But Can He Pitch?
Brayan Bello entered 2025 looking to take a step forward. The Red Sox were rolling out Garret Crochet and Tanner Houck as a 1-2 punch, with Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Walker Buehler set to figure out the 3, 4, and 5 spots in the starting rotation. But, of course, the rotation suffered a lot over […]
2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell Nick Sogard had his second consecutive season as a product of a depleted roster with limited platoon options, but he made the absolute most of the opportunities he was given on the Major League roster with his versatility and defensive dependability. The Good If anyone has been reading my Minor […]
2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell Tanner Houck didn’t look like the ace he was in 2024, struggling tremendously in every start he made in 2025 before eventually finding the root of his mechanical issues: a flexor tear that required Tommy John surgery. The Good I want to be diplomatic in that I cannot imagine the […]
The MLB offseason is already off to a rapid start following a World Series for the ages. The Cubs said sayonara to Shota Imanaga. Alex Bregman opted out while Trevor Story opted in. And I’ve already checked to see if there’s a game on at night before catching myself on three occasions — all in […]
If I were the commissioner of Major League Baseball, one of the many rules that I would implement purely to entertain myself would be to require that every team carry at least one player who grew up in that team’s city. And I would be strict as hell about it, too. Sorry, Rich Hill, Milton […]
When the offseason started on the night of October 2nd, many of the true sickos in Red Sox Nation began looking ahead to 2026 to figure out how to fix a roster that mustered just six runs in a three-game series against the Yankees and struck out 13 times while being shutout in an elimination […]
Honest Abe. The Bull. The lawnmower. That other Canadian Guy. In case of emergency, put at first base. These are all names Abraham Toro could have been known as in 2025. And some of them he actually was, as least from time to time. The Good When Triston Casas went down and Rafael Devers refused […]
In yesterday’s news and links piece here at Over The Monster, Dan Secatore pondered the following regarding Jarren Duran’s new $7.7 million contract where they essential paid him $7.875 million: If it seems weird that the Sox would do this merely to save $125,000 — which is the difference between the $8 million option and […]
Good morning! A fun note for anyone who is convinced that either (1) baseball is dying, or (2) the Dodgers are killing interest in the sport, necessitating the implementation of a salary cap: The 2026 World Series smashed ratings expectations across the board, and Game 7 was the most-watched baseball game in 34 years. And […]
2025 In a Discarded-on-the-Dugout-Floor Nutshell Whitlock returned to the bullpen this year and morphed into one of the most trustworthy and dependable relief pitchers the team has seen in years. As the designated setup man for Aroldis Chapman, he nearly always provided clean innings and allowed Chapman, in his very dominant season, to shut games […]
Jarren Duran and the Red Sox have negotiated a new contract for the 2026 season, agreeing to a deal worth $7.7 million with an additional $75,000 that can be earned via incentives. Duran was not a free agent, of course; we’re talking about arbitration negotiations here. And, interestingly, the Sox had an $8 million option […]
BOSTON, MA — Another big figure in Major League baseball has elected free agency. The Wally Head, worn by Red Sox players after they hit home runs in the 2025 season, has declined its mutual option to remain with the Boston Red Sox in 2026, Over the Monster reports. It will join the free agency […]
Trevor Story is opting in to the final two years of his contract with the Red Sox per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Cotillo went on to add the following: With an infield full of question marks as the front office faces the upcoming winter workload, Story sticking around makes matters much less murky. The Sox’ […]
Good morning! There’s been a flurry of small activity in the past day or so — Trevor Story has decided to stick around, Jarren Duran and the Sox reached an agreement on a contract number for 2026 (note: this does not really indicate much about a potential trade from the outfield surplus; he still could […]
In his recap/warning to Blue Jays fans following their quasi-singularly traumatic World Series Game 7 experience, Defector’s Barry Petchesky, referencing the Yankees loss against the Diamondbacks in 2001, put it thusly: So let’s have a little heart-to-heart chat, you, the grieving and traumatized Jays fan, me, a fan who was on the wrong side of what […]
2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell Hunter Dobbins debuted earlier than just about everyone expected and was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, injuries cut his season short. The Good According to Baseball Savant, Dobbins threw six different pitches. I’ll ignore his sinker, because there are only 13 of them, and they’re close enough to his splitter to […]
Happy Tuesday, Red Sox Nation! To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Alex Bregman officially opted out of his deal on Monday. The Red Sox will have to compete with 29 other teams for his services, although several of those teams probably won’t be seriously interested because they’re cheap and waiting for a hypothetical future salary […]
UPDATE: Alex Bregman officially made the decision to opt-out yesterday. The piece below was originally published on October 14, 2025. Were you by any chance looking for something to endlessly talk about until the last week of February? You’re in luck. Jon Heyman, full-time New York Post baseball writer and part-time Scott Boras ventriloquist dummy, […]
There’s a nagging paradox at the heart of baseball — or any sport, really — and it’s this: The goal of every single player is to play the game perfectly; but if they ever did, there would no longer be any reason for us to watch. To the fans, perfection is not only boring, it’s […]
While the Red Sox were running over the entire American League on their way to their fourth World Series of the century, Nate Eaton was being drafted by the Kansas City Royals. Taken in the 21st round, Eaton would spend six years with the organization and put up a .201/.266/.283 line in parts of two […]
Good morning. In the opening pages of Moby Dick, Ishmael explains his decision to go to sea thusly: Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I […]
2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell He looked calm, cool, and collected at the Major Leagues level— but he still needs to find a way to stay on the field. The Good I don’t know if this was the supposed Alex Bregman influence or if this is just how Marcelo Mayer is as a player in […]
Embrace it, folks, even if the Sox aren’t playing. This is what it’s all about — all those daydreams, imaginary at-bats, all of it.
Wilyer Abreu churned out another 3 bWAR season in Boston. He might on the trading block. He might win another Gold Glove. He gets big hits. The Good Gold Glove defense. Abreu won the AL right field Gold Glove in 2024 and is a finalist for 2025. Back-to-back Gold Gloves isn’t nothing. It’s in fact […]
2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell After spending over a year with a giant up-arrow attached to him, Kristian Campbell encountered numerous challenges at the big league level. A second-half surge in the minor leagues should provide continued hope for his future in Boston. The Good For starters, Campbell made the team out of camp, which […]