
What to know for Week 2: Boise’s Heisman hopeful, how Dairy Queen explains a Texas rivalry and more
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adminWeek 2 of college football is almost here.
The first week of the season was all about Boise State‘s superstar running back racking up six touchdowns. What can Ashton Jeanty do for an encore against an Oregon team that struggled to put away Idaho last week? The game of the week is in Ann Arbor, where the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines host the Texas Longhorns. What matchups will determine who wins that game?
Speaking of the state of Texas, an underrated rivalry game between UTSA and Texas State kicks off Saturday. The best part of that one is how Texas State coach G.J. Kinne played for UTSA’s Jeff Traylor back in high school, after meeting up for some ice cream.
And then there are the freshman phenom wide receivers at Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn and Texas. How will they live up to their scintillating debuts?
Our college football reporters give insight on big storylines and players to keep your eyes on in Week 2.
Battle for Interstate 35
Texas and Texas A&M are finally renewing their conference rivalry this season, but it might not even be as Texas-centric as the I-35 Rivalry between UTSA and Texas State. The two schools, less than 60 miles apart, have a lot more in common than just proximity.
Their two coaches first met in 2005 at a Dairy Queen in Gilmer, Texas.
Now-Texas State coach G.J. Kinne was then a star quarterback whose dad, Gary Joe, was his coach at Canton High School in East Texas, before the father was shot by a disgruntled parent in the team’s locker room. Jeff Traylor, now at UTSA, was the coach of his hometown Gilmer Buckeyes, about 70 miles away from Canton, where he had built a powerhouse that won three state championships. (The Buckeyes now play at Jeff Traylor Stadium.) In 2005, Traylor and G.J. Kinne first matched wits when Canton and Kinne beat Gilmer and Traylor 61-58 in a playoff game. After that season, Gary Joe Kinne landed a job at Baylor and G.J., whose mother and father were divorced, decided he wanted to escape the family history in town — and his mom and stepdad opted to move to Gilmer.
This came as a shock to Traylor, who had a star quarterback, Jamell Kennedy, who was committed to SMU.
“We meet at the Dairy Queen,” Traylor said of G.J. Kinne. “You can’t make this up, now. I said, ‘You sure we want to do this?'”
“I think he was trying to talk me out of it,” Kinne said, but he was determined to play for Traylor if he couldn’t play for his dad, even noting he also had admired Traylor’s work with the McCown brothers (Randy, Josh and Luke) as their QB coach at another East Texas school.
Kinne enrolled then Kennedy got hurt. Kinne stepped in, threw for 3,216 yards and 47 touchdowns with one interception and rushed for 11 more scores. He was named the Texas 3A Offensive Player of the Year and signed with Texas Longhorns before eventually transferring to Tulsa, where he starred for Gus Malzahn. (Kinne also later worked for Malzahn at UCF, after working with Traylor at SMU then at Arkansas for Chad Morris, who is now on Kinne’s staff at Texas State. Got all that?)
Now, less than two decades since they met at DQ, they’re two of the hottest coaches in the country going head-to-head in a blizzard of emotions. Traylor has a 40-14 record with two American Athletic Conference titles at UTSA. Kinne went 12-2, won a Southland Conference championship and went to an FCS semifinal in a single season at Incarnate Word, before taking Texas State to its first bowl game in history last season and winning it to finish 8-5 after the Bobcats finished 4-8 the year before. Traylor made every phone call he could to help get Kinne the job, and Kinne can’t help sharing his praise for Traylor. Both have jokingly said maybe those were bad ideas as the heat gets turned up in the matchup. Last year’s game drew 49,000 at San Antonio’s Alamodome.
UTSA is 5-0 in the series that dates back to 2012, when both schools became full FBS members, but four of the contests were decided by one score or less. When the two coaches meet Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPNU), Kinne will face Traylor along with UTSA’s starting QB, Owen McCown, the son of Josh McCown.
The coaches will be on opposite sidelines, but they are still family.
Kinne — who was in the wedding of Traylor’s son Jordan, an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints — said this week that Jordan texted him asking whom he was supposed to root for. Kinne said he better pick Dad on that one.
Meanwhile, when Kinne’s daughter, Swayze Jo, was born this summer, “Jeff was one of the first people I called,” Kinne said.
The opposing coaches have a mutual love and admiration, but Traylor will always be Kinne’s old coach.
