Red Sox Look Smart Right Now For Passing On Free Agent Target Who Signed With Rival originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox had a goal to add some more power to their lineup this offseason, and a right-handed first baseman seemed like a perfect fit.

Triston Casas was injured, so there was an opening at first base, and there was a superstar first baseman available in Pete Alonso. The Red Sox had interest in Alonso, but he ultimately signed with a different American League East squad: the Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox were reportedly wary of Alonso's age and reportedly made an offer with fewer years and less money than the Orioles.

The Orioles signed him to a five-year, $155 million deal, and the Red Sox ended up adding Willson Contreras to fill their need for a right-handed power bat. Right now, the Red Sox look like the smarter team.

It's still early, but Alonso is slashing .188/.264/.292 and has just one home run. It's his worst start to a season through 12 games in his career. He has been known to get better as the season goes on, but right now, the lucrative deal he got seems like an overpay.

Meanwhile, Contreras has an .859 OPS and just had a phenomenal series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He has two home runs and five RBIs with 11 walks. He is playing better, all while making significantly less money. It is worth noting that it is still early in the season, and Alonso can still turn things around.

However, the Red Sox's big reason for passing on him was his age, and if he does start to decline, they will be proven right to not meet his hefty contract demands. The Red Sox will see him plenty over the next five years as he looks to help the Orioles get back to the postseason.

Red Sox Fans Get Unfortunate Wilyer Abreu Extension Update originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox have already signed some of their young stars to contract extensions, but Wilyer Abreu is still awaiting an extension of his own.

The big news in baseball this week has been 19-year-old Konnor Griffin's nine-year extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Red Sox have already signed Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Kristian Campbell and Brayan Bello to extensions. Abreu and Jarren Duran are two of the young stars on their team who are realistic candidates to get the next extension.

After Griffin's deal was announced, Rob Bradford asked Abreu if there had been any recent talks with the organization regarding an extension.

"After Konnor Griffin extension I went back to ask Wilyer Abreu if he has any recent talks about an extension with the Red Sox," Bradford wrote on X on Wednesday. "He said he still hasn’t."

Abreu has noted that he is open to listening to extension talks. The two sides did discuss an extension a couple of years ago, but at that time, Abreu felt it was best to wait. Ultimately, that was the right decision for him.

He has since then become a two-time Gold Glover, and had a 22-homer season. This season, he has been the Red Sox's best hitter and is slashing .383/.408/.702. He leads the American League in hits entering play on Thursday and has three home runs. The price tag is going up every day for Abreu, and the Red Sox could be looking at a hefty sum if they want to keep him around.

Boston Red Sox baseball is a religion in New England, and the faithful have been rewarded across more than a century of history with some of the most extraordinary players the sport has ever produced. From the ivy-covered corners of Fenway Park to the dirt of the World Series infield, this franchise has seen it all, and the men on this list were the ones who made it worth believing in.

The Red Sox story is equal parts glory and heartbreak, and many of the players here lived both sides of it. Some carried Boston through the lean years on nothing but talent and stubbornness. Others were the reason the curse finally broke in 2004, ending 86 years of October agony with one of the most improbable postseason runs in baseball history. A few of them are still active conversations in the debate over the greatest baseball players who ever lived.

MORE: Most career hits in MLB history

This isn’t just a list of guys who posted good numbers in a Red Sox uniform. It’s a list of men who became Boston, who the city attached its identity to, who got statues and retired numbers and Fenway ovations that lasted longer than most careers. The Red Sox have had legends the way other franchises have had role players, and narrowing it down to ten is genuinely difficult. But these are the ten who stand tallest.

10. Carlton Fisk

Career stats (Red Sox): .284 BA | 162 HR | 568 RBI | 1972 AL Rookie of the Year

Fisk is forever tied to one of baseball’s most iconic images: his twelfth-inning walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, frantically waving the ball fair down the left field line as Fenway erupted. He was the gold standard for what a catcher could be on both sides of the ball, a defensive anchor who could also hit for power and carry a lineup when the moment demanded it. His number 27 hangs retired at Fenway, and it always will.

