This Stove is on Fire

The MLB offseason is here, and there are 126 days until Opening Day. Luckily, there’s no shortage of things for us to talk about, as free agency has kicked off and the past couple days have already given us several big names changing area codes. Let’s take a look at...

The Red Sox and the ROY Race

If I told you at that start of the year that the Red Sox would have a Rookie of the Year candidate in their lineup, who would you have guessed? Jackie Bradley, right? Maybe Ryan Lavarnway if you were feeling particularly bold? Or Xander Bogaerts, if you were feeling...

The Advanced Scout – Texas Rangers

After taking two of three against the Yankees (thanks, rain!), the Boston Red Sox (35-23, first place in the AL East, 2.5 games ahead) return to Fenway Park to face the Texas Rangers (35-21, first place in the AL West, 1.5 games ahead) in a three-game series. The Red...

2013 Fire Brand of the American League Staff Predictions

Fire Brand readers, below are the staff’s predictions for the 2013 MLB Season. While there is a very good chance many of these will be incorrect, it will make all of you proud to note that not a single writer picked the Yankees to make the playoffs. Some...

Bold Predictions for 2013, Part 3 — The League

Part 1: The Pitchers Part 2: The Batters Part 3: The League Once again, the same disclaimers apply:  1) Please feel free to bookmark them and come back later in September/October to see how I did — you know that if I hit on a few you’re going to hear about it. 2)...

Blocked at the Top?

For several years in the early 2000’s, shortstop Hanley Ramirez was considered the Red Sox top prospect. A gifted athlete, Ramirez held his own in the minors at a young age, and brimmed with promise. As Ramirez progressed through the Sox system, the question that came...

Xander Bogaerts Vs. Hanley Ramirez

If Bobby Valentine represents all the evils that poured out of baseball’s Pandora’s Box last year, Xander Bogaerts can be the hope that escapes shortly thereafter. Yes, it’s rarely wise to make bold predictions when writing about baseball, and that’s doubly true when...

Trading Jacoby Ellsbury

The Boston Red Sox have a lot of issues to face this offseason, but none may be more significant that the question of what to do with Jacoby Ellsbury. The 29-year-old Center Fielder will be coming into his last year of team control in 2013, and with agent Scott Boras...