The identity of the Boston Red Sox is unclear now that Mookie Betts and David Price play for a different organization. The trickle down effect of losing a bat like Betts from a lineup will certainly affect the other Boston position players, but they still have a talented group of players on hand, starting with corner outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Alex Verdugo. If that sweet-swinging pair can take their games to the next level, the Red Sox should once again roster an above-average offense in 2020. Believe it or not, the Red Sox were fourth in the majors in runs scored last season, so even without Betts, they could surprise some people. Let’s check in on some camp battles worth watching in Red Sox territory…
- Bobby Dalbec won’t be on the opening day roster, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Dalbec turns 25 this June, so it’s entirely likely he’ll be ready for major league action at some point this season. With Rafael Devers and Michael Chavis already on the roster, Dalbec is blocked at his natural position of third base. He has taken some reps at first base the last couple of seasons, which could pave the way for a 2020 debut. Mitch Moreland has his foot on the bag for now, with Chavis potentially sliding over from second against tough lefties. Even so, with the Red Sox holding a club option for Moreland in 2021 and a long history of just adequate offensive production, Moreland is hardly a monolith at first. With the expectation of making the opening day roster apparently dashed, Dalbec can focus in on the larger task at hand – putting himself in a position to usurp a roster spot at some point during the 2020 season.
- Martin Perez was courted this offseason by both the Rays and Red Sox, ultimately signing with the Red Sox on a one-year, $6MM deal just before Christmas. Perez, a client of OL Baseball Group LLC, felt strongly about joining the Red Sox, even going so far as to tell his agent that even if the Rays offered more money, he preferred signing in Boston, per The Athletic’s Chad Jennings. Perez’s most recent body of work hardly suggest he’s worthy of a bidding war – bidding skirmish, say – but Jennings provides an insightful quote from Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, who says of Perez, “Basically, we felt two things. One, the stuff and the underlying way in which he pitched deserved better results than he got. And two, that there were further tweaks we could help him make to his repertoire to make him even more effective.”
Red Sox Under 85.5 wins..$$$$$
They’re certainly capable of 86 wins with their current roster. However, that leaves the RS in no man’s land. I would bet the under as I see them selling off assets by the trade deadline.
My friend Pitching is the game! Sale is hurt again like he has been the last two years. EROD and Eovaldi are hurt every year and there is no pitching depth at all. They dumped Price and did not pick up a pitcher for him or in the Betts deal. They have no 4th or 5th starter on the roster or close in the minors. They did not pick up any bullpen help at all. This team is dead on arrival and a .500 team at best!
Sale’s not hurt. He had pneumonia and needs to get his strength up. That’s big difference from being “hurt again”…Erod is fine (made his first Spring start today) and could take the leap toward legit front end starter and Evaoldi has looked impressive so far this Spring. Their bullpen isn’t nearly as bad as it’s been suggested and Perez is a capable back end starter. The need a young guy to emerge- Houck & Hart seem to have the edge there, and I’m sure there’s a small market team, out there with a veteran starter making a little more than they’re comfortable paying that they can pry loose before the end of Spring if they really need to. They’ll be fine. With the Yankees already down 2/5 of thier rotation before Opening Day, there’s a chance they could contend for something
Regardless of when the season starts for Sale, historically he hasn’t ended strongly so until he does, why should anyone believe this year will be different for him? Make me eat my words Chris.
Even with the empire’s rotation hampered Boston still won’t better NY, much less sniff the Rays’ record. Best case scenario is that Boston doesn’t fall apart, so they can compete in 2021.
This time I have say something…AL34 you are sounding really strange for a Red Sox fan. Some really ignorant posts like the rants about the Mookie trade. Kind of sound like a troll trying to make Red Sox fans sound stupid.
AL34 is a RS fan? Seriously? I always assumed he was a Yankee fan.
Your exclamation point is telling. Name one of the other 29 teams who has won (4) WS championships since 2004. Hello? Just give it a rest. The Boston Red Sox are a significant organization and will still be viable in a post-Betts era. He can count his dead presidents and the Sox will count future championships.as theirs. Until future notice…money is king in American sports.
AL34 is a troll….always negative and wrong
E-Rod wasn’t hurt last year, though. However, other than that, you’re right.
I’d say Boston’s talent starts with Devers and Bogaerts. Benitendi and Verdugo are more solid regulars than stars.
Right now, yes. But why think both have hit their ceiling when they are 23 and 25? Wait til they’re 32 for that!
I don’t think Verdugo is close to his ceiling, but I think Benintendi hit his already, yes. He’s no better than a solid regular, not that that’s a bad thing in any way
Remember that year Martin Perez was good? Me neither.
2013. Gave the rangers 20 starts of 3.62 era. Finished 6th in ROY.
Had 32 starts, 10 wins and 165 innings or more, in 3 of the last 4 years. If he gives them that out of the #5 spot for $6M that’s all you can ask.
Exactly.
Because wins are a stat that matters
Exactly my thought.
Given the Red Sox recent history of turning left handed pitchers into studs, not surprising anyone when Perez does well this year. ERod, Pom, Hill, Miller, Miley, etc. all became over-achievers by putting on a Red Sox uniform. They can’t develop their own guys: Johnson, Owens, etc. but they sure can take someone else’s potential and help them turn the corner to success. I’m sure Perez knows this. The Rays on the other hand have no difficulty developing their own products into studs but have some amount of difficulty with other teams’ castoffs. It’s an interesting conundrum.
