"Just Sock It": The Ben Maller Show on Prospect Hype, Clubhouse Drama, and Empty Leverage

The Red Sox have won 31 of their last 36 games, an absurd stretch that has them eight games over .500 after being eight games under on June 1st. They're 13-0 against division leaders in that span, outscoring first-place teams by 58 runs with a starting rotation ERA under 3.00. And for a sports talk host, this is a problem. "It's not great talk radio when a team is winning," Ben Maller says. "When the team is losing, that's great. When you win, everyone licks your toes and gives you a shoulder rub and a bubble bath." So instead, the show turns to the off-field drama that might explain why one of Boston's supposedly untouchable prospects is suddenly gone.

The Denial That Confirms the Story

The Red Sox traded Marcelo Mayer, once promoted as one of the "big three" franchise-saving prospects, to San Francisco for a left-handed relief pitcher. That alone raised eyebrows. Then internet investigators began circulating rumors: Mayer and fellow top prospect Roman Anthony had a falling out, possibly a physical altercation, possibly involving a woman. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow forcefully denied it, calling the reports "completely untrue" and "nonsense."