Is it on TV? Yes, it’s on NESN, first pitch at 1:05 PM. What’s the lineup? What should we watch for? How about this infield configuration, huh? For most of this spring — including in team fielding drills outside of a game setting — Marcelo Mayer has been at second with Caleb Durbin at third. […]
9 days ago | 2 reads
Playing in the American League East is the worst. It’s an absolute gauntlet every year, with 2026 looking to be no exception. That’s at least in part due to the quality of the starting pitching. The Red Sox have one of the better groups in the division, if not Major League Baseball. I’ll give Boston […]
9 days ago | 1 read
Is it on TV? Once again it’s on NESN. Moreover, it’s also on WHDH for locals who don’t have cable. The Sox have gotten a lot of crap in recent years for not broadcasting more spring training games, so let’s give them some credit for an increased broadcast schedule this spring. So far every game […]
10 days ago | 3 reads
Craig Breslow brought in a lot of new talent this offseason, but he didn’t plug every hole on the Red Sox roster. So for our question of the day today, we’re bending space and time to ask you this: If you could take one player from Red Sox history and put him on the 2026 […]
10 days ago | 4 reads
It’s pitching preview time, ladies and gentlemen. Over the next several days, I’ll be writing 10,000 words or so about everyone you might see pitching for the Red Sox to start the season. We’re done with the rotation options and are moving on to the bullpen. We’ll start at the back, with the high-leverage options. […]
10 days ago | 2 reads
Is it on TV? It’s on NESN at 1:05 PM What’s the lineup? What should we watch for? It’s been an… interesting spring training for Marcelo Mayer so far. The wrist surgery he underwent last August was said to necessitate only a three-month recovery and Mayer arrived at Fort Myers claiming he was fully healed […]
11 days ago | 3 reads
Welcome back to our preview of 2026 Red Sox starting pitching. If you missed the bulk of the preview last week, check it out below. Today, we turn our attention to the back of the back of the rotation: the depth starters. Now that we’ve been through the nine pitchers who are fighting for spots […]
11 days ago | 0 reads
With Garrett Crochet taking the mound yesterday, I was reminded of how exciting it was to have two new stars on the 2025 Red Sox. Getting to know a new star — particularly an ace pitcher — is one of the most exciting things baseball fans get to do over the course of 162 games. […]
11 days ago | 3 reads
With the offseason behind us, it’s once again time to check in with the Over the Monster community and gauge fan opinion on how the Red Sox organization is doing. Below are polls covering the job performance of the front office, ownership, and the manager, followed by some other topical items. Your job is to express your […]
11 days ago | 2 reads
The rituals of Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers report. Batters and fielders report. Photos are taken that visually represent a player all year long, even if they shave their mustache (see Gonzalez, Romy). Sometimes these pictures are serious. Sometimes they’re silly, like the picture at the top of this piece, with Brayan Bello doing his […]
12 days ago | 4 reads
Despite the gigantic piles of snow outside my window, real baseball that matters is just one week away, with the World Baseball Classic set to begin next Thursday, March 5th. If you’re a really big fan of the tournament, you may also already know that exhibition matchups start on Tuesday, with Teams USA playing the […]
12 days ago | 0 reads
Is it on TV? Yes, it’s on NESN at 1:05 PM. What’s the lineup? What should we watch for? It’s always fun when you get a first look at a new pitcher. It’s especially fun when that pitcher is a 6’6” beast of a man. And it’s even more fun when that beast of a […]
13 days ago | 1 read
At this point in the Romy Gonzalez injury story, we don’t so much have updates as we have a slow reckoning with reality. Gonzalez injured his shoulder in late September and has not been able to participate in baseball activities ever since. Yesterday, he spoke to the media and conceded that he probably won’t be […]
13 days ago | 1 read
Good morning! The Red Sox lost to the Pirates yesterday, with Ranger Suarez giving up a homer to the number one prospect in baseball, Konnor Griffin. Luckily, absolutely nothing that happens in a spring training game in February matters one stinking bit. In fact, if anyone remembers anything at all about yesterday’s game, it will […]
13 days ago | 3 reads
Who is he and where did he come from? He’s Anthony Seigler. Have you not had enough infield depth pieces to read this winter? You’re in luck, because we’ve got more. This particular infield depth piece started 25 games at third base for the playoff-bound Brewers in 2025 after making his MLB debut in July. […]
13 days ago | 2 reads
I guess one silver lining about yesterday’s game not being televised is that all the New Englanders who lost power in the blizzard didn’t miss out? I don’t know, man. I’m sick of the goddamn snow and am grasping for straws here. Luckily we’ve got the boys of winter back on TV today. Is the […]
14 days ago | 3 reads
For all the young players on the Red Sox who have signed long-term deals (Roman Anthony, Brayan Bello, Ceddanne Rafaela) we haven’t heard much reporting about an extension for Wilyer Abreu. As it turns out, the Sox tried to sign him on the eve of his rookie year. But, unlike Bello and Rafaela, both of […]
14 days ago | 2 reads
Man, the AL East could be wild this year. Outside of the Rays, it isn’t hard to see any team winning it. And let’s face it: it’s never a good idea to overlook the Rays. So how do you see the strongest division in baseball shaking out? I change my mind on this nearly every […]
14 days ago | 3 reads
Who is he, and where does he come from? He’s Brendan Rodgers. He was an everyday starter for the lowly Rockies in 2024, leading some to believe he was heading our way at that year’s trade deadline, before we learned that Craig Breslow only makes deals for winning players in the offseason. Subsequently, Rodgers’ age […]
14 days ago | 2 reads
Is it on TV? No! What a crock! We’re all stuck at home under a foot and a half of snow and we can’t even get some spring training baseball to keep us emotionally warm. Listen to it on WEEI, sickos. What’s the lineup? What should we watch listen for? The pop of the mitt […]
15 days ago | 2 reads
Hello and happy Monday, folks. Hope you’re not totally snowed in today. If you are, maybe the joy of an Olympic men’s hockey gold medal yesterday can help lift your spirits. Or maybe an Arsenal 4-1 win over Spurs can. Or maybe something else can, I dunno. A question for you, dear readers: how we […]
15 days ago | 2 reads
For generations the leadoff hitter was easy for a manger to identify: A fast guy. A slap hitter. Someone who could be the “spark plug.” Then you stick another guy as the table setter in the second spot. Probably your best hitter third. And your power guy at the four spot. And in some ways […]
15 days ago | 3 reads
Can the US stick it to Canada twice today? We’ll find out! First pitch at 1:05 PM. Is it on TV? You bet! NESN is three-for-three so far in the spring. Give it up for cable television, ladies and gentlemen. What’s the lineup? What should we watch for? As Alex Cora himself said, this is […]
16 days ago | 4 reads
The Red Sox are entering 2026 coming off a lot of highs. Some lows, but a lot of really exciting performances, including by many, many outfielders. Like those playing center field. With one player in particular expected to claim the vast majority of the playing time. The Starter: Ceddanne “Nuf Cedd” Rafaela Ok, this isn’t […]
16 days ago | 1 read
Is it on TV? Yup, this one’s on NESN again. First pitch at 1:05 PM. What’s the lineup? What should we watch out for? There’s a lot to pick from in this one. Payton Tolle will be must-watch all spring, though no one should read too much into his performance this early on. With the […]
17 days ago | 3 reads