When the Boston Red Sox finally made a splash in free agency after a long, quiet winter, it wasn’t just the signing that caught attention - it was who didn’t break the news.
Chris Cotillo, a well-known and reliable voice on the Red Sox beat, is usually the guy with the scoop. If something’s happening in Boston’s front office, Cotillo’s typically the first to let fans know. But when the Sox landed left-hander Ranger Suárez on Wednesday, Cotillo was radio silent - and for a pretty relatable reason.
Turns out, Verizon’s nationwide outage couldn’t have come at a worse time. Cotillo, fresh off a weather-diverted flight and already dealing with travel chaos, found himself completely offline just as the Red Sox dropped a $130 million bombshell. He later posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“Red Sox didn’t make a free agent signing for 2.5 months. Their $130M spend came in the midst of a Verizon outage seconds after I landed after having a flight diverted (first time ever) for 4 hours due to weather.
That is a new low. High alert.
Spots remain.”
Tough break for a reporter who’s made a name for being plugged in - literally and figuratively. But while Cotillo missed the moment this time, the real headline is what the Red Sox just added to their rotation.
Ranger Suárez brings a high-upside lefty arm to a staff that’s been in need of exactly that. The Red Sox went into this offseason with questions about how they’d compete in a loaded AL East, and this move signals they’re ready to get serious. Suárez has the kind of stuff that plays in October - and Boston’s banking on him helping them get there.
As for Cotillo, he’ll be back on the beat soon enough. The Red Sox aren’t done making moves, and you can bet he’ll be front and center for the next one - assuming the Wi-Fi cooperates.