<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-red-sox-staying-teoscar-hernandez-course-amid-lingering-dodgers-interest');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Red Sox staying Teoscar Hernandez course amid lingering Dodgers interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Red-Sox-staying-Teoscar-Hernandez-course-amid-lingering-Dodgers-interest.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Red Sox staying Teoscar Hernandez course amid lingering Dodgers interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T16:38:57-08:00">December 23rd, 4:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T16:38:57-08:00">December 23rd, 4:38pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-are-biggest-threat-to-dodgers-to-sign-teoscar-hernandez">Boston Red Sox are still in the mix for Teoscar Hernandez</a>, but they have not “<a href="https://x.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1871330509986345452" rel="noopener">intensified their efforts</a>” to land the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, according to Chris Cotilllo of MassLive.com.</p><p>Cotillo’s report comes after news surfaced that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-dodgers-weighing-teoscar-hernandez-backup-plan">Dodgers were looking into backup plans</a> in case they fail to bring back the 2024 Home Run Derby winner.</p><p>Hernandez hit the free agent market this offseason after one season in Los Angeles that seemed to rebuild his contract value. Following a down year with the Seattle Mariners in 2023, Hernandez signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $23.5 million deal in hopes that he could set himself up for a bigger payday this offseason.</p><p>He did exactly that, hitting .272 with an .840 OPS and 33 home runs. Hernandez was also named a National League All-Star and won a Silver Slugger as the Dodgers captured their second World Series title in the last five seasons.</p><p>Cotillo also noted that after Hernandez, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar are the best bats still available. Boston can certainly make a run at one or more of them.</p><h2><b>The Red Sox could position themselves as favorites to land Alex Bregman</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Alex-Bregman-Astros-2.jpg"><figcaption>Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-houston-gm-alex-bregman-update-christian-walker-signing">Bregman’s career with the Houston Astros</a> almost certainly over, the third baseman is primed to sign a substantial deal with a big market team.</p><p>Even with an All-Star third baseman of their own in Rafael Devers, the Red Sox could be that club. Bregman is rumored to be open to playing second base, where he has played nine career games. As SI’s Jackson Roberts speculated, the team <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/boston-red-sox-news/are-dominoes-falling-for-red-sox-to-sign-former-astros-100-million-superstar-jackson3" rel="noopener">could also trade</a> one of Triston Casas or Masataka Yoshida, which would open up first base or the designated hitter spot, allowing Devers to slide over to one of those positions.</p><p>As it stands, the money might be the issue. Bregman is currently on track to earn a deal in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6014575/2024/12/23/carlos-santana-guardians-house-sale/" rel="noopener">$200 million range</a>, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. While the Red Sox could certainly swing that, it’s been nearly a decade since they spent that much on a free agent.</p><p>It could be worth it. Boston went 81-81 last year, finishing third in the American League East behind the AL champion New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. With both New York and Baltimore appearing ready to contend in 2025, Boston needs to add juice to its lineup. While the Red Sox didn’t have a bad offense by any stretch, the Yankees and Orioles finished one and two in the Major Leagues in total home runs and were both top four in OPS.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Red Sox staying Teoscar Hernandez course amid lingering Dodgers interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/red-sox-news-walker-buehler-agrees-21-million-contract-boston');   ga('set', 'title', 'Walker Buehler agrees to $21.05 million contract with Red Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Walker-Buehler-agrees-to-21.jpg"></figure><h1>Walker Buehler agrees to $21.05 million contract with Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T06:53:16-08:00">December 23rd, 6:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T07:12:20-08:00">December 23rd, 7:12am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox have made another pitching move this offseason. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/garrett-crochet-trade-grades-for-red-sox-white-sox">trading for Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox</a>, they signed Patrick Sandoval to a two-year deal. Now, Walker Buehler has joined the Red Sox on a one-year contract after testing the free agency waters. Yahoo’s Russell Dorsey <a href="https://x.com/Russ_Dorsey1/status/1871200568527450170" rel="noopener">broke the news on Monday</a>.</p><p>“Breaking: Right-hander Walker Buehler and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $21.05 million deal which includes incentives, sources tell Yahoo Sports.”</p><p>Buehler was hurt for the entire 2023 season and came back for a sluggish 2024 campaign. In 16 regular-season starts, he posted a 5.38 ERA with only one win. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-walker-buehler-makes-mlb-history-with-feat-not-seen-before-in-playoffs">in the playoffs, the Buehler of old came out</a>, making this a gamble Boston was happy taking. He closed out the World Series for the Dodgers and now joins the AL East.</p><p>The Red Sox needed pitching after a brutal 2024 season. While they added Crochet to top their rotation, depth is important in their deep division. Nick Pivetta is a free agent and Sandoval will not return from his elbow injury until mid-year. Buehler will start valuable games early in the season and can shift into a depth starter or bullpen piece when Sandoval comes back.</p><h2><b>The Red Sox can continue to add after the Walker Buehler signing</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Walker-Buehler-with-LA-Dodgers.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Red Sox threw their hat in the ring for Juan Soto. David Ortiz and other famous alumni joined the recruiting pitch but it did not work. The 26-year-old signed a historic contract with the New York Mets. While every team could use Soto, Boston knew they needed another dominant hitter in the lineup.</p><p>The concession the Red Sox would have made by signing Soto is they are left-handed heavy. They already lost their best righty hitter from last year, Tyler O’Neill. If they are going to make a significant offensive move, it should be for a right-handed hitter. Infielder Ha-Seong Kim would be a great fit for their young team.</p><p>The Red Sox are built on players who can play multiple positions. Rafael Devers could make the switch from third base to first, Ceddanne Rafaela can play shortstop and center field, and Jarren Duran is an excellent outfielder. Kim fits that vibe perfectly, as he can play any infield position.</p><p>Adding Buehler gives the Red Sox the pitching depth necessary to compete in the American League East. With the Orioles and Yankees coming off solid seasons, Buehler will need to be great to compete.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Walker Buehler agrees to $21.05 million contract with Red Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/way-too-early-garrett-crochet-predictions-with-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Way-too-early Garrett Crochet predictions with Red Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Way-too-early-Garrett-Crochet-predictions-with-Red-Sox.jpg"></figure><h1>Way-too-early Garrett Crochet predictions with Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T13:30:50-08:00">December 22nd, 1:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T13:30:50-08:00">December 22nd, 1:30pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-boston-finalizing-blockbuster-garrett-crochet-trade-white-sox">Boston Red Sox traded for Garrett Crochet</a> from the Chicago White Sox this offseason. After a year as the ace of the worst team in baseball history, Crochet is now in the American League East. He is the biggest addition Boston has made this offseason and will have high expectations. We have the Garrett Crochet bold predictions for his first season with the Red Sox.</p><p>Crochet is a young pitcher and only has one full season as a starter under his belt. He made 32 starts in his first year in the rotation with the White Sox last year. In 2021, Crochet made 54 relief appearances but missed the entire next season after having Tommy John surgery. There are concerns about his longevity and lack of MLB experience but he was great even on a bad team last year.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/garrett-crochet-trade-grades-for-red-sox-white-sox">Red Sox gave up a lot to get Garrett Crochet</a> on their team. Four of their top 15 prospects went to the White Sox, including highly-touted catcher Kyle Teel. So for these bold predictions, Boston needs greatness from their new starter.</p><p><i><b>*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener">free trial</a>)*</b></i></p><h2><b>Garrett Crochet signs an extension before the trade deadline</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Garrett-Crochet-with-White-Sox.jpg"><figcaption>Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Crochet was one of the top names available heading into the 2024 trade deadline. The White Sox were well out of the playoffs, they were looking to trade players, and pitchers are always valuable. But a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-white-sox-garrett-crochet-playoffs-trade">set of demands from Crochet got leaked </a>and teams shied away. One of those demands was a contract extension before pitching in the playoffs. The Red Sox will give him that extension before the 2025 trade deadline.