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Chaim Bloom Begins His Restructuring Process OF The Red Sox

The Red Sox officially entered the midseason trade market. Friday the team sent Pitchers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to the Phillies for Nicki Pivetta and Connor Seabold. The RedSox get a  mid_rotaion starter in Pivetta and a future starter in Seabold. In this post, we will evaluate three possible trade chips the Red Sox have to work with.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Chaim Bloom Begins His Restructuring  Process Of The Red Sox                                                                                                                                                                            

   Brandon Workman/Heath Hembree   Since his rookie season in 2013, Brandon Workman has been a workhorse for the organization. He enjoyed his best season in 2019 posting a 10-1  and a 1.88 ERA and 16 saves. Ditto for Heath Hembree. Hembree was acquired from San Fransisco in 2014 for Jake Peavy. In seven seasons Hembree pitched in 251 career games for Boston. This season, he posted a 2-0 record and 2 saves.

The Phillies have the worst bullpen in baseball. In getting Workman and Hembree the staff will be that much better. Workman is a free agent after 2020, while Hembree is one after the 2023 season.

 

Jackie Bradley, Andrew Benintendi, Kevin Pillar  There is a good possibility that one of the three will be traded. Andrew Benintendi is on the 10 days DL. He is off to his worst start a major leaguer. Before his injury, he was batting 103/314OBP/128 SLG.  In two seasons, his production has regressed.  Currently, Benintendi is in the middle, of a two_year contract.

A second option for the team is Jackie Bradley. He started off the year hot but since is in a moderate slump. He still wins games with his glove and is fun to watch. Career _wise, Bradley is 236BA/317OBP/406 SLG.

Another player to keep an eye on is Kevin Pillar. In the offseason Pillar signed an one_year deal.  He is a free agent after the season. At 31 years old he would bring you the most value in a trade.    He is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.

This is where it gets tricky. Martinez is in the middle of a long_term deal. He has the option of opting in or staying. As of now, he is one of the team’s hottest hitters. His home run swing is coming back. Look for Martinez to remain with the team.

Conclusion; The organization is off to the worst start in years. Look for Chaim Bloom to move anyone in order to be more competitive.

be competitive.

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Celtics Need To Control The Boards If They Want To Reach The Finals

Since returning from the Pandemic, the Celtics defense has been questionable. Despite a blow out win over Brooklyn and a win over Toronto, the team has struggled in the bubble. If the team gets to the finals,it will be won by defense and rebounding. In this post, we will examine three reasons why the Celtics Need to Control The Boards if they want to reach the finals.                        Celtics Need To Control The Boards If they Want To  Reach The Finals                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Defensive Struggles  Since returning from the pandemic layoff, the defense has been questionable at best. Overall, the club ranks fourth out of all the bubble teams. Before the pandemic, the Celtics were one of the best defensive teams in the league                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               With a 3-2 bubble record, the team struggled severely against Maimi and Milwaukee. The Bucks are much better on the boards than the Celtics. In my opinion, Miami and Milwaukee are the two teams to watch out for.                                                                                                                                                                                                              Better Physically than Last Year.  As a team, the Celtics are much better physically this year than last. Center Robert Williams is earning more minutes. The signing of Enes Kantor has been significant. Rookie Grant Williams has been improving each game. Marcus Smart, Daniel Theis is two of the toughest players in the game. Free _agent Kemba Walker is healthy and is averaging 3.9 boards a game.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   For the past couple of years, rebounding has hurt the Celtics in the postseason.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Depth Issues  Outside of the starting five, the Celtics will need contributions from the bench. Semi Ojeleye, Javonte Green, Grant Williams, and Brad Wannamaker need to carry the starters. Center Robert Williams continues to impress, controlling the boards.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          As any NBA fan knows the defense needs to set the tone. With a 47-23 record, the Celtics are healthy. It’s been twelve years since a banner was raised.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Remaining Games   At 47-23 the Celtics are coming together. Sunday the team beat Orlando in overtime. Gordon Hayward his offensive contributions. Rebounding and defense will be the deciding factors in the next couple of weeks.

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Weighing In On The Patriots Opting Out Issues

It has been a trying 2020 offseason for the Patriots. The team is dealing with a slew of opting _out issues. Coved 19 is jeopardizing the upcoming season. Leading the way on the opt _out lists are Dont’a Hightower, Marcus Cannon, Brandon Bolden, Patrick Chung, and Danny Vitale. Hightower is the quarterback of the defense. If anymore opt_ out head coach Bill Belichick will have a problem on his hands. In this post, we will weigh in on the Patriots opt_out issues.

Weighing In On The Patriots Team Opting Out Issues                                                       

 Conspiracy Theorist Experts Taking Over  Events like opting_out promote conspiracy theories. Especially when they surround the Patriots. Bill Belichick is not the most popular person. With, Tom Brading signing with Tampa Bay this only sparks conspiracy The Patriots have been a victim of Spygate and Deflategate. Opting_out  from playing only makes it worse. With training camp underway, the next couple of weeks should be interesting. This makes suitable conversation for the local talk shows and podcasts.

Key Players Opting Out The Patriots defense will be seriously a Dante Hightower has been the leader for several years. Patrick Chung is a valuable cog in the defensive backfield. Without either, the Patriots will have to trade or sign an available free agent. Starting a rookie means growing pains and defeats.

The Team  Awarded Extra Cap Space  Before training camp, the club was awarded extra cap space.  The team came to terms on the Antonio Brown contract, and Aron Hernandez estate.

Instead of being under 1,000,000 dollars, the club has an additional  7.5 million dollars in cap space. Some names to keep an eye on are  James Harrison defensive tackle and edge rusher, Jedaveon Clowney.  Clowney would provide leadership left by Hightower. I personally like defensive tackle, James Harrison. Only 31 years old he’s a versatile run stopper.  He has recently played for the Jets and Lions.

Looking Ahead Depending on the pandemic the NFL season could be at stake. Players are opting_out  to protect their families. The Patriots have been one of the hardest _hit teams.  With the loss of Tom Brady and others, it could be a long season for Patriots fans.