Fresh off a badly needed series victory in Atlanta, the Red Sox came into Monday riding renewed momentum as they opened a crucial three-game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels.
The good vibes lasted all of about five pitches.
The Angels ambushed Richard Fitts for three home runs in a calamitous six-run first inning, chasing the Red Sox starter from the game after only three outs in what ended up being a 7-6 loss.
Even with the horrible start the Red Sox were still nearly able to come all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.
Coming off an abbreviated three-inning outing in his first start back off the injured list last week, the original plan was for Fitts to throw about 75-80 pitches as he worked his way back into form. But the Angels never gave him a chance, as Zach Neto set the tone with a 389-foot bomb to the Green Monster seats on the fifth pitch of the game.
It only went downhill from there.
Fitts walked Nolan Schanuel, allowed a single to Taylor Ward and then drew a grounder to third that Abraham Toro couldn’t field cleanly, allowing Schanuel to score and putting two men on with no outs. That brought up Mike Trout, and when Fitts threw the future Hall of Famer a fastball right down the middle, Trout sent it 454 feet into the deepest part of the Monster seats for a three-run homer.
Jo Adell delivered the exclamation mark two batters later with a solo shot to put the Angels up 6-0.
Fitts finished the inning but was lifted for the second after recording only three outs on 39 pitches. In doing so he became just the second starter in Red Sox history to allow six runs and three homers in one inning or fewer, joining Oil Can Boyd, who did so on May 23, 1988.
The outing also continued a concerning trend for the Red Sox, whose starters have not been able to consistently pitch deep into games. Boston’s starters have now failed to complete five innings in 22 of 62 games, more than a third of the team’s games played to this point.
As NESN’s Tom Caron noted on social media, the number is significantly worse when you remove Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler from the equation. All other Red Sox starters besides those two have pitched five innings or more in just 20 of 40 games.
It’s the 22nd time (in 62 games) that a Red Sox starting pitcher doesn’t go 5 innings. Crochet and Buehler combined have failed to go 5 innings just twice in 22 starts. All other Sox starters combined have been unable to go 5 innings in half of their starts (20 of 40.)
That’s not a recipe for success, but Monday the Red Sox were at least able to fight back and make it a ballgame.
After Fitts came out, Hunter Dobbins took the ball and kept the Angels off the scoreboard for the next four innings. Rafael Devers got the Red Sox on the board with an RBI double in the third, and in the fifth Boston’s bats came to life with a four-run rally to cut the deficit to one.
Jarren Duran started things off with his second double of the game, and after Devers drew a walk Rob Refsnyder tagged Angels starter Tyler Anderson for an RBI single. Carlos Narvaez then followed with an RBI double to make it 6-3, chasing Anderson from the game after 4.1 innings.
Then, with reliever Hunter Strickland on the mound, Romy Gonzalez came through in his first game off the injured list with a two-run double down the right field line. That made it a 6-5 game, but after reaching third on Abraham Toro’s subsequent groundout, he was stranded 90 feet away from home by Trevor Story, who struck out to end the rally.
That was as close as the Red Sox got.
The Angels immediately answered back in the top of the sixth when Adell tagged Dobbins for his second home run of the game on the very first pitch of the inning. Boston also squandered a prime scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases against Angels lefty Reid Detmers before coming away empty handed.
The Red Sox were able to avoid a knockout punch in the seventh when Toro and Gonzalez combined to turn a spectacular double play to end the inning, cutting short what could have been a game-clinching rally with Trout at the plate. That kept it a two-run game into the eighth, when Ceddanne Rafaela led off with a solo home run to make it a 7-6 Angels lead.
But while Luis Guerrero was able to keep the Angels off the board in the ninth, the Red Sox were unable to complete the comeback against old friend Kenley Jansen, who closed out his former team to record his 12th save of the season and the 459th of his career.
Alex Cora won’t be managing Monday’s series opener against the New York Mets, but the Red Sox skipper has a good reason to be away.
He will be down the road at Boston College celebrating his daughter Camila’s graduation.
“It’s going to be a very special day, one that I’m not going to miss,” Cora said. “I 100% will miss the game for that and I’ll do that any given day because it’s going to be a special day for us.”
Cora spoke at length prior to Sunday’s finale against the Atlanta Braves about his daughter and what the past few years have been like managing the team with her attending college down the road. He said the experience “went really fast” and that he couldn’t be prouder of the person she’s become.
“For a girl from divorced parents, her mom did an amazing job staying the course and while I was playing and coaching and doing my ESPN thing, Nilda was amazing with her. She’s actually a reflection of her, and I appreciate everything she’s done for her and for us,” Cora said. “Obviously our lives changed throughout and Angelica (Cora’s partner) has become like a mentor to her too and they’re very close and the fact that we were here while she was going through college, it meant a lot.”