</p><p>This is an interesting contract to project because Crochet has so little starting experience. He posted a 3.58 ERA and had 209 strikeouts in 146 innings last year, which is a great pitcher in today’s league. The contract would buy out his last year of arbitration and start eating up unrestricted free-agency years in 2027.</p><p>Spotrac <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/market-value/_/id/48366/garrett-crochet" rel="noopener">has his current market value</a> listed at six years, $130 million. The contract would likely be more expensive than that, projecting a bump in production as a full-time starter. The Red Sox have not spent a ton of money on extensions recently, with Rafael Devers being the notable exception. They should also make an exception for Crochet considering the package they gave up for him.</p><h2><b>Garrett Crochet leads the Red Sox in wins</b></h2><p>Last season, the Red Sox got mixed results from a hodge-podge rotation. Tanner Houck was an All-Star but saw his numbers drop off significantly in the second half. Even though they have also added Patrick Sandoval and will have Lucas Giolito coming back from injury, Crochet will be the ace. The new addition will lead the Red Sox in wins in his first season.</p><p>Last year, Crochet only had six wins for the White Sox. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/white-sox-news-jerry-reinsdorf-considering-selling-team-121-loss-season">Considering they only won 41 games</a>, that is actually an impressive number. His 115 ERA+ shows that he was above average last year at preventing runs. With a solid defense behind him, those wins will go up and he will lead the team.</p><p>Giolito is coming off an elbow injury and Sandoval will not be ready for the opening game. Crochet will likely be the Opening Day starter and get the most starts on the team, barring injury. Those variables will help Crochet rack up the wins.</p><h2><b>A top-ten finish in Cy Young voting in Beantown</b></h2><p>The American League was weak in 2024. A Yankees team whose flaws showed in the World Series coasted through the American League playoffs without facing elimination. The AL Cy Young Winner Tarik Skubal isn’t going anywhere and a healthy Gerrit Cole will challenge for the award. But if Corbin Burnes lands back in the National League, the rest of the AL is weak.</p><p>Crochet did not receive any Cy Young votes last season considering his brutal win-loss record. But if he posts similar stats to his 2024 numbers and picks up the wins he deserved last year, he will get Cy Young votes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Way-too-early Garrett Crochet predictions with Red Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/white-sox-news-bullpen-depth-trade-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'White Sox add bullpen depth in trade with Red Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/White-Sox-news-Chicago-adds-bullpen-depth-in-trade-with-Red-Sox.jpg"></figure><h1>White Sox add bullpen depth in trade with Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T19:00:39-08:00">December 21st, 7:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T19:15:03-08:00">December 21st, 7:15pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago White Sox sent All-Star starting pitcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-boston-finalizing-blockbuster-garrett-crochet-trade-white-sox">Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox</a> in a blockbuster trade this offseason. Now the two organizations are collaborating again, agreeing to terms on a slightly less impactful deal.</p><p>Chicago has <a href="https://x.com/CST_soxvan/status/1870621568684200183" rel="noopener">acquired</a> lefty reliever Cam Booser from Boston, per White Sox reporter Daryl Van Schouwen on X. The Red Sox will receive 18-year-old minor leaguer Yhoiker Fajardo in return. In a corresponding move, White Sox’s outfielder Corey Julks was designated for assignment so Booser could be added to the team’s 40-man roster.</p><p>Booser is one of the most interesting players you’ve never heard of. After signing with the Minnesota Twins as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Booser began his professional pitching career in the minors but failed to make it past Single-A ball. As an athlete he endured a broken femur, knee surgery, broken vertebra and labrum surgery before healing up just to be hit by a car that broke his sacrum.</p><p>Still Booser persevered. He returned from the sacrum injury to pitch in High-A but was suspended for 50 games for using cannabis. Ultimately, he decided to take the message and retired in 2017 to work as a carpenter. However, four years later, Booser resurfaced in the independent league. He then got a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022, making it all the way to Double-A before the team released him in the middle of the season. He caught on with the Atlantic League and finally signed with the Red Sox in 2023.</p><p>After holding his own with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, Booser made the 40-man roster in 2024. He then, at long last, made his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/videos/watch/2654/meet-the-31-year-old-mlb-rookie">major-league debut at the age of 31</a>.</p><h2><b>White Sox land left-handed reliever Cam Booser</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cam-Booser.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It being Booser, he was sent back to the minors shortly after. But ultimately he was recalled to Boston and stuck in the majors. And he pitched well for the Red Sox, producing a 3.38 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 42.2 innings over 43 appearances in 2024.</p><p>Now, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtr02bwgnqA&amp;t=16s" rel="noopener">Frank Grimes</a> of baseball will be rewarded for his absurd perseverance and remarkable success by being shipped off to the Chicago White Sox.</p><p>The 2024 White Sox were the worst team in modern baseball history. Chicago lost a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/worst-mlb-teams-history-white-sox-record-breaking-season">record-breaking 121 games</a>. And that was with Garrett Crochet pitching well for the team. The season was so awful that White Sox’s owner <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/white-sox-news-jerry-reinsdorf-considering-selling-team-121-loss-season">Jerry Reinsdorf is considering selling the team</a>.</p><p>But overcoming Chicago’s historic ineptitude will be a comparably small challenge for Booser given his path to the majors. Perhaps Booser, who will turn 33 in May of his sophomore season, is exactly the pitcher to help turn the White Sox around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

White Sox add bullpen depth in trade with Red Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-red-sox-interested-ex-blue-jays-diamondbacks-outfielder');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Red Sox interested in ex-Blue Jays, Diamondbacks outfielder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Red-Sox-interested-in-ex-Blue-Jays-Diamondbacks-outfielder.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Red Sox interested in ex-Blue Jays, Diamondbacks outfielder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T18:43:51-08:00">December 20th, 6:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T18:44:46-08:00">December 20th, 6:44pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox may be simmering on the free agent market after failing to sign their top targets, Juan Soto and Max Fried. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow pivoted and completed a trade with the Chicago White Sox for lefty Garrett Crochet. Acquiring Corbin Burnes seems unlikely following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-red-sox-garrett-crochet-rotation-help-ex-angels-pitcher">Patrick Sandoval signing</a>, and based on <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/20/sports/red-sox-patrick-sandoval-free-agency/" rel="noopener">the latest news</a>, management might be bracing itself to miss out on another high-level talent.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-dodgers-teoscar-hernandez-free-agency-yankees">Teoscar Hernandez has been linked to the Sox</a> for much of the offseason, but Boston is considering another former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder. The Red Sox have interest in Randal Grichuk, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. He will not make the splash that the reigning World Series champion would, but the veteran can give manager Alex Cora reliable depth.</p><h2><b>Will Red Sox go for a low-key signing instead of making another big move?</b></h2><p>Boston’s hunt for a right-handed bat is well-documented by now, with Hernandez jumping out as a prime candidate to fill the need. Though, given the logjam of outfielders brought on by All-Star Jarren Duran, Gold Glove winner Wilyer Abreu, top prospect Roman Anthony and the versatile Ceddanne Rafaela, it might not be practical to invest significant funds in the 32-year-old slugger. Hence, Breslow might prefer a more affordable option.</p><p>Grichuk put together arguably the best season of his 11-year career in 2024, batting .291 with 12 home runs, a .528 slugging percentage and .875 OPS in 106 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He displayed far better judgment at the plate, lowering his strikeout rate by more than five percent. He is not the defensive outfielder he used to be, though, which means Cora would probably employ him as a designated hitter from time to time.</p><p>Considering that Grichuk is a lifetime .252 hitter, there is a decent chance regression will follow in 2025. The 33-year-old can still be a nice depth piece, but Red Sox fans are hoping another high-upside player arrives in Jersey Street before the offseason ends. Second base is still a question mark, and another promising pitcher could do wonders for the staff.