9. David Ortiz

Career stats (Red Sox): .290 BA | 483 HR | 1,530 RBI | 3x World Series champion | 2013 World Series MVP

Big Papi is the heartbeat of modern Red Sox baseball. He arrived in Boston in 2003 as a castoff from Minnesota and became the most clutch hitter the franchise has ever produced in the postseason era. He hit .688 in the 2004 ALCS, delivered walk-off after walk-off when the Sox came back from three games down against the Yankees, and spent 14 seasons making October feel like a personal playground. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022, first ballot, and it wasn’t close.

8. Pedro Martinez

Career stats (Red Sox): 117-37 W-L | 2.52 ERA | 1,683 K | 2x Cy Young (1999, 2000)

There has never been a more dominant two-year stretch of pitching in the modern era than what Pedro put together in 1999 and 2000. He went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA in 1999 and followed it with a 1.74 ERA in 2000, both seasons earning him the Cy Young Award. He was barely 5-foot-11 and looked out of place on the mound against men a foot taller, and then he proceeded to embarrass every one of them. Pedro didn’t just beat hitters. He made them look like they had no business being in the same sport.

7. Wade Boggs

Career stats (Red Sox): .338 BA | 1,513 H | 5x AL batting champion

Boggs won five consecutive batting titles from 1983 to 1988, a feat of pure contact hitting consistency that almost no player in the modern game has come close to matching. He reached 200 hits in seven straight seasons, drew walks at an elite rate, and was arguably the most disciplined hitter in the American League for an entire decade. He made his craft look scientific, and in Boston, he was as reliable as sunrise over Fenway.

6. Roger Clemens

Career stats (Red Sox): 192-111 W-L | 3.06 ERA | 2,590 K | 3x Cy Young (1986, 1987, 1991)

Whatever the legacy debates say about Clemens in the twilight of his career, what he did in Boston is undeniable. He won three Cy Young Awards in a Red Sox uniform, struck out a then-record 20 batters in a single game in 1986, and was the most feared starting pitcher in the American League for the better part of a decade. The Rocket was ferocious on the mound, relentless in his preparation, and for those years in Boston, virtually unhittable on his best nights.

SEE ALSO: NFL MVPs who aren’t in the Hall of Fame

5. Cy Young

Career stats (Red Sox): 192-112 W-L | 2.00 ERA | 38 shutouts

The award named after him is the most prestigious individual honor in pitching, and that alone tells you the kind of legacy Cy Young left on the game. His Red Sox tenure included some of the finest pitching of his career, including the first perfect game in modern baseball history in 1904. He posted a 2.00 ERA in Boston and threw 38 shutouts in a Red Sox uniform, numbers that belong in the realm of mythology. The man was simply in a different category.

4. Tris Speaker

Career stats (Red Sox): .336 BA | 643 H | 2x World Series champion | All-time career doubles leader

Speaker was the greatest defensive outfielder in the history of the game, playing a shallow center field that functioned almost like a fifth infielder and turning doubles into outs that no one else could have touched. He led the league in outfield putouts seven times and double plays ten times, numbers that still haven’t been replicated. At the plate, he was equally gifted, hitting .336 in Boston while putting together some of the finest all-around seasons the franchise has ever seen.

3. Carl Yastrzemski

Career stats (Red Sox): .285 BA | 3,419 H | 452 HR | 1,844 RBI | 1967 Triple Crown | 1967 AL MVP

Yaz spent 23 seasons entirely in a Red Sox uniform, which in itself is a statement. He won the Triple Crown in 1967, one of the last players ever to do it, and carried Boston to the pennant in what became known as the Impossible Dream season. He was the full package: a seven-time Gold Glove winner in left field, a contact hitter who also had genuine pop, and a career that spanned four decades of Fenway history. His number 8 hangs in the rafters alongside the franchise’s all-time greats.