“You can’t help but love the kid,” Traylor said of Kinne last year. “He’s good-looking. He’s young. He’s smart. He’s the whole package. I know you’re not supposed to say that because I’m competing against him. But I’m just telling you, I think the world of him, and I’ll be the big fan.” — Dave Wilson
What Michigan, Texas need to capitalize on to win in their game
Michigan: The Wolverines need to control the line of scrimmage much better than they did in their opener against Fresno State. Texas has significant edges at quarterback and wide receiver, and Michigan must dictate tempo with both its offensive line and D-line to limit the damage from Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns’ offense.
Despite new faces on its O-line, Michigan should be able to find vulnerabilities in a Texas front that no longer includes first-round draft pick Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat, a second-round selection and the Outland Trophy winner. If the Wolverines can take pressure off of quarterback Davis Warren with their run game and their defense, and also shorten the game, they should have a good chance on their home field, where they are 53-8 since the start of the 2015 season. — Adam Rittenberg
Texas: Adam is right. Michigan’s offensive line versus Texas’ retooled defensive line is the key. Texas had the rare ability to plug in two very large fifth-year seniors in 6-foot-5, 320-pound Alfred Collins and 6-5, 305-pound Vernon Broughton to fill the gaps up front following the departure of Murphy and Sweat. So, the Longhorns are still big and experienced up front.
Last year, Ewers — an Ohio State transfer, remember? — went into Tuscaloosa, where Alabama hadn’t lost a nonconference game since 2007, and finished 24-of-38 for 349 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-24 win. If the Longhorns can hold the Wolverines’ powerful running game in check and force Michigan into a shootout, they’ll be in their comfort zone. — Wilson
Ashton Jeanty is ready for the hype. The Boise State running back has been working on his speed, refining his strength and improving his knowledge of the many defenses this season that will try their best to stop him every time he touches the ball. He also has been working on the pose. That one.
“I’m fully aware,” Jeanty told ESPN of the early Heisman Trophy chatter during a phone call Tuesday. “I’ve been practicing it.”
It didn’t take long for Jeanty to showcase it, either. The junior from Jacksonville, Florida, kicked off his year with a video game stat line in a 56-45 win against Georgia Southern: 267 yards on 20 carries — a single-game school record. His first touchdown of the game was a 77-yard run that culminated in the aforementioned Heisman pose. He would go on to score five more times, good enough to break another school record.
“That’s up there in terms of games for me,” Jeanty, who had 41 touchdowns during his senior season at Lone Star High School in Texas, said. “But we got 11 more games so, I don’t know, I might have a better one.”
Jeanty is no stranger to big games. Last season, he had seven games where he accounted for at least 150 offensive yards and only three games where he didn’t score. Jeanty’s growth at Boise State has been gradual, but there has never been any doubt about his production or his potential. In his freshman season, he was not the starter, but he accounted for nearly 900 yards of offense and six touchdowns. During his second season, Jeanty became a weapon in the passing game, totaling 569 receiving yards and five touchdowns on the year.
“Each year I’ve gotten the ball more,” Jeanty said. “So, I’ve gotten a chance to be able to display what I can do.”
On paper, it would have made sense if Jeanty chose to transfer to a Power 4 program going into his junior year. There would have been no shortage of teams vying for his commitment. Jeanty, however, had other plans.
“For me it’s just being able to leave a legacy,” he said. “At other places, that’s going there for one year, maybe getting some more money, it’s just not the same. It’s just not special. And doing it with this team to me is really what makes it special.”
Sticking with Boise allowed Jeanty to know exactly what he wanted to work on heading into this season. His focus was on improving his football IQ and learning more about defensive schemes and coverages so he could chart his path before the ball was in his hands.
This past Saturday, Jeanty had already scored five times, but he saw the defense’s alignment before the snap and knew he would have an open lane to run through. Seventy-five yards later, Jeanty was in the end zone. No one had touched him.
“I think this is the best running back I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said earlier this week in advance of his team’s matchup against Boise State this weekend. “He’s certainly an NFL guy.”
Jeanty said the Heisman is not his main focus, but he knows that winning as a team — and potentially making the College Football Playoff — will be what opens the door for the accolades, including that one. When asked whether he thinks there’s a better running back in the nation than him, Jeanty doesn’t just give the stock answer. Even after the game of his life, he knows it’s only the beginning.
“I don’t,” Jeanty said. “And I’m going to prove that all year.” — Paolo Uggetti
Six freshman wide receivers to know
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: On the day the Buckeyes unveiled the country’s most expensive roster, the freshman wideout stole the show in a 52-6 win over Akron and Smith will be worth keeping an eye on again in Week 2 when Western Michigan visits Columbus.
