2025 was a strange year for Nathaniel Lowe. He was coming off 4 straight years averaging 2.8 bWAR per season with a .274/.359./.432 batting line. He was joining a new team - the Washington Nationals - who many believed to be something of a sleeper in the National League with young stars James Wood and CJ Abrams. Lowe was positioned to be a key veteran presence with playoff and World Series experience.
Manny Ramirez last appeared in an MLB game in 2011. But the former Red Sox great and two-time World Series champion is reportedly seeking a return to pro baseball - this time as a coach. According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Ramirez "is getting word out to all 30 teams he'd love to serve as an MLB hitting coach."
"I think what I would say is that we need to figure out ways to improve the team and that could take a number of shapes," Breslow said. "Every team gets better if you can bring in a starter or develop a starting pitcher that could pitch at Garrett Crochet's level, right? "There's no running from that and we'll be as aggressive as we can in chasing that down while also ensuring that we're doing everything we can to develop our players internally."
The Red Sox ranked seventh in the majors this season in runs scored. But even with that encouraging ranking, it was evident that Boston's offense approach had some severe shortcomings - plenty of which reared their collective head in October. The return of Roman Anthony at the top of the lineup next spring will undoubtedly help a batting order that hit just .198 with six runs scored and a whopping 30 strikeouts over their three-game series against New York.
Aaron Boone's big-game and postseason ledger is expansive between his game-winning home run in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox in 2003, playing in that ensuring World Series against the Florida Marlins, and then navigating the Yankees through six previous postseason appearances with an American League pennant to show for it last year.
Jose De León was called up from Worcester and I think blew away everyone's expectations. Steven Matz, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert were the only ones needed out of the bullpen. The Sox even allowed Alex Cora to take out Trevor Story midway through the game, sliding Nick Sogard to short and plopping Nate Eaton at third. It all worked out in the end.
Getting back to the postseason always calls for a champagne-soaked party! And getting there for the first time in four years is especially meaningful. Take a look at what happened last night! First everyone got their brand new October Baseball shirts on, and took a photo with the backdrop of the Monster behind them. Then everybody made their way into the clubhouse and got ready to pop bottles! Alex Cora made a speech and at its conclusion, the party was on:
Oh, that was magical last night! Glorious. We're all riding high but we've still got a job to do and won't lose focus on what's in front of us. What with Abreu back in the lineup (still great to see him after his long absence), a lot of guys getting a rest day, and another start by rookie Connelly Early, it feels like we have a fairly fresh-faced lineup today.
In the recent years I've tried to become a 162-girl. If you don't know what I'm talking about, being a 162 person means that you care about every single baseball game that your team plays. Every game matters to you, from the inning-byinning minutiae to the broader divisional/post-season context. Some people can't be 162-ers, whether they don't have the time to be fully invested or don't have the drive. But the diehards who have the time and energy are my 162 people.
"He ran yesterday, he ran today, I just texted him," Cora said. "He feels OK. It wasn't at full speed but he felt better than the last time he tried. It's the start of the progression. I don't know as far as timetable, but it's good news." Wilyer Abreu (calf strain) ran yesterday and today, Alex Cora said.Cora: "He feels OK. It wasn't full speed, but better than last time he tried."- Tim Healey (@timbhealey)
The Boston Red Sox put rookie sensation Roman Anthony on the injured list Wednesday after the outfielder experienced left oblique tightness in Tuesday's 11-7 win over the Cleveland Guardians. While not giving a specific timetable, Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged that oblique strains typically require four to six weeks of recovery time. "He's one of our best offensive players, but it's not hard," Cora said Wednesday. "We have to move on. We've been through this before."