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Episode Summary

Nick Face hosted with John Martinello and Thayer Doyle while Jim Dalfino was “taking a little snooze,” and the crew broke down the Red Sox taking two of three from the Rangers while still somehow making everyone feel like they were watching a team assemble IKEA furniture with oven mitts on. The big bright spot was Wilson Contreras, who has become the most reliable bat on the roster and sparked a real debate: keep him as a rare functioning adult in the lineup, or sell high before the Red Sox turn another productive veteran into accounting confetti.

The guys also dug into Connelly Early’s ugly home run problem after another shaky start against Texas, where the Rangers jumped him early and forced the Red Sox into chase mode. That led into a broader conversation about the team’s lack of identity, lack of momentum, and the depressing reality that even winning a series does not feel especially comforting right now.

The episode then turned into a one-year postmortem on the Rafael Devers trade, with the crew agreeing that nobody really won except John Henry’s wallet. Devers’ absence still hangs over the franchise because the Red Sox never properly replaced his bat, his presence, or his role as a cornerstone player. From there, they hit Romy Gonzalez’s rehab assignment, NESN’s experimental broadcast booth, the upcoming Blue Jays series, and some late breaking former-Red-Sox pain with Dustin May throwing a complete game shutout.

Key Takeaways

The Red Sox won the Rangers series, but the crew still came away frustrated because the team remains inconsistent, thin, and allergic to real momentum.

Wilson Contreras is clearly the best Red Sox hitter right now, with All-Star-level production and a legitimate argument to be kept beyond the trade deadline.

There is no agreement on whether Contreras should be traded. John leaned toward selling high because of the team’s direction, while Nick and Thayer leaned more toward keeping him because this roster desperately needs productive veteran stability.

Connelly Early’s home run issue is becoming a real problem. His command and put-away pitches are not sharp enough right now, and teams appear to be adjusting to him.

Thayer’s “Third Strike” hammered the Red Sox for lacking intensity, depth, identity, and roster balance — then somehow compared them to Liverpool, because apparently the suffering had become international.

The Rafael Devers trade still looks like a financial decision more than a baseball decision. The crew agreed the Red Sox mishandled the situation badly and still have not replaced what he brought.

The panel believes Craig Breslow’s communication failures were central to the Devers fallout and remain a major reason nobody trusts the current direction of the franchise.

Romy Gonzalez starting a rehab assignment is useful, but nobody seriously believes he is some magical lineup savior — even though the team is bad enough that the joke almost becomes uncomfortable.

NESN got the “Dugout Dipshit” treatment for its booth situation and for reopening the old wound of Don Orsillo, because apparently Red Sox fans are not allowed to heal.

The Blue Jays series preview was mostly pessimistic, with Nick calling for a sweep and the others cautiously predicting some version of one or two wins.

William Abreu was shouted out as a Rangers killer after continuing to mash Texas pitching.

The episode ended with even more former Red Sox misery, as Dustin May — tied to the Devers trade — threw a complete game shutout.

Chapters

00:00 — Nick Face Opens the Show Without Jim03:15 — All-Star Voting Rage and the Blue Jays Ballot Machine06:30 — Face the Facts: Wilson Contreras Is Carrying This Offense12:45 — Keep Him or Trade Him? The Contreras Deadline Debate21:20 — Martinello Minute: Rangers Series Recap25:10 — Connelly Early’s Home Run Problem33:00 — The Third Strike: Thayer Has Had Enough41:15 — One Year Without Rafael Devers52:30 — Who Won the Devers Trade?1:03:20 — Piece of Take: Romy Gonzalez, Franchise Savior?1:12:00 — Dugout Dipshit: NESN and the Booth Experiment1:23:15 — Blue Jays Series Preview and Probables1:32:30 — Comments, Devers’ Fenway Return, and Final Red Sox Spiral1:43:00 — Breaking Former Red Sox Pain: Dustin May Shoves