2. Ted Williams

Career stats (Red Sox): .344 BA | 521 HR | 1,839 RBI | 2x AL MVP | 2x Triple Crown | .482 career OBP

The last man to hit .400 in a season, doing so in 1941 with a .406 average, Williams is the greatest pure hitter in the history of baseball, and there is very little room for argument. He missed nearly five full seasons to military service during World War II and the Korean War, and the numbers he still put up make the mind reel at what might have been. He hit .388 at age 38 and won a batting title at 39. He hit a home run in the final at-bat of his career in 1960. Every chapter of his story ends with the ball leaving the park.

1. Babe Ruth

Career stats (Red Sox): .300 BA | 89 HR | 2.19 ERA as pitcher | 3x World Series champion

Yes, the greatest Yankee ever started in Boston, and his Red Sox career often gets buried under the mythology of what came after. But Ruth was already a transformational talent before he ever wore pinstripes. He was a dominant starting pitcher first, posting a 2.19 ERA and going 89-46 on the mound in Boston, before the Red Sox realized his bat was too valuable to keep out of the lineup every four days. He won three World Series titles with Boston and was the best player in the American League before owner Harry Frazee sold him to New York in 1920 for cash to fund a Broadway play, a decision that haunted the franchise for 84 years.

Fenway faithful, these names live forever

The Red Sox have retired 11 numbers and produced some of the most beloved figures in the history of American sport. What makes this franchise special isn’t just the championships or the records. It’s the way these players connected with a city that takes its baseball personally, a city that still argues about lineups over coffee, still knows every number in the rafters by heart, and still believes, every April, that this could be the year.

Two Former Red Sox Players Added To NL Team's Minor-League Roster originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A pair of former Boston Red Sox players took another step toward a possible return to MLB action on Wednesday.

"Today, in Florida State League transactions: The St. Lucie Mets have added RHP Craig Kimbrel and OF Tommy Pham to their roster from the Syracuse development list," MLB Pipeline reporter Sam Dykstra posted on Bluesky.

Longtime All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel signed with the New York Mets in January, and it was reported in March that the 37-year-old right-hander wouldn't be making the team's Opening Day roster.

Kimbrel spent three seasons in Boston from 2016 to 2018, making All-Star teams each year and helping the Red Sox win their most recent World Series title during his final campaign with the club.

The 2011 NL Rookie of the Year ranks second on MLB's saves list (440) among active players, trailing only fellow former Boston closer Kenley Jansen (477).

Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham signed a minor league contract with the Mets in late March.

Pham has appeared in 1,241 career regular season MLB games with 10 franchises, including 53 contests with the Red Sox during the 2022 campaign.

More MLB: Red Sox Pitcher Reveals Reaction To Surprise MLB Promotion

Two Players Red Sox Got In Rafael Devers Trade Now Thriving In New Organizations originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox surprised everyone by trading Rafael Devers last season, but most of the return is no longer with the Red Sox.

The Red Sox received left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, right-handed pitcher Jose Bello and right fielder James Tibbs III. Hicks, Harrison and Tibbs are no longer with the Red Sox, and Bello is in Single-A. Harrison was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Caleb Durbin deal and Tibbs was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Dustin May deal.

Hicks was traded to the Chicago White Sox and continues to struggle at times. However, Harrison and Tibbs are thriving in their new organizations. Meanwhile, Durbin is off to a slow start, and May is no longer even with the team.

Harrison earned a job in the Brewers' rotation and has looked great so far. He has 14 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings of work through two starts. His walk numbers are down, and his strikeout rate is as high as it has ever been at the big league level. The Red Sox brought in three new starting pitchers this offseason, when they could have just held on to Harrison.

Harrison turning into a better pitcher with the Brewers may have been expected. The organization has a track record of getting the best out of pitchers. However, what Tibbs is doing for the Doegers has to sting the Red Sox.

In 30 games with the Red Sox in Double-A, Tibbs hit .207 with a .586 OPS. He has started this season in Triple-A for the Dodgers and has been dominating at the plate. He has seven home runs in 10 games and is slashing .439/.511/1.098. He has been playing some first base with the Dodgers as well, and is their No. 10 prospect.

