According to ESPN, Boston has emerged as a leading destination in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. No deal is on the table (that we know of), but the mere possibility might raise a few concerns.
Boston, MA
Boston Red Sox Send Quinn Priester To Brewers, Add Top Prospect & Pick
General Manager Craig Breslow has added another prospect to the Boston Red Sox farm system in Yophery Rodriguez. Boston dealt more-established prospect Quinn Priester to Milwaukee, also getting a 2025 Competitive Balance Round A draft pick (No. 33 overall) and a player to be named from the Brewers.
DENVER: Quinn Priester, at the time a Pittsburgh Pirates prospect, pitches in the Futures Game at … More
Priester, 24, will join the Brewers when they open a series at Colorado on Tuesday night. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, right-handed reliever Grant Wolfram was designated for assignment.
Milwaukee GM Matt Arnold made the deal to get a young pitcher for an injury-wrecked rotation. The Brewers currently have eight pitchers on the injured list:
LHP Aaron Ashby, strained right oblique, expected to try a bullpen session late this week, then go on rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville.
RHP Aaron Civale, left hamstring, out until late April.
LHP Nestor Cortes, left elbow flexor strain, went to 15-day IL on Sunday
LHP Robert Gasser, Tommy John Surgery last June 4, out until September.
LHP DL Hall, strained left lat, on 60-day IL since March 5, not expected back until May.
RHP Nick Mears, illness, currently on rehab assignment with Nashville.
RHP Tobias Myers, strained left oblique, expected to start rehab at Nashville this week.
MILWAUKEE: Brandon Woodruff of the Milwaukee Brewers is doused by teammates after pitching a … More
RHP Brandon Woodruff, right shoulder surgery in October 2023, expected to start rehab assignment at Nashville soon and possibly return in May.
Right-hander Freddy Peralta is the only healthy member of manager Pat Murphy’s planned rotation. The Brewers (5-5) are 14th in the national League in earned run average (5.97). They were second in 2024 with a 3.65 ERA.
Priester’s Problems
Priester was regarded as one of the top high-school prospects in the nation in 2019 when the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him 18th overall and signed him for $3.4 million. He missed all of 2020 as the minor leagues were shut down by Covid.
The right-hander made his MLB debut in July 2023 at age 22. His four-pitch mix that played so well in the minors has been hit hard in 21 games in the majors, however. He has a 6-9 record and lofty 6.23 ERA.
BRADENTON, FL: Quinn Priester of the Boston Red Sox pitches in a spring training game against the … More
Priester was dealt to Boston at the 2024 trading deadline for infielder Nick Yorke, the 17th overall pick in 2020.
Scouts like Priester’s sinking two-seam fastball that gets ground-ball outs. He also has a mid-90s fastball, mid-80s slider and an upper 70-mph curve that is considered his best pitch. Throwing them all for strikes has been a concern. He has 41 walks in 99 2/3 MLB innings.
Rodriguez’s Red Sox Role
The 19-year-old outfielder is now Boston’s 11th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-1 lefty plays all three spots in the outfield and seems best suited to right field with a good, accurate arm. He doesn’t have one outstanding tool yet scouts consider him above average in all aspects of the game.
PHOENIX: Yophery Rodriguez of the Milwaukee Brewers hits an RBI single in a Spring Breakout game … More
Milwaukee signed him for $1.5 million at age 17 in 2023 out of the Dominican Republic. “If I had to sum up his game in one word, it’s discipline,” Brewers manager of international scouting and player personnel James Armstrong back then. “It feels like every action with him is very deliberate. He takes his craft very seriously.”
When You Need Pitching …
Twenty-five years ago, the Cleveland Indians were desperate for pitching at the 2000 trading deadline. They made a blockbuster deal with the Brewers to acquire closer Bob Wickman and starters Jason Bere and Steve Woodard. Milwaukee got minor-league infielder Marco Scutaro, minor-league pitchers Kane Davis and Paul Rigdon and 25-year-old slugger Richie Sexson.
