'After two straight postseasons, this year has been a catastrophe for Baltimore. The deadline could at least salvage it from being a total waste of a season.' Even with a 22-36 record coming into play on Tuesday, Baltimore still has an exciting young core. Passan seems to be saying that Gunnar Henderson isn't going anywhere. Neither are Adley Rutschman or Jackson Holliday. All three are under team control until 2028 at minimum, giving the Orioles a window to build a contender. The Orioles could deal Ryan O'Hearn at the trade deadline Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images If the Orioles hope to turn it around in 2026, they have plenty of pieces to deal now for MLB or MLB-ready talent. It starts with the hot-hitting Ryan O'Hearn. Advertisement As Passan points out, the DH ranks fifth in baseball in wRC+ and is a free agent at the end of the year. At 31 years old and coming off what could be a career year, O'Hearn will command a hefty-yet-reasonable sum in free agency. Until then, he's an ideal rental for a contender or a trade-and-extend candidate for a contender with money to spend. It's more than just O'Hearn. Passan points to Cedric Mullins as someone who 'would help almost every outfield' with his 10 home runs and .771 OPS to start. And that's before delving into the Orioles' pitching staff. 'Baltimore could move veteran right-handers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano, both free agents-to-be, too,' Passan said. 'There are relievers aplenty: two free agents-to-be in Seranthony Dominguez and Andrew Kittredge, with Felix Bautista, Yennier Cano and Bryan Baker carrying a heftier price.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MLB rumors: Jeff Passan suggests Dodgers reunion with Red Sox trade
The post MLB rumors: Jeff Passan suggests Dodgers reunion with Red Sox trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Dodgers' quest for a World Series repeat was always going to include a 162-game regular season slog. And while LA is doing just fine at 36-24, it hasn't been the unrelenting buzzsaw some imagined when the team added Roki Sasaki and more to what was already a championship team. Advertisement ESPN's Jeff Passan seems to have anticipated exactly that, and with October in mind, suggested the Dodgers reunite with a starting pitcher with a playoff pedigree. 'The notion that the Dodgers were going to win 120 games was always fanciful,' he wrote on Tuesday. 'They don't build their team for regular-season wins. They want to put together the most devastating 26-man squad for the postseason.' Part of that devastating squad could be current Boston Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler, who has World Series rings with the 2020 and 2024 Dodgers. 'They saw last year what Buehler turns into in October,' Passan continued. 'The four shutout innings against the Mets. Five more against the Yankees. And then the final three outs to lock down the World Series title.' Advertisement Buehler has put up pedestrian numbers so far this year, pitching to a 4.44 ERA with 8.1 strikeouts per inning. As Passan noted, however, he has a knack for turning it on in October (10-3, 3.04 ERA in postseason career). Passan also cautioned that any talk of a reunion would be contingent on Boston falling out of contention. The Red Sox are currently 29-33, but just 4.5 games out of a playoff spot as of Tuesday. At some point, however, the Red Sox will need to ask themselves if going all-in on a team that might secure a Wild Card berth is worth passing up on the treasure trove that is the Dodgers' farm system. 'The Dodgers' farm system is so deep that they'll have their pick of players at the deadline,' Passan said of Boston. 'But to bring in someone who knows their system, knows their culture and knows how to show up in the biggest moments is a fit that's almost too good to be true.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MLB rumors: Yankees, Phillies named best trade fits for Rays stars
The post MLB rumors: Yankees, Phillies named best trade fits for Rays stars appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Major League Baseball trade deadline is approaching, and trade speculation is heating up. The New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies are two teams expected to buy before the July 31 deadline. Two Tampa Bay Rays stars are seen as fits for the Yankees and Phillies, per ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan. Advertisement Passan believes the Yankees would be a great fit for Rays infielder Brandon Lowe. 'Lowe's career numbers at Yankee Stadium are admittedly abysmal, but his left-handed stroke and the short porch in right field feel like a match made in heaven,' Passan wrote for ESPN. The MLB insider believes the Phillies, meanwhile, should make a deal for Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks. 'The Phillies' bullpen has been one of the worst in baseball. Even if it was much better in May, their only reliever with a sub-3.00 ERA was Orion Kerkering,' Passan wrote. 'And with Jose Alvarado down for 80 games and out for the postseason following a PED suspension, the need for help is that much more grave.' Advertisement Fairbanks is 3-1 on the season, with a 2.05 ERA. He also has posted 10 saves for Tampa Bay. Yankees, Phillies and Rays are all in contention for the postseason New York, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay could all end up in the playoffs this season. While the Yankees look in good shape to take the American League East, the Rays aren't far behind them. Tampa Bay currently holds a 30-29 record. They have won seven of their last 10 games. Fairbanks and Lowe have each given Tampa Bay fans something to cheer about. This season, Lowe is hitting at a .242 average, with 11 home runs and 31 runs batted in. It is not far-fetched to think that Lowe could end up a Bronx Bomber. The Yankees are rumored to be looking for an infielder, ahead of this year's trade deadline. Like New York, Philadelphia also looks like a solid contender for a postseason berth. The Phillies are 36-23 on the campaign, and sit in second currently in the National League East. The club is just one and a half games behind the New York Mets, heading into Tuesday's action.
