Category: MLB

Revisiting our 2025 Red Sox season predictions at the break originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Have the 2025 Boston Red Sox matched our preseason expectations?

If we asked that question a month ago, the answer likely would have been a resounding “no.” After an offseason of optimism, Boston looked like the same mediocre club that hasn’t been able to get out of its own way since it last reached the playoffs in 2021.

But the Red Sox rolled into the All-Star break with 10 consecutive victories to put themselves back into the postseason conversation. Suddenly, the optimism that came with their active offseason seems justified.

Before the 2025 season began, our three-man NBC Sports Boston panel shared predictions for the campaign as part of our “Spring Storylines” series. We picked our team MVPs and Cy Youngs, breakout stars, All-Star break headlines, trade deadline predictions, and more.

Now that we’ve reached the All-Star break, we wanted to see how our preseason predictions have aged. See how our vision of the 2025 season has compared with reality below:

Who will be Red Sox’ Cy Young and MVP?

Justin Leger: MVP – Jarren Duran, Cy Young – Garrett Crochet

Duran started to heat up before the break, but he hasn’t been the team’s MVP this season. He went through some tough stretches at the plate and his defense in left field has often left plenty to be desired. While he’s still a key contributor, some might say he’s been a slight disappointment in 2025. I named Carlos Narvaez the club’s first-half MVP in my midseason superlatives, but I won’t argue with those who pick the guy I predicted to be the 2025 Red Sox “Cy Young.”

Crochet has been as advertised since joining via the blockbuster offseason trade with the Chicago White Sox. He’s the unquestioned Red Sox ace, so this very non-bold prediction has proven to be accurate.

Nick Goss: MVP – Rafael Devers, Cy Young – Brayan Bello

Oof. The Devers prediction hurts, but it’s hard to blame Nick here. No one foresaw Devers being traded to the San Francisco Giants in June.

As for the Bello pick, it wouldn’t be so bad if Crochet didn’t exist. Bello has been impressive this season, posting a 3.14 ERA over 16 outings. Can he keep it up for the rest of the year?

Darren Hartwell: MVP – Triston Casas, Cy Young – Garrett Crochet

Darren’s MVP prediction fell apart in May when Casas went down with a season-ending knee injury. Have to wonder whether he jinxed the Red Sox first baseman.

He made up for it with the Crochet pick, which was a no-brainer all along.

Who will be Red Sox’ breakout star?

Justin Leger: Roman Anthony

Anthony got the call to The Show in June. After a brief adjustment period, baseball’s No. 1 prospect caught fire and played a huge role in Boston winning 10 consecutive games. He has a chance to win the AL Rookie of the Year award despite his late start.

Nick Goss: Garrett Crochet

Crochet technically broke out last year, when he earned his first All-Star nod with the Chicago White Sox. But this season, the 26-year-old has taken his game to another level and is a legitimate AL Cy Young contender.

Darren Hartwell: Marcelo Mayer

Mayer was called up to the majors in late May. The Red Sox’ top infield prospect has been silky smooth defensively, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement at the plate, particularly against lefties. We wouldn’t say he has broken out just yet.

Boldest prediction for 2025 Red Sox season

Justin Leger: Red Sox win the American League East

The Red Sox are only three games back in the AL East standings. If chief baseball officer Craig Breslow pushes the right buttons ahead of the trade deadline, winning the division is a real possibility.

Nick Goss: Red Sox make the playoffs

Boston currently holds the second Wild Card spot, so this remains a strong possibility. Again, whether it happens or not will depend on Breslow’s deadline moves.

Darren Hartwell: Red Sox have three-plus All-Stars for the first time since 2021, but Bregman isn’t one of them

Darren was correct, sort of. The Red Sox had three All-Stars, but Alex Bregman was one of them along with Crochet closer Aroldis Chapman.

What will be the Red Sox All-Star break headline?