Tibbs started producing as soon as he was traded. In 36 Double-A games with the Dodgers last season, he hit .269 with a .900 OPS. He has played better for the Dodgers than he did for both the Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers were clearly able to unlock something in his swing that the Red Sox could not.

The true winner of the Rafael Devers trade won't be known for a few more years. However, right now, it looks like the Red Sox could have had two very good players that they traded away for little return. If Durbin turns into a star at third base, that could change.

Advanced Stats Reveal Hidden Reason For Red Sox's Poor Offensive Start originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Despite improving over their last few games, the Boston Red Sox have been one of the worst offensive teams in baseball this year.

Entering play on Tuesday, the Red Sox still rank below average in numerous offensive categories. They rate 22nd in runs per game, 21st in home runs, 16th in batting average, 19th in OBP, 13th in slugging and 15th in OPS, contributing to their MLB-worst 2-8 record.

Boston's issues with runners in scoring position have played a large role in the team's rough start, but advanced stats show that poor plate discipline has been a major factor as well.

According to FanGraphs, the Red Sox have some of the worst plate discipline metrics in baseball this year. Not only do they rank near the bottom of the league when it comes to swinging at pitches in the strike zone (less than 60 percent), but they also have one of the highest chase rates on pitches outside the strike zone (around 35 percent).

Every team's O-Swing% and Z-Swing% so far this season (basically swing decisions in number form)

The Red Sox have had far and away the worst swing decisions so far this season, and it's not particularly close pic.twitter.com/RiMdGNlau2

— Nyanasaur (@Nyanasaur) April 5, 2026

That's a bad combination that typically leads to more strikeouts, fewer walks and a lot of weak contact.

Sure enough, Boston has the fifth-lowest walk rate and the ninth-highest strikeout rate in baseball. The offense hasn't been making much quality contact, either, ranking 21st in expected batting average, 26th in expected slugging percentage and 24th in expected wOBA.

In other words, the Red Sox haven't been making good swing decisions, which is having a negative effect on their offense. It's also likely contributing to their struggles with men on base, as they appear to be pressing and expanding the strike zone in those situations.

That should improve over time as Boston's hitters get their timing down and become more comfortable at the dish, but it would behoove them to start swinging at more strikes and fewer balls.

More MLB: Frustrating Defensive Woes Still Dragging Red Sox Down

Red Sox's Alex Cora Reveals What He Thinks Is Causing Roman Anthony's Throwing Issues originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox are 2-8, and it has been a little bit of everything causing their problems early in the season. Roman Anthony's throwing issues, however, are one of the more surprising issues on the team.

Anthony was charged with his second throwing error of the season on Monday. The error allowed a second run to score and put the Milwaukee Brewers ahead by two, but the throw had no chance to even get the go-ahead runner. This came after a poor throw on Saturday that had no chance to get Fernando Tatis Jr., who was also the go-ahead runner.

After Monday's game, Alex Cora noted that he thinks the throwing issues are mechanical for Anthony, per The Boston Herald's Greg Dudek.

Cora also noted that he thinks Anthony is healthy and that he does not think he's in his own head. This is the second time in the last week that Cora has answered questions about Anthony's defense. He recently noted that he thinks Anthony needs to work on his footwork in the outfield, which is why he has spent some more time at designated hitter.

Anthony's arm was not as big an issue last season. He did post a minute-one arm value in 71 games. This year, he has a minus-one through 10 games. Anthony knows he has to be better.

“I’m doing everything I can pregame and just struggling to get a grip,” Anthony said after the game. “At the end of the day, there’s no excuse. It’s terrible. It’s bad baseball, and it’s on me.”

Anthony has high expectations of himself, and the fan base has high expectations of him. He has the makings of a superstar, but right now his defensive woes are overshadowing his potential.

More MLB: All Signs Point To Benches Clearing In Red Sox-Brewers Matchup After Contreras Threat

Brewers Pitcher Responds To Red Sox's Willson Contreras' Hit By Pitch Threat originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was fired up Monday night after being hit by a pitch, yet again, by Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff.