He went on to reflect about how Camila was still just a little girl when the Red Sox enjoyed some of their most recent playoff successes, including the 2018 World Series victory against the Dodgers and the club’s last playoff series win over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021.
“Now she’s not a little girl, she’s a woman,” Cora said. “She’s been a great student and the future is bright for her and we’re very proud of her.”
Starters announced
Prior to Sunday’s game Cora announced the upcoming starters for this week’s series against the New York Mets. Hunter Dobbins will start Monday’s opener, Tuesday’s starter is officially to be announced but Walker Buehler will most likely be activated from the injured list, and Garrett Crochet will pitch Wednesday’s finale.
The Mets are expected to go with Kodai Senga on Monday, Clay Holmes on Tuesday and Tylor Megill on Wednesday.
Extra innings
Infielder Romy Gonzalez (left quad contusion) is still feeling soreness when he slows down but could be activated by the end of the week. … Right-hander Richard Fitts (right pectoral strain) will throw a bullpen on Tuesday and is expected to begin a rehab assignment late in the week. … Right-hander Tanner Houck (right flexor pronator strain) has been shut down from throwing. … MLB announced Sunday that Phillies pitcher Jose Alvarado has been suspended 80 games without pay after testing positive for exogenous Testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance. Alvarado’s suspension is effective immediately and upon his return he will be ineligible to play in the postseason.
Ever since Triston Casas went down with a season-ending knee injury, speculation has run rampant that Rafael Devers could fill the void at first base. Yet while the move makes some sense on paper, Devers has publicly expressed his opposition to the idea and manager Alex Cora has insisted the club will stick with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro for now.
Maybe things will change and Devers will eventually prove to be the solution, but suppose we take Cora at his word and the slugger remains at DH. What other options could the Red Sox have?
It’s a trickier question than it might seem at first glance.
So let’s run down the list of possibilities, starting with the home run swings that are definitely not going to happen down to the realistic options who actually could help the Red Sox out, plus everyone in between.
Mets slugger Pete Alonso is the best possible first baseman the Red Sox could acquire to fill the void left by Triston Casas. Fans probably shouldn’t count on seeing him in Boston. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Don’t hold your breath
The biggest home run for the Red Sox would be acquiring Pete Alonso. The New York Mets slugger has been among the best hitters in baseball, and as of this writing he’s batting .324 with nine home runs, 34 RBI and a 1.069 OPS. He’s also expected to hit free agency again this winter, so you could probably talk yourself into him maybe not being as costly to obtain as a pure rental than some others with multiple years of team control.
Alright, let’s wake up and come back to the real world.
There is no chance New York trades Alonso. The Mets have one of the best records in baseball and have World Series aspirations. Why would they trade their best hitter, even if the potential return was something outrageous like Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and others? The Mets didn’t just sign Juan Soto to the largest deal in baseball history to try and kick the can down the road.
We can similarly rule out Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who just inked a 14-year, $500 million contract to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays, along with guys like Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson and Christian Walker. Cross them off the list, it ain’t going to happen.
Paul Goldschmidt would be a perfect fit for Boston as a fill-in first baseman, but would the Yankees swing a deal with their biggest rival? Likely not. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Maybe, but probably not
These guys aren’t as untouchable as the stars in the above category, but because they play prominent roles on playoff contenders or because they’re with division rivals, they probably won’t be options for Boston either.
Let’s start within the division. Paul Goldschmidt is 37 and on a one-year deal, but he’s been hitting the ball well and the Yankees are in first place. Not going to happen. Ryan Mountcastle has been OK and the Orioles have been disappointing, but Baltimore still aspires to contend and isn’t going to sell to an AL East rival.
How about across the American League? The Tigers have two solid first basemen in Spencer Torkelson and Colt Keith, but they also have the best record in the AL. The Royals are back in the AL Central hunt and likely won’t part ways with Vinnie Pasquantino, and the Twins probably aren’t in a position to move Ty France. The Athletics are in an interesting spot with Tyler Soderstrom and top prospect Nick Kurtz at first, but they also came into the weekend with a winning record and little incentive to move either promising young player.
Others in the National League who likely fall into this category include Michael Busch with the Cubs, Rhys Hoskins with the Brewers, Josh Naylor with the Diamondbacks and Luis Arraez with the Padres.