MILWAUKEE: Richie Sexson of the MIlwaukee Brewers is congratulated by teammates after scoring … More
Cleveland had a 52-49 record at the time and went 38-23 after the deal to finish 90-72. It wasn’t enough to make the playoffs, ending a run of five straight post-season trips. Bere went 6-3, Woodard 3-3 and Wickman got 14 saves. Only Wickman continued to help Cleveland, totaling 139 saves over six seasons.
Scutaro never played for Milwaukee, though he did help six other clubs through 2014. Kane and Rigdon never did much after the deal.
Sexson was tremendous for the Brewers, hitting .276 with 133 homers and 398 RBI over 534 games in a Milwaukee uniform.
The Future Of This Deal
The Brewers need instant impact from Priester to help them gain a playoff berth for the third year in a row and seventh time in eight seasons.
The Red Sox have second baseman Kristian Campbell (ranked No. 6 overall by MLB Pipeline) already an early candidate for 2025 AL Rookie of the Year honors. They will work with Rodriguez and hope he joins other top prospects such as Roman Anthony (No. 2), Marcelo Mayer and Franklin Arias (No. 73) already listed in the top 100.
Yophery Rodriguez will not be another Richie Sexson. His potential added to the plentiful Boston Red Sox farm system, however, makes the organization even stronger down the line.
Boston is allowing outdoor drinking in two neighborhoods this summer while the city welcomes a wave of international visitors during the World Cup, Mayor Michelle Wu announced.
The social districts opened Friday and will run through July 31.
Boston public drinking zones
Patrons will be allowed to consume alcoholic beverages outdoors within designated areas at Union and Marshall streets in Downtown Boston’s Block Historic District, as well as on Temple Place in Downtown Crossing.
According to the city, the initiative along with the decision to extend last call until 3 a.m. for the World Cup “is creating vibrancy for patrons and expanding opportunities for Boston businesses during one of the region’s busiest summers in recent years.”
“As Boston welcomes people from around the world to gather and enjoy our city this summer, these new social districts will create even more opportunities to build community and have fun responsibly,” Wu said in a statement. “These districts help us open our streets in a safe environment for residents and visitors to enjoy themselves, ‘sip and stroll,’ and make lasting memories in our beautiful city.”
Last week, Gov. Maura Healey signed a new law that allowed for cities and towns to create designated areas for public drinking.
How drinking zones work
In order to participate, businesses within the designated zones must file a one-day amendment application with the Boston Licensing Board that states they wish to be included in the districts.
Businesses cannot sell alcohol for public consumption until they receive approval from the Licensing Board.
Hours for the Union-Marshall Street Social District will be 9 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The Temple Place Social District will be open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Drinks sold for public consumption will be in clear plastic containers with a sticker or other label that shows where they were sold. Businesses cannot sell more than one 16-ounce alcoholic beverage for public consumption per customer in a single transaction.
Outside alcohol cannot be brought into businesses.
“We are grateful for this opportunity to activate our downtown, support businesses, and create a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere in two of Boston’s entertainment districts,” Corean Reynolds, director of nightlife economy, said in a statement. “Both residents and tourists can benefit from these Social Districts. After the summer, we look forward to continuing our work creating a nightlife infrastructure that works for everyone.”
Concern numero uno is obvious. Giannis is one of the handful of players capable of altering the championship picture by himself. Pairing him with Jayson Tatum would create an impressive combination of size, athleticism, versatility, and star power. The question is whether Brad Stevens and the Celtics can actually pull it off without creating a new set of problems for themselves.
Boston’s path to Giannis is narrower than it first appears. The Celtics would almost certainly need to move Jaylen Brown, either directly to Milwaukee or through a third team. Reports indicate Brown has little interest in joining the Bucks (in paraphrase: “Milwaukee?! Yuck!”), which complicates matters further. We start moving from a blockbuster trade to a three-team puzzle involving contracts, draft compensation, and competing agendas.