The 33-year-old hurler discussed the situation following Milwaukee's 8-6 win.

"We’ve been through that -- nine years for me. It seems like every year," Woodruff said. "He’s trying to play a game and he’s trying to get his side fired up, which is fine. Once I knew what was going on, I wasn’t going to let it affect me on the mound."

The two-time All-Star right-hander drilled Contreras in the third inning, which was the sixth time that Woodruff hit the former longtime member of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals with a pitch.

The Brewers as a team have now plunked Contreras 24 times across his 10-plus MLB seasons.

"I knew I had a job to do. I knew pitch count was still down," Woodruff said. "I knew the bullpen was short so I needed to go out there and keep competing."

More MLB: Alex Cora Reveals Key To Red Sox Turning Season Around

Willson Contreras Reveals Surprising Detail About Brewers Hit By Pitch Situtaion originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox dropped to 2-8 after Monday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, and Willson Contreras' beef with Brewers pitching is a major talking point.

Contreras was hit by Brandon Woodruff in the third inning, marking the sixth time Woodruff has hit him and the 24th time the Brewers have hit him. He has also played for Milwaukee more than any other team, having spent 10 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. Contreras had words for Woodruff on his way to first base, and after the Brewers unsuccessfully challenged the hit-by-pitch call.

Contreras is no stranger to being hit by the Brewers. In fact, after the game, he revealed that he called his shot. He knew they were going to hit him at some point, and surprisingly enough, he was right.

"It's different with them," Contreras said after the game. "I won't lie. It's different with them. Actually, I talked to, I can't remember if it was (Andruw) Monasterio of (Ceddanne Rafaela, and I said, 'These guys are going to hit me today, for sure,' and they did."

The Brewers did hit him, and it was a familiar face that got him. Woodruff is the Brewers' longest tenured player and has seen Contreras plenty of times. Contreras has 29 plate appearances against Woodruff, which is the fifth most he has against any pitcher.

The feud between Contreras and the Brewers may not be over. He issued a threat to the Brewers after the game, and the two sides could get heated again tonight. If Contreras gets hit tonight, things could get ugly, and it may hurt a lot more than the 92.9 mph sinker Woodruff hit him with. Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound, and his fastball can sit in the triple digits.

More MLB: Red Sox's Willson Contreras Sends Clear Threat To Brewers Players After HBP

Are Red Sox's Playoff Hopes Officially Doomed After Historically Bad Start? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox's awful start to the 2026 season went from bad to worse on Monday as they lost their series opener to the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-6, at Fenway Park. The Red Sox fell to an MLB-worst 2-8 with their third straight defeat and their eighth loss in their last nine games.

According to MLB stats researcher Justin Havens, this is only the fourth time since World War II that Boston has started a season 2-8, joining 1996, 2011 and 2019. Surprisingly, the Red Sox still finished with a winning record in all three of those seasons, ultimately turning things around.

Not surprisingly, Boston also missed the playoffs all three times, including by just one game in 2011.

The Red Sox are 2-8.

It's the 4th time in the last 80 years they've lost 8 of their first 10 games (1996, 2011, 2019).

Good news: they ended with a winning record in each of those years.

Bad news: they have zero postseason trips after starting 2-8.https://t.co/ksM9gaXObs

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) April 7, 2026

Granted, those seasons all occurred before the addition of the third Wild Card team, so it's easier to make the postseason now than it was then. It also helps that the AL East has been pretty bad to start the year, with the exception of the red-hot New York Yankees.

Still, FanGraphs has the Red Sox's playoff odds at 41.5 percent entering play on Monday, down nearly 20 percentage points since the start of the season. That's a massive drop in just 10 games.

Fortunately for Boston, time is still on its side. The Red Sox have 152 games left to right the ship and start playing up to their talent level. Their season isn't close to over yet, and they can still defy the odds.

However, recent history isn't on Boston's side.

