David Ortiz isn’t exactly known for keeping his opinions quiet. But the former Red Sox slugger went a step further at the All-Star Game this week. He made a promise.
Ortiz, who won three championships in Boston, told FOX Sports that this year’s Red Sox team isn’t just a playoff contender. They’re going to the World Series. That’s a bold call for a club that was hovering around .500 not long ago.
“And my Red Sox. We won nine games in the row. We’re gonna go to the trade deadline. We’re gonna pick some players, and we’re gonna go to the World Series,” Ortiz said Tuesday in Arlington.
The Red Sox had a hell of a stretch before the break. They won nine straight games, including a 3-2 extra-inning win over the Mets. That capped a run where they took 14 of their final 16 games. It flipped the whole vibe around a season that looked like it might go sideways.
Why this actually matters more than a hot streak
The winning streak changed the calculus for Craig Breslow, the team’s chief baseball officer. Before this run, the front office had to decide whether to sell off veterans at the deadline or retool for next year. Now? They’ve got a real argument for buying. Injuries have hit some key guys, but the roster is clearly playing above its early-season projections.
Ortiz’s prediction isn’t just noise either. When a franchise legend with his resume says something, it carries weight in that clubhouse. Players hear it. Fans feel it. And the front office knows the pressure is on to back it up with actual moves.
The trade deadline is the pivot point
The Red Sox need pitching help. That’s not a secret. They could also use another bat in the middle of the order. But the fact that they’re even in this conversation is a win for a team that looked dead in the water two months ago.
Breslow has to walk a line. The farm system has some pieces, but you don’t want to gut it for a rental. Still, Ortiz is right that Boston has momentum. The question is whether that momentum carries through August and September or fizzles out.
For now, the legend is all in. That alone makes the second half worth watching.
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