…. in the Dominican Summer League.
September roster expansion isn’t quite as interesting as it used to be, when a team could call up damn near the entire organization. That’s a good thing, for anyone who remembers the recent past when managers could stock their bullpen with enough pitchers to play lefty-righty matchups for nine straight innings. But nevertheless, I’m guessing a lot of Sox fans are feeling underwhelmed by the two players Craig Breslow and Alex Cora decided to bring to Boston. There will be no Big Four debuts in 2024, it seems, as the Sox went with Enmannuel Valdez and Chase Shugart. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
But hey, sometimes you don’t want things to be interesting. Case in point: this upcoming series with the Mets. A few months ago you might have looked at the schedule and guessed this series wouldn’t mean much, figuring that the Sox would be in postseason position while the Mets were out of the race. Instead, the Mets have clawed their way into contention while the Sox have nearly fallen out of it, making this series pivotal. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Another thing you don’t want to be too interesting: your manager’s bullpen moves. Yesterday, Alex Cora removed starter Cooper Criswell after four innings, even though Criswell hadn’t allowed a baserunner and had thrown only 52 pitches. Here’s Cora’s reasoning. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
The Sox would go on to lose that game, of course, and fall 4.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. But the personnel in the clubhouse don’t think the race is over just yet. (Gio Rivera, NESN)
The Sox may have an uphill climb to get to the postseason, but the organization does have one championship to celebrate, at least. The Dominican Summer League Red Sox won the league title after putting up a 42-14 record. (Josh Jackson, MLB.com)