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Based on the conversation between Yahoo Sports’ Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman in this episode of “Baseball Bar-B-Cast,” it’s clear that while things look bleak for the Red Sox, the season isn’t over — but there’s a lot of frustration and concern.
The Red Sox aren’t mathematically eliminated, and there are still scenarios where they turn things around, especially if prospects contribute and some injured players return and perform. But the path forward is “complicated” and hope is fading, reflected in Boston’s big drop in playoff odds. The team’s flaws are showing, and unless things change quickly, they’re at risk of falling out of the race for good.
Here are the key points Shusterman and Mintz discussed on the show:
The Red Sox have struggled recently, particularly with a five-game losing streak entering Friday, lots of one-run losses (6-15 in one-run games), and multiple walk-off defeats. There have also been key injuries — especially to Alex Bregman and Tristan Casas — and some roster inflexibility.
Their playoff odds have plummeted from preseason hopes of 56% down to 18%, according to Fangraphs, as Shusterman mentions. This drop reflects their poor play and the surprising strength of other teams.
Why manager Alex Cora is safe this season
Mintz and Shusterman discussed some odd roster choices and poor communication, especially around locking Rafael Devers into the DH spot. However, neither Mintz nor Shusterman believe Cora is on the hot seat, and they think he’s handled the chaos relatively well.
“Alex Cora is going nowhere at least this season,” Mintz said. “If I had to rank baseball operations juice amongst MLB managers he would be toward the top of that list. Yeah, he just signed a new contract. The organization believes in him and frankly I think he has done a fair, good enough job keeping this thing from going completely off the rails because it is not his fault.”
Despite the mess, there’s still hope in the farm system, with top prospects like Roman Anthony pushing for a call-up (though the front office seems reluctant for a mix of service time and roster jam reasons).
The “Bar-B-Cast” wouldn’t pick Boston to win the division at this point. Shusterman still gives the Red Sox a chance to sneak into a playoff spot, though his confidence is shaken.
For more of the latest baseball news and debates, tune in to “Baseball-Bar-B-Cast” on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
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