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Bad Streakers to Return Home

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Astros’ legend Carlos Correa’s two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning changed the game, helping Houston complete a three-game sweep against the visiting Boston Red Sox with a 6-4 win on Wednesday afternoon. Correa and Christian Vazquez both went deep, Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, and Mike Burrows (1-1) pitched five innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts for Houston, which has won five straight since an 0-2 start.

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Correa’s long ball off Boston ace Garrett Crochet (1-1) broke a 2-2 tie.

Wilyer Abreu (2-for-4) and Roman Anthony homered in the eighth and ninth, respectively, as the Red Sox attempted to stage a late comeback, but a 1-for-7 showing with runners in scoring position and seven men left on base did them in. Connor Wong also had two hits.

Crochet struck out seven but allowed five runs (four earned) through five innings.

Jarren Duran’s move into the leadoff spot paid instant dividends for Boston in the first, as he lined a single to left field before scoring the opening run on a Willson Contreras single up the middle.

Houston responded with a two-run first, scoring in its first at-bats for the third time in as many games in the series. After Crochet struck out Jose Altuve to lead off the game, Alvarez and Isaac Paredes knocked back-to-back doubles to plate the tying run. Correa then reached on an error, and Christian Walker lined a go-ahead single to left.

Three straight baserunners to begin the second helped the Red Sox draw back even. Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s fielder’s choice and a Wong double to left created an RBI opportunity for Duran, whose grounder to short plated the run.

After Boston made it a 2-2 game, the starting pitchers posted dueling zeroes over several frames, with Burrows striking out the side in the third and Crochet doing the same in the fourth.

Crochet retired six straight Astros before Altuve singled and Alvarez was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Correa — who previously grounded into a 5-4-3 double play — to send a low pitch into the left field Crawford Boxes for his first round-tripper.

In the seventh, Vazquez greeted Boston reliever Danny Coulombe with a leadoff solo shot to center field, extending the Houston lead to 6-2.

Vazquez’s swing proved to be key insurance as Boston staged a comeback with solo shots in back-to-back innings. The hosts had an opportunity for even more as Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock labored through a 37-pitch eighth inning, but a bases-loaded strikeout ended the threat without any damage.

After Anthony’s pinch-hit homer in the ninth, Bryan Abreu struck out the side to record his first save.

–Field Level Media

Astros Beat Sox; 4th Straight Loss

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HOUSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Hunter Brown allowed one run and struck out eight in six innings to help the Houston Astros stretch their winning streak to four games by beating the visiting Boston Red Sox 9-2 Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series. The only hit Brown (1-0) allowed was a Connor Wong double that drove in Marcelo Mayer in the fifth. Cody Bolton struck out five over the final three innings to earn his first save.

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Yordan Alvarez and Cam Smith each hit solo home runs for the Astros. Alvarez, Christian Walker and Carlos Correa each had two hits and two RBIs in the win. Smith also collected two hits.

Boston got a solo home run from Ceddanne Rafaela for its only other run. The Red Sox struck out 13 times in the loss.

Boston starter Brayan Bello (0-1) was pulled with two outs in the fifth and Houston leading 6-1. He gave up six runs (five earned), eight hits, walked three and struck out two.

The Astros struck first when Jeremy Pena singled and scored on an Alvarez double to give Houston a 1-0 lead in the first.

Houston extended its lead to 3-0 in the third. After Jose Altuve drew a two-out walk, Correa doubled to put runners on second and third and Walker followed with a two-run single.

After Wong’s RBI double in the top of the fifth, the Astros regained a three-run lead when Alvarez homered in the bottom half of the inning to increase Houston’s advantage to 4-1. Later in the fifth a Joey Loperfido single drove in Correa to make it 5-1, and then Walker scored from third on Wong’s throwing error to push the lead to 6-1.

Correa’s two-run single off Ryan Watson drove in Alvarez and Jake Meyers to make it 8-1 in the sixth.

Following Smith’s homer in the seventh, Rafaela hit one of his own in the eighth to cut Houston’s lead to 9-2.

It was Boston’s fourth straight loss.

