2014 Year in Review: November Edition
By DJ Smith
Sox open Hot Stove season signing Sandoval and Ramriez
Nov 25, 2014; Boston, Ma, USA; Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington (left) and third baseman Pablo Sandoval hold a jersey during the introductory press conference at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
When MLB free agency began shortly after the conclusion of the 2014 World Series, many Red Sox fans expected that their number one target would be former pitcher Jon Lester. Getting Lester would be tough though as he had many suitors who were looking for his services including the Giants, Cardinals, A’s and Cubs, and while the Red Sox were in the race until the very end they needed to look at other areas they lacked. Taking a look at the Red Sox infield last year, you had Mike Napoli who produced his normal production before missing time due to injury, and the same can be said about Dustin Pedroia. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts struggled throughout the year compared to his production during the latter stages of the 2013 season and postseason, but there is hope that since he is still young that he can turn things around. As far as the third base position there was a very big drop off compared to the rest of the infield positions, Will Middlebrooks had struggled for the majority of his time in Boston along with his injury history the Red Sox felt as if they needed to look elsewhere for a replacement. Enter 2014 Postseason hero Pablo Sandoval who dazzled fans in the NLCS and World Series, batting over .400 and recording 20 hits between the two series. Looking at those stats its easy to see why the Red Sox were determined to land “Kung Fu Panda”, and on November 25th the Red sox signed Sandoval to a five year-$95 million dollar deal. While the signing caught many fans by surprise, considering they expected the Sox first order of business was to sign Lester, the majority was pleased to see them address another glaring hole that this team had. Ben Cherington and his crew were not done though, as they also signed former Dodgers infielder Hanley Ramirez to a four year-$88 million dollar deal, bringing the once Sox prospect back home. This move met far more criticism because many saw it as an indication that Bogearts would be moved, and even though he had struggled most fans and analysts understood that he was young and learning. During their introductory press conferences Cherington addressed the issue of Ramirez and the exact position he would play in 2015 and he acknowledged that he would primarily be used as an outfielder, leaving many fans happy to see that Bogearts (for now) would remain the main man at shortstop.