The Chicago White Sox claim the sole upset of the 2026 postseason, eliminating No. 3 seed Houston as a No. 6 seed in the AL Wild Card Series. While every other series followed expected seed outcomes, the Rays and Brewers dominate the AL and NL respectively, with Tampa Bay dispatching Cleveland after a brief early deficit. The article notes Stephen Vogt’s managerial choices didn’t alter the Rays’ decisive Game 6 win, underscoring the White Sox’s lone surprise in an otherwise predictable playoff field.
The blog asks whether signing a top free‑agent arm—Dylan Cease, Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez—could have saved the Orioles’ 2026 season. The answer argues that none would have dramatically changed the outcome; even Cease’s stellar year wouldn’t have altered the rotation’s makeup, and the team’s main issues were weak offense and a league‑worst 88 unearned runs. A second reader query about a potential 2027 lockout explains that a lost season would simply shift contract years—Pete Alonso’s five‑year deal would lose a year, while free‑agency service time rules remain uncertain pending negotiations. The post invites more Orioles questions via email.
A new face in the front office can signal a fresh beginning, but for the A’s, the real challenge is turning that promise into wins. After failing to reach a .500 winning percentage since 2022, the franchise endured another disappointing campaign with a 64–98 record in 2026. While the appointment of former Boston Red Sox […]
The post “Do Some Big Things”: MLB Insider Picks the Immediate Fix for A’s as They Hire New GM appeared first on EssentiallySports .
The article speculates on Red Sox interest in Japanese star Teruaki Sato, who just captured the Central League Triple Crown and a Gold Glove before being posted this offseason. At 25, Sato mirrors last year’s Munetaka Murakami—both third basemen with high strikeout rates—but boasts superior athleticism, defense, and contact hitting, albeit weaker on‑base skills. With the MLB free‑agent market lacking power, Boston could look to Sato as a fresh thump for its lineup, despite past challenges with Japanese postings. The piece nudges fans to watch the upcoming posting and consider Sato’s potential impact on the Sox.
Coming off a second straight season in Sacramento, the Athletics are poised to make their long-awaited move to Las Vegas after the 2027 campaign. GM David Forst, who served in various capacities with the A’s since 2000, was fired in August. As the Athletics prepare for what should be their final season in California’s capital […]
The post New Athletics president of baseball operations poached from Red Sox appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Oakland Athletics announce the hiring of former Red Sox assistant GM Taylor Smith as President of Baseball Operations. Smith, a former Rays analyst turned director of predictive marketing and Boston's analytics lieutenant, steps in after the organization rejected Sam Fuld. At just over 30, Smith brings fresh, data‑driven ideas but limited front‑office experience. He inherits a roster with strong position players but a struggling pitching staff, and must assemble his own front office before deciding on the future of manager Mark Kotsay, who is under contract through 2028. The move marks the A’s first outside hire in decades as they prepare for the upcoming offseason.
The Oakland Athletics appoint 31‑year‑old Taylor Smith as President of Baseball Operations, replacing longtime GM David Forst. Smith, who most recently served as the Red Sox assistant GM and built his reputation in analytics with the Rays, emerged as the top candidate after a broad search that included Sam Fuld, Jared Banner and other notable executives. Owner John Fisher praised Smith’s expertise in player performance and development. The A’s, coming off a 98‑loss season plagued by injuries to Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers, now look to leverage a core of young talent as they prepare to move to Las Vegas in 2028.
The Boston Red Sox are back to the drawing board after a brutal performance in the AL Wild Card round. These five ambitious trades could help turn Boston into a World Series threat.
There are, possibly, only six more MLB games left on the calendar for 2026. Ten at most. Baseball has been a part of our daily lives going back to March. But in a few short weeks it will be gone. Winter will come. And with a looming lockout, there’s no telling how long that winter […]
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox might do battle over Randy Arozarena's services in free agency, but New York would be wise to let him go.
Ranking eight MLB teams with a chance to throw their hat in the Tarik Skubal free agency sweepstakes, from the incumbent Los Angeles Dodgers to the dark horse Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox enter the offseason coming off back-to-back postseason eliminations at the hands of the Yankees in the American League Wild Card Series. While Boston took another step forward by reaching October for the second consecutive season, let’s not forget just how atrocious this team was during the first two months of the year.
Gold Glove nominations were announced this week, with three Red Sox players landing on the list. You already know exactly who they are, even if you hadn’t heard the news: Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Caleb Durbin. Having 33% of your defense made up of young, defensively elite players is a great thing, even if […]
The Athletic's Minnesota Twins insider Dan Hayes proposed a wild Rafael Devers trade idea.
Willson Contreras needed only three Instagram posts to spark tension across the league. The Boston Red Sox star first baseman was just making a case for his brother, William Contreras, whom he believed should have been awarded the NLCS MVP. Despite posting impressive numbers in the postseason, the Brewers catcher was not named MVP of […]
The post Red Sox’s Willson Contreras Draws Attention With Latest Social Media Move for Brother That He Later Deleted appeared first on EssentiallySports .
Behind only Gage Ziehl, John Holobetz threw more innings than any other Red Sox minor leaguer in 2026. This article will take a look at how the 24-year-old right-hander fared in his first full season with the organization. After first reaching the level last August, Holobetz returned to Double-A Portland out of camp this spring. … Continue reading "How Red Sox pitching prospect John Holobetz fared in first full season with organization"
We’ll see what happens in the World Series, but another opportunity for a historic comeback has come and gone. The 2004 Boston Red Sox remain the only team ever to overcome an 0-3 series deficit in a best-of-seven series in the history of baseball. That’s hopefully a trend that goes on forever, leaving the legendary […]
Is everything in baseball actually about the Red Sox, even when it’s not about the Red Sox? Somehow I feel like the answer is yes. The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers last night to complete a four-game sweep of the NLCS and reach their first World Series since 1982. The first out of […]
Team MVP In the spirit of picking a hitter to win MVP, I guess it’s Willson Contreras. His OPS was the third-highest among qualifiers and was fairly consistent throughout the season. Sonny Gray, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu all deserve shouts too, but Contreras played for most of the season and stayed steady throughout. — […]
This game was moved up an hour from its original starting time and will begin at 7 p.m. CT (5 p.m. in Los Angeles). As you know, only one team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason MLB series. That was the 2004 Red Sox over the Yankees in the […]
We’re going to try something a little bit different today. With Boston out of the playoffs and anniversaries of awesome Red Sox postseason moments popping up on a daily basis during this stretch of the calendar, it got me thinking about some of the greatest games in franchise history. Specifically, I started a little exercise […]
The 22-year-old slugger changed positions, bought into pull-side power, and emerged as a prospect to watch in the Red Sox system.
Source
The Phillies put an end to their managerial search when they promoted interim skipper Don Mattingly to the full-time role on Wednesday. They showed interest in ex-Red Sox manager Alex Cora during the process, but he wasn’t the only outside candidate on their radar. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski formally requested permission to contact […]
In 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays dropped the first game of the American League Championship Series to the Boston Red Sox. The offense couldn’t muster anything against Daisuke Matsuzaka and the team suffered a 2-0 shutout. The next day, the bats woke up and the two teams engaged in a forgotten classic with Tampa Bay […]
Facing a 3-0 series hole after blowing a late lead in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, Dave Roberts won't return to the most famous moment from his playing career in an effort to help inspire a Los Angeles Dodgers turnaround.