Boston is chasing Alex Bregman, a move that would dramatically boost fantasy upside for a team building around Mayer, Rafaela and Anthony. A signing would bring immediate power and run production and add playoff-tested leadership to the clubhouse.

His .272/.365/.481 career line with 209 homers, 725 RBIs and 43.1 WAR translates to reliable counting stats in 2025, while veteran presence could accelerate Boston’s prospects. Kennedy wants talks now to keep him away from rivals, and Story’s opt-out chatter adds urgency.

The Red Sox begin their playoff push in the Bronx with Garrett Crochet set to start Game 1, while Lucas Giolito is sidelined by an elbow issue and Brayan Bello is slotted for Game 2. Crochet has dominated Aaron Judge this season, fanning him 10 times in 13 at-bats, including two homers by Judge. With Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer in Fort Myers, Boston will lean on depth and a tempo-setter on the mound to navigate a tight best-of-three.

Ticket markets buzz as official outlets limit sales regionally and resellers supply the crowd in New York. Historically, Boston has pushed the Yankees in playoffs, but the all-time playoff ledger sits even at 12-12, making this trio of games a momentum swing for October and a test of rotation depth and bullpen resilience.

Washington named Paul Toboni, a rapid-rise executive from Boston, to run baseball operations, signaling a deliberate, analytics-driven rebuild after Mike Rizzo’s 12-year run.

Toboni helped shape Boston’s farm with high-ceiling talents like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, and his arrival in Washington suggests a pipeline-forward approach that could accelerate MLB debuts and trigger more midseason roster moves as the club pursues a 2026 turnaround after finishing 64-94 in 2025.