–Field Level Media

Astros Turn to Brown vs. Red Sox

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HOUSTON – (Wire Service Previwew) – The Houston Astros had to slug their way past the Los Angeles Angels in the final two contests of their season-opening four-game series, setting the stage for veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. to deliver a lengthy start against the Boston Red Sox and provide the bullpen a bit of a breather.

McCullers did exactly what was needed, hurling seven strong innings to lead the Astros to an 8-1 victory in the opener of a three-game home series that continues on Tuesday. Houston needed only two pitchers on Monday to secure the triumph, with reliever Ryan Weiss covering the final two frames of the Astros’ third straight win.

Astros manager Joe Espada had an inkling that his starter was up to snuff when McCullers struck out Roman Anthony and Trevor Story to open the game.   McCullers faced the minimum through six and, when he ran into a spot of trouble in the seventh, Espada let him finish the job.

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“He picked us up big time,” Espada said.

“He knew exactly what he needed to do, which makes it even harder to do. The expectations are I need to pick the teammates up. And then he does it against that lineup. It just tells you it’s not his first rodeo. He’s been in that spot before. The fact that he delivered and picked us up put us in a much better spot for (Tuesday).”

Right-hander Hunter Brown (0-0, 0.00 ERA) has the starting assignment for Houston on Tuesday. He worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings against the Angels but did not factor into the decision of a 3-0 loss last Thursday after he allowed four hits and four walks with nine strikeouts. Brown recorded eight scoreless starts last season.

Brown is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA across three career starts against the Red Sox. He faced Boston twice in 2025 and allowed two runs on 10 hits and four walks with 10 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings.

Right-hander Brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA in 2025) is the scheduled starter for the Red Sox on Tuesday. He logged a career-high 166 2/3 innings last season but labored down the stretch and dropped his last three decisions while allowing nine earned runs across 14 innings. During one stretch in 2025, Bello recorded a decision in 13 consecutive starts, going 8-5 with a 2.49 ERA.

Bello is 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against the Astros. He faced Houston in consecutive starts in late August 2023, splitting the decisions after allowing four runs (three earned) on 13 hits and five walks with six strikeouts across 11 2/3 innings.

After scratching across just 10 runs while dropping a three-game series to the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, the Red Sox mustered only six baserunners against the Astros on Monday.

The slow start offensively hasn’t presented any cause for concern.

“Honestly, I think we’re in a pretty good spot,” Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran said. “I feel like we’re a pretty positive group. I feel like nobody has really been down on themselves, and we’re very talkative. I feel like we’ve been talking to each other about what we’ve seen on the mound.”

–Field Level Media

Crochet, Red Sox Take Opener

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CINCINNATI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston ace Garrett Crochet pitched six scoreless innings and Ceddanne Rafaela broke a scoreless tie in the seventh with an RBI single to lead the visiting Red Sox past the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Thursday in the season opener for both clubs.

Roman Anthony had three hits, while Trevor Story and Jarren Duran added insurance RBI singles in the ninth.

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Crochet (1-0), the 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up, allowed three hits, walked two and struck out eight to earn the win.

Marcelo Mayer opened the seventh as a pinch-hitter against new Reds reliever Pierce Johnson (0-1) with a double to left-center, just beyond the diving reach of center fielder TJ Friedl. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, he scored on Rafaela’s single.

Sal Stewart overcame being drilled in the left wrist by an Anthony liner in the fifth to rack up three hits, becoming the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 (when rookie rules were established) to record three hits on Opening Day.

His two-out ground-rule double — his second two-bagger of the game — to right set up a rematch of the World Baseball Classic title game when Eugenio Suarez beat Garrett Whitlock and Team USA with a go-ahead double in the 3-2 Venezuela win. This time, Whitlock fanned Suarez to end the eighth-inning threat.

Former Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman came on and pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

With a summer-like temperature of 81 degrees and a stiff 15-mph breeze blowing out to left, dueling lefties Crochet and Andrew Abbott managed to match zeros for the first six innings.

Abbott finished with six scoreless innings, scattering seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts on 83 pitches.

