Le Journal

Less than one week after acquiring three-time All-Star starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Boston Red Sox have the ninth-best odds to win the 2026 World Series, according to DraftKings, at +1700. Even more promising are the Red Sox’s American League pennant odds (+750), which trails just three AL teams. The New York Yankees have the shortest odds to win the pennant at +310, followed by the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners, both of whom are at +550. Boston made it back to the postseason this year for the first time since 2021 but hasn’t won the AL East or appeared in the Fall Classic since 2018. The Yankees defeated the Red Sox in the AL wild-card round in early October before falling to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. The defending pennant-winning Blue Jays have better World Series odds (+1600) than Boston, but slightly worse chances for the AL title (+800). The Astros missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016 but are expected to be a top contender again in 2026. The Mariners made it to game seven of the ALCS this fall and have already made one of the bigger moves of the offseason in re-signing star first baseman Josh Naylor in mid-November. More MLB: Red Sox Are Trade Fit For All-Star Pitchers, MLB Insiders Say

The Boston Celtics had every reason to lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, but they ended up grinding out an upset 117-115 victory instead. Everyone delivered for the C’s in this one, but one of the star performers in this game was third-year forward Jordan Walsh. With a slew of minutes opening up this season, Walsh has been one of the primary beneficiaries in the early going. Walsh has gradually begun to earn the trust of head coach Joe Mazzulla, which has led to him starting each of the team’s past eight games. Walsh isn’t necessarily the flashiest player, but he turned in the best game of his young career against the Cavs, as he scored 14 points and hauled in 11 rebounds in the win. However, there’s another key metric that highlights Walsh’s impact in this game. On the second night of a back-to-back, Walsh stepped up and led the team by spending 38 minutes and four seconds on the court in this one. Considering how both Derrick White and Neemias Queta were out for this game, too, that made Walsh’s contributions even more important. In his eight starts, Walsh is averaging 6.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. More importantly, though, is the fact that Boston has won six of those eight contests. Walsh’s ability to make contributions on both sides of the ball has stood out early this season, and he appears to be cementing his spot on the Celtics’ roster for the long-term future. Boston will be back in action on Tuesday night when they return to TD Garden to take on the New York Knicks. More NBA: Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Wants Jordan Walsh To Learn From Marcus Smart

After leading for most of Sunday’s road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics found themselves in a nailbiter after squandering most of their big second-half lead. The Cavaliers nearly erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, trimming the Celtics’ advantage to just two points. They also held the ball for the final possession with 0.6 seconds left and a chance to either tie or take the lead. Meanwhile, Boston was running on fumes on the second night of a back-to-back. It was also short-handed without Derrick White, Neemias Queta and Jayson Tatum. With the Celtics up 117-115 and needing a stop to win the game, Joe Mazzulla got creative. He subbed in rookie big man Amari Williams, who was called up from the G League earlier in the week to help replace Queta. Although Williams had only played six minutes on Sunday, he was ready for the biggest moment of the game. Right before Donovan Mitchell inbounded the ball from the sideline, he switched onto Evan Mobley, who led Cleveland with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Here's the play Joe's talking about.Amari Williams comes off the bench for the final possession, stays with Evan Mobley all the way out to the arc, and perfectly contests the shot without fouling. Returns to the bench for some well-deserved high 5s.https://t.co/brY6d1KKxv pic.twitter.com/RsSrzxoErI— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) December 1, 2025 Mobley caught the ball just inside the 3-point arc at the top of the key, quickly turned around and fired the potential game-tying shot. Williams was right in his face, however, denying him a clean look at the basket. Mobley’s shot wasn’t close, missing everything as time expired. After the game, Mazzulla praised Williams for his attention to detail and strong close-out with the game on the line. “Amari not playing in the game and having to go in in a need-two situation, like you don’t understand how important those details are,” Mazzulla told his team after the game. “Every possession gives you a chance, and you end up guarding the guy on that last play. But hey, that’s a great mindset win.” Williams has only played 28 minutes for Boston this year, so he hasn’t had much of a chance to make an impact. But during one of the most critical moments of the season so far, he delivered. More Celtics: How to Watch Celtics vs. Knicks Tonight: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Dec. 2 Showdown

