Papi's FN City

Boston Sports Fan: Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

I think Breslow is just a terrible negotiator... he didn't believe Bregman had another offer, despite what Boras was telling him, and wouldn't "bid against himself" and Bregman took the deal with the Cubs.

Pretty straightforward, but they spent the rest of the winter trying to fix that mistake.

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

No Red Sox team has started the season 2-8 and made the playoffs... time to go make some history!

[Just Baseball @JustBB_Media]

The Red Sox are 2-8.

They've never had a worse record through the first 10 games of the season.

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

I had hopes he would make it back for the playoffs but in my wildest dreams, never thought he'd be playing at this level!

[NBA @NBA]

🏀 SUNDAY'S FINAL SCORES 🏀

JT flirts with a triple-double as the @celtics win their 3rd straight game!

Jaylen Brown: 26 PTS, 6 REB, 2 STL
Neemias Queta: 18 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 3 BLK
Payton Pritchard: 17 PTS, 3 STL

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

When can we drop Story out of the two spot? I get the L/R/L thing, but Story just looks lost to start the year.

[Tyler Milliken @tylermilliken_]

Frustrating to lose these games where the pitching staff handles business. Especially when Early didn’t have his best stuff and was able to tread water.

Credit to the bullpen for keeping you in it, even if Chapman leaked at the end.

You didn’t rack up the strikeouts offensively, but you had opportunities in the 4th and 5th to do more damage. Bats just need to be better. Especially Story in the #2 spot.

[Legion Hoops @LegionHoops]

JAYSON TATUM IN HIS LAST 4 GAMES:

23 PTS - 11 REB - 9 AST
25 PTS - 18 REB - 11 AST
32 PTS - 8 AST - 5 REB
26 PTS - 12 REB - 5 AST

HE’S BACK.

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

Can we have the Password back now? What a wasted trade this was... hated it as soon as they made it.

[Chris Cotillo @ChrisCotillo]

Johan Oviedo is hoping for the best but wary of the worst when it comes to his elbow.

"When I woke up in the morning, I couldn’t bend or flex my arm when I was getting out of bed... Right now, it feels like the range of motion is not there."

https://t.co/T0EN5gQqRU

[Boston Celtics @celtics]

The Jays over their last five games:

JB: 32.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 6.8 APG
JT: 23.6 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 6.6 APG

Scary hours for the rest of the league 😈

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

What are the odds Jaylen Brown wins the MVP, and then Tatum win the Finals MVP?

[NBA @NBA]

THE CELTICS ERUPTED FOR 53 PTS IN Q1 🤯

It's the most points scored by Boston in a quarter since the start of the PxP era (1997-98)!

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

@NBA Could Jaylen Brown win MVP, and then Tatum win the Finals MVP?

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

Do ABS is great but when an umpire is this bad....

[Tyler Milliken @tylermilliken_]

CB Bucknor rung up Eugenio Suarez twice and was wrong on back to back pitches. He's been horrendous all day.

Also, great range from Marcelo Mayer throwing from shortstop.

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

Not me, watching Simons light it up for Chicago...

[CHGO Bulls @CHGO_Bulls]

This Anfernee Simons shot from the corner. Just absurd! 🤯

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

Love to see this... looking forward to the future with Vrabel and this young team!

[NFL @NFL]

Mike Vrabel thanks @Patriots fans for their support as the team arrives home ❤️ (via @JoeGiza, @wbz)

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

Okay, the more analysis I see on Durbin, the more I'm starting to warm up to this move:
https://t.co/TIVzwXbh8u

[G.G. @ggeiss_mlb]

Caleb Durbin immediately jumps off the page as yet another breakout candidate acquired by Boston this offseason.

On the surface, Durbin's production isn't necessarily eye-popping. As a rookie in '25:
⚾️ .721 OPS
⚾️ 6% BB / 10% K
⚾️ .312 xwOBA
⚾️ 105 wRC+
⚾️ 2.6 fWAR

So, what stands out regarding Durbin?

I. Elite Swing Decisions & Whiff-Ability.

Facing major league pitching for the first time in his career, Durbin registered the 5th-best K% (10%) in MLB last year. His 94% zCon rate (T-5th in MLB) is also elite. Durbin's whiff% and chase% also ranked inside the 95th percentile (or better).

We're talking about a bat with some similar contact traits like we see in Jacob Wilson, for example, but with far less chase and a bit more pullside thump.

He squares up the ball well (33% — 95th PCTL) and pairs that ability with taking a steady amount of walks. Point blank, the 25-year-old is a monster is a demon at limiting whiff.

II. Power Surge? It's All in the Pull Air%.

A gigantic reason it's so easy to pencil Durbin in as a breakout candidate is his fantastic park fit at Fenway. As a rookie, Durbin turned in an above-average 41% pull rate, plus an even-better 20% pull air rate. Utilizing that approach with a big target in left field will work wonders for his OPS.

I don't expect Durbin to mash 20+ HR out of nowhere, but I'd certainly bank on seeing a number of flyouts simply turn into doubles or homers at home.

III. Quality Defense.

Breslow talked a lot about upgrading defense, and this move certainly does that. I've been very vocal since the start of the offseason that Mayer at 2B, not 3B, would be my preference for a multitude of reasons. Durbin (who can play all over the infield), enters the building as a plus defender at 3B.

As a rookie, Durbin turned in 2 OAA, 5 DRS, 5 rPM, and 1 FRV at the hot corner. Sliding Mayer over to second base allows for easier platoon management with Romy Gonzalez — who saw an increase in his defensive production at 2B a year ago — and yes, is an upgrade over Alex Bregman's 1 DRS in 2025.

IV. Handling Velo.

Something that shouldn't get overlooked is Durbin's ability to handle velocity — a department the Red Sox obviously needed to upgrade in after last season.

In '25 vs. FA-types 94+ mph:
⚾️ .258 BA → .275 xBA
⚾️ .350 SLG → .375 xSLG
⚾️ .319 wOBA → .337 xwOBA
⚾️ 8% whiff rate

— — —

Overall, I'm really ecstatic about the Durbin acquisition. This is FAR better than signing Suarez and calling it a day, imo. Can't forget Durbin is a guy the Red Sox have under team control for a while now (2032 UFA!).

Utilizing Harrison — who's name has been yanked around between trade talks or a move to the bullpen — is a great piece of business. The comp pick is also massive, but we'll talk more about that soon.

I think at his best, Durbin could lead off for the Red Sox by the end of '26. A legit breakout candidate and bag stealing threat with a high floor thanks to limited swing-and-miss and good defense. Really looking forward to see him more in camp.

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

Okay, I cannot say I'm going to miss Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton (though he is fast), or Shane Drohan... but is Caleb Durbin really a better fit in Boston than just paying Alex Bregman?

[Jeff Passan @JeffPassan]

Trade news: The Boston Red Sox are acquiring third baseman Caleb Durbin in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, sources tell ESPN. Left-hander Kyle Harrison is headlining the three-player package headed back to Milwaukee.

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

@JeffPassan Okay... I'm cautiously optimistic. That doesn't seem like too steep a price to pay for Durbin, but is this really a better move than paying Bregman?

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

@ezlazar And the team is so young... but need a better offensive line or protection plan for next season.

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

@NFL Great game by a great defense!

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

@nikkioceangirl He got two...

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

I've got Drake with three TDs today.

[NFL @NFL]

Drake Maye will score ____ touchdowns tonight?

Super Bowl LX – 6:30pm ET on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

@ESPNNBA Monster dunk!

[Papi's FN City @papi34myfncity]

@NBA Wow... what a dunk!