Crochet matched Abbott and pitched out of his biggest jam in the sixth when he fanned Eugenio Suarez and Spencer Steer with the bases loaded.

Abbott was able to work his way out of jams in the first two innings, thanks to a pair of groundball double plays, one started by Ke’Bryan Hayes at third and the other fielded by Elly De La Cruz at short.

The Red Sox totaled five hits over the first three innings against Abbott, including two by Anthony, but could not score.

–Field Level Media

It’s Opening Day … on Netflix

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – For baseball purists, nothing says “Opening Day” like an interleague Major League Baseball game featuring the New York Yankees at the San Francisco Giants, played at nightime and broadcast on Netflix.

Gone is the tradition of having the Cincinnati Reds host baseball’s first game of each season – a day game none-the-less. The Reds were traditionally the first team to throw-out the first pitch for each new MLB season for much of the 20th century. The Reds’ loss of their Opening Day tradition is symbolic of the team’s declining national profile, even as the City of Cincinnati continues to treat the annual home opener as a cherished local holiday.
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Instead, MLB programmers opted for the big bucks and large market New York and San Francisco (Bay Area) for the 2026 opener, The game is part of a $50m cash grab by MLB with Netflix with a package of three tune-in opportunities.

  1. Baseball’s Opening Night
  2. The MLB All-Star Home Run Derby
  3. MLB “Special Event,” like the Field of Dreams game (Iowa) – Aug 13 (PHI v MINN)

That some $16.6m for each stand-alone broadcast, spread out over the course of the 2026 season. For Netflix, it’s waving a giant business card three times a summer. For MLB, its global exposure with the signing of one deal. It might even draw a few of the younger set along to a sports that skews heavily to the older, male audiences.

If you’re scoring at home:

  • Wednesday – One MLB game
  • Thursday – 11 games
  • Friday – 8 games
  • Saturday – Full throttle – 15 MLB games

Baseball was smart to schedule its lone opener on Wednesday night, a full 23 hours ahead of the continuing saga of March Madness. In an era of “alternate facts,” we have a “new tradition” in the works.

No matter the teams, an umpire uttering the words, “Play Ball,” or “Batter-Up” have the true meaning of Opening Day, even if said ump will have his balls and strikes reversed sometime tonight.

Yes, there are some rule changes for 2026, and the “ABS” is atop the list. Let’s take a look:

Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System: Each team begins the game with two challenges. Batter, pitcher, or catcher can appeal a ball/strike call. If the appeal is successful, the challenge is retained; if not, it is lost. Challenges are not permitted when position players are pitching.

Base Coach Regulations: Base coaches must remain within their designated boxes while the pitcher is on the rubber to reduce sign-stealing via better angles. It’ll take a but of “getting used to it” for the coaches.

Infield Interference/Obstruction: Runners cannot initiate contact with fielders to draw an obstruction call. Doing so may result in the runner being called out.

Extra Inning Challenges: If a team runs out of challenges, they will receive one, (per inning in extra innings).

There will be some other rule changes in the works, but they’ll be tested in the Minor Leagues throughout 2026. (See rule changes for MiLB – HERE).

What will the fans – baseball purists and newcomers – see when the seasons starts?

We’ll still have Fenway Park – the world’s most beloved ball park – in Boston.

We’ll still have Wrigley Field – the world’s biggest saloon – in Chicago.

Those are the “only” two ballparks remaining.

We’ll still have the Dodgers in Los Angeles and the Yankees in New York both outspending the mere mortals of a league, trying to move forward with the times, but with a Players Association so strong, the words Salary and Cap can not be used in the same sentence, even by the Commissioner of the sport in a Philadelphia clubhouse.

On Opening Day, we’ll still have “hope” in at least 28 of the 30 major league baseball cities, excluding Denver, Colorado and the District of Columbia. That’s pretty good, considering you can slice off the lower third of teams and not a soul would miss them come October.

We’ll still have kids with gloves, hoping to catch a foul ball – an instant, treasured souvenir to be a keepsake until one day, when you really need a baseball, and you play ball with it, or “have a catch.”