Smith led all Ohio State pass catchers with six catches for 92 yards in Week 1 and became the first Buckeyes freshman to catch two touchdown passes in his debut since 1996, but more impressive was the way he did it. After dropping a screen pass on Ohio State’s opening drive, Smith completed three third-down conversions on the next series, including a 16-yard touchdown reception. Smith hauled in another score in the second quarter, and his 45-yard connection with Will Howard after halftime marked the Buckeyes’ longest play of the day.
Smith’s eight targets in his debut were more than any other Ohio State wide receiver in Week 1. Alongside Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate, the five-star newcomer will continue to be one of the most fascinating pieces in the new-look attack being led by first-year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly in Week 2.
Ryan Williams, Alabama: Kalen DeBoer and his staff made retaining Ryan Williams a priority when they arrived back in January. In Week 1, ESPN’s No. 3 prospect in the 2024 class showed exactly why the Crimson Tide worked so hard to keep him.
Williams needed little time to flash the big play ability he brought to Tuscaloosa, torching an overmatched Western Kentucky secondary in his college debut. His first career reception came on an 84-yard score when Williams hauled in a deep ball from Jalen Milroe, then sprinted 44 yards beyond the Hilltoppers’ defense into the end zone in the close minutes of the first quarter. Later in the half, Milroe found Williams again, this time over the middle where the speedy freshman split a pair of defenders on his way to a 55-yard touchdown before halftime.
Two catches for two touchdowns, 139 receiving yards and 79 yards after the catch that ranks 10th nationally — that’s how Williams introduced himself to Alabama, all at 17 years old. The 6-foot, 175-pound pass catcher gets his next opportunity to impress in Week 2 against a South Florida secondary that allowed just 122 passing yards in its opener against Bethune-Cookman.
Ryan Wingo, Texas: The 6-2, 210-pound freshman was the Longhorns’ most productive pass catcher in their Week 1 rout of Colorado State. Can he follow an impressive debut with another standout performance in front of a sold-out crowd at Michigan on Saturday?
Wingo authored an impressive debut, hauling in a pair of first-half passes before making another two catches after halftime, including a 30-yard connection with Arch Manning. Wingo closed the day as Texas’ leading wide receiver with 70 yards on his four catches, earning praise for his physicality and poise from Texas coach Steve Sarkisian afterward.
“He’s been doing nothing but that for us,” Sarkisian said of the five-star freshman.
Wingo is part of a new-look wide receivers group for the Longhorns this fall. Transfers Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and Silas Bolden each delivered strong Texas debuts of their own in Week 1. On Saturday, that unit meets a Michigan secondary led by All-America cornerback Will Johnson and Wingo will have a role to play as the Longhorns make a hotly anticipated trip to Ann Arbor.
Auburn‘s wide receiver trio: As freshman receivers starred across the country in Week 1, the Tigers upped the ante on everyone else and opened up opportunities to three first-year pass catchers. In a 73-3 win over Alabama A&M, Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons met the moment.
Coleman, ESPN’s No. 5 prospect in the 2024 class, wowed the Auburn staff with his playmaking ability in the spring and summer. In Week 1, he flashed it for the crowd inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, pulling in each of his two targets for 62 yards, highlighted by a nifty double-move on his 44-yard touchdown just 3:21 into his college debut.
Thompson was ESPN’s 13th-ranked wide receiver in 2024. His pair of catches in Week 1 went for 82 yards, including his 70-yard, second-quarter touchdown that accounted for Auburn’s longest play of the day. Simmons, meanwhile, closed his debut as the Tigers’ leading receiver, hauling in three passes for 91 yards with help from a 51-yard score in the closing minutes of the third quarter.
Wide receivers tend to succeed under Hugh Freeze. As the Tigers settle in with a pass-catching group heavily made up of first-year transfers, this freshman trio will be worth following this fall. — Eli Lederman
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Sports
‘We’re a very dangerous team now’: What all this winning means for the Red Sox’s trade deadline plans
Published
2 hours agoon
July 22, 2025By
admin
-
Jesse RogersJul 22, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
Just over a month ago, the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves through the industry. At the time of the trade, the Red Sox were just a game over .500. They went 3-7 in their first 10 games without Devers and looked to be fading out of contention.