Jake Burger has massively underperformed since joining the Texas Rangers this past offseason. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Thanks but no thanks
If the Red Sox wanted to swing an emergency trade this far out from the deadline, their most willing partners would probably be teams who are at the bottom of the standings. The problem is most of those teams don’t have first basemen who would meaningfully move the needle in Boston.
The White Sox have primarily started Andrew Vaughn, whose -1.2 wins above replacement ranks among the worst in MLB. The Rockies start Michael Toglia, who has also been sub-replacement level. The Pirates start Enmanuel Valdez at first, who the Red Sox just traded away this past winter for a Single-A pitching prospect. The Angels rely on Nolan Schanuel, who isn’t as good as Gonzalez, and the Marlins have gone with both Eric Wagaman and Matt Mervis, neither of whom have been productive.
Two others the Red Sox should steer clear of are Jake Burger and Josh Bell. Burger joined the Rangers this past winter in a trade and was supposed to provide an additional power bat in the heart of the order, but after hitting 63 home runs in the last two seasons he struggled massively out of the gate and was recently demoted to Triple-A. Bell has similarly struggled in his second stint with the Nationals, and is now on track to post his third consecutive season with a negative WAR.
Maybe you could justify Burger as a reclamation project, but considering how often he strikes out and how little he walks, that would be a risky proposition if he can’t get the barrel on the ball.
The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to begin a rebuild and Willson Contreras is one of their highest-paid players. Would the Red Sox consider trying to bring him aboard? (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Reds or Redbirds?
There are two clubs that stand out as obvious trade partners for the Red Sox, the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. Both clubs boast multiple first basemen, including some who would represent meaningful upgrades for Boston, and both clubs are not expected to contend in a loaded National League.
The Reds have been using three players at first base, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jeimer Candelario. Steer has seen the most time of the three and has enjoyed a productive start to his career, finishing sixth in the Rookie of the Year vote in 2023 before posting a 20-20 season last year. But he’s gotten off to a tough start in 2025, batting .189 with a .550 OPS.
Encarnacion-Strand has battled injuries throughout his career and is currently on the IL with a lower back injury, and Candelario has been a massive disappointment since signing a three-year, $45 million deal prior to 2024.
The Red Sox shouldn’t consider Candelario, but Steer and Encarnacion-Strand each might represent decent buy-low opportunities, particularly once the latter returns from injury.
As for the Cardinals, they have Willson Contreras and Alec Burleson at first base but have made no secret their desire to begin a long-term rebuild. Contreras is in the third year of his five-year, $87.5 million deal and has been an above-average offensive producer throughout his career. The Cardinals would probably be interested in moving his contract, and while the Red Sox surely wouldn’t be interested in that money, maybe this is a case where they could swap Contreras for Masataka Yoshida (and his similar contract), with the Red Sox likely tossing a prospect in to get the deal over the finish line.
Or, they could just acquire Burleson, who hit 21 home runs last season and probably won’t be part of St. Louis’ long-term plans.
Washington’s Nathaniel Lowe is probably among the best attainable first baseman the Red Sox could potentially pursue. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
Intriguing and attainable
So who are actually the best fits that the Red Sox could realistically acquire?
I would argue Boston’s first call should be to Cleveland about Carlos Santana. The 39-year-old is still producing at a respectable level, walks a ton and is on an expiring contract. The Guardians also have Kyle Manzardo splitting time between first and DH, along with a top-100 first base prospect in C.J. Kayfus. He’d be a perfect fit.
If not Santana, another good option would be Nathaniel Lowe. The 29-year-old has gotten off to a strong start, batting .255 with six home runs and a .772 OPS, and would fill Casas’ void as a left-handed hitter. He also has two years of team control remaining, and given that Washington looks consigned to another fourth-place finish, they surely wouldn’t mind picking up a prospect for a guy who’ll likely leave in free agency after 2026 anyway.
How about Rowdy Tellez? The legendary Red Sox killer has shown time and time again how much he likes playing at Fenway Park. It might be hard for Seattle to justify given how bad Donovan Solano has been, but Tellez isn’t exactly a foundational piece.
Tampa Bay has a couple of interesting options. Jonathan Aranda has been terrific and Yandy Diaz has an established track record even though he’s primarily played DH. The Rays are a division rival, which makes a deal less likely, but Tampa Bay also has 24-year-old Curtis Mead and two top-100 first base prospects coming up. Perhaps that could help the Red Sox pry one of Aranda or Diaz away?
Others who might be worth a look include Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers, who has bounced around a bunch but who is posting some of the best offensive numbers of his career so far while backing up Rhys Hoskins. San Francisco’s LaMonte Wade Jr. has gotten off to a terrible start, but he’s posted quality numbers the last two seasons and the Giants have a top first base prospect nearing the majors in Bryce Eldridge.
