Workman

Brandon Workman’s Resurgence

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Brandon Workman has not had an easy major league career since making his MLB debut during the 2013 season. After a solid rookie campaign it seemed as if he had a secured spot in the Red Sox rotation. His second season did not go as well. In fifteen starts he had one win and ten losses. The Sox as a team struggled in 2014 and sent Workman down to get a look at their other prospects. He did not return to the majors until last season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Last year, the right-hander proved to be an effective reliever, and since his recent recall that has not changed.

Workman’s Early Days

In 2013, Workman appeared in twenty games including three starts. The following season the Sox tried to make the righthander a starter, and he recorded a 5.17 ERA. He gave up fifty earned runs in eighty-seven innings of work. The 2014 campaign was a season that Workman was ready to turn the page on, and things only got worse in 2015. Workman began the season in Pawtucket, and after trying to put off surgery he had Tommy John, ruling him out for the rest of the season and all of 2016. He returned to the majors last year and reminded people of what they had missed.

Workman

Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Workman Makes His Return

When the Red Sox recalled Workman last year, many did not know what to expect. The right-hander was out to prove his doubters wrong, and did exactly that. In thirty appearances he recorded an ERA of 3.18. In thirty-nine innings, he struck out thirty-seven batters and held opponents to a 2.52 average. Before last year the lowest average he held batters to was .263. Workman did not make an appearance in the playoffs, but it was still his most effective season by far.

Workman

Photo Credit: AP Photo Michael Dwyer

What to Expect Going Forward

Workman did not begin the season on the Opening Day roster. The Red Sox recalled him on June 5th and he has been very effective. In five innings he has five strikeouts and has not allowed a run. How long Workman stays in Boston is unknown as he was recalled to fill in for an injured Drew Pomeranz. If he can keep pitching like he has, then it may be very hard to send him down once Pomeranz returns. For the Red Sox it is not the worst problem to have.

Series Preview: Red Sox vs Mariners

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The Red Sox will go into the series with a 47-22 record. The Mariners are not too far behind with a 44-24 record. Both of the teams are leading their respective divisions. This is a four-game series taking place in Seattle. The first game features the pitching matchup of David Price against Felix Hernandez. The next day will see Rick Porcello square off against James Paxton. The game on Saturday will have the matchup of Steven Wright versus Wade LeBlanc. The finale of the series will be Eduardo Rodriguez versus Mike Leake.

Pitching Matchups

If the year were 2010, Felix Hernandez versus David Price would be a pitching duel. However, times have changed and this matchup is not very intriguing. Price will come into the game with a 4.00 ERA and Hernandez possesses a 5.70 ERA. Rick Porcello against James Paxton should be the best matchup of the series. Porcello is back to his 2016 Cy Young form, while James Paxton has emerged as a Cy Young candidate as well. Porcello will come into the game with a 3.54 ERA and Paxton will have a 3.02 ERA. Injuries slowed him down last year and the beginning of this year, but Steven Wright’s knuckleball looks like it did in the first half of 2016. LeBlanc has a 4.28 career ERA, but he has been a pleasant surprise for the Mariners this year.

Wright will come into the game with a 1.21 ERA and LeBlanc has a 3.00 ERA. Eduardo Rodriguez had a shaky start to the year, but he has been the best Sox pitcher for the last month. Like Rodriguez, Leake has been great lately, posting a 2.63 ERA in his last seven starts.

What’s at Stake

If the season ended today, the Red Sox would be the one seed in the east and the Mariners will be the two seed. Both teams are legit, and this is a big statement series for both teams. The Red Sox have done their job against bad competition and have been average against elite teams. The Red Sox are 3-3 against division rival Yankees and 2-2 against the Astros. A series win would solidify the Red Sox as an elite team and favorite to come out of the AL. The Mariners are on a roll, winning 13/15 at home, including six straight. They also have not allowed more than three runs in the 13 wins. I talked about their great rotation, but it is important that they shut down one of the best lineups in baseball. Even though they are in first, you would not know it based on the national media. The run they have been on is not being talked about, and everyone assumes that Houston will end up running away with the division. However, a series win will cause the Mariners to get a lot of attention around the country.