More MLB: Alex Cora Has Surprising Reaction To Red Sox Fans' Mounting Frustrations

Alex Cora Has Surprising Reaction To Red Sox Fans' Mounting Frustrations originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox lost again on Monday night, dropping their series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6. It was the third straight loss for the Red Sox, dropping them to 1-3 at Fenway Park this season and 2-8 overall.

Boston fans have grown increasingly upset with the team's slow start over the last few days, booing the Red Sox and voicing their displeasure with the team's poor play. 

During his postgame press conference following Monday's loss, Alex Cora addressed Boston fans' frustrations with a surprising response.

"That's why we love it here, because their expectations are up there with us," Cora said. "And, right now, we deserve whatever they’re thinking. We’re not playing good baseball, and we know it."

"That's why we love it here. Their expectations are up there with us"

Alex Cora on playing in Boston and understanding the frustration from fans after a 2-8 start 🎙️

presented by @WBMasonCopic.twitter.com/v57eg6YREo

— NESN (@NESN) April 7, 2026

Now in his eighth season managing the Red Sox, Cora is well aware of how passionate their fans are, especially after spending part of his playing career in Boston, too.

The last-place Red Sox subjected their fans to another disappointing night of sloppy baseball on Monday. They got a second straight bad outing from Brayan Bello, two errors from their defense and a 2-for-12 showing with runners in scoring position.

Boston's played a tough schedule so far, but it hasn't helped that the Red Sox have often been beating themselves. They have the worst record in baseball, and their fans are growing more agitated with each loss.

Cora and his players will try to bounce back and snap their losing streak on Tuesday behind Garrett Crochet, who will square off against Jacob Misiorowski in a must-see pitching duel.

More MLB: Brewers Manager Compares Caleb Durbin To Red Sox Legend Amid Early Woes

Alex Cora Explains Massive Change To Red Sox Lineup Vs. Brewers originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora left open the possibility of moving shortstop Trevor Story out of the two hole in the lineup following the team's 8-6 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

One day later, Story has been bumped down to the fifth spot, while designated hitter Masataka Yoshida will bat second on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 33-year-old infielder started Boston's first nine games this season batting second.

"See if it works," Cora said, according to MassLive Red Sox beat writer Christopher Smith. "Although yesterday, I thought it was OK offensively."

Boston has averaged only 3.3 runs per game in the early going but scored a season-high six times on Sunday.

Story has struggled through the first nine contests, going 5 for 42 with one home run, two RBIs, no walks and a team-high 17 strikeouts.

Yoshida is 3-for-13 with no home runs, three RBIs, six walks and a .474 on-base percentage across seven games.

"Just mix it up, Cora said, per Smith. "Hopefully a different spot helps you to unlock it and relax. But as you guys know, in this game, you can’t control the at-bat. At one point, it’s probably bases loaded, two outs, and it’s the same thing. So regardless of where you hit, we’ve gotta make sure we slow it down. We’ve been talking about swinging a lot and chasing. So this is a good pitching staff. They’re very aggressive in the zone. So hopefully be on time and put good swings on it."

More MLB: ESPN MLB Reporter Ranks Red Sox Most Fun, Watchable American League Team

Player Red Sox Traded Away For Caleb Durbin Is Off To Great Start With Brewers originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox traded for Caleb Durbin this offseason, and one of the players they traded away is off to a great start.

Durbin was the centerpiece in a six-player deal between the Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox gave up left-handed pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton for Durbin, Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. Harrison was acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, but he only appeared in three games for the Red Sox.

Harrison made 12 minor league starts for the Red Sox as well. He had a 3.75 ERA with Triple-A Worcester and a 3.00 ERA with the Red Sox. He has a great fastball, and on the Brewers, he has looked like a star. Through two starts, he has 14 strikeouts and has allowed just three earned runs in 10 1/3 innings of work.

His strikeout rate is the highest it has been in the big leagues, and part of that is due to the changes the Brewers have made with his delivery. He has issued three walks, but overall looks much different than he did with the San Francisco Giants and Red Sox organizations.

Meanwhile, Durbin has gotten off to a very slow start. He is 2-for-28 to start the season, and right now it looks like the Red Sox are on the wrong end of this trade. However, there is plenty of season to go, and Durbin could start to heat up and look more like the player he was last season.