As the team fell in the standings, rumors began to circulate that the slugging designated hitter wouldn’t be the only star traded out of Boston. But a 10-game win streak before the All-Star break has vaulted the Red Sox into the thick of the playoff race and provided some clarity about their trade deadline plans.
“Throughout the whole year, we thought we had a really good team,” assistant GM Paul Toboni told ESPN over the weekend. “We were kind of waiting for it to click. That streak reconfirmed the thought that we had a good team.”
Boston doesn’t have a lot of expiring contracts, so even without the win streak, a complete teardown was unlikely. Still, trading some of its outfield depth was a possibility. The Red Sox rank in the top 10 in OPS in right field, center field and left field thanks to Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu.
With that group helping the Red Sox hold an American League wild-card spot, the front office is likely to add pitching, according to sources familiar with their situation, while retaining the abundance of outfielders unless the club is blown away with an offer in the next 10 days.
“Having a surplus of good players isn’t a bad thing,” Toboni said. “The high-end depth is a really good thing. It’s not like we’re anxious to move away from that.”
With their outfield situation likely to be addressed in the offseason, the Red Sox have winning on their minds. A young core, highlighted by the arrival of Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, has had some time to adjust to the majors, leaving the team’s veterans excited about the coming months.
“These guys have been here for a few months now,” Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We’re starting to learn who we are as a group. The adjustments are being made quicker at this time of the year. It didn’t start out that way, but guys are wanting to learn and get better. You can see that in our growth this year.”
Bregman watched closely while he was out of the lineup because of a quad injury he sustained at the end of May. He has seen what winning baseball looks like during his time in Houston. It has taken the young Red Sox some time to get there.
“We’re a very dangerous team now, especially when we’re prepared and executing,” Bregman said. “We’ve played good for a while now.
“People will say this is a hot streak, but I believe this is who we are.”
As the calendar inches toward August, that’s the sentiment throughout the clubhouse, where the veterans who have been through the uncertainty of trade season are relieved to spend the next two weeks without trade chatter.
“The run we went on before the All-Star break, it was good. We needed something like that to get us back in the mix, restore some confidence,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “Right now, staying in the present is important, but I don’t think we have guys in this room too worried they’re going to get dealt or anything anymore.”
Two players who were brought in over the offseason might be the most relieved.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who has a 1.18 ERA and 17 saves, could have been one of Boston’s most sought-after deadline trade candidates had the front office elected to deal him.
When asked about possibly being moved, the 37-year-old, who is playing for his seventh major league club, smiled as he responded through his interpreter: “The team is in good shape.”
Fellow Boston pitcher Walker Buehler added: “It’s probably good timing to hopefully push the front office to go out and buy and help us make a run. We did our part at the end of the first half there. I want to stay here and be part of it. Don’t want to be on the wrong side of a trade.”
Though they might have done enough to convince the front office to stick with the current veterans, the Red Sox have some of their toughest work ahead of them. According to ESPN Research, they have the hardest remaining schedule for the rest of the month and sixth hardest for the rest of the season, but manager Alex Cora isn’t interested in looking at the stretch run — or what Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021 would mean.
Instead, he believes that if the players can keep attacking each day, the rest will take care of itself.
“I promised myself I’m going to stay in the moment,” Cora said. “It doesn’t do the group any good to start talking about that. We have to win games. It’s not to put pressure on the front office or ownership. It’s what we need to do for us to play in October.”
Opposing teams are asking for “outrageous returns” for pitching, according to league sources, but if the asking prices become more reasonable closer to the deadline, expect the Red Sox to be involved. Until then, they are focused on riding their July momentum while navigating a tough schedule.
“Time to keep it locked in,” Giolito said. “We’ll be welcoming whatever help comes.”
Sports
Let the deals begin! MLB trade deadline updates: Latest rumors and analysis
Published
5 hours agoon
July 22, 2025By
admin
The 2025 MLB trade deadline is just around the corner, with contending teams deciding what they need to add before 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31.
Could Jarren Duran be on the move from the Boston Red Sox? Will the Arizona Diamondbacks deal Eugenio Suarez and Zac Gallen to contenders? And who among the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies will go all-in to boost their 2024 World Series hopes?
Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.
More: Top 50 trade candidates | Passan: Contender plans | Trades for every team
Jump to …: Trending names | Latest intel
MLB trade deadline trending names
1. Eugenio Suarez: The Arizona Diamondbacks star is No. 1 in our updated MLB trade deadline candidate rankings and could be the most impactful player to move this month. On pace to hit more than 50 home runs, the 2025 All-Star is on the wish list of every contender in need of third-base help.