Justin Leger: Garrett Crochet shines as AL All-Star starter

Crochet was selected to the All-Star Game, but he opted out of playing in the Midsummer Classic to manage his workload. He wouldn’t have been the AL starter anyway, as that honor belonged to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Nick Goss: Red Sox will be buyers

Thanks to the Red Sox’ 10-game win streak, Nick likely nailed this one. Boston is expected to buy at the deadline, with Breslow specifically eyeing “impact starting pitching.”

Darren Hartwell: “The Kids Are All Right”

With this one, Darren was referring to Red Sox top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. Each have reached the majors and impressed at different points in the campaign, but it hasn’t exactly gone as planned.

Campbell was sent back down to Triple-A Worcester after struggling mightily in May and June. Mayer has shown flashes, but he needs to improve against left-handed pitching. Anthony has looked the part as baseball’s top prospect, but he’s been in the big leagues for only a month.

Red Sox trade deadline predictions

Justin Leger: Red Sox trade for Ryan Helsley

Helsley tops our list of 10 relievers Boston should target ahead of the deadline after ESPN’s Jeff Passan named him as the Red Sox’ “best match.” The Red Sox could use another reliable high-leverage arm, and he’d form an elite setup-closer combination with Chapman.

Nick Goss: Red Sox acquire a veteran star

Nick specifically mentioned Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for this one, but the Blue Jays slugger signed a lucrative extension with Toronto in April. However, he isn’t technically wrong as Boston should add a veteran star this summer.

Darren Hartwell: Boston trades Wilyer Abreu for bullpen help

If the Red Sox trade Abreu, it’ll probably be for a frontline starting pitcher. Still, Darren was on to something with this one. Rumors have swirled in recent weeks about Boston potentially trading Abreu or Duran to clear its outfield logjam. It’s certainly something to monitor over the next two weeks.

How will the Red Sox’ 2025 season end?

Justin Leger: Red Sox win the division by a hair, then lose in the ALCS

It’s possible in a weak American League. Some prominent MLB insiders are even starting to call Boston a real World Series contender.

Nick Goss: Red Sox make the playoffs, lose in the ALDS, and prove they are a team on the rise

Not quite as ambitiious, but a solid prediction nonetheless that has a strong chance of coming to fruition.

Darren Hartwell: The Red Sox end their postseason drought, but their bullpen comes back to bite them.

Boston’s bullpen was a weakness in 2024, but it has actually been a strength this year with 37-year-old closer Chapman being virtually untouchable. Can the group keep it up over the second half, and will Breslow add an arm or two to the mix?

A young Freddie Freeman slipped down a waterslide, two orange inflatable floaties hoisting his arms — and body weight — above the water.

“Here comes Freddie,” calls out Rosemary Freeman, Freddie’s mother, early in the MLB Network Presents documentary "Driven: The Freddie Freeman Story" — set to debut on MLB Network on Thursday at 5 p.m. Pacific (and rerun at 9:30 p.m.).

The moment of archival footage, coordinating producer Jed Tuminaro said, caused Freddie Freeman to choke up watching his late mother — who died when the Dodgers star first baseman was 10 years old — say his name.

Freeman wears his emotions on his sleeve, and in "Driven: The Freddie Freeman Story," the 35-year-old showcases vulnerability about his journey from Atlanta to Los Angeles, his son Max’s encounter with Guillain-Barré syndrome and most recently, his World Series most valuable player heroics.

Read more:Hernández: 'Time heals everything.' Freddie Freeman, Braves fans find peace at All-Star Game

“He'll cry on the field, he’ll cry away from the field,” said Paul Solga, a producer on the documentary. “Going back through the interview, that was the best stuff, and that was the stuff that really popped out from his interview. When we were putting it all together, that stuff rose to the top, and we thought it was a great way to showcase not only the player, but the person.”