Even if Boston finds a way through that maze, there’s no guarantee the resulting team will succeed.
Giannis may be a better asset than Brown, but championships are not won by comparing players one-for-one. They’re won by building complete teams (case in point: YOUR WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS ).
Brown averaged more than 28 points per game last season while defending multiple positions. He can create his own offense, punish smaller defenders, and absorb primary scoring responsibilities when Tatum is unavailable (as Tatum was for most of last season, recovering from a torn Achilles). Replacing him with Giannis raises Boston’s ceiling, perhaps, but also changes the structure of the roster.
The Celtics have spent years building an ecosystem around two star wings. Remove one and the supporting cast suddenly becomes more important, which means Stevens would have many more decisions to make before the start of training camp.
What catches me up is, if the Bucks believed that Giannis has more great years ahead of him, would they so quickly offload him to a conference rival? Might he actually be a distressed asset?
Giannis will turn 32 this season. He has generally been durable over his career but has dealt with increasing lower-body issues (especially calves and knees) in recent years, leading to more missed time. To wit:
• 2022–23: 63 GP / 19 missed
• 2023–24: 73 GP / 9 missed
• 2024–25: 67 GP / 15 missed
• 2025–26: 36 GP / 46 missed
Wouldn’t that just be the worst if the Celts parted with Brown to get him, and then Giannis missed extended time due to injury? Like, the absolute worst? (Insert diabolical laughter.)
A healthy Tatum-Giannis pairing would present unique challenges for New York. The Knicks would need to defend relentless downhill pressure while also containing one of the league’s best bucket creators. But, given their depth, New York may be better equipped than most teams to handle it.
So if the Celtics’ pursuit of Giannis causes an initial flutter of worry, you can let that just drift on by. The scenario only noses toward Red Alert if Boston nabs him while somehow also acquiring a guard who makes up for what they’d lose with Brown’s departure.
But wait! This just in: Chris Haynes has pushed back on the idea that a Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-Boston deal is close. He writes that Boston does not appear to be a promising destination and suggested the situation could extend into July. Additionally, Marc Stein reported that the Celtics are frustrated by speculation involving Jaylen Brown, while Brian Windhorst said Brown has not been formally offered in a trade. So, to quote the great William Goldman (also a Knicks fan), “Nobody knows anything.”
It’s worth noting that the Miami Heat are also reportedly in the mix. We’ve heard that the lack of income tax is alluring to the Greek Freak. Plus Florida offers sunny, warm weather, which is not a defining feature of Wisconsin. In the end, though, joining Boston would allow Giannis to keep all his favorite green-themed items in his wardrobe, and shouldn’t looking good be a priority, too?
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins said Thursday they are retiring Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 as part of a ceremony next season.
The date will be shared later, following the NHL schedule release that is expected next month.
Bergeron is set to join fellow 2011 Stanley Cup champion Zdeno Chara with his number in the rafters. Bergeron, when it happens, will be the 14th player to have his number retired by the storied franchise.
He spent his entire 19-year career in the league with the Bruins, playing 1,464 games counting the regular season and playoffs. That included the title run in 2011 and more trips to the final in ’13 and ’19.
“Patrice was the kind of rare, generational talent that every team wanted,” owner Jeremy Jacobs said in a statement. “He was a deftly skilled playmaker and the undeniable greatest defensive forward in the NHL’s history. But it was the leadership he provided on the ice and in the locker room that made him truly stand apart and an all-time legend of the Boston Bruins.”
Bergeron succeeded Chara as captain in 2020 and served three seasons in that role before retiring. He called this an honor that is difficult to put into words.
“When I arrived in Boston as an 18-year-old, I could never have imagined receiving this recognition one day,” Bergeron said. “I have always believed that any success I had was only possible because of the people around me. I was fortunate to play alongside incredible teammates, learn from outstanding coaches and staff and be supported by an organization that believed in me from the very beginning.”
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