Lost in ALDS to ClevelandManager: John Farrell
Key Additions: P Chris Sale, 1B/DH/OF Mitch Moreland. P Tyler Thornberg
Key Departures: DH David Ortiz, OF Yoan Moncada, P Koji Uehara, P Junichi Tazawa, UT Travis Shaw, P Michael Kopech, P Clay Buchholz
OVERVIEW: With great pitching comes great sacrifice. Ok, maybe that's not quite the way the saying goes, but it seems to define the Boston off-season. By landing the biggest name in the starting pitcher market, in the form of former White Sox ace Chris Sale, the Red Sox have built perhaps the most dominant rotation in the majors. However, as one would expect, that acquisition came at no small cost. The Red Sox dealt away many top prospects, including the flame-throwing Michael Kopech, as well as outfielder Yoan Moncada, who is projected to become a big-league star. It remains to be seen as to whether the Red Sox gave up too much, potentially jeopardizing some degree of long-term success for short-term gains. But, that is not to say that the team is without young superstar power. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Andrew Benintendi lead a very balanced and potent offensive lineup. The loss of David Ortiz will certainly be felt, both in the lineup and in the clubhouse, however. Ortiz averaged over 30 home runs per season in his career, swatting 483 of his 541 home runs while wearing a Boston uniform, helping the team win not only their first World Series since the early 20th century, but also winning 3 titles in the span of 10 years. And who could ever forget his speech to the city of Boston (NSFW for language) after the horrible bombings at the Boston Marathon? But, alas, the Big Papi era is over.
So the question becomes: now what? The Red Sox have questions at the corner infield positions. Travis Shaw is gone, and the Red Sox didn't pull the trigger on the likes of Mike Napoli, Edwin Encarnacion, or Mark Trumbo. Instead, it appears that first base and designated hitter will be a revolving door between Hanley Ramirez and newcomer Mitch Moreland. Hanley had a resurgence of sorts last year, adapting surprisingly well to the transition from the outfield to first base. Moreland, on the other hand, is an above average defender, with 15-20 home run power, but his numbers declined last year in his age-31 season. The other corner infield position is more of a concern though, and perhaps more of a concern than anywhere else on the team. Pablo Sandoval has become an absolute liability in Boston, who has constantly regressed since his 2012 season in San Francisco, the last year he made an All-Star team. He has slimmed down and may be in the best physical shape of his career, but how will that translate into productivity? Also battling for at-bats in the Boston infield is Brock Holt, who is a stellar utility infielder, but has yet to show the ability to be consistently productive in an everyday role. The outfield is stellar, led by MVP runner-up Mookie Betts, and Jackie Bradley Jr., as well as Benintendi, who made a strong first impression in Boston last fall. The Red Sox won't get much production from the catcher position, however they are adept at handling the pitching staff, and that is where their value lies.
Speaking of pitching, Boston's "Big Three" of David Price, Sale, and Rick Porcello looks absolutely dominating on paper, but I'm not entirely convinced their rotation isn't actually just the "Big Two". Yes, I know Porcello just won the Cy Young with a dominant 22-4 season and a 3.15 ERA. But looking at his career progression, that wasn't really what anyone saw coming. Before last year, his career best in ERA was almost a half run higher, and in 2015, he posted a 9-15 season with a 4.92 ERA. With a career ERA of 4.20, it's hard to see Porcello repeating last year's brilliant campaign. He is a very good #3 in the rotation, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect an encore that equals or betters his 2016 numbers. Steven Wright has turned into a pleasant reincarnation of Tim Wakefield, posting a very respectable 13-6 year. Overall, this staff is very good, with some young guys battling for spots in the back of the rotation. The bullpen, on the other hand, may have some question marks to it. Closer Craig Kimbrel looks to bounce back from a (for him) sub-par season, and the Red Sox also lost some pitchers who had been fixtures in the bullpen such as Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa. They also dealt Tommy Layne to the Yankees last season. Youngster Thornberg comes in via a trade with the Brewers to provide some relief help, and he will certainly be the set-up man and could potentially unseat Kimbrel as the 9th inning man sometime in the future.
PREDICTION: With the Blue Jays regressing, the Yankees retooling, the Orioles pitching woes, and the Rays lack of payroll, the Red Sox look to be the class of an AL East that appears weaker than in recent years. With some concerns at the corner infield spots as well as the bullpen, the Red Sox will have to rely on their young guns, as well as the "Old Guy", Dustin Pedroia. Price and Sale should be able to carry the rotation, and even an average season by Porcello would serve the team well. This is a playoff team in 2017, but a team that won't get out of the first round. 92-70, 1st place in the AL East.
UP NEXT: New York Yankees
Credit: Baltimore Sun