Freddie Freeman, the teammate, is a through line throughout the documentary. Near the end, Freeman says, “When you talk to people about former players, it’s not usually about, 'Oh, was he a good player?'... Was he a good dude?”

The production crew interviewed a handful of former and current teammates who convey the latter.

Freeman’s best friend in baseball, Jason Heyward — who played with Freeman on both the Braves and the Dodgers — as well as Dansby Swanson, Mookie Betts and Justin Turner, all speak to Freeman’s journey across 16 years in the pros, a career that’s still ongoing.

Both managers Freeman won a World Series with, the Braves' Brian Snitker and the Dodgers' Dave Roberts, have plenty to say aboutthe ballplayer he is, but emphasized who he is as a person, and what he brings to the clubhouse.

“A lot of times, if you get teammates, they give you some nice stuff,” Tuminaro said, adding that this is just the third documentary they’ve produced on a current player (Mike Trout and Fernando Tatis Jr. being the others). “Oh, he hits to all fields and he makes a great play, and that's fine, and that's nice. We need that stuff. But what stood out to me, almost everybody in this, but especially teammates, seemed like they were speaking more to the person, quite often, than the ball player.”

If Freddie Freeman wasn't enough of a jumping-off point for the documentary, the filmmakers interviewed his father, Fred Freeman, a source that provided a "gold mine" of information. Tuminaro said that it’s hard not to be drawn to the anecdotes and personality of Fred Freeman, an energetic and soft-spoken man, much like his son.

When Solga was in Fred Freeman’s home, interviewing him, he asked if there were any home tapes — archival footage — that the documentary crew could see. Fred trekked up the stairs of his home and trotted back down with an envelope filled with flash drives and photos.

“He goes, ‘Here, take a look, take whatever you'd like,’” Solga said. “And I was like, ‘Are you serious?’”

Tuminaro said that Fred Freeman is at the center of two of his favorite moments in the documentary — some parental honesty after Freddie’s injuries throughout the 2024 postseason, and then pure glee following his son’s iconic 2024 World Series grand slam.

“He provided a raw sense of emotion that I think only someone in his position could do,” Tuminaro said.

Read more:'It was awesome.' Clayton Kershaw is the All-Star among All-Stars as NL defeats AL

Solga said that many of the documentaries MLB Network creates are focused on players of an older generation, and they come up in an era where there’s less of a trail of images and videos to forage through. With Freddie, whether it was Fred or Rosemary handling the camcorder, you could see Freeman grow from a toddler to a preteen practicing an early version of his signature swing.

The 90-minute documentary takes the viewer through Freeman’s full career: loss in childhood, the decision to forgo a college commitment at Cal State Fullerton for the MLB Draft, all the way to MLB.

But what fans will probably leave with after watching is another perspective on Freddie Freeman — one that pulls back the curtain on a player not often outspoken about issues beyond the ballpark.

“There are just so many ups and downs in his story, and I'm not sure if everyone's really aware of that,” Tuminaro said. "And so many of these great moments, he's had to overcome some adversity to achieve that. … what it takes to overcome that adversity and deliver in those big moments.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo look back at All-Star week and the MLB Draft, while looking ahead to the trade deadline and the second half of the season.

Leading off, Connor and Joe talk about Pete and Peterson at the All-Star Game, Jonah Tong and Carson Benge at the Futures Game, David Wright getting his number retired, and what kind of talent the Mets added during the draft.

Then the organization’s first pick, Michigan infielder Mitch Voit, joins the show to talk about his development, his emotions about getting selected by the Mets, and his career goals.

The guys also go Down on the Farm to discuss the best time to call up pitchers Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, and wrap the show with Mailbag questions answered about potential trade ideas as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

MLB power rankings roundup: Red Sox rise amid 10-game win streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox entered the 2025 MLB season with heightened expectations. After a disappointing start to the campaign, they’ve started to live up to those expectations with their recent hot streak.