Here’s some food for thought as you gobble your way through Thanksgiving leftovers: Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta toeing the rubber at Fenway Park … for the Boston Red Sox. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden pitched five blockbuster trades involving the Brewers right-hander, should Milwaukee part ways with its rotation stud. One of them included the Red Sox. Potential Blockbuster Trade To get Peralta, Bowden said Boston would need to part ways with left-hander Payton Tolle and right-hander Anthony Eyanson, two of the club’s top pitching prospects. “Tolle doesn’t have a ceiling anywhere close to Peralta’s, but he could fit immediately into the Brewers’ rotation, and they would have Tolle under team control for six years,” Bowden wrote. “A second-round pick in 2024 out of TCU, Tolle climbed from High A to the big leagues in his professional debut season in 2025. He posted a 6.06 ERA at the major-league level with Boston in just 16 1/3 innings, but in the minors put up a 3.04 ERA over 91 2/3 innings,” Bowden added. “Eyanson starred for LSU in 2025, helping lead the Tigers to a College World Series title in his first year with the school,” Bowden noted. “The right-hander went 12-2 with a 3.25 ERA before going to Boston in the third round and signing an over-slot deal. His best pitch is his slider. He will be making his professional debut in 2026.” MLB.com ranks Tolle as the Red Sox’s No. 2 prospect, behind infielder Franklin Arias. Eyanson is No. 12 in the Boston farm system. Ace On The Market As for Peralta, the 29-year-old is a two-time All-Star and won a career-high 17 games this season while posting a career-low 2.70 ERA. He finished fifth in voting for the 2025 National League Cy Young Award, which went to Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. So why are the Brewers considering trading Peralta, who helped Milwaukee reach the National League Championship Series this year? He’s scheduled to become a free agent after the 2026 season and the Brewers fear he could walk without anything coming back to Milwaukee aside from draft-pick compensation. The other teams Bowden predicts could be in the market for Peralta, who will make just $8 million this year, are the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. Will chief baseball officer Craig Breslow have the Red Sox in the hunt? The club already traded for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray, but the 36-year-old doesn’t project as a true No. 2 to put in the rotation behind Cy Young contender Garrett Crochet. Peralta, however, would give Boston perhaps the best 1-2 combo in baseball. Just food for thought. More Red Sox: Red Sox Are Trade Fit For All-Star Pitchers, MLB Insiders Say

The New England Patriots will wrap up Week 13 of the 2025 NFL campaign with a clash against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. And ahead of this game, the Pats have one clear goal that they are looking to accomplish when they take the field: win. With the Denver Broncos pulling out an overtime victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football, they have moved back into the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the time being. The Patriots, of course, can reclaim that spot by beating the Giants. Considering how N.E. has its bye week in Week 14, Denver will have a shot to take back the No. 1 seed next weekend, regardless of what happens on Monday night. With that in mind, veteran defensive tackle Cory Durden revealed that the Pats focusing on themselves, saying the team’s goal is to become the first squad to reach 11 wins. Sets the stage for Monday night.Patriots DT Cory Durden said the team’s goal is to be the NFL’s first to 11 wins. pic.twitter.com/5Kjyc8vAZX— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 1, 2025 Before the Patriots’ Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the message from the team was that it wanted to become the first team to win 10 games. Now, it’s carrying that goal over into Week 13, where it will look to become the first team to reach 11 wins. While New York only has two wins this season, it has played teams tough all year long, indicating this game will likely be tougher than expected. Furthermore, the Giants are also getting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart back after he missed time with a concussion. The bye week is right around the corner for the Pats, and they appear incredibly motivated to earn their 10th straight win before enjoying some time off. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday night. More NFL: Drake Maye Fueling Patriots’ Win Streak With Historic Run