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Red Sox’ J.D. Martinez shouts out Home Run Derby champ Juan Soto on Instagram

Matt Dolloff July 19th

  • J.D. Martinez may not be with the Boston Red Sox for much longer, but the hope is his latest trip to the All-Star Game became something of a recruiting pitch.

    Nationals superstar Juan Soto came out on top of the 2022 Home Run Derby on Monday night at Dodger Stadium, beating out Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez (who had by far the most total homers in the derby with 81) in the final round. Soto had already grabbed headlines at the start of the All-Star break amid reports that he turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension with the Nats. Of course, the Red Sox were inevitably going to at least be mentioned in possible trade rumors, so it’s fair to let fans dream for a little while.

  • The Baseball Hour with Tony Mazz | The Red Sox at the Trade Deadline

  • So hopefully, when Soto spent time with Red Sox DH/outfielder J.D. Martinez, it was a pleasant time. It seems so. Martinez gave Soto a nice congratulatory shoutout on his Instagram story after the end of the derby.

    J.D. Martinez and Juan Soto at the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Credit: @jdmartinez28/Instagram)

    J.D. Martinez and Juan Soto at the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Credit: @jdmartinez28/Instagram)

  • Martinez was recently added to the American League All-Star roster as an injury replacement. He’s batting .302 with nine home runs, 38 RBIs, and an .849 OPS at the break, and leads the league with 30 doubles.

    He joins teammates Rafael Devers, who will start at third base for the AL, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts. The 2022 MLB All-Star Game takes place at 8 p.m. ET and will air on FOX.

  • Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

Mazz: Three management decisions that have undermined the 2022 Red Sox

When things go awry, we often point fingers. And in the case of the 2022 Red Sox, the three biggest failures of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom are pretty easy to identify.

First base. Right field. The bullpen.

And not necessarily in that order.

As usual, the devil is in the details. But if you’re looking for specific reasons the Red Sox are floundering nearly 100 games into the 2022 season, we’ll break down the particulars for you.

  • They’re a disaster at first base – and have been for much of two seasons

    CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 26: Franchy Cordero #16 of the Boston Red Sox reacts to striking out during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 26, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

    CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 26: Franchy Cordero #16 of the Boston Red Sox reacts to striking out during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 26, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

    That’s right. A disaster. And that’s not hyperbole. Last year, after bringing in Kyle Schwarber and shoehorning him into first base, the Sox got some much-needed production at the position.

    Just the same, they finished last in baseball in defensive runs saved. (Translation: they were the worst defensive team in the game at the position.)

    So what did they do? They let Schwarber go and didn’t replace him in any capacity. The tandem of Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero ranks 30th in baseball in OPS and 30th in runs saved. Dead last in both. Social services would call this neglect.

  • Right field? Wrong choice

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 31: Jackie Bradley Jr. #19 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park on May 31, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 31: Jackie Bradley Jr. #19 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park on May 31, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    If you’re looking for a transaction that symbolizes the organizational mindset of the 2022 Red Sox, look no further than the change they made in right field.

    Hunter Renfroe will never been confused with Dwight Evans, but the Sox finished fourth in the AL in OPS with him at the position last season. Trading Renfroe made sense to capitalize on his 31-homer season, but the return did not. The Sox got a pair of low-level minor leaguers (Alex Binelas and David Hamilton) while taking on Jackie Bradley and his contract.

    The result? The Sox rank dead last in the AL in OPS in RF. Bradley is batting .150 in his last 29 games with 12 hits, just two of which went for extra bases. He has one home run for the season.

  • The Garrett Whitlock debacle

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 01: Starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock #72 of the Boston Red Sox throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Fenway Park on June 01, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 01: Starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock #72 of the Boston Red Sox throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Fenway Park on June 01, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    As has been the case at first base, the Red Sox have had problems in the bullpen for two seasons. Last year, according to Fangraphs, Whitlock ranked 16th among all major league relievers in WAR. The only other Sox relievers in the top 100 were Matt Barnes (who was awful in the second half) and Adam Ottavino (who was let go).

    So what did the Sox do? They inexplicably put Whitlock in the starting rotation and turned their bullpen fire into a raging inferno. They are just 19-of-39 in save opportunities this season and, adding further insult, Whitlock got injured as a starter. He returned to the relief corps over the weekend and looked dominant, contributing mightily to the team’s only win.

NEXT: Is there any possibility of the Red Sox trading for Juan Soto?

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