</p><p>Whatever Breslow decides to do, he must set up the roster for a playoff run next season. Patience is running thin in Boston. But if an under-the-radar acquisition like Randal Grichuk can get the job done, people will surely get over not having a flashy free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Red Sox interested in ex-Blue Jays, Diamondbacks outfielder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/red-sox-news-red-sox-garrett-crochet-rotation-help-ex-angels-pitcher');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox give Garrett Crochet rotation help with ex-Angels pitcher');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Red-Sox-news-Boston-gives-Garrett-Crochet-rotation-help-with-ex-Angels-pitcher-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Red Sox give Garrett Crochet rotation help with ex-Angels pitcher</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T09:14:37-08:00">December 20th, 9:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T09:14:37-08:00">December 20th, 9:14am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-garrett-crochets-post-trade-workload-admission-get-red-sox-fans-hyped">Boston Red Sox have bolstered their rotation</a> by signing left-hander Patrick Sandoval to a two-year, $18.25 million deal. Sandoval, 28, underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, sidelining him for most of 2024. Despite the injury, the Red Sox <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1870134970884252029" rel="noopener">see value in the lefty</a>, who was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Angels in November.</p><p>“Left-hander Patrick Sandoval and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $18.25 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Sandoval, 28, is coming off Tommy John surgery and expects to return in the second half. He gets a strong deal with Boston looking toward 2026 as well,” Passan reported on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Sandoval is expected to return to the mound in the latter half of the 2025 season, with a more significant role anticipated in 2026. During his Angels tenure, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/world-baseball-classic-news-patrick-sandoval-drops-truth-bomb-after-mexico-stunning-beatdown-team-usa">Sandoval established himself as a capable mid-rotation arm</a>. From 2021 to 2023, he posted a 3.53 ERA across 380 1/3 innings, showcasing his ability to generate swings and misses with an excellent changeup and slider. However, his command remains a concern, as reflected in his 10.2% career walk rate.</p><h2><b>The Red Sox are building for the future</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Patrick-Sandoval.jpg"><figcaption>Robert Edwards-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The 2024 season was particularly challenging for Sandoval. Before his injury, his <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/red-sox-to-sign-patrick-sandoval.html" rel="noopener">ERA spiked to 5.08</a> in 79 2/3 innings. Nevertheless, the Red Sox are betting on his potential. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe<a href="https://x.com/alexspeier/status/1870140837377544492" rel="noopener"> reports</a> that Sandoval will earn $5.5 million in 2025 and $12.75 million in 2026.</p><p>Sandoval’s addition marks a continuation of Boston’s strategy to build a rotation capable of contending in the near future. While he recovers, the Red Sox must rely on Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello. Fellow newcomer Lucas Giolito, also recovering from Tommy John surgery, should return earlier than Sandoval to bolster the rotation.</p><p>The deal underscores Boston’s proactive approach under Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, who is focused on depth and flexibility in a pitching staff riddled with injury concerns. As Speier notes, the Red Sox are still exploring other rotation options, including free agent Corbin Burnes and trade candidates like Mariners ace Luis Castillo and Padres righty Dylan Cease.</p><p>While Sandoval isn’t expected to make an immediate impact, his track record suggests he could emerge as a reliable third or fourth starter once healthy. His ability to strike out batters and manage platoon splits makes him a valuable addition to a rotation with playoff aspirations.</p><p>For now, Boston is hedging its bets on Sandoval’s recovery, but the investment indicates confidence in his ability to contribute meaningfully in the future. If Sandoval can return to his pre-injury form, the Red Sox may have secured a key piece for their long-term rotation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Red Sox give Garrett Crochet rotation help with ex-Angels pitcher

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-2-teams-checking-in-nolan-arenado-astros-trade-snafu');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: The 2 teams checking in on Nolan Arenado after Cardinals-Astros trade snafu');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0The-2-teams-checking-in-on-Nolan-Arenado-after-Astros-trade-snafu0-1.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: The 2 teams checking in on Nolan Arenado after Cardinals-Astros trade snafu</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T09:10:05-08:00">December 19th, 9:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T09:10:05-08:00">December 19th, 9:10am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-blocks-potential-astros-trade">St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros seemed poised to finalize a blockbuster trade</a> involving third baseman Nolan Arenado, but the deal hit a snag when Arenado opted not to waive his full no-trade clause — at least for now. Despite the Astros’ aggressive pursuit, Arenado’s hesitation <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6005277/2024/12/19/nolan-arenado-blocked-cardinals-astros-trade-analysis/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">has left both teams in limbo</a>.</p><p>Discussions between the two clubs reportedly reached advanced stages during the Winter Meetings, and both sides were optimistic that an agreement was imminent. The Astros were prepared to absorb a significant portion of Arenado’s remaining salary, while the Cardinals were only responsible for about $5 million annually. However, Arenado’s reluctance to commit to Houston, coupled with uncertainty surrounding the third-base market, brought negotiations to a halt.</p><p>Arenado’s decision to hold off stemmed from his desire to see how the market for third basemen, particularly free agent Alex Bregman, would unfold, via Katie Woo of The Athletic. Arenado reportedly wanted more clarity about Houston’s long-term direction, particularly after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-mlb-world-shambles-after-astros-cubs-kyle-tucker-trade">Astros traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs.</a></p><h2><b>The Cardinals will continue to seek a trade for Nolan Arenado this offseason</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nolan-Arenado-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak acknowledged the complexities of moving Arenado, who holds a full no-trade clause. “These decisions are not something we ever take lightly,” Mozeliak said earlier this month. “(Arenado) is not demanding a trade. He’s not telling me I have to do it, but I think in the best interest of both sides, I’d like to try to find him someplace to land.”</p><p>The Cardinals are under mounting financial pressure, with declining television revenue and ticket sales prompting ownership to push for payroll reductions. Moving Arenado, who is owed over $60 million in present-day value including deferred salary, would provide significant financial relief. The Astros’ willingness to take on nearly $45 million of that burden made them an ideal trade partner for St. Louis.</p><p>Still, Arenado’s reservations complicate the Cardinals’ offseason plans. Mozeliak indicated the team would continue to explore other trade partners while considering alternative ways to cut payroll. Options could include trading players like Steven Matz or Erick Fedde, both of whom are on expiring deals, though those moves would not provide the same financial impact as dealing Arenado.</p><p>For now, both the Cardinals and Arenado agree that a trade remains the best solution, but timing and market dynamics will dictate the next steps. With teams like the Yankees and Red Sox reportedly keeping tabs, the situation remains fluid. However, unless Arenado’s stance changes, the Cardinals may be forced to pivot their strategy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: The 2 teams checking in on Nolan Arenado after Cardinals-Astros trade snafu

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-red-sox-orioles-luis-castillo-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Red Sox, Orioles named as strong fits for Luis Castillo trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Why-the-Mariners-are-hesitant-about-Luis-Castillo-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Red Sox, Orioles named as strong fits for Luis Castillo trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T08:29:14-08:00">December 17th, 8:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T08:32:39-08:00">December 17th, 8:32am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-boston-finalizing-blockbuster-garrett-crochet-trade-white-sox">Red Sox acquired starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in a trade</a> to bolster their rotation, but they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-3-pitchers-must-consider-after-adding-garrett-crochet">may not be done adding pitching this offseason</a>. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/corbin-burnes-cody-bellinger-alex-bregman-and-more-rumors?partnerID=mlbapp-iOS_article-share">recently named</a> the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles as potential fits for Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo.</p><p>Seattle needs offensive help and Castillo has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate. He still has multiple years remaining on his contract, but the Mariners may still look to move the 32-year-old. Acquiring him will not be an easy feat, however.</p><h2><b>What Luis Castillo can offer a team</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-11-24-castillo-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Castillo, a two-time All-Star, pitched to a respectable 3.64 ERA during the 2024 season. He started 30 games for Seattle and recorded 175 strikeouts across 175.1 innings pitched.