They entered the All-Star break with 10 consecutive wins, giving them a 53-45 record that puts them only three games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East standings. If the season ended today, they’d clinch the second AL Wild Card spot and their first postseason berth since 2021.

But there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played, and the next two weeks could ultimately determine Boston’s fate. Before the July 31 trade deadline, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is expected to make moves — particularly for starting pitching — that can help his team stay in postseason contention over the final two months.

Time will tell whether Breslow pushes the right buttons, but for now, MLB pundits are buying back in on this Red Sox club. Boston has skyrocketed into or near the top 10 in the latest batch of national MLB power rankings.

Here’s where the Red Sox stand as we prepare for the second half, according to experts across the league:

FanGraphs (Jake Mailhot): 7th

“The Red Sox head into the All-Star break as the hottest team in baseball. They won their 10th game in a row on Sunday, completing a huge four-game sweep over the Rays to overtake Tampa Bay in the Wild Card standings. Boston is getting healthy at just the right time too; both Alex Bregman and Masataka Yoshida were activated off the IL last week. The real star of this hot streak has been Ceddanne Rafaela, who blasted a dramatic three-run walk-off home run on Friday. He’s posted a .390/.405/.902 slash line in July.”

Bleacher Report (Kerry Miller): 9th

“While that four-game sweep of the Rays was mighty impressive and shook up the AL East standings, surging into the All-Star break is nothing new for the Red Sox. They went 8-1 in their final nine games of the first half in 2023 as well as 10-3 last year before their current 10-game winning streak. But can they maintain that momentum for a change? Boston went from a combined 101-86 in the first half of the past two seasons to a combined 58-79 after the ASB, and they have the toughest remaining schedule in the American League, including a gauntlet in the next nine games.“

NBC Sports (D.J. Short): 10th

“I was high on the Red Sox coming into the year, and while things haven’t exactly worked out the way I thought they would — Rafael Devers trade included — they’ve won 10 straight games to put themselves in a strong position leading into the trade deadline.”

CBS Sports (Matt Snyder): 10th

“A 10-game winning streak and only three games out. My “Red Sox win the AL East” preseason prediction lives!”

USA TODAY (Gabe Lacques): 10th

“In addition to his offensive exploits, rookie Carlos Narvaez leads the majors with 20 runners caught stealing.”

MLB.com (Will Leitch): 11th

“The Red Sox have been excited about their young hitters for many moons at this point, but they couldn’t have asked for a better time for them to break through than in the immediate weeks after trading Rafael Devers. Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, all hitting like crazy, all in their 20s, all at the perfect moment.“

Pitcher List (Pablo Figueroa): 11th

MLB All-Star pitchers overwhelmingly pick Giants' Barry Bonds as dream matchup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

If there were one adjective to describe the pitchers selected for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, it would be courageous.

Because courage is exactly what it takes to openly request the challenge of facing Giants legend and MLB’s all-time home run leader, Barry Bonds, in a hypothetical matchup.

Bonds was selected more than any other player when a handful of MLB’s best pitchers were asked which All-Star from any era they would want to face.

That group includes Giants ace Logan Webb, who was quick to relay that Bonds already informed him how that hypothetical matchup would play out.

“Probably a homer, he always tells me it would be a homer,” Webb said with a chuckle.

Bonds’ assessment is understandable, as the seven-time MLB MVP holds the league record for home runs in a season (73) as well as the all-time mark with 762 career dingers on his resume.

However, Webb wasn’t the only player to keep it real when discussing how this hypothetical matchup with Bonds would unfold.

“Probably not well for me,” Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen said. “But that’s all right, just having the opportunity to say you competed against him would be special.”

Chicago White Sox right-hander Shane Smith was blunt in his prediction as well.

“He’d probably go yard,” Smith said. “Thankfully, I don’t have to face him, but if I did, I think that would be really cool.”

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader voiced a bit more confidence in his ability to get the best of Bonds, but couldn’t ignore the likelihood of the outcome the other pitchers mentioned either.

