The Red Sox have made another stunning move at the deadline, this time shipping former top prospect Marcelo Mayer to the San Francisco Giants for left-handed reliever Erik Miller, according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Jeff Passan reported the deal is pending a medical evaluation.
For Boston, it’s a jarring turn on a player who, not long ago, felt untouchable. Mayer was the kind of name fans expected to surface in bigger, more ambitious conversations - the sort of talks that involved players like Ketel Marte - not a straight-up swap for a bullpen arm. But Craig Breslow has pushed hard at this trade deadline, and this is now the fifth of Boston’s six most recent first-round picks that he has moved since taking over as chief baseball officer.
Miller brings immediate help where the Red Sox need it most. The 28-year-old lefty from Stanford has been a strong late-inning piece for San Francisco this season, posting a 2.76 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 22 walks over 32.2 innings.
He’s averaged 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings, and right-handed hitters have managed just a .183 average against him this year. Boston should be able to plug him into the back end of the bullpen and use him to support Aroldis Chapman.
That relief depth matters right now. Interim manager Chad Tracy recently said Garrett Whitlock is "beat up," a reflection of how heavily he’s been used. Jovani Morán and Greg Weissert have also piled up big workloads, with 45 and 43.2 innings, respectively, and Miller gives the group another arm to lean on.
Mayer’s path in Boston never really found its footing. The Red Sox brought him up for his major league debut after an injury to Alex Bregman last season, and the move came too early. Since then, he’s hit .223/.278/.346 in 114 games, and he has struggled badly against right-handed pitching, batting .215 with a .599 OPS.
Boston is clearly cashing in what remained of Mayer’s value after a disappointing 2026 showing. Miller, meanwhile, is under team control through the 2030 season, giving the Red Sox a long-term bullpen piece even as they say goodbye to a once-hyped prospect whose tenure ended far earlier than anyone expected.
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Rogers also brings a layer of familiarity with the coaching staff, which likely helped make the transition easier once the workout went well. The signing does not affect New Englands salary cap, and it gives the Patriots another experienced option while they continue to manage the edges of the roster with the season moving along. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Is Putting One Thin Position Group Under The Microscope
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The rest of the days reporting centered on who was on the field, who was not and how the coaching staff is shaping early roster projections. There were the standard rounds of media availability from players and coaches, along with notes on participation and recovery, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: the Patriots are still evaluating bodies and roles up front, and every camp rep matters when a position group is being watched this closely. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Is Putting Unexpected Pressure On Two Position Battles
Early in Patriots training camp, the most interesting roster fights are not always the ones involving the biggest names. Tight end and cornerback have both turned into spots to watch, with rookies Eli Raridon and Tanner Arkin getting a real look as the team sorts through depth and roles behind the established pieces. Head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye have both offered encouraging views of the progress being made, which matters this time of year because summer practices often reveal who can handle more than just a handful of snaps.
Raridon and Arkin have each found ways to stay in the mix through the first weeks, and their work has added a little extra pressure to a competition that was already more open than it first appeared. Karon Prunty has also been part of that quieter roster battle, giving the Patriots more to evaluate as camp moves along and the cuts get closer. Nothing is settled yet, but the way these lesser-known players have kept showing up in key spots suggests the final decisions may be harder than expected. [Read more 🡒]