The Boston Red Sox brought back a familiar face Friday, acquiring left-handed pitcher James Paxton in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Could more old friends join Paxton in Boston before the MLB trade deadline?
The clock is ticking, with the deadline set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, but there are several former Red Sox players being tossed around in trade rumors. And a few might even make sense for Boston, which is looking to add pieces, per chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
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Let’s examine five ex-Red Sox who theoretically could make a triumphant return to Fenway Park to help with Boston’s 2024 playoff push.
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Justin Turner, IF/DH, Toronto Blue Jays Turner is 39 years old. And he hasn’t been great this season. So, maybe he’s washed. But what if he isn’t? Turner was an excellent fit in Boston last season, when he slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs and 96 RBIs. The Red Sox need a right-handed bat, and Turner checks that box in addition to being a respected clubhouse leader and an amazing postseason performer. This works, on and off the field.
Tommy Pham, OF, Chicago White Sox The Red Sox don’t necessarily need another corner outfielder. Pham also brings a volatile personality, though he seemingly didn’t ruffle any feathers during his brief stint with Boston in 2022. This all goes back to the Red Sox’s desire to add a right-handed hitter who can help with their struggles against left-handers. Pham entered the weekend with an .848 OPS in 61 plate appearances versus southpaws. His career mark sat at .834.
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Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, Texas Rangers There’s no guarantee the Rangers sell. They’re still in the playoff hunt — 3 1/2 games behind the division-leading Houston Astros in the AL West — and have reinforcements joining the fray. But if they do, every contender should have eyes for Eovaldi, a bulldog who typically performs best when the lights shine brightest. He’d be a perfect fit for the Red Sox, with whom he spent parts of five seasons (2018-22) and won a World Series title (2018).
Zack Littell, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays OK, now we’re digging a little deeper into the Boston bloodline. Littell only made two appearances for the Red Sox in 2023 before being designated for assignment and landing with the Rays. If you sneezed, you missed his Boston tenure. But the 28-year-old since has evolved into a serviceable starting pitcher, which could appeal to the Red Sox as they look to bolster their rotation depth, especially since the cost of acquisition shouldn’t be too high. Littell is under club control through next season, and the Rays are in sell mode.
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Jalen Beeks, LHP, Colorado Rockies Beeks walked so Littell could run, so to speak, thriving at times in the Tampa Bay pitching factory (in various roles) before landing in the high altitude of Denver. Like with Littell, Beeks’ time in Boston was brief. He made just two appearances with the Red Sox before (coincidentally) being traded to the Rays for Eovaldi in 2018. But the 31-year-old is a low-cost, lower-tier trade option, if nothing else, given that he’s a lefty who doesn’t walk a ton of guys and is capable of generating ground-ball outs.
Investigators identified Tyler Brown of Boston as the man who allegedly opened fire on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, leaving two victims with life-threatening injuries.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said Brown fired 50 to 60 shots on the busy road shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.
Two male victims were hit in vehicles, Ryan said. They are in critical condition and fighting for their lives.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian with a license to carry a firearm went toward the gunman and fired their weapons at him. Officers treated Brown at the scene, and he was brought to a Boston hospital, where he is in intensive care, according to the district attorney.
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This video shared with NBC10 Boston appears to show a man opening fire at cars on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Authorities have, so far, shared limited information about the suspect.
“Mr. Brown is from Boston, and apparently was in the process of moving here. We understand that Mr. Brown was under the supervision of either the Massachusetts Probation Department or Department of Parole,” Ryan said.
She did not elaborate on why Brown may have been on probation or parole.
“We will address Mr. Brown’s criminal record, if any, at the arraignment,” she said.
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Ryan added that she did not know enough about Brown’s condition to say whether he would be arraigned in court or in a hospital bed. The timing was also not clear.
He will face two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms charges, and “a variety of other charges as we unfold what took place, exactly, and we have a chance to speak to the many, many people who were out there,” Ryan said.
An inbound stretch of Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road will be closed each night through August for tunnel repairs, officials announced.
Starting Monday, the closures will begin at 8 p.m. and last until 5 a.m., state officials said.
Road closures begin at North Harvard Street in Allston and stretch along the Charles River Esplanade to Mugar Way in Boston, near the Hatch Memorial Shell, officials said.
Traffic will be detoured into Cambridge over the Anderson Bridge, along Memorial Drive, and then be routed into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge.
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The closures will allow ongoing repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay.The work is the first phase of a two-stage project to extend the lifespan of the tunnel, which carries roughly 50,000 drivers to and from downtown Boston daily.
The outbound portion of the tunnel and accompanying roadways will not be affected.
State transportation officials said changes to the work schedule will be made when necessary to minimize impacts during major local events at TD Garden, Fenway Park, or during the FIFA World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer.
Additional changes may be made without notice due to weather.
Transportation officials have not specified when the closures will end.
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Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.
OXFORD — Ole Miss softball is back in the NCAA Tournament after making the Women’s College World Series a season ago.
The Rebels (34-24) will play Boston (46-13) on May 15 (1 p.m. CT, ESPNU) in the Lubbock Regional. Ole Miss is the No. 2 seed in the regional, and Boston is the No. 3.
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Texas Tech (52-6), the No. 11 overall seed and regional host, will face No. 4 Marist (37-19).
The Rebels went 6-18 in SEC play this season, and have a largely new-look roster from the team that made the WCWS last season.
Ole Miss beat South Carolina and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament to improve its seed.
Freshman Madi George has burst onto the scene in the SEC. The first-year infielder leads Ole Miss with a .385 batting average. She has a team-high 21 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Seniors Emilee Boyer (3.86 ERA), Kyra Aycock (3.97 ERA) and junior Lily Whitten (3.04 ERA) are the primary options in the circle for coach Jamie Trachsel.
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Trachsel is in her sixth season leading the Ole Miss program. She led the Rebels to their first WCWS appearance in program history in 2025.
What to know about Boston, Texas Tech and Marist in Lubbock Regional
Boston entered the Patriot League Tournament as the top seed and the Terriers delivered. Boston beat No. 2 Colgate 12-1, becoming the second team in Patriot League history to four-peat as conference champions. Boston is on a 12-game winning streak. Kylie Doherty leads the team with a .396 batting average and 26 home runs.
Texas Tech made the 2025 WCWS championship series, losing to Texas in three games.
Texas Tech lost just three Big 12 games this season but lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders are a strong threat to get to the WCWS again. There are four Texas Tech batters hitting over .400. Star pitcher NiJaree Canady leads the Red Raiders with a 1.24 ERA. She has 209 strikeouts.
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Marist plays in the MAAC and won the conference tournament. Marist split a two-game series against South Carolina early in the season. Ava Metzger (12-3, 2.51 ERA) and Peyton Pusey (.404 batting average) lead the team.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
