Wednesday, September 23

Welcome to this edition of the Red Sox Beat newsletter. Recently, Red Sox beat reporter Ian Browne held an Ask Me Anything on Reddit with fans at r/redsox. This mailbag features questions and answers from there. You can read the full transcript here. Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Do you think Tanner Houck and Garrett Crochet will be able to pitch in relief in the postseason?

The goal is definitely to get Crochet there, given the potential impact he could make. With Houck, they will have to see how his stuff is playing. He is just 13 months out from Tommy John surgery and pitchers can be inconsistent when first coming off that procedure. If they like what they see in his Minor League rehab games, I think he’d have a shot.

Do you see this Sox team with the potential to clinch a postseason berth earlier than last year is better positioned to beat the Yankees in a Wild Card series compared to ‘25?

Absolutely. Last year, they were a little beaten up going into the playoffs and didn't clinch their spot until Game No. 160. At least this year, it seems they will go in much healthier, with the obvious exception of not having Crochet as a starter.

Do you feel there is a sense that the team is playing it a bit safe with the current standings situation to save players for the postseason? As in, they're happy with WC2 and anything more is gravy, but they're not gonna risk anything to get past that?

I think that’s a pretty good read. There has been a bit of a sea change since the lost series in New York at the end of August minimized the chances of the Sox getting home field for a Wild Card Series. They've spent the last 10 days getting their house in order, so to speak, shutting down players with nagging injuries with the goal of having them operating as close to full speed as possible once the playoffs start.

How are you feeling about the starting pitching in the stretch run? Is there enough gas left in the tank?

I think they've managed the rotation very well all year, building in rest, particularly for the younger guys. Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Payton Tolle are a pretty nice front three. You really only need 3-4 starters in the playoffs. Jake Bennett could be a solid No. 4. They had that little rough patch last week, but some of that had to do with the extra rest they built, which led them to use a spot starter in Jedixson Paez, plus the doubleheader in New York a few days before that. This team has gone as far as their starting pitching has taken them all year and that will continue to be the case in the playoffs.

Are we going to see top prospect Franklin Arias this year?

It doesn't look that way. I feel like they would have called him up already. There are only 15 games left. Trevor Story looks like he can hold down shortstop with help from Nick Sogard and Andruw Monasterio. I think they want to be careful about not rushing Arias. That said, if someone's health takes a downward turn, you never know.

Haven’t heard much about Curtis Mead; do you think he can be back in time to make a meaningful contribution in 2026? And if so, where do you see him fitting in both on the field and in the lineup?

Mead just started playing catch but hasn’t been cleared to swing because he still feels some discomfort doing rotational things. Wrist recovery is always tricky. I'm not sure he has enough time. He would have to make rapid progress in the next week or two.

Do you think we will ever see Kristian Campbell again on the Red Sox roster?

Sure, if he keeps progressing the way he has at Triple-A the last couple of months. We will see what the roster looks like going into next season. An injury could create an opportunity for him at some point also. You just never know with baseball.

Likelihood of Jarren Duran and/or Masataka Yoshida getting traded in the offseason?

Duran has a dynamic skillset and has two more seasons before he is eligible for free agency. I'm guessing he could be packaged in some way if it improved another area of the club. With Yoshida, the contract is an impediment, but the fact that he is down to one more year could help if the Red Sox eat some of the money.

A cool moment took place during batting practice prior to Tuesday’s game when Roman Anthony, Boston’s emerging star, met Fred Lynn, a Red Sox legend in the mid-1970s.

Lynn became the first player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, doing so for the pennant-winning Sox of ‘75. Anthony wears the same number (19) that Lynn wore all those years ago.

“He was somebody I'd wanted to meet for a while, obviously, and he’s a legend,” Anthony said. “He shared some of his experiences here and his experiences when he left here, but it was great to hear from a legend like himself.”

Anthony is aware of Lynn’s accomplishments.

“I got familiar with him when I got [number] 19, and I know when I first came up last year and got the number, he was pretty excited about it and sent some love,” said Anthony. “Obviously he's an unbelievable player, an unbelievable Red Sox [icon], but just a great human. It was awesome to interact with him, and I think anytime you get to see any of those legends that hang around with us and spend some time with us, it's always great picking their brain.”

The Red Sox have been without one of their biggest weapons of late in Willson Contreras, who has been on the 10-day IL since Aug. 31 with a left hamstring strain. Contreras is just about ready to return to action. In fact, he will play for Double-A Portland on Friday night. There’s a chance the rehab assignment will be a one-off, positioning him for a return to action as soon as Saturday.

Even with the time missed, Contreras still leads the Sox in homers (26) and RBIs (79).

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