I’m going to warn you in advance, this is going to get off the rails really quick, especially with the baseball questions some people sent me on Twitter. But the good news (well, for me) is that if you’re reading this, you’ve already done exactly what I want, so you might as well keep going!

I got this question from a few different people, and if the defensive staff doesn’t find a way to fix the scheme in the next few weeks, DeBoer should certainly explore outside options to help him out. Alexander would be a great hire, and no matter what the staff situation looks like in the off-season, DeBoer should absolutely find a way to get him on Washington’s staff. Other names include USC’s defensive backs coach Donte Williams, who was rumored to be coming onto Washington’s staff in the offseason. While he ultimately signed with USC, DeBoer’s offer to JaMarcus Shephard showed that he’s willing to compete for who he wants. Another name that would be an impressive get is Illinois’ defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. One of the better young coaches in college football, his defense is currently first in the nation allowing just 8.4 points per game. I’ll save my Bogaerts thoughts until the end, but for the record, I genuinely enjoy watching the Mariners whenever they’re not playing the Red Sox.

• I’ve sung the praises of Jaivion Green for a few weeks now, and he’s absolutely the first person I’ll shout out here again. He’s doing a tremendous job as a true freshman against big, physical receivers, and he looks like he could be a star. We’ve only seen one of the twins so far this season, but Armon and Jayvon Parker are going to be forces to be reckoned with in the middle of the defensive line.
• The class of 2023 is hugely important. While you never really want true freshmen playing right away, DeBoer has shown that he’ll do whatever he needs to in order to win, and it seems like four-star defensive lineman Anthony James will almost certainly have a big role as a true freshman. It wouldn’t be a surprise if four-star cornerback Curley Reed also finds a way into the rotation early on. On offense, I think DeBoer could throw me out there in the slot and find a way to make it work, so on offense “his guys” aren’t too big of an issue. On defense though, the staff looks like they’re having trouble finding scheme fits in the secondary, so that might be something to keep an eye on.
• The women’s basketball team is KILLING IT on the recruiting trail! They’ve put together an incredible class in 2023, and starting to build a fence around the state again by earning a commitment from the state’s top prospect Olivia Anderson is huge. Now let’s see head coach Tina Langley put it together on the court.
• Both soccer teams in particular deserve a huge shoutout. The men’s team did an excellent job handling business against #5 Stanford, and they look primed to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament yet again. The women’s team should bounce back nicely after a tough road trip in the Bay Area. Fall sports as a whole deserve more attention. Even though football and basketball bring in basically all the revenue for any NCAA program, the student-athletes participating in every sport deserve as much support as the football team.

I’m going to avoid the obvious answer here, former Red Sox superstar Shaq Thompson will not count, and go with the second most obvious answer for anyone who knows me. Vita Vea would be absolutely incredible to watch on the baseball field. I’d love to see that big target at first base or behind the plate, and watching the 6’5, 350-pound defensive tackle swing a bat would be one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life.

• 1. Lock up Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts for the rest of their careers. 2. Starting pitching. 3. Bullpen pitching. 4. Sign a consistent power bat (I miss you Kyle Schwarber) in the outfield. 5. Show you’re willing to win now by trading a prospect package for an established All-Star.
• DISCLOSURE WARNING: Now that I’ve published these, much like Ben Verlander, expect all of these to be wrong. Division Series: Mariners beat the Astros, Guardians beat the Yankees, Dodgers beat the Padres, Braves beat the Phillies. Championship Series: Mariners beat the Guardians, Braves beat the Dodgers. World Series: Braves beat the Mariners.
• Defensive line and the secondary. The coaching staff has done a great job attacking both in 2023, but they need to hit them hard again in 2024. Wide receiver will also be a major position of need, so the 2024 class definitely needs to feature a few big-name receivers.
• I’ve talked enough about Jaivion Green so I’ll go in a different direction and lobby for someone I’ve been a huge fan of since he stepped on campus. Cameron Davis deserves to be the starting running back, and should see a lion’s share of snaps. After scoring three touchdowns against Arizona State, he leads the team with seven scores on the year. He’s a threat between the tackles, outside the tackles, and in the passing game. He should be the every down back.

Andor is truly incredible, and every episode to this point has been a masterpiece. It’s hard to argue against The Mandalorian, which deserves a lot of love (season three will be fantastic, I’m very excited for the Bo-Katan storyline), but we also can’t forget Star Wars: The Clone Wars, seasons four and seven in particular. I have no issue with anyone who answers one of those three, however, if there is some Star Wars fan out there who doesn’t like Andor (or Rogue One for that matter) you should revoke their Star Wars fan card.

In a word, no. Red Sox ownership is incompetent, and while they’ve scared me every day this year, everything I’m reading and hearing from people I know connected with the organization is the expectation is the team will find a way to sign both to an extension this off-season. Bogaerts has already had meetings with the team, and those will continue after his trip to Aruba to spend time with his family. Xander’s extension will come first, as he’s stated his desire to remain with the Red Sox for the rest of his career, he just wants to be paid fair market value. As for Devers, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has said that there is no way they’ll be trading Devers, and if they did I’d sue the team for malpractice, as ownership rationalized the Mookie Betts trade to “get under the luxury tax” and to make sure it didn’t ever need to happen again. The primary example of that is Devers, a 25-year-old who also happens to be a top 10 hitter in the sport. So, sorry Mariner fans, that’s not happening.

Let’s talk about the Mariners though. Jerry Dipoto did an amazing job with the Luis Castillo trade, and ownership has proven they’re ready to win with his contract extension, the Robbie Ray deal, and Julio Rodriguez’s contract extension. I would expect the Mariners to be top suitors for impending free agents, and that they’ll make a splash with a big-time bat after missing out on Trevor Story, Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, etc. last year. Aaron Judge will test free agency. It would be cool to see him up here, and while I wouldn’t rule it out, I’d say it’s unlikely. Carlos Correa or Trea Turner would be fun to watch in their lineup, and while it doesn’t have the same luster it did when he signed with the Red Sox in 2018, J.D. Martinez would be a huge acquisition to be the designated hitter.