∗ It’s going to take a while to find out how the offseason is going to unfold for the Red Sox.
The team has said it intends to add another front-line starting pitcher and an impact bat. But in reality, one bat won’t be enough.
Let’s say the Sox are successful in bringing back Alex Bregman, which would be the right move. Simply retaining Bregman won’t be enough of an upgrade for the team’s lineup, however. That much should be obvious by now.
The Sox lacked sufficient power a year ago, and that was never more obvious that in the postseason, when slug becomes even more of a necessity. Retaining Bregman would merely get them back to where they were.
They need Bregman and another bat. Or, if Bregman leaves to sign elsewhere, they need to make two additions. They could stand to make upgrades at first, DH and either second or third – depending on where Marcelo Mayer lands.
Even with a healthy Roman Anthony and Mayer, the Red Sox could potentially be down an outfield bat like Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, either of whom might be used to land a starting pitcher.
There are options on the free agent market, and, no doubt, some available trade possibilities. Two free agent additions would be costly, but if the club doesn’t address this obvious need, it can’t hope to beat good pitching in October.
∗ If this keeps up, the Patriots have a chance to pull off one of the greatest one-season turnarounds in NFL history.
In 1998, the St. Louis Rams went 4-12; a year later, they were 13-3 and won the Super Bowl. That, obviously, came in a 16-game season.
The Pats, meanwhile, were 4-13 a year ago and stand a decent chance to win at least 13 games this year in a 17-game schedule. The Super Bowl part, obviously, will be tougher. But we’re witnessing an incredible turnaround.
∗ A season ago, as one of the Bruins’ two big free agent signings, defenseman Nikita Zadorov was a massive disappointment, too often guilty of defensive zone turnovers and needless penalties.
This year, he looks more like the player the Bruins thought they were getting — physical (leading both the team and NHL defensemen in hits), more assured with the puck, and serving as a strong deterrent to opponents looking to take advantage of his teammates.
∗ Good for Jaylen Brown for calling out teammates for their lackluster effort Friday night vs. Brooklyn. This season is going to be a slog and the last thing the Celtics need are games in which a winnable contest slip away because of indifference on the part of players.
The Celtics need a voice like that to keep them honest over the course of the season and when it comes from a player — rather than the coach — it tends to carry more weight.
∗ As for the Stephen A. Smith dust-up with Drake Maye, my advice is this: Don’t take anything Smith does seriously; after all, he takes himself so seriously, there’s no need for anyone else to do the same.
∗ We should all hope to be as fit and friendly and energetic as Fred Lynn at, somehow, age 73.
∗ It’s not hard to see how Mike Vrabel has built such a bond with his players so quickly. Vrabel comes out to check on every injured player and stations himself outside the locker room after victories to offer congratulatory hugs.
It may seem small, but when you personally invest in your players, there’s a payoff — even with professional athletes.
∗ It’s that time of year in college football when head coaches feign indignation over reports of their imminent departures – meanwhile, all the while, their agents are finishing up the contractual fine points so they can bail for more money.
NIL spending has led to charges that players are becoming too greedy. But they’re now catching up to what their coaches have been doing for decades, which is to say: looking out for themselves, first and foremost.
∗ Just a thought: The St. Louis Cardinals are open to trading infielder Brendan Donovan. He can play either second or third pretty well, and though he hits lefthanded, which is sub-optimal, he’d make some sense for the Red Sox, whose entire infield, save for shortstop, remains undefined.
The most appealing part of Donovan’s game for a team looking to make more contact? He puts the ball in play, with a career strikeout rate of just 13.51 percent and a .361 OBP.
∗ Failing to capture a single so-called “loser point” in their first 23 games is going to come back and haunt the Bruins. For a team whose best-case scenario is competing for a wild card spot, that could be costly.
∗ Has there ever been a more obvious first-ballot Hall of Famer than Roger Federer, elected this past week to the Tennis Hall of Fame?
∗ And on the subject… is there a dumber commercial than the credit card spot that mentions Wayne Gretzky was “accepted” into the Hall of Fame? Yeah, I know, that word is used because the spot wanted to emphasize how many businesses “accept” their card. Still, it sounds ridiculous.
∗ The Beast in Me, on Netflix, is a first-class thriller limited series, with star turns from both Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys.
∗ A Happy Thanksgiving to all. Please know that I’m appreciative of this column’s readers.
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