MLB Notebook: In Yankees-Dodgers, a nightmare (soon to be) World Series for Red Sox; 20 years since ’04, Pivetta, O’Neill updates taken at BSJ Headquarters (Red Sox)

(Scott Galvin-Imagn Images)

Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; The New York Yankees celebrates after beating the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field.

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MLB Notebook: In Yankees-Dodgers, a nightmare (soon to be) World Series for Red Sox; 20 years since ’04, Pivetta, O’Neill updates

By Gethin Coolbaugh

Oct 20, 2024 • 4:15 pm

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It’s going to be the Yankees and the Dodgers in the World Series.

They’re not both there just yet, mind you. But they will be soon enough. The Mets prolonged their fate with a commendable 12-6 Game 5 win on Friday to send the series back to Los Angeles for Game 6.

The Yankees, meanwhile, punched their ticket back to the World Series for the first time since 2009 after taking care of the Guardians in five games. 

It’s all falling into place … and it couldn’t be worse from a Red Sox perspective. 

In one corner, you have your hated rivals. The constant thorn in your side in the AL East and the bane of your existence. It’s never fun for Red Sox fans to watch the Yankees make a deep postseason run, let alone maybe even winning it all…

Having won more recently — and twice — since the last time the Yanks won in 2009 is an ace in the hole we always like to have at our disposal. 

The one saving grace of New York potentially ending its 15-year championship drought is the now slight possibility that it might provide a little nudge to Sox ownership to get back in the saddle and invest in the team again. Notice I said “slight” possibility…

And in the other corner, you’ve got old friend Mookie Betts and the Dodgers. Not only Betts, but also Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — two players you could have thrown the most money at last offseason, but didn’t. Oh, and let’s throw in Kike Hernandez and even Ryan Brasier for good measure…

The 32-year-old Betts being in line to win — not his first, but his second — World Series since the Sox decided to give him away for next to nothing (no offense, Connor Wong…) is another tug at the heartstrings (or kick in the…) for Boston baseball fans.

Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the reason why it’s a nightmare for Red Sox ownership. 

New York’s $309 million payroll ranks second in baseball and L.A.’s $241 million (contorted) payroll ranks fifth. (And even if the Mets find a way to shock the world and set up a Subway Series, they’re not helping the cause from a Sox perspective either… their nearly $318 million payroll ranks first). 

Unfortunately, it seems that expensive baseball players will once again be the last ones standing. 

Sorry about that, John…

20 years later 

Twenty years later. Can you believe it?

Two decades after the greatest postseason in Red Sox history, we’re reliving all of the highlight-reel moments. This past Thursday marked the anniversary for the steal heard ‘round the world, the singular moment that jolted life back in the seemingly-dead 2004 Red Sox.

Big Papi took the baton from there, delivering the closing blows to win Games 4 and 5 in extra innings before kicking things back to New York for Games 6 and 7. 

We all know the rest of the story. Curt Schilling’s bloody sock game and the slap heard ‘round the world.

Then Game 7. Johnny Damon’s grand slam and two homers. Mark Bellhorn’s clanger off the right field foul pole (I will hear that sound as clear as day in my memory for the rest of my life). Pokey Reese fielding the final out…

Good times. Good, good times…

One of my coffee table books is a copy of the 2004 Red Sox Yearbook that I picked up not too long ago at a local sports memorability shop. It’s fun to thumb through now and then, and especially this week.

But the first thing I flipped to was, go figure, the front office bios, and the first face I see is none other than a 20-years-younger John Henry.

Hindsight is 20-20, yes, but the caption is straight-up comical from today’s standpoint…

“John W. Henry, an avid baseball fan, often refers to baseball as an “affair of the heart.” Known throughout the game as an involved and passionate owner, he believes the people of New England have always been and always will be the true owners of the Red Sox. Mr. Henry views his role as a steward of New England’s beloved baseball team…”

We’ve certainly come a long way from that to “it’s expensive to have baseball players.”

Hey, at least we got four World Series titles — and the greatest championship in Red Sox and Boston sports history — in the process…

No QO 

I wouldn’t be expecting to see Nick Pivetta or Tyler O’Neill back in Red Sox uniforms anytime soon. The free agents-to-be are not likely to be extended qualifying offers by the Red Sox, according to MassLive. 

It’s not really a surprise, although perhaps a little more so on Pivetta’s behalf. The writing has been on the wall for Craig Breslow and the Red Sox to mutually part ways with the 29-year-old slugging outfielder despite his power resurgence. 

Pivetta, though, had emerged as a mid- to (at his best) upper-rotation level arm who will definitely have some suitors lining up for his services. 

Now, at 31, he is on the wrong side of 30. And inconsistency has been Pivetta’s career Achilles’ heel. But with starting pitching always at a premium, I will be surprised if Pivetta doesn’t wind up getting a fairly sizable contract somewhere.

Hopefully, that somewhere isn’t Boston — for the aforementioned reasons. He never felt like a good fit, like “Red Sox” anyway. 

The reality is that neither Pivetta nor O’Neill are $20 million caliber players (the qualifying offer for 2025 is $21.04 million). While both could still provide value to a Red Sox team that will allegedly be trying to contend next season, I’d say that combined $40 million would be better served elsewhere…

Gethin Coolbaugh is a columnist for Boston Sports Journal. Follow him @GethinCoolbaugh on X/Twitter and Threads. 

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