</p><p>In 2023, Castillo pitched to a 3.34 ERA while striking out 219 hitters in 197 innings pitched. He was ultimately selected to his second All-Star team during the ’23 campaign as well. He has been one of the better pitchers in the sport over the past couple of seasons.</p><h2><b>Castillo’s potential fit with Red Sox, Orioles</b></h2><p>The Red Sox could still use another starting pitcher or two. Crochet is going to help matters without question, but Boston still has question marks in the rotation.</p><p>The Orioles are another ball club that needs a pitching boost, especially with Corbin Burnes set to possibly leave in MLB free agency. Baltimore has been competitive in recent seasons, but adding a veteran pitcher such as Castillo could help them take a step forward.</p><p>The Mariners may not even end up trading Castillo. Nothing is guaranteed to come to fruition. If Seattle expresses interest in a trade, however, the Red Sox and Orioles will be potential suitors. Other teams will probably reach out to the Mariners as well, as Luis Castillo can provide a massive boost to any rotation around the league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Red Sox, Orioles named as strong fits for Luis Castillo trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/red-sox-3-pitchers-must-consider-after-adding-garrett-crochet');   ga('set', 'title', '3 pitchers Red Sox must consider after adding Garrett Crochet');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Red-Sox-must-pivot-to-after-losing-Max-Fried-to-Yankees.jpg"></figure><h1>3 pitchers Red Sox must consider after adding Garrett Crochet</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T21:20:04-08:00">December 15th, 9:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T21:20:16-08:00">December 15th, 9:20pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Move over Toronto Blue Jays, you have company. The Boston Red Sox joined their American League East roommate and foe in the undesirable “spurned by superstars” club after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-alex-cora-breaks-silence-juan-soto-pursuit-massive-mets-deal">failing to sign either Juan Soto</a> or Max Fried. They did not tend to their heartbreak for long, however. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow directed his attention to the trade market and finally <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-garrett-crochet-offers-bittersweet-comment-white-sox-trade">acquired an All-Star pitcher</a> in the form of Garrett Crochet.</p><p>Since throwing money at high-end free agents did not work, the Red Sox are going back to the well, the Chicago White Sox left-handed starter well, that is. Chris Sale won a World Series with the franchise, and the hope is that Crochet can help vault it back into contention.</p><p>Another premium arm is needed, though. Boston has a wealth of in-house resources that it can use to help rebuild a prosperous culture, but the foundation might still be unable to support an inadequate pitching staff. This trade alone is not guaranteed to put an end to the annual second-half slumber problem. The starting rotation is still lacking stability at the top.</p><p>Breslow cannot advance to spring training without solidifying the unit. It is best to keep fishing in the free agency pool, even though his most recent expeditions have gone awry. When nothing bites, it is all too tempting to pack everything up. But maybe Boston just needs better bait, or a different spot.</p><p>The Red Sox must learn from their mistakes and figure out how to reel in the trophy trout. There are three pitchers who can potentially fill that role for them this offseason.</p><h2><b>Corbin Burnes is the new man in demand</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Corbin-Burnes_73fa03.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Crochet is a strikeout fiend, punching out 209 batters in only 146 innings of work. He is young, supremely talented and under club control for two more seasons. The southpaw is also unpredictable, though. The White Sox coddled him in the latter part of the 2024 campaign, preserving him with the purpose of optimizing his health and trade value. They succeeded, and now the onus is on Boston to consider his risks.</p><p>Aside from Crochet’s medical history, which includes Tommy John surgery, he is also a bit bold. The 24-year-old made an off-putting <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-white-sox-reason-not-trading-garrett-crochet">list of demands</a> when his name was swirling around the rumor mill last summer, so fans should be on their toes. When taking account of the variables that exist, it is important for Breslow to reinforce the pitching staff with one more major acquisition.</p><p>Since the start of the decade, Corbin Burnes has been one of the steadiest starters in the sport. He is understandably going to flirt with historic dollar figures, but the Red Sox have already flashed their teeth in the Soto and Fried negotiations. There is no reason to hold back when a former Cy Young and four-time All-Star is available. Being content with Garrett Crochet does not fit with the revamped model that management has promised the city.</p><p>Ownership needs to grant Breslow permission to chase Burnes at full speed. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-giants-blue-jays-leading-pack-corbin-burnes-free-agency">If he signs with the San Francisco Giants</a> or another team, then so be it. People will relentlessly mock the Fenway Sports Group, even more than they have, but the alternative is far more unsettling. Boston should be in the hunt for remaining free-agent hurlers, and the durable righty tops them all.</p><p>The 2.92 ERA and 181 Ks he recorded for the Baltimore Orioles last season should make him feel comfortable about sticking in the AL East.</p><h2><b>Red Sox can try to woo Roki Sasaki</b></h2><p>Less than a month ago, it felt like a foregone conclusion that Japanese star Roki Sasaki would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many still expect him to join countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it does not appear to be a one-horse race. The young right-hander’s appeal is wide-ranging and his expenses are affordable, which means he has plenty of proposals to mull over.</p><p>Boston’s should be one of them. While moving to the United States is a surreal undertaking for anyone who resides in Asia, it could be especially difficult for a player to venture out to the Northeast. But one man’s chore can be another’s reprieve. Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolf spoke about his client’s<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/roki-sasaki-agent-eye-opening-comment-frustrate-dodgers-yankees"> rough experiences with the Japanese media</a>, opening the possibility of the 23-year-old deciding to drift far away from the Pacific Ocean.</p><p>The Red Sox remain a recognizable brand and one of the most valuable MLB franchises, but their market can give a new star some space to breathe. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-dodgers-not-roki-sasaki-favorite">If Sasaki jumps to the Dodgers</a> as anticipated, the coverage will be incessant. He will be marketed as part of a trio along with Ohtani and Yamamoto, making it challenging for him to escape the media circus or stand on his own. The hype will still be towering in Boston, reaching past the Green Monster, but he will not be tasked with being a global phenomenon.</p><p>And for some guys, that is actually a more attractive option, particularly when they are playing on their first big-league contract. Though, if the two-time Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star is the type to get homesick, he would have a familiar face with him on the Sox in Masataka Yoshida. In return, the Fenway faithful would ardently appreciate Sasaki’s eye-catching fastball and bountiful ability.</p><h2><b>Jack Flaherty can round out the Sox’s starting staff</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jack-Flaherty-in-action-for-Dodgers.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With attention fixed on the highly credible Corbin Burnes and the electric Roki Sasaki, Jack Flaherty can be misconstrued as an underwhelming choice by comparison. Let’s not forget, however, that this is a former first-rounder who recorded 194 strikeouts in 162 innings last season. He is flashy enough for the Red Sox.</p><p>Moreover, the World Series champion also contains substance. He recovered from a concerning 2023 and looked like a legitimate All-Star in 2024. Flaherty notched a 3.17 ERA across his time with the Detroit Tigers and LA Dodgers, coming through clutch in the final year of his contract. His overall rough playoff numbers (7.36 ERA in five starts) minimize the important role he occupied in October.</p><p>The Dodgers were once again yearning for pitching, as Tyler Glasnow and a handful of others spent their postseason on the injured list and Yamamoto eased his way back into the rotation. Flaherty gave manager Dave Roberts crucial innings at crucial junctures, allowing the bullpen to stay fresh as possible. Boston skipper Alex Cora will ask him to do the same, so as not to burn out his relievers.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-jack-flaherty-firm-los-angeles-message-ahead-free-agency">Flaherty’s heart clearly belongs to the Dodgers</a> and California, a potential issue whenever a lucrative multi-year deal is on the table, but Red Sox Nation has an uncanny ability of romancing supposed outsiders fairly quickly. The fact that he could indeed become the team’s X-factor ought to please his ego, too.</p><p>Regardless of if the organization swings big for an ace or settles for a pitcher on the next tier down, it has to capitalize on the Garrett Crochet trade. One headline-making pleases the masses. Another increases the likelihood that true change will take shape on Jersey Street.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 pitchers Red Sox must consider after adding Garrett Crochet

