That 2021 Boston Red Sox ALCS run is looking more and more fraudulent by the hour, and it’s been an absolute joy for New York Yankees fans to witness their division rival get off to one of the worst starts in all of MLB.
Fans shouldn’t laugh too hard too early, though, because we’re only 20% into the season. Last year, the Yankees managed to erase a 10-game deficit in the AL East and catch up to Boston. It could just as easily happen to New York.
However, when the Red Sox bottom out … boy do they BOTTOM OUT. Just look at their franchise history page on Baseball Reference. The lows they’ve experienced as early as a couple seasons ago haven’t been a “thing” in the Bronx since the early 1990s. And that’s been occurring throughout Sox franchise history.
In 2022, the wheels are already starting to fall off for them too. After an 11-20 start, insiders and analysts are already beginning to speculate Boston might trade one of the franchise’s best players before the Aug. 2 deadline.
Perhaps that’s what happens when you allow two of your stars — Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts — enter the season with contract questions and controversies instead of rightfully taking care of at least one of them.
Bogaerts is the more urgent situation since he can (and will) opt out when the offseason arrives, and that’s why some believe he could be on the move if the Red Sox continue their free fall.
Red Sox trade rumors with Xander Bogaerts have Yankees fans laughing
But Chaim Bloom. Wasn’t this guy the talk of the town last year because he … signed Hunter Renfroe and Kiké Hernandez and picked up Garrett Whitlock? But then traded Renfroe for Jackie Bradley Jr.? And signed Trevor Story for $140 million? The good karma can only last so long when you’re the guy forced to trade Mookie Betts in a partial salary dump deal involving David Price for Alex Verdugo and a couple of unspectacular prospects.
Trading Bogaerts, however, is totally realistic. If there’s no chance of the Sox catching the Yankees, Blue Jays or Rays in the division in a couple months, then why hang onto a guy with a ton of trade value who’s going to leave in the offseason anyway?
The Boston media isn’t denying it, either. But they are getting a little irritable having to talk about it this early.
Of course the Red Sox don’t have a deal in place with the Cardinals just yet! Why would Bloom be eyeing the 16-ranked farm system in MLB?! He’s not! He’s surely got a handshake deal in place with the Dodgers, who will shift Trea Turner over to second and play Bogaerts at short. Duh!
We kid. But anytime you see these types of news stories surrounding your rival as well as the media fallout it creates in said city, it makes it a lot easier to sit back, relax, and enjoy the playful misfortune.
David Cone laying into Red Sox is validating for Yankees fans
New York Yankees broadcaster David Cone laid into the Boston Red Sox for their early-season struggles and it was awesome.