Saturday Morning Mailbag

Attempting to answer a few questions.

Welcome to the first Saturday Morning Mailbag of the new posting schedule. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions this week. Let’s get into it!

What is your stance on this deadline? Sell? Buy? Or do you want to wait and see if this momentum carries for the Red Sox? - Tommy Bennett

For me, this answer has changed quite a bit over the last two weeks for the Red Sox. When they were 14 games under .500, it was an easy sell. After this strong run, I think it’s a wait and see. While Boston is playing well, they are doing this in a soft part of their schedule. The sign for me will be how does Boston come out for the second half. They play 10 games against the Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays right out of the break. They have struggled with these teams in ‘26. I think the decision to buy or sell will go up to the August 3rd deadline.

When I put myself in Craig Breslow’s shoes, I think the only answer is buy. He very well could be fighting for his job. If he wants to keep his job past this season, the team needs to continue to play good baseball. Adding is the only thing Breslow can do to try to keep his job past 2026.

Thoughts on a Wilyer Abreu extension and what does that look like? - Kenny

An Abreu extension is interesting. After 2026, he has 3 years of team control remaining. He will be 30 when he is eligible to hit free agency. Abreu is a solid hitter and has finally shown the ability to hit lefties (.356 average). What really makes Abreu so valuable is his elite right field defense. Entering Friday night, Abreu had 6 OAA and 16 defensive runs saved. One well known concept is that as players age, their defense declines. While I think Abreu can be an above average player into his early 30s, his bat may need to carry more value than it currently is.

As for the extension part, it’s difficult to find an exact comp. When Xander Bogaerts signed his first extension for 6 / $120M with the Red Sox, he was in his first year of arbitration but was younger. Another interesting dollar value that I found was Byron Buxton, who signed a 7 / $100M at the age of 26, however he only had one year of team control remaining. If Abreu were to sign, I could see a 5-6 year deal that would take him into his age 32-33 season. The question I have is “Is it better to just ride out the next 3 seasons with Abreu and see what happens?”

Does Craig Breslow deserve credit for this Red Sox run? - Alicia

While the Red Sox have had a really good stretch over the last two weeks and have won games with pitching and defense like Breslow had envisioned, I am not ready to give Breslow flowers. The Red Sox are still 7 games below .500. While they may be in the Wild Card mix, my standard for the Boston Red Sox is much higher. Breslow built a roster that was a bat or two short and it has showed through the first 3 months. The Red Sox need to play good baseball in the second half before I give Craig Breslow credit.

What is the best and worst thing Rob Manfred will be known for when he steps down or retires from being commissioner? - Justin

The best thing Rob Manfred has done is push the boundaries with the traditions of baseball. Many initially said instant replay in baseball would change the game for the worse, however it’s changed the game for the better. Everyone said an automated strike zone would change too much but it’s only added to the strategy of the game and held umpires accountable. The pitch clock was highly criticized. Then two months into the pitch clock everyone realized how much better the game was when it’s played with a little pace. Under Manfred, baseball has not been afraid to adapt to try and make the game more entertaining and the game is better for it.

Commissioner Manfred’s legacy will be remembered by the upcoming CBA negotiations. While Manfred cannot control the wishes of the owners, if an agreement does not happen and games are missed, Manfred will be remembered for a strike. It happened under his watch. When you are appointed as the guy in charge of running the game and there is no game, nothing prior will matter.

Should the Phillies trade for Aroldis Chapman or Joe Adell. Which do they need more, a RHH or a bullpen pitcher? - Phillies Express

While I am not sure either player will be available at the deadline, I think the Phillies need a RH bat more. The Phillies RH hitters have hit the 9th fewest home runs and they are last in wRC+ (69 entering play Friday). The Phillies are in win-now mode and if they get to October, they will face some nasty RH pitching. They need a RH bat to put in the middle of their order to take some pressure off of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

Who is your favorite member from each of the Red Sox four World Series teams this century? - Jacob

This is a challenging question because the Red Sox have had so many great players in this century. On the ‘04 team, I have to go with Manny Ramirez. His energetic personality along with that sweet right-handed swing captivated me. The ‘07 team was the official breakout for Dustin Pedroia. Even if you are a Yankees fan, you had to admire the way Pedroia played the game. The 2013 pitching staff was led by Jon Lester, who is my favorite Red Sox player of my lifetime. Lester really emerged as a bonified ace in 2013. The 2018 team is the greatest Red Sox team of my lifetime and while there are so many great players to pick from, Xander Bogaerts was my guy. I loved watching his toughness and mature hitting approach. His presence is deeply missed in the Red Sox organization.

A Big Thanks

Thanks to everyone who submitted a question this week. I look forward to this new posting format and interacting with you and your questions. Please keep submitting questions and I’ll do my best to include them in next week’s Q&A!