In an effort to improve the struggling pitching staff, the Red Sox are adding Brian Bannister to a more hands-on coaching role. (Bill Ballou; Providence Journal)
Much of the blame for this pitching is on the front office, who misread the talent level in the rotation before the year. (Alex Speier; Boston Globe)
One guy who has outperformed expectations is Steven Wright, who will be part of the AL All-Star team. (Sean McAdam; CSN New England)
Xander Bogaerts will be there, too, partially thanks to a surprising level of competence on defense. (Brandon Chase; Masslive)
Of course, the importance of the All-Star Game is insane. Even David Price agrees. (Rob Bradford; WEEI)
Everyone assumes the Red Sox's big move this deadline will be for a pitcher, but could Jonathan Lucroy be an alternative target? (Dave Cameron; Fangraphs)
Brock Holt is back, and he's making a quick impact. (Jason Mastrodonato; Boston Herald)
The Red Sox were hurt by their penalties in international free agency. What's lost in all this is that the players were hurt, too. (Dustin Palmateer; BP Boston)