Red Sox Struggles Due to Ben Cherington
By Leo Koukakis
The Red Sox started the year as one of the favorites to win the World Series, but they have been putrid all season long. Now that we are 9 games back in the division, everyone is trying to figure out why we suck so much.
The reasons why we suck aren’t tough to figure out. We are among the worst teams in baseball because we don’t have a legit top end of the rotation starter, our bullpen ranks 23rd in ERA, our new 20 million dollar left fielder is still trying to comprehend that when the ball is hit in his vicinity that means he actually has to go get it, our other new 20 million dollar guy is busy looking for a date on Instagram during a game, and a baboon could do a better job than Farrel has this season.
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But how did all of those pieces come together? The man who has put this horrendous puzzle together is none other than Ben Cherington. He is coming off one of the worst offseason’s I can remember, and needs to be held accountable for it.
Our biggest problem is pitching, but anyone that has ever watched baseball before could have predicted that. Clay Buchholz has shown glimpses of becoming an ace, but his constant inconsistencies make him a #3 at best in a legit rotation. Rick Porcello was supposed to be a top two starter in the rotation, but he currently owns an ERA that is over 5. While some are surprised by his lack of success, we need to remember that Porcello was put in the bullpen a few years ago because the Tigers didn’t trust him during the postseason. The next gem in the rotation is good ol Joe Kelly. I don’t really hold Cherington accountable for Kelly’s lack of success because the kid has the stuff to be an ace, but he just can’t figure out how to pitch a full game.
The two dumbest decisions Cherington made came in trades that sent a pair of young pitchers in return for a pair of bums. We sent Rubby De La Rosa, who was the key piece in the trade that sent Crawford and Gonzo to the Dodgers, for Wade Miley. Rubby may not be an ace in Arizona, but the kid continues to show potential. He is 5-3 this season, and if he can figure out how to avoid giving up the long ball, he will become a legit starter in the league for a long time to come. Wade Miley is just digging himself a deeper hole every time he steps on the mound. If his numbers aren’t bad enough, showing up Farrel in the dugout for pulling him after he sucked in an outing should be, but if you still need more ammo, forgetting how many outs there were during an inning in his last outing should do the trick.
The next trade is one that I will never understand. We sent Anthony Ranaudo to Texas for Robbie Ross Jr. Robbie Ross’ numbers have gotten worse every year since 2012, and was coming off a 2014 season that saw him go 3-6 while posting a 6.20 ERA with Texas. Anthony Ranaudo is another young pitcher that showed some promise while going 4-3 with a 4.81 ERA in 7 starts with Boston last season. Ranaudo was sent down after a tough start in early April before going 7-1 in the minors, and tossing 6.2 innings of shut out ball against the Dodgers in his return to the Majors last night.
Jun 18, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) coaches against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Cherington’s next major mistake is something that he hasn’t done yet, fire John Farrel. I’m not sure what it takes for this guy to be fired. He was the guy that was brought in to help the pitching and keep order in the clubhouse. The Sox currently rank 29th in team ERA, and while some of that is on Cherington for not getting the talent to be among the best pitching staff’s in baseball, this staff still has enough talent to be in the top 20 in team ERA. However, the clubhouse might be in worse condition than the pitching staff. The two incidents that depict how little respect the players have for Farrel are when Miley freaked on Farrel after being pulled from an outing in which Miley sucked, and of course good ol Pablo trying to find a date on Instagram during a game earlier this week. These players have zero respect for the manager, and they stand no shot of winning until they get a manager that can control the clubhouse.
Cherington is the one that didn’t strike a deal with any top end pitcher that was on the market over the winter. Cherington is the one that got rid of Andrew Miller among others who continue to have success coming out of our rivals bullpen, while our bullpen continues to struggle. Cherington is the one that signed a glorified softball player, and thought sticking him in Left Field wouldn’t be an issue. Cherington is the one who made a pair of bone headed trades that sent two solid young starters on their way for a pair of scrubs. Cherington is the one that keeps John Farrel as the manager for no good reason at all. Cherington is the reason why the Red Sox are in the position they are in right now, and he needs to be held accountable for it.