Latest news with #WillMiddlebrooks
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox Analyst Will Middlebrooks Unloads on Team Amid Brutal Stretch
Red Sox Analyst Will Middlebrooks Unloads on Team Amid Brutal Stretch originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Red Sox began the 2025 season with optimism and a retooled roster designed for contention. Just over two months in, those high hopes have unraveled. Advertisement Now 29-34 through 63 games, Boston trails the first-place Yankees by 10 games in the American League East. Only the Chicago White Sox, Athletics, and Baltimore Orioles have worse records in the American League, and the gap between expectation and performance is growing wider by the day. Tuesday night's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels was just the latest example of a team stuck in reverse. It was Boston's 17th one-run loss of the season and yet another night plagued by sloppy fundamentals. The Red Sox committed three errors—bringing their league-leading total to 53—and offered little offensive spark. After the game, manager Alex Cora did not mask his disappointment. Speaking to reporters with visible frustration, Cora gave what some considered his most defeated postgame remarks to date. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning at Tropicana Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images 'I've covered almost every game he's managed,' NESN's Tom Caron said afterward. 'I've never heard him like that.' Advertisement Former Red Sox third baseman and NESN analyst Will Middlebrooks went further. 'Cora's had enough,' he said. 'This team keeps making the same mental and physical mistakes game after game, and nothing's changing. That's not just a slump—it's dysfunction. At some point, you have to call it what it is.' Middlebrooks did not hold back on the team's lack of progress. 'We're not playing clean baseball,' he said. 'You can't keep making the same mistakes and expect different outcomes. That's insanity.' The tone inside Boston's clubhouse has shifted. A season that started with postseason ambition is now teetering on the brink. Cora, once seen as a steadying force, is navigating what might be the most challenging stretch of his managerial career. Advertisement If things do not turn around soon, the Red Sox will not just miss the playoffs—they will face serious questions about the direction of the franchise itself. Related: Red Sox Looking to Make Early Deadline Move After Jarren Duran Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Red Sox World Series Champion Sends Catching Message to Coaching Staff
The Boston Red Sox have had more issues than just the first base position over the past few weeks. Defensively and offensively, the Red Sox could be better at the catcher position, and it isn't exactly an easy fix. However, a former Red Sox World Series champion thinks Carlos Narvaez should be the full-time starting catcher, adding that he needs to play at least five times a week. Advertisement 'He needs to play five days a week,' Will Middlebrooks said on 'Sox Talk with Will Middlebrooks.' 'Defensively, he is a better player. That shows in the metrics. He's arguably one of the best defensive catchers based off the metrics in baseball — him and Williams Contreras. As far as defensive runs saved, blocking, framing, which is still important with now ABS system.' Narvaez is probably the best with what the Red Sox have to work with, but that isn't necessarily saying much. He's started to swing about a bit higher of a level over the past week, posting a .271 batting average, compared to .210 on May 1. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is seen before a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Gorski-Imagn Images However, Narvaez, who played for the New York Yankees during the 2024 season, isn't an elite offensive player. Advertisement The issue, however, is that even if the Red Sox want to find a better catcher at the deadline, there aren't many options available. There isn't a surplus of good hitting catchers in Major League Baseball, and with the limited number there are, most of the time, teams don't want to get rid of them. The Red Sox could find a way to make Narvaez a long-term option, but they'll have to hope it works out in the way that Middlebrooks thinks.
