On Friday, Red Sox beat reporter Ian Browne held an Ask Me Anything on Reddit with fans at r/redsox. This mailbag features questions and answers from there. The full AMA can be read here. Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Whom do you think the market will value higher, Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran, and whom do you think Boston values higher?
I think the Red Sox might be able to get more for Duran because he has shown the bigger upside with his monster 2024 season and the fact that he has elite speed. I think they value Wilyer higher because his arbitration clock doesn’t start until after next season and because of his positional fit. Abreu has won two straight Gold Glove Awards in right. Duran is more comfortable in center than left, and the Sox already have Ceddanne Rafaela playing center field, and Roman Anthony can play left.
Does Craig Breslow prefer Pete Alonso or Kyle Schwarber or neither as a potential free agent fit?
I’d say Alonso for two reasons. It’s right-handed power from a player who would play half of his games in Fenway Park. And Alonso doesn’t have a qualifying offer attached to him like Schwarber does. That said, Schwarber was comfortable the first time he was in Boston, and I’m sure he would be again. It is going to be fascinating to see how aggressive the Phillies are in trying to bring Schwarber back. It has certainly been a great union between player and city. It feels like they were meant for each other. Yet it also feels like the Phillies need to make some fundamental changes in terms of roster construction.
How was (Garrett) Crochet feeling at the end of the season (I’m talking physically, primarily, but also mentally, how he likes being in Boston, etc. is all welcome)? He pushed it to the limit this year, have you heard anything about his offseason plans? Is he planning to do anything differently now that he has seen what being a high-volume starter is like?
Judging by how he threw in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium, Crochet was doing just great. I think the Red Sox were really calculated in how they used him during the regular season and didn’t push the envelope very often. All of that was designed so he could be strong for a deep October. Unfortunately, his final start wound up being on Sept. 30. I guess the one blessing is that he won’t be worn down going into this offseason. And I sensed he loves Boston and all it entails. This guy is the ultimate competitor.
Who joins the Sox over the offseason?
A great offseason would be to keep Alex Bregman, sign a power bat like Alonso or Schwarber and get a No. 2 type of starter. If the Red Sox did that, I believe they would be considered a top contender.
What’s your favorite ballpark to visit and be in the clubhouse of, and why?
I absolutely love Oracle Park in San Francisco. It is a majestic ballpark, especially during sunny day games. And the press box is so low compared to others around the game. You get a perfect view. I also like Baltimore a lot. It is an easy ballpark to get around. The clubhouse is spacious and workable.
What was your career path in journalism and sportswriting? What’s your advice for young sportswriters (whether it be career advice, advice about being on the job and conducting interviews, etc.)?
I went to journalism school at Northeastern in the early to mid-1990s and was lucky enough to do my co-op in the Boston Globe sports department. I got to work there for 3 1/2 years, being around some of the best sportswriters and editors in the country. That experience was invaluable and helped lead to everything that would come later in my career. For young sportswriters, I’d say to be as versatile as you can in this changing world of how we cover sports. As far as interviews, do your best to be comfortable around your subject. If you are nervous or unprepared, the person you are interviewing typically picks up on that.
Do you enjoy your job?
Yes, this is the job I wanted to do starting from the time I was about 8 years old. I always liked writing and loved baseball, so I was able to merge the two into covering the Red Sox for going on a quarter century now. Like any job, it has its stressors and points of exhaustion. But all in all, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