You’ll note, some people “have a catch” and others “play catch.” That subtle difference is what baseball is all about and the debate between the use of the two phrases will live in infamy.

This season we’ll watch fast balls thrown at 100 mph. We’ll see four seam fastballs, fastballs, curve balls, wicked curves, sliders, change-ups and rare screwballs and knuckle balls. We’ll tolerate cutters, sinkers, splitters and sweepers.

If you catch a glimpse of the Eephus pitch, it’ll be something special.

As defined by Major League Baseball, an Eephus pitch is “one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, and it is known for its exceptionally low speed and ability to catch a hitter off guard.

Typically, an eephus is thrown very high in the air, resembling the trajectory of a slow-pitch softball pitch. Hitters, expecting a fastball that’s nearly ten times the velocity of the eephus, can get over-zealous and swing too early and hard. But for a hitter who is able to keep his weight back and put a normal swing on the pitch, it is the easiest pitch to hit in baseball — one without unexpected movement or excessive velocity.”

Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell was the first pitcher to throw the eephus pitch regularly — although, at the time, the pitch hadn’t yet been named. Sewell’s teammate Maurice Van Robays took care of that. He concocted the name “eephus” and when asked why, he responded by saying, “Eephus ain’t nothing, and that’s a nothing pitch.” In Hebrew, the word “efes” can be loosely translated into “nothing,” and the word “eephus” undoubtedly stems from that.

Zack Greinke was famous for surprising hitters with an eephus on occasion, one of the only modern-day pitchers to use the eephus pitch with any frequency.

There you have it.

Baseball is back.

It’s Opening Day – although it’ll be a night game on Netflix.

Batter up!

Everyone’s in first place.

Play Ball!

 

Red Sox Acquire Durbin; Trade Hamilton

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox are acquiring third baseman Caleb Durbin and two other infielders from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for three players, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

The reported trade sends left-handers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton to Milwaukee. Boston will also acquire Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler and a Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick.

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Durbin, who turns 26 on Feb. 22, fills a lineup void created when Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs in free agency.

Durbin made his major league debut last April and batted .256 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 136 games for the Brewers. He led the National League with 24 hit-by-pitches and finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Durbin, 25, make  his Major League debut on April 18. The right-handed hitter played in 136 games, batting .256 (114-for-445) with 25 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 runs scored, 53 RBI, and 18 stolen bases while making 119 starts at third base and three at second base. He led National League rookies in stolen bases and ranked second in runs scored and third in hits and doubles. In nine Postseason games, Durbin batted .276 (8-for-29) with two doubles, one triple, three runs scored, two RBI, and three stolen bases. An Illinois native, he was originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft.

Monasterio, 28, played in 68 games for the Brewers during 2025, batting .270 (34-for-126) with nine doubles, four home runs, and 16 RBI. The right-handed hitter made 21 starts at shortstop, eight at second base, and five at third base, while also playing 20.1 innings at first base and 2.0 innings in left field. He also played in 30 games for Triple-A Nashville, batting .250 (28-for-112) with a .346 on-base percentage, six doubles, and four home runs. Originally signed as an international free agent by the Chicago Cubs in March 2014, the Venezuela native has batted .250 (133-for-533) in 219 career Major League games, all with Milwaukee (2023-25).

Seigler, 26, played in 34 games for Milwaukee during 2025, his Major League debut, batting .194 (12-for-62) with six runs scored and five RBI. A switch-hitter and ambidextrous thrower, he made 16 starts at third base and one as the designated hitter. He also played in 72 games for Triple-A Nashville, batting .285 (71-for-249) with a .414 on-base percentage, .892 OPS, 51 runs scored, 16 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, and 23 stolen bases. The Arizona native was originally selected by the New York Yankees in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft.

