Scorching-Hot Rafael Devers Joins Ted Williams in Elite Company

Rafael Devers is the first player to reach the 100-RBI plateau in 2019. 

The 22-year-old wrapped up his otherworldly week with a terrific Sunday, going 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs in the Boston Red Sox’s 13-7 thumping of the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

pic.twitter.com/uy5pdGumLq

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) August 18, 2019

Completing a three-game sweep of the lowly Orioles, the Red Sox won their fifth consecutive contest. They still trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 6.5 games for the second AL Wild Card spot, but the monster production of Devers has made the Red Sox a must-watch.

Devers mashed his 27th homer of the season in Boston's win over Baltimore. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

Devers is the first player to register 100-plus runs and RBIs in a season before age 23 since future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera did so in 2005. The only other Red Sox player in franchise history to accomplish this feat was the legendary Ted Williams.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously it feels good to be a part of that group,” Devers said after Sunday’s win. “But overall I’m just trying to help the team as much as I can whether it’s baserunning, playing defense, that’s what I’m more focused on is just trying to contribute as much as I can to help the team win ballgames.”

During Devers’ eight-game hitting streak, he is 20-for-37 with eight doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs with a 1.656 OPS.

Devers leads MLB in hits (167), extra-base hits (76), RBIs (101) and total bases (300). Ty Cobb is the only other player in history to lead the league in these categories in his age-22 season, dating back to 1909.

Batting .332—the third-best in MLB—Devers has a shot at winning the American League MVP. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is currently the favorite to nab the award. Trout leads the AL in homers (41) and his MLB-best WAR (8.2) is far higher than Devers’ mark of 5.2.

New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who leads MLB in batting (.339) and ranks third in hits (156), is another strong candidate to win MVP. He has the same WAR as Devers and has been unquestionably the best player on the Yankees, who hold the top record (83-43) in baseball.

Jakobi Meyers Emerging as Tom Brady's 'Favorite Target' in Camp

A rookie wide receiver has made a significant impact during the New England Patriots’ training camp. Undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers—not first-round selection N'Keal Harry—has emerged as the “favorite target” for quarterback Tom Brady.

Julian Edelman is sidelined with a thumb injury, allowing other receivers the chance to shine. Meyers has taken advantage of the opportunity. He has earned reps with the first team offense and could carve a role in the Patriots’ offense in 2019 if Josh Gordon remains suspended indefinitely.

Meyers has made a name for himself in training camp. (Mandy Lane/Boston Herald)

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound former North Carolina State wideout has been the talk of the town during most of the team’s practices. He grabbed 14-of-18 targets in 11-on-11 drills on Monday.

Meyers is a converted quarterback who switched to wide receiver before his sophomore year at N.C. State. He hauled in 92 receptions in 2018—the seventh-most in college football—for the Wolfpack during his senior season.

Not enough people are talking about NC State's Jakobi Meyers (@jkbmyrs5).

He isn't a big separator, but he catches everything. He's a top-5 WR in this class in drop rate and contested catch %.

He's a Jason Avant clone, IMO. Chain mover, sneaky red-zone threat and SO consistent. pic.twitter.com/XuAPGnCz3V

— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) March 30, 2019

Brady praised Meyers for seizing the moment during training camp.

                          

“He’s done a great job and he’s taken advantage of his opportunities,” Brady said. “I think that’s really what we try to stress to anybody. It really doesn’t matter — the football doesn’t care how old you are, whether you were drafted or not. The football doesn’t care how much experience you have. It just knows that when I let that ball go, it’s got to be in the hands of the guy who it’s intended for. If that happens to be him, it’s him. If it’s Julian, it’s Julian. Whoever it is, it doesn’t matter in football.”

Indians Trade Bauer to Reds, Acquire Puig, Reyes

The Cleveland Indians traded starter Trevor Bauer to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. They acquired outfielders Yasiel Puig from Cincinnati and Franmil Reyes from San Diego as part of a three-team deal that included the Padres.

