It's certainly an interesting time in the Major League Baseball calendar.
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the vast majority of the noise out there is going to be about which hypothetical deal could get done or which team could sell, or other things of that nature. No matter where you look, pretty much all of the headlines out there — regardless of whichever outlet you're reading — will likely focus on trade rumors, speculation, mock trades, etc.
Once the deadline comes and goes on Aug. 3, the big topic around the league will shift towards the playoff push around the league and also likely a heavy focus on the ongoing negotiations between the league and the MLBPA with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire after the 2026 season comes to a close. Then, baseball is up in the air.
In professional sports media, you tend to see a lot of the same out there. Look around, you'll start to notice it, too. There's a lot of good out there, but the media landscape in general could always improve. Pundits, analysts, talking heads, and fans alike come together to discuss a lot of the same topics, with transactions being the most prominent. Endless articles about similar topics across outlets. But what do the players want to see? Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox answered that very question while speaking to Baseball Now on Thursday.
"I feel like, you know who I admire, who's here in Boston, is Rob Bradford," Crochet said. "With 'Baseball Isn't Boring.' I feel like he's got a kind of a new take on it where it's less, I guess, hard-hitting. Which don't get me wrong, you need that too, especially here in Boston. We're in a really big market, and you know guys need to be held accountable for things.
"But with Rob, it's a little bit more lighthearted, I suppose. I feel like that's kind of what helps, especially kids, you know, kind of grow attached to the game. And you know, today as well, it's more of you're getting attached to players more so than teams. So, I guess when you approach it like that, it's a little bit easier to you know interest the younger fans, especially too. It's like Instagram, little minute-long videos. You don't got to be locked in for long. It's perfect."
When it comes to Bradford, especially, Crochet isn't wrong. The "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast is one of the biggest baseball podcasts out there for a reason. While Bradford covers the Red Sox, the podcast has grown to the point where players all across the league join in. For example, Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins spoke with Bradford earlier in the week.
What a difference a year makes for Joe Ryan (and the Twins) @BBisntBoring pic.twitter.com/Iwj6PuHmn0
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) July 15, 2026
The hard-hitting stuff is important, but let's inject some more fun into the baseball media landscape.