2. Sandy Alcantara: The 2022 Cy Young winner is an intriguing option in a deadline with a dearth of impact starting pitching available. His ERA is over 7.00 for the Miami Marlins this season, but some contenders believe he could regain form in a new home.
3. Jhoan Duran: This deadline is suddenly teeming with high-end relievers who will at the very least be in the rumor mill during the coming days. If the Minnesota Twins opt to move their closer — and his devastating splinker — Duran might be the best of the bunch.
MLB trade deadline buzz
July 22 updates
Why the 2022 Cy Young winner isn’t the most in-demand Marlins starter: Edward Cabrera has become more coveted than Sandy Alcantara, who teams believe might take an offseason to fix. Alcantara’s strikeout-to-walk ratio is scary low — just 1.9 — and his ERA is 7.14. Cabrera, on the other hand, is striking out more than a batter per inning and his ERA sits at 3.61. The 27-year-old right-hander will come at a heavy cost for opposing teams. — Jesse Rogers
How Kansas City is approaching the trade deadline: The Royals have signaled a willingness to trade, but with an eye toward competing again next year — meaning they aren’t willing to part with the core of their pitching staff. Other teams say Kansas City is (unsurprisingly) looking to upgrade its future offense in whatever it does.
Right-handed starter Seth Lugo will be the most-watched Royal before the deadline, since he holds a $15 million player option for 2026 “that you’d assume he’s going to turn down,” said one rival staffer. That’ll make it more difficult for other teams to place a trade value on him: The Royals could want to market him as more than a mere rental, while other teams figure he’ll go into free agency in the fall when he turns down his option. — Buster Olney
What the Dodgers need at the deadline: The Dodgers’ offense has been a source of consternation lately, with Max Muncy out, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman slumping, and key hitters tasked with lengthening out the lineup — Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman amd Michael Conforto — also struggling.
But the Dodgers’ focus ahead of the deadline is still clearly the bullpen, specifically a high-leverage, right-handed reliever. Dodgers relievers lead the major leagues in innings pitched by a wide margin. Blake Treinen will be back soon, and Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are expected to join him later in the season. But the Dodgers need at least one other trusted arm late in games.
It’s a stunning development, considering they returned the core of a bullpen that played a big role in last year’s championship run, then added Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in free agency. But Scott and Yates have had their struggles, and there are enough injury concerns with several others that it’s a need. — Alden Gonzalez
Which D-backs starter is most coveted? The Diamondbacks are getting as many calls — if not more — about Zac Gallen as they are for Merrill Kelly even though the latter starting pitcher is having the better season. Teams interested in adding to their rotations still have more faith in the 29-year-old Gallen than the 36-year-old Kelly. — Rogers
Who are the White Sox looking to deal? Chicago’s Adrian Houser seems likely to move, as a second-tier starter who has performed well this season. The 32-year-old right-hander was released by the Rangers in May but has been very effective since joining the White Sox rotation, giving up only two homers in 57⅔ innings and generating an ERA+ of 226. Nobody is taking those numbers at face value, but evaluators do view him as a market option. The White Sox also have some relievers worth considering.
But it seems unlikely that Luis Robert Jr. — once projected as a centerpiece of this deadline — will be dealt, unless a team makes a big bet on a player who has either underperformed or been hurt this year. The White Sox could continue to wait on Robert’s talent to manifest and his trade value to be restored by picking up his $20 million option for next year, which is hardly out of the question for a team with little future payroll obligation. — Olney
Why Rockies infielder could be popular deadline option: Colorado’s Ryan McMahon is the consolation prize for teams that miss out on Eugenio Suarez — if he’s traded at all. The Cubs could have interest and would pair him with Matt Shaw as a lefty/righty combo at third base. — Rogers
Does San Diego have enough to offer to make a big deal? The Padres have multiple needs ahead of the trade deadline — a left fielder, a catcher, a back-end starter. How adequately they can address them remains to be seen. The upper levels of their farm system have thinned out in recent years, and their budget might be tight.