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/red-sox-news-boston-small-trade-pirates-garrett-crochet-blockbuster');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox make small trade with Pirates after Garrett Crochet blockbuster');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Red-Sox-news-Boston-makes-small-trade-with-Pirates-after-Garrett-Crochet-blockbuster.jpg"></figure><h1>Red Sox make small trade with Pirates after Garrett Crochet blockbuster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T12:31:03-08:00">December 15th, 12:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T12:31:03-08:00">December 15th, 12:31pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox kicked their offseason into hyperdrive when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-craig-breslow-garrett-crochet-trade">swung a massive trade for Garrett Crochet</a>. However, it wasn’t the only trade the Red Sox made before the calendar flipped to 2025.</p><p>Utility man Enmanuel Valdez <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/42985503/pirates-acquire-enmanuel-valdez-trade-red-sox" rel="noopener">has been dealt</a> to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Joe Vogatsky, via the Associated Press. Boston had previously designated Valdez for assignment.</p><p>Valdez made it into 76 games for the Red Sox in 2024, hitting .214 with six home runs and 28 RBI. While he increased his home run output, Valdez had the same number of home runs as 2023, when he appeared in just 49 games. Furthermore, he had a better batting average (.266) and stole four more bases.</p><p>While he has experience playing all over the diamond, Valdez’s primary position is second base. After hitting .248 with eight home runs, 28 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 2024, David Hamilton seems to have a solid grasp on the job. Boston decided they preferred other utility options on the roster.</p><p>Vogatsky was a 19th-rounder in the 2024 MLB Draft. In four collegiate seasons at James Madison, he held a 9-9 record with a 5.24 ERA and a 126/59 K/BB ratio. Overall, it’s a dart throw lottery pick for the Red Sox.</p><p>As for the Pirates, they’re hoping Enmanuel Valdez could be their next reclamation project. Joey Bart is the recent of the bunch going from San Francisco Giants bust to key catcher. Of course, Valdez may not be on that level, but that’s what the Pirates are hoping for.</p><p>Valdez did hit .254 with 100 home runs, 390 RBI and 48 steals over his 594 games in the minor leagues. He earned his call up to the majors.</p><p>Still, Valdez’s trade will get swept under the rug <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/garrett-crochet-trade-grades-for-red-sox-white-sox">in the midst of Garrett Crochet’s hype</a>. But it’s another sign that Boston is committed to tinkering with their roster and finding their perfect fit for the 2025 campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Red Sox make small trade with Pirates after Garrett Crochet blockbuster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-why-mariners-hesitant-luis-castillo-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Why the Mariners are hesitant about Luis Castillo trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Why-the-Mariners-are-hesitant-about-Luis-Castillo-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Why the Mariners are hesitant about Luis Castillo trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T21:45:28-08:00">December 14th, 9:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T21:53:23-08:00">December 14th, 9:53pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Mariners blew a sizable division lead last season as the team was ultimately overtaken by the AL West-winning Houston Astros. Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-mariners-rays-blockbuster-randy-arozarena-trade">buying at the trade deadline</a> Seattle missed the playoffs for the 22nd time in the last 23 years. Still, the Mariners boasted one of the best rotations in the majors. Now the team must decide if it’s willing to move one of those starters in an effort to improve a putrid offense.</p><p>A <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-luis-castillo-gets-message-mariners-amid-intensifying-trade-rumors">trade market has developed for Luis Castillo</a> this offseason as a number of teams have shown interest in acquiring the veteran pitcher. While the Mariners are intrigued by a potential trade, the organization is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5994597/2024/12/14/mariners-luis-castillo-trade-mlb-offseason-notes/?redirected=1" rel="noopener">hesitant</a> to give up the eighth-year righty, according to Ken Rosenthal on The Athletic.</p><p>The “hesitancy in trading Castillo stems in part from their gap between their top five starters and their next wave,” Rosenthal writes. “Their depth figures to improve in time… But at the moment, a trade of Castillo might leave them perilously thin.”</p><p>It’s hard to imagine the Mariners struggling with their rotation, even with a Castillo trade. Logan Gilbert established himself as an ace, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mariners-news-logan-gilbert-all-star-revelation-parents-unbelievably-heartwarming">earning his first All-Star Game nod in 2024</a> while George Kirby produced another excellent season. Behind them, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo both made massive second-year leaps. And while former sixth overall draft pick Emerson Hancock failed to break out in 2024, bouncing between the majors to the minors, he’s still expected to be a big part of Seattle’s future.</p><h2><b>Will the Mariners hold onto veteran starter Luis Castillo?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Luis-Castillo-1.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Castillo is easily the oldest of that group at 32. He’s also by far the highest paid pitcher on the Mariners’ staff. In fact, Castillo is the second-highest paid player on the team. After Seattle landed the pitcher in a midseason trade with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, the Mariners <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mariners-lock-up-trade-deadline-acquisition-luis-castillo-on-5-year-108-million-extension">signed him to a five-year, $108 million contract</a>. His current deal takes him through the 2027 season.</p><p>That contract also included a no-trade clause, which means that Castillo will have to sign off on any potential deal Seattle puts together.</p><p>Despite landing Garrett Crochet in a trade with the Chicago White Sox the Boston Red Sox are still looking to add starting pitching. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-mariners-pitcher-garrett-crochet-trade">Boston has shown interest in Castillo</a>. Of course, the Red Sox are not alone as the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets have all inquired about the Mariners’ veteran.</p><p>If the Mariners decide to trade Castillo, they’ll have an opportunity to improve one of the weakest offenses in baseball. Trading the three-time All-Star would not only add prospects to the mix but also free up cash that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-mariners-to-make-strong-push-for-free-agent-if-luis-castillo-trade-happens">Seattle could use to sign a free agent</a>. The Mariners have their eye on first baseman Christian Walker. With Castillo off the books, they could have the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-how-red-sox-help-mariners-christian-walker-free-agency">space to sign the former Diamondback</a>. Whether that’s the best move for the team, given Walker’s age and the market for his services, remains to be seen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Why the Mariners are hesitant about Luis Castillo trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-how-red-sox-help-mariners-christian-walker-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: How Red Sox can help Mariners land Christian Walker in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-How-Red-Sox-can-help-Mariners-land-Christian-Walker-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: How Red Sox can help Mariners land Christian Walker in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T07:58:27-08:00">December 14th, 7:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T07:58:27-08:00">December 14th, 7:58am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The MLB rumor mill is running quite hot right now, and one player teams are keeping an eye on in free agency is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-yankees-competition-christian-walker-free-agency-pursuit">star first baseman Christian Walker</a>. With several big names already off the board, teams are beginning to pivot to Walker, and it sounds like he is the Seattle Mariners top free agent target. The problem is that he’s currently out of their price range, which is why a potential blockbuster trade with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-garrett-crochets-post-trade-workload-admission-get-red-sox-fans-hyped">Boston Red Sox</a> could be in the works.</p><p>Even though the Sox just traded for Garrett Crochet, they need pitching this offseason, and the Mariners have a ton of top-line starters at their disposal that they could be comfortable moving off of. Recent rumors have popped up suggesting that Boston could <a href="https://x.com/pgammo/status/1867579515607679316?s=46" rel="noopener">pursue a trade</a> for Luis Castillo, as that would help Seattle free up the money needed to make a serious run for Walker.</p><p>“The hitter the Mariners would love to get is Christian Walker, which for now is out of their price range. As another GM suggested this morning, ‘Craig Breslow is tireless, he’s really smart, and if he can clear Castillo’s money, give Seattle help elsewhere and allow them to get Walker, maybe he gets Castillo,'” Peter Gammons reported on X, formerly Twitter.</p><h2><b>Should Mariners trade Luis Castillo to Red Sox, pursue Christian Walker?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Diamondbacks-first-baseman-Christian-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Owen Ziliak-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Red Sox and Mariners have been discussing a trade involving a starting pitcher for awhile now, but to this point nothing has materialized. Boston was reportedly offering Triston Casas, who is a first baseman, to Seattle, but it didn’t move the needle. That may be because of the Mariners desire to land Walker, and if they need to unload some salary, that could open the door for the Sox to add Castillo.