Red Sox News & Links: Shohei Ohtani Is (Probably) Not Walking Through That Door

Chaim Bloom has not publicly committed to either a buying or selling as a trade deadline strategy. Reading between the lines here, though, it seems clear that he’s not going to be willing to move anyone he views as potentially part of a longer term core. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

. . . And that’s probably why David Ortiz has come to the conclusion that, if the Angels put Shohei Ohtani on the block, the Red Sox will not be likely suitors. (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)

Speaking of Shohei, Seattle has often been mentioned as a possible free agent landing spot for the greatest player of all-time this offseason. As it so happens, the 2024 schedule was just released and the Sox open the year in . . . Seattle. They’ll have a big 10-game West Coast trip to open the year. (Scott McLaughlin, WEEI)

But getting back to the here and now, t feels appropriate that Brayan Bello, whose emergence was perhaps the single most important storyline of the first half, is getting the start tonight to open the second half. Here’s an in-depth look at how his every day life as a big leaguer is going, which apparently includes cereal and cartoons. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)

The Sox took catcher Kyle Teel in the first round. FanGraphs calls him “a realistic best-case scenario for a modern catcher” and then breaks down how first-round catchers tend to perform overall. (Michael Baumann, FanGraphs)