Boston Red Sox: Replacing One Bat Will Take a Village
David Ortiz is gone and one of the players the Boston Red Sox are counting on to help replace his production is free-agent acquisition Mitch Moreland.
For the first time in his career, new Boston Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland finds himself with a different professional team.
And for the first time since 2003, the Red Sox will open a season without all-world slugger and team leader David Ortiz.
The straight answer is: no. Not that was unexpected. One man on this Red Sox roster is not going to immediately slide in and replace the 38 home runs and 127 RBI’s Ortiz put up last season.
It’s going to take a collection of players, starting with Moreland and the newly svelte and locked in Pablo Sandoval.
And if a 19-run outburst in a spring training game against Tampa Bay is any indication, the Red Sox are still going to be able to score runs.
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Moreland, the 2016 American League Gold Glove winner at first base, spent his first seven seasons with the Texas Rangers. He is coming off the a season in which he hit 22 home runs with 60 RBI’s while hitting .233.
His best season offensively was in 2015, a season in which Moreland belted 23 home runs. That year he also drove in 85 while batting .275 with an OPS of .812.
Moreland signed a one-year contract worth 5.5 million dollars back in December of 2016. He will most likely get the majority of his starts against right-handed pitching.
New Year, Another New Position
At this point, it appears Moreland’s primarily role will be at first base. What does this mean?
Star Hanley Ramirez will once again be learning a new position, albeit one that might come with less pressure.
In his first season, Ramirez made the move to the outfield. After that debacle, Ramirez had a much smoother transition to first base in 2016.
When Moreland sits, Ramirez will slide over from DH to first base. Unless last season was an aberration, this should be no issue. If not for Moreland, Ramirez might have won the Gold Glove with his .996 fielding percentage.
Being a full time designated hitter will give Ramirez a chance to focus on the main reason the Red Sox brought him over: his offense.
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Ramirez enjoyed one of his best seasons at the plate in 2016, hitting 30 home runs while driving in 111. He also hit .286 and had an OPS of .866. If he can maintain these stats–or even slightly improve on them–the impact of Ortiz being gone will be lessened.
It is also possible a wide array of players see time at DH alongside Ramirez, including Moreland on occasion.
The Rise of the B’s
The potential to replace the production of Ortiz also lies in the rising stars roaming the outfield and the player holding down the shortstop position.
Mookie Betts is coming off a stellar season and Jackie Bradley, Jr. finally delivered at the plate. Throw in the continued development of all-star in-the-making Andrew Benintendi, it appears the Red Sox have three bats to help lighten the load.
Xander Bogaerts hit a career-high 21 home runs last season. Much of that might be attributed to hitting in front of Ortiz, but Bogaerts offense continues to grow. If he can match those number–even increase them by about five home runs–the Boston Red Sox will be in much better position offensively.
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It’s going to take a village for the Red Sox to fill the hole in their lineup. Moreland and Sandoval will be two players expected to contribute to this already potent lineup. And for a team looking to replace the production of a legend, they’ll need all the help they can get.