I thought the Yankees were the only ones who turned newly acquired players into overachievers. Guess this makes the Red Sox highly suspicious, too. That intellectual dishonesty thing will bite you in the butt every time.
Usually whatever evil things the Yankees are doing, the Red Sox are also doing and vice versa. They’re basically the same team to the rest of us.
Not really, because then those guys go play for other teams. And it’s not that the Red Sox trade them away for stars either. Nope, nothing suspicious.
The bullpen last yr came close to all their arms ready to fall off! Overexposed or overused, all settled in the same place……losers.
Ummmmmmm, the Rays have had much success turning other team’s turds into studs.
Not so much with other team’s pitchers. They are masterful at developing great pitchers of their own.
I know, and look at all those rings they’ve won with those great pitchers of their own….
Whyhayzee-is have to disagree on your Rays take. what about Glasnow and Morton? Thanks guess maybe we differ on what a castoff is.
Glasgow has a tiny record of success so far, let’s see what happens. Morton was already solid. I am complementary to the Rays and critical of the Red Sox. Yes, the Sox did a great job with the aforementioned “projects” but they don’t really reap the benefits. Jamie Moyer? How’d that turn out?
Have you watched him pitch? There is nothing about Glasnow’s performance in 2019 that screams he is going to regress but go ahead and keep saying he has a tiny record of success. He was absolutely dominant and his stuff is overpowering.
Is that you Jamie?
Pom and Miley? Are you serious? And what Miller are we talking about?
Pomeranz was already a stud and having a career year when the Sox got him.
And Pom Pom was damaged goods, hurt n never pitched like he should’ve done when they traded for him. A total disappointment!
Dalbec is behind the 8 ball already. He will be 31 when he reaches free agency. If they let him reach it.
Salad
90+ wins. WC playoff team
OAK, HOU, BOS, NYY, TBR – which 1 isnt making it?
I’m going to make a bold prediction and say that 3 of those teams will not make the postseason.
lol. yup that’s bold! I’d expect two of those teams to be division winners. which means the rest are out? so I’m guessing you see at least 2 al central teams to get in?
Benintendi is a primo breakout candidate, so many young stars follow up a really “meh” year like he had last year with a massive one no one sees coming.
The Red Sox biggest weakness right now may be their bullpen. It was bad last year and they haven’t improved it so far.
Sox pen was fine last year. It was overexposed due to the rotation being a complete disaster. Taylor, Hernandez look to be making strides and could be weapons. Workman/Barnes is still a passable tail end. lol
Workman was really good all year, but still a lot of walks.
Barnes was pretty good, except for June when he got lit up. But he also had 15 appearances in June.
Taylor started off slowly, but after his 5th game, he managed a 2.13 with a 56/16 K/W in 42.1 IPs.
Hernandez could be huge. He had a 51/20 K/W in relief, in only 27 IPs. That’s almost 2 Ks per inning.
I also wouldn’t count out Brasier or Brewer from making a contribution. Both have been good in stretches. I’d really like to see what SD is asking for Morejon and/or Baez. They both have huge arms, but probably not starters. Their post-hype status might make both of them available.
The Sox pen was overused last year. You’re right, it could turn out differently this year.
That’s what happens when you have only two guys with more than 150 innings (203.1 for Rodriguez and 174.1 for Porcello).
If the BoSox do end up with a swap of players with San Diego I suggest they throw in Dalbec as an added piece for Luis Patino, a good pitching prospect.
Dalbec for Patino? Sure, why not? San Diego will counter with a Naylor for Devers swap suggestion.
Not what he said.
“Dalbec as an added piece”
Added, as in part of a bigger deal.
The Sox don’t have any three players in their minor leagues worth Patino. San Diego isn’t going to be trading him to anyone. Also, Dalbec has no value to SD.
Weird decision by perez to want to play for the third best team in the division that also has racist fans instead of a world series bound juggernaut
Don’t tell anyone, but I think he probably went with the Red Sox because they offered the most money. I know…it’s odd.
why would the world series bound juggernaut yankees want him? at the time he was signed, the yankees still had their full rotation intact.
So wherever you live dolt, there are no racists of any stripe around? If so, you would only deflect back to Boston and accuse it of being racist. Fingers off the keyboard.
Very little chance this team competes it’s hard for a team to compete when their own front office doesn’t think they will. The lack of starting pitching in not just depth but the damn rotation! They brought in a bum that for a competing team you’d stash as a #8 and put him as your 4th with nothing else. And the bullpen? Forget it.
With both Dalbec and Casas slotted for 1B one will likely be traded for pitching, probably within a year. Chavis also provides 1B coverage in the near term too. This is the one spot the Sox have some depth to deal.
Nobody needs a 1B. Every team has at least 1 player who can hit but cannot play the field outside of maybe 1B.
Research the prospects you opine on before coming off half cocked.
Both casas and dalbec are 3b/1b profiled, and able of playing outaide 1B including a strong arm to throw across the diamond. HOWEVER, boston has a young prearb superstar in devers locking down 3b.
So to boston they slot as 1b, NOT because thats all they’re good for as you imply, but just because that’s where on boston’s depth chart they fall into.
Guys who are 6’4″ and 225-240 lbs. with terrible speed almost never make it at 3B. Or really any position outside of 1B and DH. But dare to believe.
Dalbec was a pitcher in college as well…. maybe he should diversify his portfolio?
Ill take my Sox under 85 this year. I see Coronavirus hitting a big spread in America before the Sox can achieve 80. Sorry, new GM, new manager and a sad farm system. Sorry Jim Rice n Dewey Evans.