Harrison, 24, posted a 4.04 ERA (16 ER/35.2 IP) with 38 strikeouts in 11 games (six starts) during 2025 with the San Francisco Giants (eight games, four starts) and Boston (three games, two starts). The left-hander also made 18 Triple-A starts between Worcester (12 starts) and Sacramento (six starts), going 5-2 with a 3.66 ERA (31 ER/76.1 IP) and 88 strikeouts. He was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade from San Francisco alongside three others in exchange for Rafael Devers on June 15. Originally selected by the Giants in the third round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, the California native has posted a 4.39 ERA (95 ER/194.2 IP) with 191 strikeouts in 42 career Major League games (37 starts) with the Giants (2023-25) and Red Sox (2025).

Drohan, 27, went 5-2 in 2025 with a 3.00 ERA (18 ER/54.0 IP), 77 strikeouts, and a .202 opponent batting average in 15 games (14 starts) between High-A Greenville (three starts) and Triple-A Worcester (12 games, 11 starts). The left-hander is rated as the Sox’ No. 15 prospect by Baseball America. Selected by Boston in the fifth round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, the Florida native owns a 4.29 ERA (196 ER/411.2 IP) in 104 career minor league games (89 starts).

Hamilton, 28, batted .198 (35-for-177) with six home runs and 22 stolen bases in 91 games for the Red Sox in 2025. The left-handed hitter made 42 starts at second base and seven at shortstop. Originally selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, the Texas native has hit .222 (112-for-504) with 23 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 47 RBI, and 57 stolen bases in 204 career Major League games, all with the Red Sox (2023-25).

Red Sox Trade Hicks

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BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today traded right-handed pitchers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to the Chicago White Sox, along with cash considerations and two players to be named later, in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later.

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Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 38.

Hicks, 29, recorded a 6.95 ERA (52 ER/67.1 IP) with 58 strikeouts in 34 games (nine starts) during 2025 between the San Francisco Giants (13 games, nine starts) and the Red Sox (21 games). The right-hander was acquired by Boston along with three other players in exchange for Rafael Devers on June 15, 2025. Originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, the Texas native owns a 4.41 ERA (206 ER/420.1 IP) in 275 career Major League games (37 starts) with the St. Louis Cardinals (2018-23), Toronto Blue Jays (2023), Giants (2024-25), and Red Sox (2025).

Sandlin, 24, posted a 4.50 ERA (53 ER/106.0 IP), 107 strikeouts, and 40 walks between Double-A Portland (17 games, 13 starts) and Worcester (15 games, one start). Ranked as one of Boston’s top 15 prospects by both MLB.com (No. 8) and Baseball America (No. 11), the right-hander was twice named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week in 2025 (May 26-June 1 and June 16-22). Originally selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 11th round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, the Oklahoma native was acquired by the Red Sox via trade on February 17, 2024. He owns a 4.38 ERA (113 ER/232.0 IP) with 279 strikeouts in 65 career minor league games (47 starts).

 Ziehl, 22, posted a 4.12 ERA (49 ER/107.0 IP) with 90 strikeouts and 19 walks in 22 games (21 starts) across three levels in 2025, his first professional season. The right-hander began the season in the New York Yankees organization, pitching in 14 games (all starts) for Single-A Tampa, one game for High-A Hudson Valley, and one start for Double-A Somerset. He was traded to the White Sox on July 30 and recorded a 4.01 ERA (11 ER/24.2 IP) in six starts for High-A Winston Salem over the remainder of the season. The South Carolina native was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Miami. He is ranked among the White Sox’ top prospects by both MLB.com (No. 14) and Baseball America (No. 21).

It’s Official

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official Team News Release) – The Boston Red Sox officially signed left-handed starting pitcher Ranger Suárez to a five-year contract through the 2030 season with a mutual option for 2031. Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 40.

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Suárez, 30, made 26 starts for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025, going 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA (56 ER/157.1 IP) while setting career highs in strikeouts (151), innings pitched, and quality starts (17). The left-hander’s career-best 4.0 FanGraphs WAR tied the sixth-best mark among National League pitchers, while he ranked seventh among that group in ERA (minimum 150.0 IP). He also ranked in MLB’s 98th percentile during 2025 in hard-hit percentage (31.1%) and 95th percentile in average exit velocity (86.5 miles per hour). Signed by Philadelphia as an international free agent in April 2012, the Venezuela native has gone 53-37 with a 3.38 ERA (286 ER/762.0 IP) and 705 strikeouts in 187 career Major League games (119 starts), all with the Phillies (2018-25). He was named a National League All-Star in 2024 and won the 2022 Fielding Bible Award among pitchers.