The Padres dipped under MLB’s luxury-tax threshold this year, resetting the penalties. But FanGraphs projects their competitive balance tax payroll to finish at $263 million this year, easily clearing the 2025 threshold and just barely putting them into the second tier, triggering a 12% surcharge.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller might have to get creative in order to address his needs. One way he can do that is by buying and selling simultaneously. The Padres have several high-profile players who can hit the market this offseason — Dylan Cease, Michael King, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez — and a few others who can hit the open market after 2026. Don’t be surprised to see Preller leverage at least one of those players, and their salaries, to help fill multiple needs. — Gonzalez
Which Orioles could be on the move? Not surprisingly, Baltimore is perceived as a dealer and is expected by other teams to move center fielder Cedric Mullins, first baseman/designate hitter Ryan O’Hearn and some relievers. — Olney
Sports
‘We’re a very dangerous team now’: What all this winning means for the Red Sox’s trade deadline plans
Published
5 hours agoon
July 22, 2025By
admin
-
Jesse RogersJul 22, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
Just over a month ago, the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves through the industry. At the time of the trade, the Red Sox were just a game over .500. They went 3-7 in their first 10 games without Devers and looked to be fading out of contention.
As the team fell in the standings, rumors began to circulate that the slugging designated hitter wouldn’t be the only star traded out of Boston. But a 10-game win streak before the All-Star break has vaulted the Red Sox into the thick of the playoff race and provided some clarity about their trade deadline plans.
“Throughout the whole year, we thought we had a really good team,” assistant GM Paul Toboni told ESPN over the weekend. “We were kind of waiting for it to click. That streak reconfirmed the thought that we had a good team.”
Boston doesn’t have a lot of expiring contracts, so even without the win streak, a complete teardown was unlikely. Still, trading some of its outfield depth was a possibility. The Red Sox rank in the top 10 in OPS in right field, center field and left field thanks to Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu.
With that group helping the Red Sox hold an American League wild-card spot, the front office is likely to add pitching, according to sources familiar with their situation, while retaining the abundance of outfielders unless the club is blown away with an offer in the next 10 days.
“Having a surplus of good players isn’t a bad thing,” Toboni said. “The high-end depth is a really good thing. It’s not like we’re anxious to move away from that.”
With their outfield situation likely to be addressed in the offseason, the Red Sox have winning on their minds. A young core, highlighted by the arrival of Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, has had some time to adjust to the majors, leaving the team’s veterans excited about the coming months.
“These guys have been here for a few months now,” Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We’re starting to learn who we are as a group. The adjustments are being made quicker at this time of the year. It didn’t start out that way, but guys are wanting to learn and get better. You can see that in our growth this year.”
Bregman watched closely while he was out of the lineup because of a quad injury he sustained at the end of May. He has seen what winning baseball looks like during his time in Houston. It has taken the young Red Sox some time to get there.
“We’re a very dangerous team now, especially when we’re prepared and executing,” Bregman said. “We’ve played good for a while now.
“People will say this is a hot streak, but I believe this is who we are.”
As the calendar inches toward August, that’s the sentiment throughout the clubhouse, where the veterans who have been through the uncertainty of trade season are relieved to spend the next two weeks without trade chatter.
“The run we went on before the All-Star break, it was good. We needed something like that to get us back in the mix, restore some confidence,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “Right now, staying in the present is important, but I don’t think we have guys in this room too worried they’re going to get dealt or anything anymore.”
Two players who were brought in over the offseason might be the most relieved.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who has a 1.18 ERA and 17 saves, could have been one of Boston’s most sought-after deadline trade candidates had the front office elected to deal him.
When asked about possibly being moved, the 37-year-old, who is playing for his seventh major league club, smiled as he responded through his interpreter: “The team is in good shape.”
Fellow Boston pitcher Walker Buehler added: “It’s probably good timing to hopefully push the front office to go out and buy and help us make a run. We did our part at the end of the first half there. I want to stay here and be part of it. Don’t want to be on the wrong side of a trade.”
Though they might have done enough to convince the front office to stick with the current veterans, the Red Sox have some of their toughest work ahead of them. According to ESPN Research, they have the hardest remaining schedule for the rest of the month and sixth hardest for the rest of the season, but manager Alex Cora isn’t interested in looking at the stretch run — or what Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021 would mean.
Instead, he believes that if the players can keep attacking each day, the rest will take care of itself.
“I promised myself I’m going to stay in the moment,” Cora said. “It doesn’t do the group any good to start talking about that. We have to win games. It’s not to put pressure on the front office or ownership. It’s what we need to do for us to play in October.”
Opposing teams are asking for “outrageous returns” for pitching, according to league sources, but if the asking prices become more reasonable closer to the deadline, expect the Red Sox to be involved. Until then, they are focused on riding their July momentum while navigating a tough schedule.
“Time to keep it locked in,” Giolito said. “We’ll be welcoming whatever help comes.”
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