Possible Trade Deadline Moves for the Red Sox

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Anybody that has been watching the Red Sox know that their offense can be frustrating sometimes. Betts, Martinez, and Benintendi cannot continue to be solely depended on in order to keep winning games. The Sox lead the majors in runs scored, average, total bases, hits, and extra base hits. They also rank second in other pivotal categories such as OPS, home runs and RBIs. They have reached this level of performance while carrying a lot of dead weight at the bottom third of the lineup.

Collectively, the 7-9 hitters are hitting a measly .221 with 60 RBIs, 178 strikeouts with a .608 OPS. Don’t get me wrong, this offense is special and can do a lot of damage when this season is all said and done. The fact is, the top of the lineup won’t bring the city of Boston another championship single-handedly. 

Inevitably, the Red Sox will be active around the trade deadline. They won’t make a big splash, but they will most likely add a piece (maybe two) in order to complement the offense in a big way. Here is who they might go and get:

Wilson Ramos

Wilson Ramos congratulated by Mallex Smith_1527663530529.jpg_88320272_ver1.0_640_480

It should not be a surprise that Red Sox catchers have been woeful at the plate. This season, catchers are hitting .226/.270/.319/.589 with 18 RBIs and 47 strikeouts. Sox catchers also have a league worst -1.1 WAR, so upgrade to the catcher depth is a no-brainer. With all this being said, Wilson Ramos would be a match made in heaven for the Red Sox.

Ramos is slashing .284/.327/.446/.773 with eight home runs, .327 BABIP and a 115 wRC+. In short, if I told you he was the fourth best hitting catcher in baseball, I’d most likely have the numbers to back up my claim. The Rays, meanwhile, are 13.5 games out of first and will be trending in the wrong direction faster than they already have. They began their rebuild when they gave away Evan Longoria in December of 2017, and will most likely look to continue just that. Ramos is a free agent in 2019, so he would be a rental. But it’s so worth it.

Nicholas Castellanos

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Nicholas Catellanos is really starting to turn into a top-tier hitter in his young age. Castellanos has played a majority of his professional career at third base, but is now an everyday outfielder. In his last three seasons, he’s hit .285/.331./.492/.823 with a 117 wRC+, which is pretty darn good. He’s 26 years old and will be under team control until 2020, so a trade would have to yield a lot more than the Wilson Ramos scenario.

However, the already struggling Tigers just lost their franchise first baseman in Miguel Cabrera for the rest of the season and will be forced to be sellers at the deadline. If this happens, the only logical way to make it work is to give up Jackie Bradley along with some others. The problem with this move is that Castellanos will be a hot commodity with other teams, and the Sox may not have enough to offer when it comes to competition. Regardless, the club should be active in inquiring for the 26 year old.

Mike Moustakas

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No, this is not a recycled paragraph from the past off-season- bear with me here. Just because Moustakas signed a one year contract (with a second year mutual option) doesn’t mean the Royals can’t move him. The Royals are 23 games under .500 and this would probably be the best move for both organizations.

You may be wondering, “But what about that Devers kid?” Rafael Devers has not been playing the best baseball so far in 2018. Devers has the lowest wRC+ figure among qualifying third basemen in the league. He may still need some time platooning with a more experienced third baseman or possibly even going back to Pawtucket. Let’s get one thing straight: I am not saying give up on the kid. What has to be remembered is that he is still only 21 years old and may need some more time to sharpen his skills and adjust his swing.

Moustakas is having a pretty good year, batting .263/.317/.483/.800 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs. He definitely can pick up the pace even more, especially if he was inserted into the Red Sox lineup. On top of that, his .973 fielding percentage is way better than Devers’ (.931), and he has extensive postseason experience. It’s a win-win all around.

