{"id":68670,"date":"2025-07-15T07:41:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T07:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670"},"modified":"2025-07-15T07:41:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T07:41:16","slug":"mlb-insider-believes-red-sox-are-one-piece-away-from-being-world-series-contenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670","title":{"rendered":"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Boston Red Sox weren\u2019t supposed to be here\u2014not this fast, not this loud, and certainly not this dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>After a rather shaky spring, the Red Sox are now roaring into the second half with ten straight wins and a playoff spot in hand.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>They are officially the hottest team in MLB.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve done it with guts, youth, and just enough veteran savvy to keep them grounded in high-stakes moments.<\/p>\n<p>Despite missing Triston Casas at first base, the Red Sox haven\u2019t missed a beat\u2014testament to their roster depth and resilience.<\/p>\n<p>Yet if there\u2019s one glaring need on this surging Boston squad, it\u2019s a true frontline starting pitcher to pair with Garrett Crochet.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/erTOC3rp7Y.DAldkdYAnfg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/empire_sports_media_articles_290\/1120ace3e311bb06c4f5faaffa965c16\" alt=\"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><dialog aria-label=\"Image Lightbox\" aria-modal=\"true\"><\/dialog><\/div><figcaption>Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The Rotation Is Holding\u2014But Just Barely<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Right now, the rotation is a patchwork of promise and uncertainty, hanging on with duct tape and adrenaline.<\/p>\n<p>Crochet\u2019s been electric, and Lucas Giolito is holding steady, but beyond that, things get dicey fast.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Brayan Bello flashes brilliance but Walker Buehler has a 6.12 ERA.<\/p>\n<p>Injuries have piled up\u2014Tanner Houck, Patrick Sandoval, Hunter Dobbins, and Josh Winckowski are all sidelined.<\/p>\n<p>Kutter Crawford\u2019s absence only sharpens the need for an impact arm before the postseason push heats up.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Passan: One Arm Away From World Series Dreams<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>ESPN\u2019s Jeff Passan didn\u2019t mince words when asked about Boston\u2019s outlook if they land a top starter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they get another starting pitcher who can be at the top of that rotation\u2026 The Boston Red Sox are legitimate World Series contenders.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a bold statement, but it\u2019s grounded in how far this team has come\u2014and what one ace could do for them.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>A rotation with Crochet and a co-ace could suddenly neutralize lineups like the Yankees, Blue Jays, or even Astros.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s like watching a poker player one card away from a royal flush\u2014and the dealer\u2019s reaching for the deck.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>From Deadline Sellers to October Dreamers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Not long ago, Boston looked like potential sellers. Names like Alex Bregman and Aroldis Chapman were swirling in trade rumors.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/B0JuuzusossTrXbLqk8ktQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/empire_sports_media_articles_290\/12b17b4f64a5fc6b0973615f42806ed8\" alt=\"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders\" width=\"960\" height=\"641\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><dialog aria-label=\"Image Lightbox\" aria-modal=\"true\"><\/dialog><\/div><figcaption>Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now? Those same players are untouchable, and the Red Sox are buyers, hungry for more and brimming with belief.<\/p>\n<p>Chapman\u2019s been rejuvenated. Bregman is back to full health and producing. The clubhouse energy has flipped from doubt to defiance.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, the Red Sox aren\u2019t just in the race\u2014they\u2019re threatening to run right past their AL rivals.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Position Player Depth Fueling the Surge<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Boston\u2019s position player group might be the most well-rounded in the American League\u2014and possibly all of baseball.<\/p>\n<p>Ceddanne Rafaela brings spark and speed. Jarren Duran is a legit top-of-the-order threat.<\/p>\n<p>Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony represent the future, but they\u2019re helping right now\u2014and learning fast.<\/p>\n<p>Wilyer Abreu is having a sneaky strong year, and Bregman brings steady leadership and postseason pedigree.<\/p>\n<p>This mix of homegrown youth and savvy vets makes Boston dangerous in any playoff scenario\u2014and just plain fun to watch.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Trade Market Watch: Will Boston Make Their Move?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>So now the question looms large: Can the Red Sox pull off a deadline stunner and grab that frontline starter?<\/p>\n<p>Names like Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, or even Joe Ryan could move\u2014and Boston has the prospects to make it happen.<\/p>\n<p>Chaim Bloom may be gone, but his fingerprints remain on the farm system that\u2019s giving Boston so much flexibility.<\/p>\n<p>If Craig Breslow pushes in the chips, the Red Sox could go from surprise playoff team to October juggernaut.<\/p>\n<p>And just like that, the rebuild becomes a renaissance\u2014faster than anyone imagined, maybe even faster than they dared to hope.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> Red Sox in \u2018great shape\u2019 ahead of deadline, per MLB insider<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related Headlines<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Boston Red Sox weren\u2019t supposed to be here\u2014not this fast, not this loud, and certainly not this dangerous. After [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":68674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[238,632,323,2573,47,757,1574,663,481,2164,1499,2422,2571,2569,756,758,728,2572,667,2570,761,2423,664,723,493,198,1198,2250],"class_list":["post-68670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-alex-bregman","tag-aroldis-chapman","tag-astros","tag-blue-jays","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-brayan-bello","tag-ceddanne-rafaela","tag-craig-breslow","tag-garrett-crochet","tag-hunter-dobbins","tag-jarren-duran","tag-joe-ryan","tag-josh-winckowski","tag-kim-klement-neitzel-imagn","tag-kutter-crawford","tag-lucas-giolito","tag-marcelo-mayer","tag-merrill-kelly","tag-patrick-sandoval","tag-rafael-suanes-imagn","tag-roman-anthony","tag-starting-pitcher","tag-tanner-houck","tag-triston-casas","tag-walker-buehler","tag-wilyer-abreu","tag-yankees","tag-zac-gallen"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Boston Red Sox weren\u2019t supposed to be here\u2014not this fast, not this loud, and certainly not this dangerous. After [\u2026]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-15T07:41:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670\",\"name\":\"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-15T07:41:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-15T07:41:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":900},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\",\"name\":\"MrThanh\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MrThanh\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders - NEWS USA","og_description":"The Boston Red Sox weren\u2019t supposed to be here\u2014not this fast, not this loud, and certainly not this dangerous. After [\u2026]","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2025-07-15T07:41:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MrThanh","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MrThanh","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670","name":"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-15T07:41:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-15T07:41:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-83-3.jpg","width":900,"height":900},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68670#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MLB insider believes Red Sox are one piece away from being World Series contenders"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec","name":"MrThanh","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MrThanh"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=68670"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68675,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68670\/revisions\/68675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/68674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=68670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=68670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}