PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles and Jacob Latz #67 of the Texas Rangers speak during the seventh inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesA.Thats the answer. Im not going to do the online recipe thing and tell you about that time I did this and that and the other before I get there with 4 sections and 3 false endings so you accidentally click on a Carnival Cruise Line ad instead of knowing how many onions to add. In the hours since he traded 100 of your favorite prospects for Adley Rutschman and dumped 23-yr-old, former No. 4 overall pick Marcelo Mayer an hour later for a left-handed reliever, Red Sox Poobah Craig Breslow has been modestly and somewhat widely accused over grossly overpaying for two players, albeit in contrasting scenarios. In one case, he dealt the star; in the other, he acquired one. Some critics hated it both coming and going, and while we do not personally judge them for all-too-human mistakes of analys, they are incorrect. This was good. Craig did good.In an MLB that existed before today, before todays actions under the cloud of impending labor warfare, perhaps there would have been self-restraint. Maybe it was just the third straight annual sacrifice of the best player in baseball to the Dodgers the day prior, but the bumpers were off and phones were lighting up, both those of the team and mine with push alerts. I assume it wasnt just mine. Any inhibition league-wide was tossed to the wind, the getting was good, and Bres, treating his prospects correctly, got his guys. Whatever the counterarguments, The prospects will grow back, and this years team is now inarguably better via the Rutschman addition. Inshallah.If I find it hard to quibble, it could because at the FanDuel Sportsbook the Sox have the 5th best odds, -$1500, to win the whole dang thing! To be fair to the Rays which doesnt feel natural, but whatever theyre also at -$1500. Both teams are ahead of the Phillies at +1900, the Cubs at +2200 and the Angels and Mets at a cool +100000 each. (Perhaps you can predict baseball.?) Anyhow, the Yankees are the only team with shorter odds in the AL than the Sox and the Rays at +600. But they stink, so all is fine.However this season ends, its reignited a spark around here that hasnt been lit since 2021 and hasnt roared in nearly 10 years. The Blue Jays were two outs away from winning it all last year and changing the whole labor narrative, some say, tho ultimately I dont think by much. Meaning the Sox have a shot. While I love that the Dodgers (a preposterous +160) do their thing, theyre up against a emboldened, whiny club of failsons whove had it out for them from the word go and this is something of a last stand. The only thing that can bring the Dodgers down, seemingly, is the Sox, who just swept them in LA. Theyre now Sox likely to make the playoffs (-950) and are closing in on the division (Rays -110, Yankees +155) at +430. The sportsbooks plainly recognize, respect and reflect Bress ambition. The reward is ours.