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Boston Red Sox: Rays Series, Farrell’s Job Security and More.

By Blake Yagman

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The Boston Red Sox finish their current ten game homestand with a three game series against the Tampa Bay Rays beginning this evening.

Currently in third-place, the Boston Red Sox have a 6-6 record after interdivisional series’ against the Orioles (8-3) and Jays (7-7). After Tampa, the Red Sox head south to play five games against the bottom-dwelling Houston Astros (5-8) and Atlanta Braves (3-9).

The pitching match-ups for the upcoming series against the Rays:

This series is important to the Red Sox because Manager John Farrell‘s hot seat is growing increasingly warm. Farrell’s lineup decisions have drawn the ire of Red Sox fans as of late; the manager’s commitment to batting opposite handedness against pitchers remains firm, despite the fact that statistics suggest otherwise. For example, Farrell has remained skittish to bat left-handed hitting LF Brock Holt against left-handed pitchers, even though he is a solid career .289 hitter against lefties.

Next: Farrell's Clock is Ticking

While the Red Sox have a viable replacement candidate for Farrell in bench coach Torey Lovullo, firing John Farrell would still be premature at this point. Regardless of the fact that it is less than three weeks into the 2016 season, Farrell’s Red Sox are in third place. Further, many of the larger problems facing the team are not as much created by Farrell as they are by circumstance.

The biggest issue, thus far, has been the absence of 3B Pablo Sandoval from the Red Sox lineup. John Farrell is not responsible for maintaining Pablo Sandoval’s physical shape, those terms are shaped and negotiated by the front office. In fact, Farrell ultimately made the decision to replace Sandoval with Travis Shaw, who has been a resounding success for the Red Sox to date.

Purely from a financial perspective, John Farrell is signed on to manage the Red Sox through the 2020 season. In the event the Red Sox were to terminate his employ, they would likely be on the hook for a substantial amount of money guaranteed in the contract, or a large buyout clause.

Some of the best ‘moves’ the Red Sox can make are by getting healthy. The inconsistency of the Red Sox rotation could be helped largely by the return of the team’s best defensive catcher, Christian Vasquez. Vasquez, a pitch-whisperer and wizard of pitch-framery, has lead to noticeable improvements by starting pitchers Clay Buchholz and Rick Porcello. Certain catchers are able to make pitchers feel confident enough in their ability to trust their pitches, that the catchers simply ‘quarterback’ them around hitters. Vasquez is such a catcher.

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After the Red Sox recalled Christian Vasquez from his injury rehabilitation at Triple-A Pawtucket, the major league squad sent catcher Blake Swihart to the minors. The switch-hitting, gloveless-swinging Swihart is going to receive time in the outfield so that he can potentially transition there defensively on a permanent basis.

The Red Sox are also anticipating reinforcements from the disabled list in the near future. Pitchers Carson Smith and Eduardo Rodriguez are expected, before joining the major league squad, to make their minor-league injury rehabilitation appearances within the next week or so. Smith figures to play a substantial role in the Red Sox bullpen, while Rodriguez will be featured in the Red Sox starting rotation.

From the David Ortiz Memory Bowl: The first team to ever have the opportunity to sign David Arias Ortiz out of the Dominican Republic was the (formerly) Florida Marlins. They did not feel Ortiz would develop well enough, so Ortiz went on to sign with the Seattle Mariners.

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