“Either a punchy [strikeout] or a homer,” Hader said. “Flip a coin, I guess.”

Hader’s confidence could stem from the lefty-lefty matchup, with Bonds having lower career numbers across the board against southpaws. Still, “lower” is relative when speaking about Bonds, who still slashed .289/.569/.986 in 4,147 career plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.

There is a strong case to be made that Bonds is the most feared hitter ever to pick up a baseball bat, holding MLB’s all-time record in both walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688). His decorated resume includes an eye-popping .444 career OPS, leading MLB in that statistic in 10 different seasons during his career.

Still, Webb is confident he’d find a way to get Bonds out at least one time.

“I think I could get him once,” Webb said with a grin.

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Watch Philadelphia 2026 MLB All-Star Declaration on Friday originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The MLB All-Star Game is coming to Philly!

Watch live Friday around noon ET at Dilworth Park or stream here as the Phillies kick off “Philadelphia’s 2026 All-Star Declaration.”

The event will feature Phillies legends Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, John Kruk, Charlie Manuel and, of course, the Phillie Phanatic.

Watch Philadelphia 2026 MLB All-Star Declaration ceremony originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The MLB All-Star Game is coming to Philly!

The Phillies were officially unveiled as the host team for the 2026 midsummer classic in a ceremony Friday at Dilworth Park.

Bryce Harper was on hand, as well as other Phillies legends like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, John Kruk, Charlie Manuel and, of course, the Phillie Phanatic.

You can watch the event right here.

Watch Philadelphia 2026 MLB All-Star Declaration today originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The MLB All-Star Game is coming to Philly!

Watch live Friday around noon ET at Dilworth Park or stream here as the Phillies kick off “Philadelphia’s 2026 All-Star Declaration.”

The event will feature Phillies legends Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, John Kruk, Charlie Manuel and, of course, the Phillie Phanatic.

Buster Posey describes Giants' top pick Gavin Kilen, team's approach to draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Buster Posey shared the scouting report on Gavin Kilen and detailed the Giants’ overall approach to the 2025 MLB Draft in joining KNBR 680’s “Murph and Markus” on Thursday.

“I think he’s a guy who has a knack [for] finding the barrel, can hit line drives to all parts of the field and has some power in there, too; good defender,” Posey told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher about the 21-year-old infielder.

Kilen, whom San Francisco selected No. 13 overall on Sunday, slashed .323/.381 /.554 with 186 hits, 105 RBI and 24 home runs over three collegiate seasons — two with Louisville and his latest with Tennessee. 

Posey admires how Kilen has a consistent bat. He also loves how the incoming rookie is all about baseball and is serious about holding his teammates to high standards. The latter stuck out to Posey and the rest of the Giants’ staff throughout the draft process.

“I think it’s important to me, as anything, as I stressed with our groups as we’re going through this, is just to know the person,” Posey told Murphy and Boucher. “It seems like all reports are he’s a guy who loves playing baseball; he plays the game hard; somebody who will push his teammates and hold them accountable. Really excited to see him in a Giants uniform.”

San Francisco is eager to see how Kilen develops over the next few years. The traits Posey identified in Kilen, too, represent the Giants’ approach to all of their draft choices.

The 2025 draft tied in what Posey wants San Francisco’s identity to be under his leadership, but also what the team needs sooner rather than later.

“Obviously, we want to be pitching and defense, but offensively, we drafted some players who know how to put good at-bats together. They’re not going to be one-dimensional. [They’ll] be able to move the line,” Posey told Murphy and Boucher.

“For us to win, I believe that’s the type of player we need. Everybody loves the homer — I love the homer as much as anybody — but for us, our philosophy is: we know we’re going to play tight games; we’re going to have to play good, clean fundamental baseball. And the hope is we got a lot of players that have that buy-in.”