</p><p>Of course, the Mariners aren’t just going to give Castillo, who is still an ace-caliber pitcher, to the Red Sox for free, and trading him just to have a shot at landing Walker would be a big risk. Boston is remaining relentless in their pursuit of a pitcher from Seattle, though, and maybe this angle will help them be able to pull off their second blockbuster trade for a starter this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: How Red Sox can help Mariners land Christian Walker in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/white-sox-news-key-garrett-crochet-trade-piece-surprised-by-move-chicago');   ga('set', 'title', 'Key Garrett Crochet trade piece ‘surprised’ by White Sox move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/White-Sox-news-Key-Garrett-Crochet-trade-piece-surprised-by-move-to-Chicago.jpg"></figure><h1>Key Garrett Crochet trade piece ‘surprised’ by White Sox move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-13T18:02:06-08:00">December 13th, 6:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-13T18:06:23-08:00">December 13th, 6:06pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox were finally able to light a spark in the offseason, and they used a familiar match to do it. In <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-garrett-crochet-red-sox-trade-give-white-sox-fans-ptsd">a throwback to the 2016 Chris Sale trade</a>, the front office acquired another left-handed starting pitcher from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon. Garrett Crochet is being charged with restoring the American League East squad to a contender, but attaining that type of potential does not come cheap.</p><p>Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow relinquished a hefty haul of young talent for the 2024 All-Star, which includes the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/top100/" rel="noopener">No. 25 ranked prospect in MLB</a>. Kyle Teel was tapped to be Boston’s catcher of the future, with his debut expected sometime in 2025, but he is now a core part of the White Sox’s long-term plans. Needless to say, he had to take a few minutes <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/12/13/blindsided-by-trade-top-catching-prospect-ryan-teel-says-hes-excited-about-switch-from-w" rel="noopener">to process the huge news</a>.</p><p>“I definitely didn’t see it coming at all,” Teel said, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Completely, completely surprised. The emotion I felt was surprise at first but then excited as it settled in. And ready to go.”</p><h2><b>White Sox continue their march toward a hopeful future</b></h2><p>The White Sox already have an acclaimed catcher in Edgar Quero (No. 59 MLB prospect), but Teel’s offensive upside warrants an MLB roster slot in the near future. He batted a hair under .300 while blasting 11 home runs and 60 RBIs in 84 games with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs last season. While his numbers did dip in Triple-A (.255 batting average and two homers in 123 plate appearances), the talent is undeniable.</p><p>Chicago desperately hopes that Teel can realize his promise in the next few years. The 22-year-old headlines <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/garrett-crochet-trade-grades-for-red-sox-white-sox">a Garrett Crochet trade package</a> that features another first-round draft pick in former Texas A&amp;M star outfielder Braden Montgomery. Opportunities should be plentiful on a team that lost an MLB-record 121 games in 2024.</p><p>The Red Sox escaped the AL East basement, but they still have change to affect. Both franchises are counting on the Crochet move to be the catalyst for a major turnaround. It will be extremely interesting to see how this deal looks when the ink dries in the history books.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Key Garrett Crochet trade piece ‘surprised’ by White Sox move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/red-sox-news-garrett-crochets-post-trade-workload-admission-get-red-sox-fans-hyped');   ga('set', 'title', 'Garrett Crochet’s post-trade workload admission will get Red Sox fans hyped');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Red-Sox-news-Garrett-Crochets-post-trade-workload-admission-will-get-Boston-fans-hyped.jpg"><figcaption>12/13/24</figcaption></figure><h1>Garrett Crochet’s post-trade workload admission will get Red Sox fans hyped</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-13T17:25:04-08:00">December 13th, 5:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-13T17:25:04-08:00">December 13th, 5:25pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-eyeing-former-all-star-garrett-crochet-trade">Boston Red Sox made a big move</a> during he Winter Meetings when they traded four prospects to the Chicago White Sox for ace left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet. Even though he pitched for the worst team in the history of modern Major League Baseball, Crochet established himself as a pitcher with dominant stuff who has the talent to become a team’s ace.</p><p>The left-handed starter is eager to pitch for manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox in front of their supportive fan base. “It’s an electric atmosphere and the fans are knowledgeable about baseball, and not every fanbase can say that,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5993188/2024/12/13/red-sox-garrett-crochet-trade-reaction/">he said</a>. “That along with, they expect you to win and they expect you to be great because they’ve seen it before. And that’s the main thing I’m looking forward to.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-mariners-pitcher-garrett-crochet-trade">The Red Sox are hoping to make</a> some additional moves throughout the offseason. They could be interested in adding another pitcher as well as at least one more bat to add to the lineup. The Red Sox were in the market for Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves, but they were outbid by the New York Yankees.</p><p>They could get involved in bidding for Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes or they could find a trade partner for another hurler.</p><h2><b>Crochet is the big Red Sox addition to this point</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Garrett-Crochet-says-he-will-handle-a-heavy-workload-for-the-Boston-Red-Sox.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>However, until the Red Sox find a new pitcher to add to the fold, Crochet will get the majority of the attention.</p><p>He said he hopes to be a much different type of pitcher than he was for the White Sox. When he took the mound for Chicago, he was often limited in pitch count or innings. He does not want to be held back or protected when he pitches for the Red Sox.</p><p>“It was frustrating in a lot of ways, but at the same time, I understood the usage concerns,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5993188/2024/12/13/red-sox-garrett-crochet-trade-reaction/">he said</a>, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. “Going from 12 to 100 (innings) would be seen as a big jump and just even being that close to 150 (innings) is a lot greater. There were a lot of things I was working on in the second half that I felt like I could have expanded had the innings been a little bit more normal.</p><p>“In terms of how long my leash will be, I hope to not even be wearing a collar come the second half next year.”</p><p>The Red Sox sent former first-round picks catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery, along with infielder Chase Meidroth and starter Wikelman Gonzalez to Chicago for a chance to raise their American League East profile.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Garrett Crochet’s post-trade workload admission will get Red Sox fans hyped

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-alex-bregman-linked-astros-yankees-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Alex Bregman linked to Astros, Yankees, Red Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Alex-Bregman-linked-to-Astros-Yankees-Red-Sox.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Alex Bregman linked to Astros, Yankees, Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-13T07:43:27-08:00">December 13th, 7:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-13T07:43:27-08:00">December 13th, 7:43am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Alex Bregman has spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Houston Astros. With seven ALCS appearances and two titles, he is a bona fide franchise legend. Now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-3-best-alex-bregman-free-agency-destinations">Bregman is choosing his next destination in free agency</a>. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are vying for his services <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1867578889028964593" rel="noopener">but a return</a> to Houston has not been ruled out. MLB Network insider Jon Morosi expanded on Friday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Three big market teams… Astros, Yankees, Red Sox all potential fits for Alex Bregman."</p><p>– <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jonmorosi</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBNHotStove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLBNHotStove</a> <a href="https://t.co/vfRYv6y0Rl">pic.twitter.com/vfRYv6y0Rl</a></p><p>— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1867578889028964593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“That positional versatility could be very applicable to the Boston Red Sox and their interest in Alex Bregman. The Yankees are involved, as are, of course, the Houston Astros. We’ll see how everything unfolds with Kyle Tucker.”</p><p>Morosi references positional versatility with Bregman because reports surfaced that he would be willing to move positions for the right team. The Red Sox have Rafael Devers locked in long-term, so Bregman could be a second baseman. He also mentions Kyle Tucker, who is on the trade block from the Astros. Morosi dives deeper into the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-kyle-tucker-alex-bregman-on-yankees-radar-after-losing-juan-soto">connection between a Tucker trade</a> and Bregman’s decision.