What about Mark Canha? The 36-year-old hasn’t gotten many at bats with Kansas City, but he’s made the most of the opportunities he’s had. The Red Sox could also seek a reunion with Justin Turner. We already know how well respected he is in the Red Sox clubhouse, though his production and playing time with the Cubs have really fallen off at age 40.
It will be interesting to see who the Red Sox eventually bring in, but no matter what path the club chooses, standing pat shouldn’t be an option.
Rafael Devers moving from third base to designated hitter was the story of spring training. The slugger made no attempt to hide his unhappiness and at one point even said he wouldn’t be willing to do it, but eventually the change was made and after a historically bad first week he settled into a rhythm.
Then Triston Casas went down, and now we’re right back at square one.
Ever since Casas’ injury there’s been rampant speculation that Devers could be a solution to fill the void at first base, speculation that manager Alex Cora has tried desperately to tamp down, dismissing the idea out of hand and insisting the club plans to stick with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro for now. But on Thursday Devers blew the lid off the controversy, saying not only that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had asked about playing first, but that he didn’t want to and was upset the team had asked.
“I don’t think, me personally, it’s the best decision after they asked me to play a different position and I don’t even have two months playing this position to all of a sudden have me play another position,” Devers said via interpreter Daveson Perez. “From my end it doesn’t seem like a good decision.”
“I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time they can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” he continued later. “In spring training they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove, that I wasn’t going to play any other position but DH, so right now I feel it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.”
Man, where to begin.
This whole thing is a bad look for everyone involved. The Red Sox look shortsighted for not having enough first base depth within the organization, and clearly the communication between club officials and Devers hasn’t been adequate. Meanwhile, Devers comes off looking selfish, like someone who isn’t willing to do what’s best for the team.
Unsurprisingly, the response from fans has been evenly divided, with heaps of criticism coming from all directions.
Clearly the Red Sox misread things here, but with Devers the situation is a little more complicated.
Devers isn’t wrong to be upset about the way he’s been handled over the past few months. It’s also not fair to say he isn’t a team player. Last year he played 138 games despite battling through a series of shoulder injuries throughout the season. He continued to play long past the point where a trip to the IL would have been appropriate, and by the end of the year his production had cratered and he was essentially a shell of his usual self.
He deserves praise for that level of commitment, even if it was arguably to his own detriment.
But Devers has also never shown any interest in taking the next step in his career as a leader, in going above and beyond and doing more than just producing on the field. Since signing his 10-year, $313.5 million contract — the largest in team history — he has consistently deferred to others in the clubhouse when it comes to speaking for the team. That responsibility has instead fallen to other veterans like Justin Turner, Rob Refsnyder and now Alex Bregman.
The position dustups have also exposed Devers’ first instinct to be inwardly focused. He’s viewed these requests as disrespectful, when he could have seen them as opportunities.
That approach stands in stark contrast to one of Devers’ former teammates.
Mookie Betts was a six-time Gold Glove winner in right field, but when the Dodgers needed him to steady their middle infield in 2023, he shifted back to second base and eventually to shortstop, a position with which he had no previous MLB experience. Fast forward two years and he’s played every game this season at shortstop, helping shore up that position and helping keep the Dodgers among MLB’s elite.
That willingness to move around prompted this quote from Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes at the General Managers Meetings this past offseason.
“For Mookie, winning is always No. 1,” Gomes said, per MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s like, ‘Hey, this is the best thing. I’ll play wherever.’ I think catching is probably out of the realm of possibility, although I’m sure he would be good at that as well.
“But yeah, I think it’s a lot of conversations with him as well. I know the toll on the body is less in the infield for him. So you can make arguments on both sides of it. But the beauty of Mookie is (he’s) the most selfless superstar we’ve ever been around. And that permeates through the team.”
Could you imagine a similar thing being said by a team executive about Devers right now?
Even if the Dodgers likely communicated better with Betts than the Red Sox have with Devers, if the slugger shared Betts’ mindset there probably wouldn’t have been any controversy to begin with. Plus, it’s also possible the Red Sox might have been reticent to broach the subject because they knew it wouldn’t go over well.
The Red Sox certainly aren’t blameless here, and Devers has frankly been put in a tough spot. Had the roster been better constructed or if there weren’t so many positional logjams, the Red Sox could have avoided all of the Devers drama and maybe also found a way to get Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer to the big leagues by now, too.
But the best leaders rise above the fray, and to this point Devers hasn’t reached a point where his first instinct when confronted by a challenge like this is to lift his team up. And until that day comes, it’s hard to imagine him reaching his full potential as a player and a leader.