Giants fans will know in due time how Posey’s first draft as San Francisco’s president of baseball operations fared, with most eyes likely to follow Kilen’s journey. But for now, Posey is proud of the work he and his scouting department have done, with priorities shifting back to the Giants’ busy second half of the 2025 MLB season.

Though he enjoyed the youthful energy of the past weekend.

“It’s funny, I was thinking about myself when I was going through that process — it’s been 17-ish years ago now. Man, it’s such an exciting time,” Posey told Murphy and Boucher. “You don’t really know what you’re in for until you get into it.

“I know [Kilen] and his family — and the rest of the guys that were drafted — are probably over the moon [and] thrilled to play professional baseball.”

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For the Mets and Yankees, the first half was a reminder of just how long the baseball season can feel, as both teams experienced extreme highs and lows that had them looking like championship teams at times and badly flawed clubs at others.

As such, the July 31 trade deadline looms as particularly important for decision-makers David Stearns and Brian Cashman. It feels like the right move, or three, could make all the difference in getting their teams to a World Series this season.

With that as a starting point, here are 10 bold predictions for the second half of the MLB season:

10. PETE ALONSO MAKES MVP PUSH AND METS LOCK HIM UP

Alonso’s resurgent season continued with his home run in the All-Star Game Tuesday night, and more and more it looks as if he’s primed to deliver for the Mets in what should be a down-to-the-wire race with the Phillies for the NL East title.

As such, I think Alonso could secure a Top 3 finish in NL MVP voting, no small feat considering he doesn’t have a big WAR number, which too many voters use as a top priority. In doing so he’ll likely convince Steve Cohen to give him the longer-term deal he wanted last winter – say four years, $120 million.

9. PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG WINS NL MVP

It’s looking more and more like trading Crow-Armstrong for Javier Baez in 2021 could haunt the Mets for years, especially since center field is currently their most glaring position need. They never envisioned him blossoming offensively the way he has this season, with 50 extra-base hits, including 25 home runs, to go with 27 stolen bases and Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Shohei Ohtani has more impressive offensive numbers but not to the level of last season, and it remains to be seen how much impact he has as a pitcher this year. PCA currently has a much higher WAR number, 5.2 to 4.0, because of his base running and defense, and today’s MVP voters seem to lean heavily on that metric as a guide to voting.

8. JACOB DEGROM AND ZACK WHEELER WIN CY YOUNG AWARDS

I know it would bring some pain to Mets fans, especially if PCA does indeed win the MVP Award as well, but it would also be kind of cool if deGrom and Wheeler were to pull off such a unique daily double, and both are very much in the running going into the second half.

I’d really like to see Wheeler win the NL award. He’s finished second twice, and should have won it in 2021, when he totaled nearly 50 more innings pitched than Corbin Burnes. It’s currently looming as a two-man race between him and Paul Skenes.

The task will be much tougher for deGrom. He’s having a brilliant comeback season but the competition is stiff, with Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Max Fried, and Hunter Brown all putting up similarly impressive numbers so far.            

7. CAL RALEIGH BREAKS AARON JUDGE’S HR RECORD

Why not? It’s looking more and more like a magical season for the Mariners’ catcher, as Raleigh took his new-found stardom into Monday night’s Home Run Derby and thrived in the spotlight, winning impressively.

To break Judge’s record of 62 he needs to hit 25 home runs in 66 games, which seems feasible considering he’s hit 38 in the Mariners’ first 96 games. It’s fair to speculate that as a catcher he’ll wear down in the second half, but the M’s have already used him in 23 games as their DH to help keep him fresh. The pressure of chasing the record will make it tougher as well, but being a switch-hitter gives him an advantage matchup wise, and Raleigh’s low-key personality could help as well.