Left-handed 22-year-old reliever Logan Allen, minor league infielder Victor Nova and left-handed pitching prospect Scott Moss are also headed to Cleveland from the Padres. Minor league outfielder Taylor Trammell, formerly of the Reds and one of the highest-rated prospects in baseball, was sent to the Padres in the exchange.

Bauer, an All-Star in 2018 and the biggest name in the three-team swap, posted a 3.79 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings this season. He has not pitched as effectively as he did in last year's breakout campaign. 

Trevor Bauer was sent to the Reds in a blockbuster deal. (USA Today Sports Image)

With Bauer set to become a free agent after the 2020 season, the small-market Indians wanted to deal the mercurial right-hander before he eventually hit the open market. 

The eccentric Bauer had a disastrous final outing with Cleveland, chucking the ball over center field after he was taken out of the game by manager Terry Francona in a loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals. Bauer surrendered eight runs (seven earned) in 4.1 innings in the defeat and took his frustrations out in embarrassing fashion.

After giving up a go-ahead, 2-run single, Trevor Bauer chucked the ball... over the centerfield wall 😳

(via @FSKansasCity) pic.twitter.com/s3LNn7kLzf

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 28, 2019

One of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball, the Reds hope the 28-year-old Bauer will be a key piece of the future in their rebuild.

By acquiring Puig and Reyes, the Indians are adding much-needed power to their lineup. Puig mashed 22 homers with 61 RBIs across 91 games for the Reds. Reyes launched 27 homers and added 46 RBIs in 99 contests with the Padres. The Indians' corner outfielders have combined for just 28 homers thus far in 2019.

The Indians (62-43) hold the American League's top wild-card spot and trail the Minnesota Twins by just two games in the AL Central.

Red Sox Interested in Ken Giles, Kirby Yates

The Boston Red Sox are in serious need of bullpen assistance. Their relievers have combined to rank 18^th in MLB among bullpen ERA—blowing the fourth-most saves (18) in baseball and holding the third-worst save percentage (52.63).

Looking to address their bullpen woes, the Red Sox are reportedly interested in Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles. They also are pursuing Kirby Yates of the San Diego Padres, though it seems unlikely he gets moved before the MLB trade deadline on July 31.

Yates, the 32-year-old All-Star, is under contract through the 2020 season. Yates has a major-league best 31 saves in 33 opportunities this season. He boasts a 1.05 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 43 innings.

The Padres (47-52) have underachieved this season, but plan on competing in the NL West next year after signing Manny Machado in the offseason to compliment a roster flushed with young talent. The Red Sox would need to fork over significant assets to San Diego to acquire Yates.

A more reasonable target, Giles is also under team control through next season, but the Blue Jays (38-63) are in full-rebuild mode and are looking to stockpile young players. Giles owns a dazzling 1.64 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 57/10 K/BB ratio over 33 innings with the Blue Jays this season. The 28-year-old has 14 saves in 15 opportunities.

The Red Sox are pursuing Ken Giles in trade talks. (Evan Habeeb/USA Today Sports)

The Red Sox announced last week that Nathan Eovaldi would be the primary closer moving forward. The right-hander—who was activated from the 60-day injured list on Saturday after undergoing elbow surgery—was arguably the team’s most valuable player last postseason. He registered a 1.61 ERA in six appearances (two starts) across 22.1 innings in the playoffs, recording two wins against one loss to help the Red Sox capture the 2018 World Series.

If the Red Sox were to acquire a proven closer such as Yates or Giles, Eovaldi would presumably be moved into a setup role or back into the starting rotation.   

Red Sox Designate Eduardo Nuñez for Assignment

The Boston Red Sox designated utility man Eduardo Nuñez for assignment on Monday, likely ending his tenure with the franchise he helped win the World Series last year. 

The infielder hit just .228 with only two homers in 60 games with Boston this season.

