Red Sox need to forego patience with Ramirez, Sandoval
One year ago, the arrival of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval had fans of the Boston Red Sox entering Spring Training with high hopes. These two power hitters were going to add much needed pop to a lineup that struggled for much of 2014.
Instead, Ramirez and Sandoval each suffered through one of the worst seasons of their careers and Boston stumbled to yet another last-place finish in the American League East.
Their combined production last season brings forth an interesting situation as we head into the 2016 season: How much patience should the Red Sox have with these two stars?
It is without question that Sandoval should be placed on the shorter leash of the two. This is not to say that if Sandoval has only a mediocre spring he should immediately be relegated to the bench. Coming off the worst season of his career, though, there definitely should be very little wiggle room for Sandoval to slump this season. Ten home runs and .658 OPS are simply not going to get it done.
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Sandoval has been here before, battling criticism of his weight and inconsistency in the past. If he can’t get out of the gates fast, it might be in the Red Sox best interests to send him to the bench. Even with the long season, competitiveness is at all-time high in baseball, leaving little room for error.
The Red Sox might be best served with Brock Holt at third or, if the get creative, move Xander Bogaerts back to third while starting Deven Marrero at shortstop.
Ramirez, on the other hand, can partially attribute last season’s struggles to an injury-ravaged season. He was batting .293 with 10 home runs in the month of April before injuries derailed him. He would only hit nine more home runs, finally getting shut down in August after only playing 105 games.
Ramirez, for the second-year in a row, is learning a new position. It appears he will be making the move to first base. The transition of returning to the infield should be an easier one than the failed outfield experiment of last year. The biggest adjustment will handling those bad throws, but his years at shortstop and third base should make the fielding aspect of the position easier to handle.
Ramirez might have a longer leash than Sandoval, given the Red Sox will be needing a new DH next season. If he struggles into May, though, and Travis Shaw is producing, it might be wise to make a switch. Shaw had flashes of brilliance last season, batting .270 while driving in 36 runs.
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The good news is, as of now, the Red Sox have options. The first games of Spring Training are still a few days away and a lot can change. Let’s hope that Ramirez and Sandoval have bounce back years, leading the Red Sox as the the superstars they are being paid to be.
If they struggle, though, let’s hope they don’t wait too long to make a change. If they wait, it’s going to be another long season of looking up at other teams in the standings. Something Red Sox fans do not want to get accustomed to.