Le Journal

In MLB free agency, money talks. So how much will it take for the Boston Red Sox to sign Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber? “Because he’ll be 33 on Opening Day, Schwarber is looking at a maximum five-year deal,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. “Even at a high average annual value, the lack of years keeps mid-market teams in the mix. “Ultimately, though, the bidding is likely to come down to bigger-market teams, and he could wind up with a bigger per-year number than (Kyle) Tucker on account of that,” Passan adds. “Schwarber is one of those rare players — think Marcus Semien — who will make more money in his mid-30s than he did previously,” ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports. “He should sign for much more than $79 million, which is what he just made in his previous deal with Philadelphia.” Market Expanding? Those numbers shouldn’t overwhelm Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. But here’s the scary part. “The Phillies need him more than he needs them, according to insiders,” Rogers adds. “How do you replace 187 home runs over the past four years? You don’t. He could also balance out the Yankees’ lineup if Cody Bellinger walks. Can you imagine his home run totals with the short porch at Yankee Stadium? “Both players have the same agent — Casey Close of Excel — but they bring different skill sets to the table, meaning the crossover between interested teams may not materialize,” Rogers notes. New York Yankees outfielders Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham are free agents, and it’s possible general manager Brian Cashman will turn elsewhere if both walk. While many have linked the Yankees to Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is generally regarded as the best all-around player on the open market, this is the first we’re hearing of Schwarber potentially on the Yankees’ radar. Potential Fits As for the other clubs chasing Schwarber, a return to the City of Brotherly Love remains on the table. “The Phillies are making Kyle Schwarber a top priority,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports. If the Phillies swing and miss, ESPN’s David Schoenfiel says the New York Mets are another possible fit. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden says the Phillies, Mets and Detroit Tigers are the best fits for Schwarber, with a price tag of five years and $160 million. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand believes Schwarber’s potential fits are the Phillies, Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds. Why all the fuss? It’s pretty simple: Schwarber is a National League MVP finalist after leading the league with a career-high 56 home runs. The three-time All-Star spent part of the 2021 season in Boston as a midseason acquisition and helped the Red Sox reach the American League Championship Series. An 11-year-veteran, Schwarber helped the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series. More Red Sox: Red Sox Lose Third-Year Pitcher To Free Agency

Babe Ruth. Aaron Boone. Alex Rodriguez. Bucky Dent. The New York Yankees have produced plenty of villainous figures who served as a thorn in the side of the Boston Red Sox. Cam Schlittler looks like he’s going to become the latest, having spent the last several weeks utilizing a few new-age tools to display the traits that make him the perfect foil — despite being from Boston. Schlittler, as you probably already know, shoved in the deciding game of the 2025 American League Wild Card Series — pitching eight shutout innings in which he set the rookie record for most strikeouts in a single postseason game (12) against the Red Sox. Boston, as you can probably guess, did not enjoy the performance, and let him know all about that displeasure with several barbs being fired in the direction of his family members for switching up their allegiances. Schlittler responded in a not-so-subtle way weeks later, dropping a NSFW quote in a fan video that was posted to X — while also continuing to share some thoughts via his own account. Would you be surprised to learn that the rookie is already starting to walk things back? Schlittler posted an apology to social media on Wednesday. “Anyone who knows me knows how highly I speak of Boston and how much I love the city,” part of the statement reads, ignoring his pugnacious approach to the topic ever since his final appearance against his hometown team. I’d be the first person to give him credit for trying to move past the admittedly overblown storyline, but… it doesn’t appear that he actually wrote the apology. Schlittler’s screenshot includes a small bubble in the bottom right corner, which would suggest it comes from an AI platform like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and also mention that the reason for that could be because he wanted to check for punctuation errors or something like that, but those em dashes beg to differ — and that’s coming from a guy who loves unnecessary punctuation. Does it matter in the long run? No, the kid didn’t need to apologize in the first place, but next time he feels the need to send something out maybe he can look for a human to help him out. I’ll even offer my services at an extremely fair rate… More Celtics: Joe Mazzulla Saw This Issue In Celtics’ Loss To Magic

Fraser Minten wants to have a bigger role with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins acquired Minten at last year’s trade deadline in a package from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Brandon Carlo trade. The 21-year-old was supposed to be a solid two-way center in the NHL, but to begin the season, he’s had a bigger role. On Tuesday against the New York Islanders, Minten got the chance to play on the top line alongside David Pastrnak and Marat Khusnutdinov. While he was playing on the top line, he assisted on Khusnutdinov’s game-tying goal. “It is good that Marco wants me out there at the end of a game where we need a goal,” Minten said, via Bruins.com. “I think it’s an area of my game where I want to contribute. I’m not always the guy who is out there for that, but it was nice to be out there yesterday and have it be successful.” Minten has skated in 15 games, recording 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points this season. Although Minten has helped out offensively for the Bruins, he still prides himself on his defensive and two-way game. “Two-way hockey has always been my calling card and what I focus on,” Minten said. “If you do that right, though, production does come with that. You work on your shot as much as you can, your hands, your skills. “So when you do get chances, you have the ability to put it in the net. But the main focus is the strong positional stuff, being responsible, moving my feet, playing hard. Being ready when chances do come.” Minten and the Bruins will return to the ice on Thursday when Boston hosts the Ottawa Senators. More Bruins: Marco Sturm Calls Bruins Upset Win Over Maple Leafs ‘Very Impressive’

The New England Patriots could be without several starters during Sunday’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New England listed five players as non-participants on its injury report Wednesday — wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, running back Rhamondre Stevenson, linebacker Christian Elliss, defensive lineman Joshua Farmer and offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury. Boutte and Stevenson lead the club in receiving and rushing touchdowns, respectively, so missing them will present more than a few issues. Elliss’ absence would force weaken an already thin group at linebacker. Farmer is a rotational piece who has played more than a quarter of the club’s defensive snaps. Bradbury literally touches the ball on every play, calls the protections that keep the franchise quarterback off his backside and hasn’t missed a snap this season — but his absence could prove to be rather opportunistic. Ben Brown, who would be the next man up along the offensive line, is better in the running game. Point blank period. I don’t need to tell you the importance of protecting Drake Maye, so let me make it abundantly clear that losing your starting center and being forced to rely on a backup isn’t good — there just happens to be a positive. Brown (66.7) has the best run blocking grade among the club’s interior offensive lineman, according to PFF, sitting miles ahead of Bradbury (57.0), Mike Onwenu (60.7) and Jared Wilson (44.9) — who he filled in for during a Week 4 drubbing of the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots, in case you were wondering, scored three rushing touchdowns in that game and went a perfect four-for-four scoring touchdowns in the red zone. I’d like to show you examples of how he contributed to that success, but it’s no longer allowed by the NFL. New England needs to control the clock in order to win in Tampa Bay, so… all we’re saying is that specific aspect of the game might come easier with Brown playing instead of Bradbury. More Red Sox: Unlikely Player Snaps Historic Patriots Streak In Week 10 Win