Yesterday, amidst a bunch of other decisions to solidify the 40-man roster, the Red Sox announced they had traded left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino to the Rockies in exchange for Braiden Ward, a 26-year-old infielder/outfielder. While this looks like the right move given the needs of the team, Bernardino had been part of the organization since 2023, which was the first full season I was invested in since maybe 2013, so his name rings louder to me than maybe to most.

Yeah, his most recent season wasn’t as good as some of his teammates, as evidenced by the numerous times he ended up on my Duds list in game recaps. It became more and more clear he wasn’t going to fit Breslow’s vision for the team as time went on. Nevertheless, he was often necessary as a southpaw bullpen arm who could

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