Boston acquired Nunez from the San Francisco Giants prior to the 2017 trade deadline. He caught fire at the tail end of the 2017 season with Boston, hitting .321 with a .892 OPS. He mashed eight home runs with 27 RBIs in 38 games to help the Red Sox win the AL East. 

Nunez will be remembered most for his pinch-hit three-run homer in Game 1 of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park. Facing off against Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Alex Wood, Nunez cranked a home run over the Green Monster in left field, sending the Fenway faithful into a frenzy. 

NOON TIME.#WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/IFWyZwsix1

— MLB (@MLB) October 24, 2018

His three-run shot put the Red Sox ahead for good in the series-opening win. The Red Sox ultimately defeated the Dodgers in five games in the Fall Classic to capture the 2018 World Series title. 

Nunez appeared in 225 regular-season games for the Red Sox over two-plus seasons, hitting .268 with 20 home runs and 91 RBIs. He accumulated 18 stolen bases.

Despite being designated for assignment, Nunez had nothing but positive words to say about the Red Sox and their fans.

"I’d like to thank all Red Sox fans for all the great moments we shared and the amazing experience of being World Champions," Nunez said to ESPN's Marly Rivera. "I only have positive things to say about the Red Sox organization, and I know my career will go on.”

Kemba Walker to Sign 4-Year Deal with Celtics

Kemba Walker has told the Charlotte Hornets of his intention to sign with the Boston Celtics when free agency officially begins. Walker will finalize a formal agreement for a four-year, $141 million deal with the Celtics, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Walker averaged 25.6 points, 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds last season, playing in all 82 games. The 29-year-old three-time All-Star earned All-NBA Third Team Honors last year, his best season as a pro. Walker spent the first eight years of his career in Charlotte, reaching the playoffs just twice. The Hornets failed to put sufficient talent around the talented point guard. Walker is the only Hornets' player to make an All-Star team since he was drafted ninth overall in 2011.

Boston can renounce the rights to restricted free agent point guard Terry Rozier to clear the necessary cap space to ink Walker to a max contract. Walker will replace All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who plans to leave the Celtics after just two seasons to join the Brooklyn Nets. Irving has an agreement in place with the Nets on a four-year, $141 million contract.

All-Star Kemba Walker will sign with the Celtics and replace the departing Kyrie Irving as Boston's starting point guard. (AP Photo)

The Hornets declined to offer the supermax contract to Walker, paving the way for the former UConn star to leave in free agency. Charlotte's unwillingness to move Walker at last season's trade deadline could set the franchise back for years. Walker was the team's only attractive asset, yet management opted to keep him in an attempt to reach the postseason. Charlotte failed to reach its goal and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

As for Walker, he finally gets the chance to play with formidable talent. He is set to join a starting lineup that will include Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and former All-Star Gordon Hayward. 

MLB All-Star Game 2019: Starters Selections

The starters for the 2019 All-Star Game will be selected on June 27 at 7 p.m. ET. Here are my selections for the Summer Classic, which takes place on July 9 in Cleveland, Ohio.

*Photos via MLB.com

American League Notes

Carlos Santana leads AL first basemen in OPS, OBS, slugging, hits (82), walks (57) and Wins Above Replacement (2.8). He ranks second in HRs (18) and batting (.290).

Tommy La Stella has 16 home runs this season (most among AL 2B) after hitting just 10 homers over the first 900 plate appearances of his career.

Jorge Polanco leads AL SS in batting (.321), hits (99) and WAR (3.8).

Mike Trout ranks first in the American League in WAR (5.2). 

Gary Sanchez has smashed 23 home runs, second overall in the American League and easily the most among AL catchers.

National League Notes

Josh Bell leads MLB in RBIs (68) and ranks first among NL first basemen in slugging and OPS.

Ketel Marte leads the NL in hits (100). He is batting .316 with 20 home runs and 51 RBIs.

Cody Bellinger (MLB-high .354 batting average with 26 HRs and 63 RBIs) and Christian Yelich (.332 batting average with an MLB-best 29 HRs and 63 RBIs) have been the two best players in baseball through the first three months of the season.