ivot or Persist? Boston's June Reckoning | 64 Deep Ep. 15

The Red Sox are 29-41, dead last in the AL East, and CEO Sam Kennedy just said the team may have to "pivot." So we ask the only question that matters in June: are the Red Sox contenders or pretenders?

This week we dig into the team that's consistently inconsistent — the bats that still aren't hitting, Connelly Early's growing pains, the bright spots keeping the season watchable (Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela), the prolonged Crochet and Roman Anthony injuries, and the Aroldis Chapman trade question that could define Boston's deadline. Plus the Mickey Gasper underdog story, Jarren Duran trade buzz, and a look at the farm.

Crack one open and go deep with us. 🍺

The Red Wedding came to Fenway. Hours after Boston dropped 17 runs on Baltimore in their most convincing win of the season, John Henry, Sam Kennedy, and Craig Breslow walked into the team hotel and gutted the staff. Alex Cora — fired. Five coaches — gone. Jason Varitek — reassigned. The first in-season managerial firing in 24 years of Fenway Sports Group ownership.

In this episode of 64 Deep — A Red Sox Podcast:

→ Who got the axe and who survived (and what that tells you about where the rot really is)

→ Why the firing was the RIGHT call at 10-17, even if the timing made no sense

→ The lazy take we're DEMOLISHING: "They didn't fire the pitching staff!" — here's why that's BS → Garrett Crochet's 7.58 ERA vs. his 3.66 SIERA — what the numbers actually say

→ Full breakdown of the Breslow & Kennedy press conference at Camden Yards

→ Who is Chad Tracy? The Worcester manager who just inherited the dugout

→ The Jim Tracy / Alex Cora connection nobody is talking about

→ Why Tracy's relationship with Anthony, Mayer, Campbell, and the rest of the young core is the whole reason he got the job

⚾ THE NUMBERS THAT TELL THE STORY: - 10-17 record, last place AL East, 7.5 games behind the Yankees - .226/.306/.335 team slash line through 26 games - Tied for last in MLB in home runs (18) - Worst OPS against fastballs in baseball (.621) - 1 home run off fastballs all year out of 288 league-wide

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Willson Contreras is ON FIRE. Caleb Durbin is ice cold. And we need to talk about both.

Contreras went 6-for-10 with a HR and 6 RBI this weekend in St. Louis — the real version of the guy the Red Sox traded for is finally showing up. Meanwhile, Caleb Durbin is still hitting .103 and we break down why Chandler Simpson (.370+, 5 SB) is the archetype of the player Boston needs him to become. Spoiler: the Red Sox were never going to get Simpson — but that's the standard.

Also on this episode:

• Masataka Yoshida is quietly leading the team in OBP (.519) — should he be the leadoff hitter?
• Ranger Suárez threw 6 scoreless innings Saturday after an 8.64 ERA in his first two starts. The $130M man is here.
• Roman Anthony's growing pains continue
• Minor league report: Kristian Campbell hits his first HR of 2026 and Nick Sogard stays hot in Worcester

The Red Sox took 2 of 3 in St. Louis and head to Minnesota next. Are they turning a corner or just teasing us?

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