@ELJGON

Robert Kraft Calls out ‘Hogwash’ Reporting

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Lots of Hogwash Reporting

The Patriots have the next two days off of OTAs. This means the next time the Patriots take the practice field will be when Training Camp starts on July 26th. The Patriots have had a wild off-season, and owner Robert Kraft brought back an old word yesterday: ‘hogwash.’ Kraft used the word in reference to the Rob Gronkowski trade rumors from last Friday. Robert Kraft was trying to be clear that Gronkowski was never going to be traded. Tom Brady took the week off and so did Rob Gronkowski following the mandatory minicamp last week.

To recap the Patriots’ off-season, they had Josh McDaniels come back, and drafted a quarterback and singed Etling to a four-year deal. There has been lots of fake news and hogwash reporting going on according to Gronkowski and the owner Robert Kraft. Tom Brady has been quiet while training at TB12 and throwing to Julian Edelman after OTAs. Julian Edelman got popped for PEDs, but it’s an unknown substance, so who knows if Edelman could win his appeal. Alex Guerrero quickly denied that TB12 had anything to do with Edelman’s positive drug test.

Looking Ahead

Putting all the hogwash reporting aside, it should be a fun season. This may be the last season we’ll ever see from Brady and Belichick. People seem to disagree with that statement, but why else was Josh McDaniels brought back? Rumor has it Josh McDaniels has his eye on a quarterback in next year’s draft. Rumor also is Josh will draft a quarterback next season, so if or when Brady retires after 2019, Etling will be the starter.

On to Training Camp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV9c3FOTJxM

That might be thinking too far ahead. We will get a good look into this season starting in a month with Training Camp. Those hot days in July when the stands, grass, and ramps at Gilette are filled with people and reporters. This time around it might be a little different, but it’s exciting to see another football season.

National League Update: Are You Scared of the Milwaukee Brewers?

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With the return of potential power threat Eric Thames, the Milwaukee Brewers’ depth is continuing to grow as injuries clear up. The Brewers stand at the top of the NL Central with a 40-27 record on the season, claiming the highest winning percentage (.597) in the National League. The biggest crutch to the Brewers overall success this season has been the collection of crucial players that have hit the disabled list and their less than desirable rotation.

What’s Hurting In MIL?

The Brewers have maintained the top spot in the NL while being short some major pieces all season long. Starting pitching has been less than Milwaukee’s strength the past couple seasons.

There seemed to be room for improvement in this department when Jimmy Nelson was pushed from the 60-day to the 10-day DL. Unfortunately, it seems the rotation will have to see their strides continue without Nelson, as shoulder inflammation has pushed back his due date yet again. A similar story was seen from Wade Miley, who got a flat tire out off the starting line for the Brewers with 1.42 ERA in two starts. He is also on the 60-day DL assignment due to a right oblique strain. It’s clear that health in the rotation has certainly stalled the Brewers development in the rotation thus far.

Junior Guerra, Chase Anderson, and Brent Sutter are not names you’d like to choose from when even thinking of a single game NL Wild Card series. The Brewers should either seek a trade deadline move to add to the lackluster rotation. Or start praying that the return of Zach Davies can prove greater than his first impression on the 2018 season. (2-5, 5.23 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 8 GS)

 

Can Brew Crew Bats Stay Hot?

Acquisitions in the offseason can only hope to have similar impacts on a roster as Milwaukee’s have this season.  Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain came in to fill gaps in the Brewers roster and have done even more. Yelich’s slash-line to this point in the season has been impressive even with his brief stint on the DL (.307 BA, .859 OPS, 8 HR, 28 RBI). Milwaukee is appearing to still be on the right end of the 2016 Travis Shaw trade as the power numbers continue to roll in. Pitchers against Shaw have seen their ERA continue to spike with his early 14 HRs and 43 RBIs.