</p><p>“I do think the Tucker trade possibility is linked to Bregman in a couple of ways. If the Astros trade Tucker away and bring back some prospects, that may allow them to be potentially more aggressive to bring back Bregman. But then again, if they trade him to Chicago and get Isaac Paredes in that deal maybe he becomes their third baseman and Bregman goes elsewhere.”</p><h2><b>Alex Bregman looking for a home in free agency</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Alex-Bregman-with-Houston-Astros-6.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Winter Meetings are over but that does not mean every big free agent is signed. Juan Soto was the first domino to fall and many others fell after him. Max Fried, Nathan Eovaldi, Willy Adames, and Garrett Crochet have all found homes. Bregman is one of the biggest names left and should make his decision soon.</p><p>The Red Sox should be the highest bidder in this sweepstakes. If they add a right-handed hitter in free agency, that frees up a potential trade from their left-handed surplus. Tristan Casas is a trade candidate and Devers could move to first. They have a lot to make up for after not spending big in free agency for the past half-decade.</p><p>The Yankees could use a strong infield defender, which Bregman is, after signing Max Fried. They struggled at most infield positions last year and signed one of the best ground ball pitchers in the league. Bringing in Bregman would be the best possible move for their 2025 squad.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Alex Bregman linked to Astros, Yankees, Red Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/red-sox-news-garrett-crochet-offers-bittersweet-comment-white-sox-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Garrett Crochet offers ‘bittersweet’ comment after White Sox trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Red-Sox-news-Garrett-Crochet-offers-bittersweet-comment-after-White-Sox-trade.jpg"><figcaption>12/12/24</figcaption></figure><h1>Garrett Crochet offers ‘bittersweet’ comment after White Sox trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T17:50:49-08:00">December 12th, 5:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T18:36:50-08:00">December 12th, 6:36pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-red-sox-eyeing-former-all-star-garrett-crochet-trade">Boston Red Sox made one big move</a> during the recently completed Winter Meetings. They traded four prospects to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Garrett Crochet. In many ways, it was a move the Red Sox had to make because Juan Soto had left the Yankees and signed with the Mets, and then the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-max-fried-ny-agree-8-year-218-million-deal-free-agency">Yankees responded by signing Max Fried</a> away from the Braves</p><p>The Red Sox had reportedly been in the market for both players, but when Mets owner Steve Cohen makes up his mind that he is going to make an aggressive move for a player, he is not going to miss. Cohen and the Mets signed Soto to a <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id/25959/juan-soto" rel="noopener">15-year</a>, $765 million contract.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/beantown-rundown-red-sox-havent-delivered-promise-garrett-crochet-trade">The Red Sox organization</a> has pledged to the team’s fans that it would get involved in seriously upgrading the organization this year, and trading for the fire-balling Crochet is the team’s first major move. Crochet was dominating at times for the White Sox, a major accomplishment because the South Siders set the modern-day Major League record for having the worst won-loss mark in Major League history.</p><h2><b>Crochet made the All-Star team for the White Sox</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Garrett-Crochet-will-try-to-bolster-the-Boston-pitching-rotation.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Crochet’s won-loss record was just 6-12, he had a 3.58 earned run average while making 32 starts for the White Sox and pitching 146.0 innings. He showed overpowering velocity at several points in the season, striking out 209 batters and demonstrating a fastball that simply got the best of some of the game’s best hitters.</p><p>He was the lone White Sox player to earn a spot on the American League All-Star team.</p><p>Crochet said <a href="https://x.com/scottmerkin/status/1867343776651575508" rel="noopener">he had some emotional feelings</a> about leaving the White Sox because that was the team that had drafted him in 2020 and helped develop him into a starting Major League pitcher.</p><p>“There’s definitely a bittersweet feeling,” Crochet explained. “Feeling like the White Sox were the team that first believed in me. But I guess this game is such a business side of things that I’m just excited to be a Red Sox now.”</p><p>The Red Sox traded catcher Kyle Teel (their No. 4 prospect), outfielder Braden Montgomery (No. 6), infielder Chase Meidroth (No. 8), and pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez (No. 23) for Crochet.</p><p>Teel may be the best of the prospects for the White Sox. He has excellent offensive tools and looks like he has a chance to be a key player for a decade or more. Montgomery has a superstar’s aura and personality and can do multiple things well on the field.</p><p>Meidroth does not offer power, but he excels at getting on base, while Gonzalez has a strong arm.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Garrett Crochet offers ‘bittersweet’ comment after White Sox trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/white-sox-news-garrett-crochet-chicago-2024-season-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Garrett Crochet drops NSFW take on White Sox’s 2024 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/White-Sox-news-Garrett-Crochet-drops-NSFW-take-on-Chicagos-2024-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Garrett Crochet drops NSFW take on White Sox’s 2024 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T16:26:33-08:00">December 12th, 4:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T16:44:15-08:00">December 12th, 4:44pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-boston-finalizing-blockbuster-garrett-crochet-trade-white-sox">Chicago White Sox recently agreed to trade Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox</a>. Crochet had been mentioned in trade rumors over the past year before finally getting dealt to Boston. Chicago struggled mightily in 2024 en route to an all-time bad season, and Crochet <a href="https://x.com/scottmerkin/status/1867328015341945117" rel="noopener">addressed</a> the White Sox’s forgettable campaign after the trade was announced.</p><p>“I remember so many games where I would get in the car on the way home and be like, ‘What the f**k just happened?’ The [Travis] Jankowski robbing the home run,” Crochet said via Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “It was like, ‘Dude, what is going on?'”</p><p>Garrett Crochet is referring to a moment that occurred late in the 2024 season. In late August, White Sox slugger Andrew Vaughn hit what appeared to be a walk-off three-run home run against the Texas Rangers. With the White Sox trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning, Vaughn took a big swing and connected, sending the ball to left field.</p><p>However, Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski robbed Vaughn of a home run, ultimately taking a potential victory away from Chicago.</p><p>The Rangers would hold on to win 4-3.</p><p>Video via Talkin’ Baseball:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">TRAVIS JANKOWSKI SAVES THE GAME OMG <a href="https://t.co/qXeFic8lHu">pic.twitter.com/qXeFic8lHu</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1828989577530368450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The White Sox finished the season with an alarmingly bad 41-121 record. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/garrett-crochet-trade-grades-for-red-sox-white-sox">Crochet is set to join a Red Sox team</a> that went 81-81 this past season. Boston hopes to improve in 2025, but the deal represents an upgrade for Crochet.</p><p>However, the trade will also lead to more pressure. Fenway Park is not an easy ball park to pitch in. Additionally, Boston offers a large market with intense fans. It will be a change for Crochet, but he is ready for the challenge.</p><p>The Red Sox are looking to make further upgrades as well, as they hope to make a 2025 postseason run. The Garrett Crochet addition will unquestionably help Boston take a step forward, though.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Garrett Crochet drops NSFW take on White Sox’s 2024 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/red-sox-news-gm-rafael-devers-move-alex-bregman-interest');   ga('set', 'title', 'GM shuts down Rafael Devers move amid Alex Bregman interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Red-Sox-news-GM-shuts-down-Rafael-Devers-move-amid-Alex-Bregman-interest.jpg"></figure><h1>GM shuts down Rafael Devers move amid Alex Bregman interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T15:26:42-08:00">December 12th, 3:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T15:26:42-08:00">December 12th, 3:26pm</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox have shown interest in a few third basemen this offseason, sparking rumors about a potential position change for Rafael Devers. However, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow and the team remain steadfast in their stance that Devers <a href="https://www.twitter.com/BOSSportsGordo/status/1867234728371253425" rel="noopener">will stay at third base</a>.</p><h2><b>The Boston Red Sox staying committed to Rafael Devers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rafael-Dever-playing-for-the-Red-Sox.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“Rafael Devers is our third baseman and we are really excited about that,” the Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer told WEEI’s Jones and Keefe.</p><p>“I think last year, we saw some improvement in terms of the way he was able to move, particularly to his left, which had not been as comfortable for him as to his right. And then toward the middle of the season, after there was a stretch where he almost singlehandedly carried the team for a number of weeks, he had a knee injury, two shoulder injuries,” Breslow continued.