6. YANKEES TRADE FOR RYAN HELSLEY

Helsley, the Cardinals’ closer, is having a mediocre season and is a free agent-to-be, so he could be available even though the Cards are very much in the NL Wild Card race. His 99 mph fastball is getting hit hard this year, mostly due to poor command, but his slider is a big weapon, as opponents are hitting just .098 against it. That's why Helsley could be especially useful if a team can pick certain matchups for him rather than having him close.

That could work for the Yanks, who need more depth in the late innings even if Luke Weaver and Devin Williams find more consistency in the second half.

5. NOLAN MCLEAN BECOMES KEY LATE-INNING RELIEVER

The Mets are sure to add bullpen help at the trade deadline but McLean looms as an even better answer. The right-hander has pitched to a 2.17 ERA in 87 innings in the minors this year, including a 2.52 ERA in Triple-A, and scouts say his sweeper could be a big weapon right now at the big league level -- especially against right-handed hitters.

With that in mind, Mets people privately have expressed concern about McLean’s ability to get left-handed hitters out in the majors, at least for now, so utilizing him as a reliever and finding matchup innings might be the best option.

Also, as GM of the Brewers, Stearns broke in young starters like Burnes and Freddy Peralta as relievers in the big leagues, so it makes sense he’d do the same with McLean.

4. METS TRADE FOR EUGENIO SUAREZ

This could be a mini-version of the Juan Soto bidding war between the Mets and Yankees, and while the Bombers have a more glaring need, I believe Stearns will see Suarez as the difference-maker who could take the Mets’ lineup to a championship level.

The caveat is that If Mark Vientos mashes for the next two weeks, coming off his big weekend in Kansas City, and looks like he’s found his ’24 form, then that would ease the need for a slugger to hit behind Pete Alonso. But in the first half the Mets were very much in need of another big bat to lengthen the lineup and deliver in RISP situations. 

Assuming Suarez is okay, after getting hit on the left hand by a pitch in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, he’d be a great fit at third base. And because he’s a free agent after the season the Mets wouldn’t be making a long-term commitment.

Suarez is having a big year, with 31 home runs. The downside is he does strike out a lot and is only adequate defensively, but his .889 OPS speaks to his impact. There’s no guarantee the D-backs will sell, but they’re under .500 and 5 1/2 games out of the third NL Wild Card spot. He’ll cost more than a typical rental because several teams will be in the bidding, but the Mets’ farm system has enough depth now for Stearns to make this type of deal.

3. YANKS TRADE FOR JOSE RAMIREZ

Outbid by the Mets for Suarez, a desperate Cashman swallows hard and sends a big package, including Spencer Jones, to get a difference-maker at third base in Ramirez, the Guardians’ perennial All-Star.

As beloved as Ramirez is in Cleveland, he turns 33 in September, with three more years on his contract. And with the Guardians going nowhere this season they may see this as a chance to reload, depending on how highly they regard Jones, the Yankees’ power-hitting outfield prospect.

Ramirez has a no-trade clause in his contract but here’s betting he’d waive it for the chance to win a championship.

2. METS FALL TO DODGERS AGAIN

The Mets played well against the Dodgers this season, winning four of the seven games between them, and could very well have won all seven. But the Dodgers’ pitching was decimated by injuries at the time and they are likely to be much more of the juggernaut everyone predicted come October.

It would make for a compelling NLCS rematch, and the Mets would have a better shot than last year, but it still feels like they could be a little short, pitching-wise, unless Stearns gets ultra-aggressive at the deadline.

1. YANKS (WITH RAMIREZ) DEFEAT DODGERS IN WORLD SERIES

The caveat is that Cashman makes the Ramirez trade as predicted above. If so I think he’d be the perfect piece to get the Yankees over the hump and help them win the World Series for the first time since 2009.

Ramirez would be the ideal hitter to slot in behind Judge and deter pitchers from walking him in key spots. Assuming Giancarlo Stanton is healthy in October as well,  and hitting behind Ramirez, the Yankees would have a monster lineup to carry them to a title.