The power surge won’t stop there either if names such as Eric Thames and spot appearances from the still dangerous Ryan Braun can bring together larger numbers.  Jesus Aguilar also created an early season impact for the Brewers. Milwaukee is hoping this isn’t a complete fluke as Aguilar’s stats in the past 30 games is not indicative to a continuing streak. (.248 BA, .326 OBP, .540 SLG)

Bright Bullpen Lights

The 2017 NL-All Star Corey Knebel went down early in the season and the Brewers had to scramble and find a stall. What they ended up finding was potentially the greatest surprise of the 2018 season. Josh Hader’s performance this season can be described nothing short of dominance. (72 K, 22 G, .703 WHIP, 1.22 ERA)

Hader is able to hit the triple digits with a fastball, yet remain a constant mystery with multiple breaking options. A perfect mold of the modern-day closer. But with Knebel returning to the closer role, it appears Hader will be pushed back to the set-up role alongside Jacob Barnes (2.08 ERA, 25 K, 24 G). The Brewers bullpen depth may be the reason for they’ve been able to stand tall in the NL thus far.

The question does remain if this will be enough to keep the Brewers in contention for a playoff run. While bullpens are appearing to be the future in turns of impact pitching down the road of a season, can a team like the Brewers with no true ace maintain this for the remaining 95?

Celtics Made Trade Deadline Offer for Kawhi Leonard

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Celtics Made Trade Deadline Offer for Kawhi Leonard

A new report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says that the Celtics reached out to the San Antonio Spurs with a trade offer for Leonard in February. The report also states that the Spurs turned the offer down without a counter-proposal.

What Was The Offer?

The details of the trade are, as of this writing, unknown. However, it is safe to assume that the trade probably included one of Boston’s young stars in Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. Danny Ainge would have also needed to add some draft picks and possibly another role player. Terry Rozier’s name might have been mentioned, as well as Marcus Morris in the deal for Leonard. At this point, all possible packages are purely speculation, though we may know more in the coming days.

Does This Have an Impact on the Celtics’ Summer Plans?

Now that we know for certain that Ainge is chasing Kawhi, it is possible that his name continues to pop up this offseason. The Spurs have said that they are not taking offers for their star forward at this juncture. Their lack of a counter-proposal back in February indicates that they have held that stance for a while. However, if San Antonio fails to resolve the conflict with Leonard, he could become available. The Celtics are definitely in position to make a strong trade offer should that happen. It also makes the futures of players like Rozier, Brown and Tatum much more foggy in Beantown. If put together with some of Boston’s intriguing picks, like the Kings’ top-1 protected 2019 choice, those players could have a chance at bringing Leonard to Boston.

As of now, the door seems to be shut on any Kawhi Leonard trade scenarios. Nonetheless, the fact that Ainge attempted to trade for him in February will fuel many rumors throughout the summer. It will be interesting to see what both the Celtics and the Spurs do this offseason.

 

Joe Kelly’s a Hero

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In January of 2015, five and a half months after the Red Sox acquired him from the Cardinals in a deadline day trade, Joe Kelly predicted he would win the AL Cy Young Award. A lot has happened since then, including 31 mostly mediocre starts across his first two full seasons in a Red Sox uniform, a demotion to the bullpen, a change in hairstyle, a foray into on-field reporting, and becoming Public Enemy No. 1 in New York. There’s also this: Kelly has become the most reliable arm (outside of Craig Kimbrel) in Alex Cora‘s bullpen arsenal.

This didn’t happen overnight. Kelly’s evolution from failed starter to quality set-up man has taken time; time that has yielded one of the more unique (and seemingly contradictory) pitch mixes in the majors. Per Brooks Baseball, Kelly’s fourseam fastball “generates an extreme number of groundballs” when compared to other RHP’s. His sinker “is an extreme flyball pitch compared to other pitchers’ sinkers”. His two main offspeed pitches (slider and changeup) have generated a ton of flyballs too. Despite this, Kelly’s groundball rate is as low as it’s been since 2016. Red Sox fans probably won’t remember Joe’s performance that year too fondly. He posted a 5.18 ERA and allowed home runs on a career-worst 17.9% of flyballs.

