Sports
After ACC and others throw support behind 24-team CFP, the ball is now in the SEC's court
The ACC and others back a 24-team CFP, awaiting SEC's decision.
Yahoo Sports1 min read
MLB
Former Rival GM Reveals How He Would Fix Red Sox
TL;DR
The Boston Red Sox are struggling in the 2026 season with a 17-24 record and last place in the AL East. A former rival GM has shared insights on how to improve the team's performance.
Key points
- Boston Red Sox have a 17-24 record in the 2026 season
- They are last in the AL East with a negative-13 run differential
- The team recently changed their manager and coaching staff
Boston Red SoxAL East
Boston Red Sox
Former Rival GM Reveals How He Would Fix Red Sox originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A quarter of the way through the 2026 season, the Boston Red Soxhaven't performed as hoped so far. They enter play on Wednesday last in the AL East with a 17-24 record and a negative-13 run differential.
Despite changing their manager and much of their coaching staff last month, the Red Sox haven't gotten the most out of their roster this year.
During his appearance on the "Cassell's Corner" podcast this week with Worcester Red Sox reporter Tommy Cassell, former Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi explained how he would try to fix Boston's roster this season.
"It's hard to do things now because teams aren't willing to trade at this point," Ricciardi said. "I would try to utilize a little bit of their speed and maybe steal bases a little bit more... I would hit and run a little bit more. I would emphasize more contact to create traffic as much as I can on the bases because there's no power on the club."
Ricciardi emphasized that he would try to use the Red Sox's speed to help spark the team's slumping offense, which ranks 27th in runs per game. Boston ranks 12th in steals but has been running more under Chad Tracy, stealing 18 bases in 14 games under him compared to 16 steals in 27 games under Alex Cora.
As for the defense, Ricciardi wouldn't change much, outside of potentially swapping Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer at the middle infield positions.
"Defensively, I think they are what they are defensively," Ricciardi added. "There's not one brush that can make this right. I think incrementally you gotta try to build this thing up. You gotta get Crochet back. You gotta get the guys who are hurt back."
The Red Sox can only do so much without their best hitter and their best pitcher, but it's clear that they need to be aggressive and exploit every possible edge if they want to turn their season around.
More MLB: Former Rival GM Reveals Daunting Obstacles Facing 2026 Red Sox
Q&A
What is the current record of the Boston Red Sox in the 2026 season?
The Boston Red Sox currently have a 17-24 record.
Why did the Boston Red Sox change their manager recently?
The Red Sox changed their manager and coaching staff in an attempt to improve their underperforming roster.
Who is the former rival GM that provided insights on fixing the Red Sox?
The article does not specify the name of the former rival GM who shared insights on fixing the Red Sox.