</p><p>Back in September, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-rafael-devers-season-done-latest-injury-update">Rafael Devers was sidelined with shoulder inflammation</a> and placed on the injured list. With a little over a week remaining in the regular season and the Red Sox out of postseason contention, the team opted for a cautious approach.</p><p>“I think that affected him probably more than he was willing to let on, because he wanted to play every day, wanted to do whatever it is that he could to help our team win,” continued Breslow. “He’s working hard right now. Obviously, we made some changes to our coaching staff and feel like we’re going to get the best out of him.”</p><p>Devers’ offensive prowess is undeniable, but his defensive performance remains a concern. Despite recording a career-low 12 errors last season, he once again topped American League third basemen in fielding mistakes for the seventh consecutive year. In 2020, he led all of MLB with 14 errors in just 57 games, and his 19 errors in 2023 tied him with Detroit’s Javier Baez for the most in the American League.</p><h2><b>Devers staying in the hot corner despite Red Sox talks of other third-basemen</b></h2><p>A shift to first base could potentially benefit Devers defensively, but with Triston Casas firmly holding that position, such a move seems unlikely. A full-time transition to designated hitter might be a more fitting option down the line in his career, though it appears the Red Sox aren’t considering that possibility at this stage.</p><p>Rafael Devers appeared in 130 games last season, posting a career-best .960 fielding percentage. However, speculation about the Red Sox possibly targeting free agent Alex Bregman or pursuing a trade for Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado has sparked discussions about a potential position shift for Devers.</p><p>Reports earlier this week suggested that while team president Sam Kennedy and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-alex-cora-eye-opening-alex-bregman-endorsement-fuel-boston-rumors">Alex Cora are interested in bringing in Alex Bregman</a>—who might shift to second base—Craig Breslow appears less enthusiastic about the move.</p><p>When asked on Thursday, Breslow declined to comment on the team’s possible pursuit of Bregman but dismissed claims of any internal discord within the front office.</p><p>Although Alex Bregman wouldn’t take over third base with Devers currently holding that spot (and potentially shifting to first base or DH down the line), reports suggest Bregman is open to playing second base, a move that could align well with Boston’s needs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

GM shuts down Rafael Devers move amid Alex Bregman interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-red-sox-eyeing-former-all-star-garrett-crochet-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Red Sox eyeing former All-Star after Garrett Crochet trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Red-Sox-eyeing-former-All-Star-after-Garrett-Crochet-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Red Sox eyeing former All-Star after Garrett Crochet trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T14:18:57-08:00">December 12th, 2:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T14:18:57-08:00">December 12th, 2:18pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-craig-breslow-garrett-crochet-trade">Red Sox found their ace when they landed Garrett Crochet</a> in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. However, that doesn’t mean Boston is done adding to their pitching rotation.</p><p>Instead, the Red Sox <a href="https://x.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1867242626061086880" rel="noopener">have shown interest</a> in long-time Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means, via Chris Cotillo of MassLive. While not as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/garrett-crochet-trade-grades-for-red-sox-white-sox">groundbreaking as their Crochet trade</a>, adding Means would give the Sox a serviceable veteran at the backend of their rotation.</p><p>The left-hander has spent his entire seven year career with the Orioles, appearing in 78 games. Means has pitched to a 23-26 record with a 3.68 ERA and a 334/79 K/BB ratio. His best season came back in 2019, when Means was named an All-Star for the first and only time in his career so far. The lefty held a 12-11 record, 3.60 ERA and 121/38 K/BB ratio.</p><p>However, the biggest problems Means has faced is injury. He has pitched in just 10 games since 2022, including a measly four during the 2024 campaign. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022, he was forced to have the same procedure once again in May of 2024.</p><p>If the Red Sox are showing serious interest, then they must feel comfortable with Means’ current medical records. Still, there will be some concerns for any team that signs him.</p><p>But it’s not like John Means is going to cost a fortune. The Red Sox are likely to lose Nick Pivetta in free agency, and even with Crochet they still have holes. In the four games Means did play in 2024, he impressed, holding a 2.61 ERA and a 16/2 K/BB ratio.</p><p>That is the pitcher Boston would be hoping for should they secure his signature. Means won’t make much noise and if signed soon enough would continued to be drowned out by Crochet’s shadow. However, if fully healthy, the lefty is a low-risk, high-reward type player for the Red Sox. In a competitive AL East, he could be the secret weapon they need.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Red Sox eyeing former All-Star after Garrett Crochet trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bombshell-signing-red-sox-make-garret-crochet-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'The bombshell signing Red Sox must make after Garret Crochet trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-bombshell-signing-Red-Sox-must-make-after-Garret-Crochet-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>The bombshell signing Red Sox must make after Garret Crochet trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T07:40:30-08:00">December 12th, 7:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T07:40:30-08:00">December 12th, 7:40am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox made the biggest trade of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/garrett-crochet-trade-grades-for-red-sox-white-sox">Winter Meetings by acquiring Garrett Crochet</a>. They sent four of their top 15 prospects to the Chicago White Sox for the lefty starters. But after a disappointing season, they need more than just one pitcher. The Red Sox should hit free agency to add Alex Bregman to their 2025 squad.</p><p>The Astros legend hits free agency after nine seasons in Houston. He is not a lock to leave Space City just yet, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-astros-156-million-alex-bregman-dreams-unlikely-to-come-to-fruition">they have offered him a contract that should be competitive</a>. But the Red Sox have not spent big money in free agency since signing David Price before the 2016 season. They must buck that trend by signing Bregman to a massive contract.</p><p>The Red Sox did spend money this season by retaining manager Alex Cora. He was in the last year of his contract and rumors were swirling that his time in Beantown could be ending. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/red-sox-news-boston-alex-cora-agree-3-year-contract-extension">Cora signed a three-year extension</a> worth over $7 million per season. He was hired after a successful run as the bench coach in Houston.</p><p>There is a history between Cora and Bregman, one an Astros hater would tell you involves cheating their way to a World Series. But familiarity is important in free agency and the Red Sox have that over other involved teams. He is also a fit for Boston, a team full of left-handed hitters.</p><p>Rafael Devers could make the move from third base to first base if Bregman comes to the Red Sox. That would make Tristan Casas available via trade, which could mean another big addition to their starting rotation. Adding Bregman does not have to be the last addition while also keeping payroll relatively low.</p><h2><b>The Red Sox signing Alex Bregman would mean trading Tristan Casas</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Alex-Bregman-with-Houston-Astros-5.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Casas is one of the many young left-handed hitters on the Red Sox. Between Devers, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida, they have plenty of lefties. Adding Bregman and trading Casas would even out the lineup and add a needed veteran to this young core.</p><p>Garrett Crochet could be the final piece to a great starting rotation for the Red Sox. With 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck, Crochet, Lucas Giolito returning from injury, and Kutter Crawford, they are in solid shape. But Casas could net a massive pitching arm in return from a team looking to add a bat.</p><p>The Seattle Mariners had a wacky 2024 season that ended with an epic collapse to miss the playoffs. They were one of the best pitching teams in the league <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team" rel="noopener">but finished</a> second-to-last in team batting average. Casas missed much of the 2024 season with an injury but could be the young lefty they attach to Julio Rodriguez in the lineup.</p><p>The Red Sox should ask for Luis Castillo in return. The veteran has four years left at over $24 million per season but there can be money retained by Seattle that makes the deal work. Castillo and Bregman would both be expensive but the Red Sox have to spend money to catch up to the Yankees and Orioles in their own division.</p><p>By making these moves, the Red Sox can shoot to the top of the wide-open American League. The Yankees lost Juan Soto, they would have taken Bregman from the Astros, and the Guardians have not added anyone yet. While it has been a rough half-decade for Boston fans, this could be the offseason that powers them out of it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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