So what changed? First, and perhaps most importantly, Kelly has figured out how to make his blazing fourseamer wiggle a bit. His average velocity in 2017 (99.29 mph) and 2018 (98.53 mph) on that pitch is up from 2015 (97.13 mph) and 2016 (97.28 mph). Moving to the bullpen makes that an expected result. However, that has also coincided with an increase in vertical movement. Kelly’s “hard” classified pitches have had a differential movement of 9.16 this season, up from 7.17 in 2015 or 7.64 in 2016. As a result, batters are hitting Kelly with less authority than ever before. Per FanGraph’s data, 32.9% of batted balls against Kelly have been classified as “soft”, a vast improvement over his previous career high of 19.2%.

Kelly has also regained command of the strike zone. He posted a 10.4 K-BB% in 2015, and walked 5.4 batters per nine innings in 2016. He’s only walked 3.90 batters per nine innings this season. Additionally, his 15.5 K-BB% stands as a career best. It’s a simple formula, but not one every pitcher is able to crack. Fortunately for Kelly, he has had the talent and the perseverance to figure it out.

Kelly entered the game on Monday night in a tough spot. The score was knotted at zero in the bottom of the seventh with the bases juiced, and one of Baltimore’s best players at the plate. The righthander did what you’d expect from any top-notch setup man– he struck out Adam Jones on five pitches to end the inning. Cora dropped him into an almost identical situation on Tuesday night, and again Kelly delivered. This time, he got Jonathan Schoop to weakly tap into a 1-2 force out with the bases loaded. It was a two-game stretch that stood in stark contrast to prior seasons. It also stood in stark contrast to Joe’s first outing of the year, when he allowed a double and three walks in 0.1 innings of work.

At any rate, Kelly’s high-level performance and dramatic improvement may not win him a Cy Young award any time soon. However, he’s remade himself into one of the most clutch players on this Red Sox roster. He might just end up with even more meaningful hardware as a result.

Rookie Season

“A Rookie Season to Remember” By Jake DeBrusk

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In his rookie season Jake DeBrusk showed the skills that made him a first round pick. DeBrusk had a very good regular season but broke out in the playoffs. For the Bruins he was tied for the most playoff goals with six along with Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Going into next season the expectations will be higher for the former fourteenth overall pick. In the postseason he showed he could elevate his game at the highest level. His sophomore campaign has the chance to be even better.

The Impact Of Jake DeBrusk

Coming into the 2017-2018 season the Bruins expected a lot from DeBrusk. In the 2015 NHL draft he was one of the Bruins three first round picks. Of those three he is the first one to make it to the NHL. The Bruins put him on the second line to begin the season alongside David Krejci and David Pastrnak. The Bruins eventually elevated Pastrnak to the first line alongside Bergeron and Brad Marchand. DeBrusk proved to be a perfect for the second line and David Krejci. He is a playmaker with grit something the Bruins second line had been lacking. This showed in his statistics.

Rookie Season

Photo Credit: Matt Stone

DeBrusk’s Rookie season By The Numbers

DeBrusk appeared in seventy games for the Black and Gold. He scored sixteen goals along with twenty seven assists. DeBrusk proved to be a weapon on the powerplay as he had nine points on the second power play unit. The former first round pick  is not afraid to attack especially when the Bruins are down which is rare for a rookie. In the playoffs he took his game to a new level.

A Playoff Run To Remeber

Throughout the playoffs Debrusk did not seemed fazed by the playoff stage. As fellow rookies Danton Heinen and Charlie McAvoy struggled at times DeBrusk did not. In game seven against the Toronto Maple Leafs he scored two goals including the game winner. DeBrusk’s game winner was impressive considering that he was leveled as soon as he released the puck. In the playoffs great players rise to the occasion which is what DeBrusk did. The playoffs showed how far the rookie had come and the impactful player he will be.

