The Red Sox have a new pitcher. Kind of. The Sox signed 35-year-old Massachusetts native John Brebbia to a minor league contract. He’s in Worcester for now, but one would assume that the team didn’t add an arm in the middle of a pennant race unless they plan to use him in some capacity down the stretch. The righty has thrown 23.1 innings for the Braves and Tigers this year, putting up an ERA of 7.71 while giving up 28 hits and 12 walks and striking out 26. Because he wasn’t on the roster by September
1, Brebbia won’t be eligible to pitch in the postseason, though with a stat line like that, it’s unlikely the Red Sox would want him to. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Of course, all of a sudden the postseason doesn’t seem like such a foregone conclusion, with the Rangers now just two games behind the Sox, Astros, and Mariners, who are all tied for the final two Wild Card spots. That’s why Alex Cora doesn’t want to talk about the postseason at all, saying “I think we should stop talking about October to be honest with you. There’s a lot of stuff going on and we have to play better. I’m not saying we’re in a bad spot, but I think we have to wait to see if October is part of this.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
If the collapse does materialize, it won’t the fault of Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolio, and Brayan Bello, who have carried the team in the second half. It’s the rest of the roster that’s let the team down. (Tara Sullivan, Boston Globe)
Ceddanne Rafaela is one of the players who has disappointed down the stretch, posting an OPS of just .5 in17 the second half. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Alex Bregman, who has been battling an extended slump and shoulders some of the blame for this ongoing funk, has some advice for his younger teammates, saying that the Sox may have been a bit too amped up lately and need to simplify things. (Colin McCarthy, Boston.com)
If the worst does come to pass this month, there will be plenty of scrutiny on the front office, particular in light of the underwhelming trade deadline. But the front office may already be getting a shake-up. Craig Breslow reportedly wants to hire a GM to serve as his unequivocal second-in-command, with current assistant GM Paul Toboni viewed as the leading candidate. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