Harrison is not scheduled to pitch when the Brewers come to town on Monday, but this could be a great opportunity for Durbin to turn things on. What better team to do it against than the team that shipped him off?

ESPN MLB Reporter Ranks Red Sox Most Fun, Watchable American League Team originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox are off to a disappointing 2-7 start to the 2026 season.

Still, there's a lot for Red Sox Nation to be excited about.

Boston has a host of All-Star caliber players, including outfielder Roman Anthony.

The 21-year-old slugger even earned MVP buzz leading up to the campaign.

Despite the slow beginning to the season, ESPN.com MLB reporter David Schoenfield ranked the Red Sox fourth on his list of the league's most "watchable" teams.

Schoenfield placed Boston as the top American League squad too, behind only the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

"The slow start is a little worrisome and makes this feel like an aggressive ranking. Losing teams aren't that watchable no matter how advanced Roman Anthony might be at the plate or how dynamic Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are on defense," Schoenfield said. "With Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Connelly Early, the Red Sox score high in young talent. Garrett Crochet leads the list of six Red Sox players in the top 100, with Anthony's potential already placing him at No. 33. Still, don't overreact to a small sample of games: This should be a fun team to watch over the long season."

The longtime ESPN reporter gave Boston 28.5 points on the "watchability index," just ahead of the rival New York Yankees (27.5 points).

Schoenfield gave the Red Sox 10 points for "star power," nine for "young talent," eight for "baseball stuff" and 1.5 bonus points -- 0.5 coming from the Green Monster at Fenway Park, 0.5 for "Garrett Crochet's left arm" and 0.5 for "Jarren Duran's energy.

More MLB: Red Sox's Alex Cora Makes Surprising Ranger Suarez Admission After Second Bad Start

Craig Breslow Finally Comments On Underperforming Red Sox originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox are 2-7 to start the season, but chief baseball officer Craig Breslow still has a strong belief in the group he put together this offseason.

The Red Sox offense has not lived up to expectations, and the pitching additions have not looked great so far. However, it's still very early in the season, and lucky for the Red Sox, the season does not end after nine games. They still have 153 games to climb their way back to the top of the American League East.

During the Red Sox's Sunday matchup with the San Diego Padres, Breslow appeared on NESN amid what would turn into their seventh loss of the season. He acknowledged that the team needs to be better, but also that they know they have a strong group of players.

"We still believe very, very strongly in this team," Breslow said on Sunday. "Your rational brain says baseball needs to be evaluated over the long-term. Eight games in is not the time you want to draw conclusions, but your heart says, 'How do we help the group? What do we need to do? What are we missing? How do we turn this thing around?' But we have a bunch of good players who are not performing up to their potential right now, and that's going to turn."

The Red Sox do have plenty of good players not living up to expectations. However, the question on every fan's mind is whether this is a poorly timed slump or a sign of what's to come all season. It's likely the former. It's hard to imagine Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Willson Contreras, Caleb Durbin, Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela all struggling to hit for a majority of the season.

On the pitching side, Johan Oviedo has gone to the injured list. His drop in velocity was a concern, and hopefully, when he's back, he can be a better contributor. Additionally, Ranger Suarez has struggled in his first two starts, but his track record should give fans belief that he will turn things around.

It's worth noting that Suarez missed a chunk of spring training for the World Baseball Classic and may not be completely built up. Regardless, the Red Sox expected more out of their stars. Breslow knows they are underperforming right now, but that is bound to change soon.

Red Sox Tumble To Worst Record In Baseball With Historically Bad Start originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A week and a half into the 2026 MLB season, the Boston Red Sox are not where they want to be.

They are not at the top of the standings, which is where they were aiming for. They are not even in the middle of the standings. Unfortunately, they are all the way at the bottom, and not just in the AL East.

The Red Sox tumbled to 2-7 with Sunday's 8-6 loss to the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park. Following wins by the Athletics and Colorado Rockies later in the day, that's officially the worst record in baseball. It's also tied for the worst nine-game start to a season in franchise history.