Rookie Season

Photo Credit: Tara Sullivan, Boston Globe

What To Expect Next Year

Going into the 2018-2019 season Debrusk will be key for the Bruins. If DeBrusk can continue to improve then the Bruins will have a dominant top two lines. In DeBrusk’s rookie season he showed that he can be a very special player. Reaching the twenty goal plateau next season should not be a hard challenge as his chemistry with Krejci improves. His encore could be one to remember as he has the skills to become something truly special.

The Boston Bruins possible trades this offseason

TRADE RUMORS-BOSTON BRUINS

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GETTING A HEAD START

After the recent NHL combine that’s was held in Buffalo, NY, many prospective draft picks were closely monitored. The Boston Bruins interviewed close to 80 potential players,  but one thing has been lurking on GM Don Sweeney’s mind:  to get the first round pick back.  As we near the June 22nd NHL draft day,  there’s been  a lot of rumblings throughout the organization on possible trades for the upcoming season. Let’s take a closer look at some of those rumors.

DON SWEENEY SPEAKS TO MEDIA AT THE NHL COMBINE

OPEN MARKET

For the Bruins, getting the higher draft pick position back will be difficult. Another question facing Boston: who should they keep?  One name that’s being brought up is Rick Nash.  He missed the  last 12 regular season games and in the playoff run, recorded three goals and two assists on 39 shots. With limited internal options, Sweeney looks to re-sign Nash, perhaps on a deal that would be cap friendly:

“ Rick indicated when he came to Boston that he was excited  about the opportunity. He wants to win… wants an opportunity to win. He felt badly and certainly he’s not responsible for this, because he got injured. It took away a little juice from him..I think..from a size and puck protection standpoint, he gave us something that was maybe missing in that regard.”

 

RICK NASH RESIGNING W BRUINS--traded from Rangers this past season

ELSEWHERE

Austin Czarnik, who spent most of his career in AHL with Providence , is starting to look elsewhere. But the Bruins are still open in talks with the young center.

“ We certainly haven’t closed the door. I don’t think he has as well, but I would be surprise if he doesn’t get to at least see what may present itself as options for him”

And there’s the sticky situation with RFA’s Matt Grzelcyk and Sean Kuraly. Sweeney and the Bruins will try to avoid arbitration with the two players, who have had a pretty gritty 2017-2018 season.

WHAT’S UP WITH TOREY KRUG

Defensman Torey Krug /trade rumors

There ‘s no question  that Krug is a pretty good defenseman.  He may be small in stature at 5”9, but STATS don’t lie. 52 goals in 398 games with 183 assists  garnering a total of 235 career points.  If the rumors are true, the Oilers are looking to trade Oscar Klefbom who, (when healthy) can add some much-needed even strength.  Again, if you look at numbers, Klefbom has played 255 games and posted 24 goals garnering  94 points.   Klefbom’s defense abilities and puck read were problematic this year so I’m not entirely convinced trading Krug for Klefbom would a great add to the Bruins roster. Now if the Bruins can somehow secure Carolina’s Noah Hanifin, that could potentially beef up their defense-something that Boston needs.

ALL ABOUT DEFENSE

NOAH HANIFIN-a trade for Boston?

At 6’3 , 205lbs, Boston Native Noah Hanifin would add the extra height for the Bruins defense.  He had his best season in Carolina last year, scoring 10 goals with 22 assists.  But if you’re going to go after  top-notch talent, you ‘re going to have to give up something and for the Bruins that means letting some of their young talent go elsewhere.  Right now, Boston has an enviable system where they have a flourishing amount of players coming up.  But would that also include letting go of someone like Krug to sweeten the deal?