In 11 career Postseason games (eight starts), Suárez has gone 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA (7 ER/42.2 IP), .203 opponent batting average (32-for-158), and 44 strikeouts. He has allowed 1 or 0 earned runs in 10 of those 11 outings, including 5.0 scoreless innings with just three hits allowed in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series against the Houston Astros. During the 2025 Postseason, he earned the win in Game 3 of the National League Division Series by allowing one run over 5.0 innings of relief in the Phillies’ 8-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Lone Ranger

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Red Sox Balk on Bo Bichette; Sign Lefty Ranger Suarez

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Free-agent left-hander Ranger Suarez agreed to terms on a five-year, $130 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday. Saurez will join a Red Sox rotation that features left-hander Garrett Crochet, right-hander Brayan Bello and offseason acquisitions Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo.

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The reports come on the same day that the Chicago Cubs announced the acquisition of third baseman Alex Bregman on a five-year deal. The three-time All-Star batted .273 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 114 games last season with Boston.

Suarez, 30, recorded back-to-back 12-8 seasons in 2024 and 2025 for the Philadelphia Phillies. He trimmed his ERA from 3.46 in 2024 to 3.20 while making 26 appearances (all starts) in 2025. After the season, the Phillies tendered a qualifying offer to Suarez. He declined it.

An All-Star in 2024, Suarez sports a 53-37 record with four saves and a 3.38 ERA in 187 career appearances (119 starts) with the Phillies. He owns a 4-1 record with a sterling 1.48 ERA in 11 appearances (eight starts) in the playoffs.

–Field Level Media

“Sonny” Skies Over Fenway After Trade

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The St. Louis Cardinals traded All-Star right-hander Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. The Cardinals acquired right-hander Richard Fitts, minor league left-hander Brandon Clarke and a player to be named later or cash considerations to complete the deal.

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Clarke was the consensus fifth-ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization.

Gray, 36, agreed to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate the transaction. He finished 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA and one shutout in 32 starts for the Cardinals in 2025. He struck out 201 batters and walked only 38 in 180 2/3 innings. The 13-year veteran is 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA in 339 games (330 starts) with the then-Oakland Athletics (2013-17), New York Yankees (2017-18), Cincinnati Reds (2019-21), Minnesota Twins (2022-23) and Cardinals.

Gray made the American League All-Star team in 2015 and 2023 and the National League All-Star squad in 2019. He finished second in the AL Cy Young voting in 2023 and third in 2015 and signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Cardinals after the 2023 season and is due to earn $35 million in 2026. The contract includes a $30 million mutual option and a $5 million buyout in 2027, per ESPN.

ESPN reported that the Cardinals are sending $20 million to the Red Sox to put toward Gray’s 2026 salary.

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Fitts, who turns 26 next month, posted a 2-5 record with a 3.97 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) with Boston over the past two seasons. He entered the 2025 season ranked as the team’s 12th-best prospect by Baseball America.

Clarke, 22, struck out 60 batters over 38 innings spread over 14 starts this past season with High-A Greenville and Single-A Salem.

“We are pleased to add these two talented young pitchers to our organization,” said Chaim Bloom, Cardinals president of baseball operations.

“Richard Fitts has already begun his big league career, and with his power stuff and willingness to attack the strike zone, he has the ability to start games at the highest level for many years.

“Brandon Clarke is an exciting left-handed prospect whose ceiling rivals that of any pitcher in the minor leagues. Both have the potential to be part of our growing core for a long time, and we are happy to welcome them to the Cardinals.”

The Red Sox Depth Chart for starting pitchers now improves and is currently in this state:

  1. Garrett Crochet
  2. Sonny Gray
  3. Brayan Bello
  4. Connelly Early
  5. ? – Kutter Crawford/Hunter Dobbins/Tanner Houck/Patrick Sandoval

–Field Level Media