Boston's first home series of the season began on a high note with Friday's 5-2 win over the Padres, snapping the team's five-game losing streak. However, the Red Sox were unable to build on that performance over the weekend, dropping back-to-back games and losing their third straight series to start the year.

The Red Sox, at 2-7, have the worst record in Major League Baseball. They’re the only team that has yet to win 3 games. pic.twitter.com/AwmJQJxsIs

— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) April 6, 2026

Both defeats were close, by one run on Saturday and two runs on Sunday. Five of Boston's seven losses this season have been by two runs or less, a concerning trend that's carried over from last year.

It was a frustrating weekend for the Red Sox. On Saturday they didn't hit, scoring just two runs and going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. On Sunday, their pitching and defense let them down, blowing a 4-0 lead in the series finale.

Fortunately for Boston, nine games represent just 5.6 percent of the season -- equivalent to one game in an NFL season. Despite losing seven of their last eight games, the Red Sox are too talented to have MLB's worst record for long.

They need to start playing better, however, and that won't be easy with the Milwaukee Brewers coming to town on Monday. The Brewers are tied for the best record in baseball at 7-2, so things won't get any easier for Boston this week as it tries to start climbing out of the basement.

More MLB: Tom Caron's Football Analogy Might Ease Minds Of Panicking Red Sox Fans

Tom Caron's Football Analogy Might Ease Minds Of Panicking Red Sox Fans originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox were unable to pull off the Easter Sunday comeback and beat the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon. 

The Red Sox struck first, scoring four runs in the third inning. When San Diego responded with back-to-back three-run innings, the Red Sox bats came to life once again, tying it up in the seventh. The Padres finished strong and made the Red Sox the losers of all three of their season series to start the year. 

Vibes are low among Red Sox fans after falling to 2-7 on the season, but legendary Boston personality Tom Caron used this football analogy to put it in perspective.

In terms of a football season, the Red Sox are 0-1. 

The Major League Baseball season is 162 games. They play 17 in the NFL. With the Red Sox finishing up game number nine, they are about 1/17th of the way through their season. 

As Caron said, in this analogy, the Red Sox are 0-1. The legend said they got “blown out” in Week 1. 

But it’s a long season. Boston fans will remember watching head coach Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots lose at Gillette Stadium in Week 1 to what would become the worst team in football, the Las Vegas Raiders. Everyone knows how that season ended.

It’s easy to be discouraged with the 2-7 start. But seeing the bats come to life at Fenway Park was enough to get me excited to see more from this Red Sox team.

More MLB: Roman Anthony Has Harsh Assessment Of Red Sox 2-7 Start

Alex Cora Offers Fix To Red Sox Offense As Early Struggles Continue originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox's offense has not been great so far, and Alex Cora has a simple fix that could yield better results quickly.

So far this season, the Red Sox rank last in runs scored. Coming into the season, the offense had high expectations thanks to an array of young stars. However, that has not been the case. Most of the expected stars of the lineup have struggled so far. Following Saturday's loss, Cora noted he thinks the Red Sox need to swing less.

“I think we’ve got to swing less, to be honest with you. Get them in the zone, not chase,” said Cora, per MLB.com's Ian Browne. “They have good arms – but so does everybody in the big leagues. But I think from our end, we have to slow it down. Watching the game, I think the first five hitters for us were up in the count, 2-0. So, just make sure when you're ahead, you get your pitch to hit, and if it's not there, take a walk.”

The Red Sox chase percentage is currently 33.3%, and their chase contact percentage is 47.2%. Their swing percentage is also 47.2%. They are 3.3% above league average in chase rate. Their chase contact percentage is below league average, and their swing percentage is higher than league average.

The team has a 28.1% strikeout rate. Overall, they are not making good swing decisions, and they are not making contact. That is a recipe for disaster.

However, they have too talented a lineup for the trend to continue. Eventually, the stars of the lineup will break out of the early slump, and that will help the team stack some wins.