FROM NHL TO KHL BACK TO NHL

ilya kovalchuk -trade

Lastly, another huge rumor involving the Bruins is the possible signing of left winger Ilya Kovalchuk. The 35 year old Russian native has spent a handful of years in the KHL and is looking to make the jump back in the NHL. recently, he has had talks with the San Jose Sharks and the LA Kings.  Although, no one is expecting him to play the same way when he was with New Jersey,  he did garner 63 points in 53 games, along with potting 31 goals. And at 6’3, 230 pounds,  he could be the BIG body that the Krecji/DeBrusk line need.  He can certainly work the net and skate well, but would signing a 35-year-old be worth it? If it was a short-term type of deal,  it could be worth pursuing, but we’ll have to wait until July 1st when he becomes available.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The bar is set pretty high for the 2018-2019 season and the Bruins  need to make decisions. In a perfect setting, Boston would sign every single player they have, but as the story goes, it’s just not the reality.  Every hockey analyst will be watching the NHL draft in Dallas next week and the Black and Gold will be looking making some important moves.

 

 

For more info, follow Liz Rizzo on Twitter @pastagrll88

Bring “The Brow” to Bean Town

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Should the Boston Celtics Pursue Anthony Davis?

When it comes to trading for Anthony Davis, the Boston Celtics have the most coveted pieces that the New Orleans Pelicans are seeking for. I’m not a GM, so these trade scenarios are based on my opinion of what may be a fair trade, taking into consideration salary cap restrictions. I do play video games with trade restrictions so I think that qualifies me as an expert. Let’s just dive right into the hypothetical possibilities, shall we?

Trade #1
Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and a First Round pick for Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo.

Okay, I know you think I’m crazy here ,but am I really that crazy? Let’s break down the trade. Selling Kyrie and Gordon sounds insane right? They were the two biggest acquisitions in the off-season a year ago. Kyrie comes with all the Sauce and Jelly, who doesn’t love that? Hayward is the “White All-Star” Boston Fans have been dreaming of since Larry Bird. Let’s not read into that statement too much, but if you didn’t know Boston loves its white guys, then it’s time to climb out from under that rock you call home and step into the light.

The Reason

Listen, selling Kyrie might seem nuts, but he has been injury prone. We also realized the Terry Rozier luxury, which allows us to dump the superstar point guard. If we get a high-caliber player like Davis in return, it’s worth it. Also the guy thinks the world is flat, c’mon bro! Don’t get me wrong- I love Kyrie. He’s a top three point guard in the league. However, Davis is a top three player in the entire league, and #1 at his position.

As far as Gordon Hayward is concerned, no one really knows what he is going to look like this upcoming season. We have a log Jam at the small forward position anyway. Again, Gordon is a player I really like, especially with that silky smooth comb-over. However, for “The Brow” he is expendable.

I’d rather not sell Jaylen Brown, but if I had to choose, I would keep Jayson Tatum over him all day. In fact, I think Tatum is the only Celtic on my untouchable list. However, I still fathomed him in a trade scenario or two. We ARE going after Antony Davis here after all; we will have to give up some good players.

Rondo’s Return

Rounding of the trade is the return of Rajon Rondo, and why not? He’s a veteran that passes and doesn’t shoot. He would be humbled to return to Boston, and I think Brad Stevens could reel him in. He’d also be the perfect backup for Terry Rozier and provide much-needed depth and experience at the position.

Here’s a handful of other trades that might make sense:

Trade #2

Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Marcus Smart and two First Round picks for Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday

Trade #3

Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and a pick or two for Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday/Rajon Rondo

Trade #4

Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and a pick or two for Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday/Rajon Rondo

Trade #5

Al Horford, the rest of the team except JB, Kyrie, Gordon and Tatum and every draft pick we have until 2020.

Who cares about picks? We won’t need to start rebuilding until 2030.

Comment Below to tell me how crazy I am.

 

Written By: Aaron Matteos
@haildigital on Twitter