While the Boston Red Sox are still basking in the glory of their ninth World Series championship, here are some wild predictions for 2019.
It was a year of redemption for the 2018 Boston Red Sox. In delivering the city of champions another trophy, the Sox received great performances from some key sources during the regular season and in the postseason.
Some of those performances we saw coming and some of them we simply didn’t. But, what was evident with this Red Sox team is that there was an instilled renewal of confidence once Alex Cora took over as the manager.
We saw younger players like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Andrew Benintendi strive in their perspective roles. We saw veterans like David Price, J.D. Martinez and Mitch Moreland take on leadership roles that helped the Red Sox win 108 regular season games.
Then there were the surprise performances. We had Nathan Eovaldi’s heroic pitching performance throughout the postseason. Steve Pearce went from a midseason pickup to 2018 World Series MVP and Jackie Bradley Jr., the man with the soft bat, turned into Reggie Jackson by displaying his best version of Mr. October.
So…what’s in store for 2019?
Well, with this team, you never know.
One thing is clear.
With Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski at the helm, you just never know who will be coming in that door or who will be going out when things aren’t going so great for the defending World Series champions.
Here are five wicked predictions for 2019 and a little beyond.
Mr. Wild thing returns
Well Joe Kelly is obviously not coming back after signing a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the team’s wild closer will be back.
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That’s right, after all the rumors of the team potentially signing David Robertson or Zach Britton to come in as their new closer, a slow market sets up the return of Craig Kimbrel.
Following Robertson’s two-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and Britton going back to the New York Yankees, Kimbrel and the Boston Red Sox agree on a two-year, $30 million deal with an opt out after the first year.
Similar to that of J.D. Martinez, Kimbrel will out to prove he is still one of the top closers in the game after shaky performances in the postseason.
Some of that shakiness will return at the start of the 2019 MLB season as Kimbrel will blow a save and almost blow another. Kimbrel’s wildness will have Boston Red Sox fans wondering if bringing him back was a mistake by Dave Dombrowski as Matt Barnes starts to prove he is capable of closing games.
But, after being blasted in the Boston media, Craig Kimbrel gets it together by the start of June and puts together another 40-plus save season leading him to opt out and test the market once again in 2020.
David Price becomes a fan favorite
Who would’ve thought that “Astros Dad” would become Mr. Boston Red Sox.
Following his postseason performance, David Price gets a standing ovation on Opening Day at Fenway Park and goes on to turn in his best season as a member of the Boston Red Sox.
A 2019 Cy Young candidate, Price will come close to a 20-win season. He will still have his battles with the Boston media when he struggles to pitch in cold weather again, but ultimately the fans will have his back and the veteran lefty will pitch strong down the stretch of the season and help the Red Sox beat out the Tampa Bay Rays for the final AL Wild Card spot.
Price’s greatest contribution won’t come on the mound. After finally putting together a breakout season, young left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez credits David Price, Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi for helping him become a more complete pitcher on the mound.
Price also takes credit for taking young pitching prospect Mike Shawaryn under his wing when the youngster is called up to make spot starts during the end of the season after Chris Sale is once again shelved due to shoulder and elbow fatigue.
Michael Chavis makes a big league impact
When both J.D. Martinez and Mitch Moreland miss games at first base due to injury, the Boston Red Sox will call up top prospect Michael Chavis.
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The former first round pick out of the University of Georgia will show off his power right away and stake his claim as the team’s regular first basemen while playing some games at third base.
Chavis will always have his PED suspension hanging over his head, but the jolt of excitement he will bring to the Red Sox will not be overlooked. Due to the fact the team will still have Steve Pearce along with Martinez and Moreland returning to health, Dave Dombrowski will have a decision to make when it comes to his two young corner fielders.
Teams around the league will call about both Rafael Devers and Michael Chavis. Ultimately, Dombrowski’s decision to keep both young sluggers will end up working out when both Moreland and Martinez hit free agency following the 2019 season.
Sale Day no one
Chris Sale will be his usual dominant self until shoulder fatigue sets in again towards the end of the season.
Luckily, the Boston Red Sox will have depth in the starting rotation by then. David Price, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez will pitch solid enough to carry the team, but Dave Dombrowski will make a blockbuster deal involving Xander Bogaert to get another front-end pitcher come the trade deadline.
The pitcher the team gets will have the media and fans wondering if a long-term deal for Chris Sale will be off the table. The answer to that question will be yes, as Dombrowski and the Red Sox will set their sights on free agent starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner as their next ace.
Disappointment that the team decided to move on, Chris Sale will sign a three-year deal with the rival New York Yankees to add fuel to the fire. The Sale vs. Bumgarner matchup will take center stage as the teams face off in 2020.
Mookie gets his contract
After another MVP-type season, the Boston Red Sox finally lock up Mookie Betts long term. His 8-year contract is determined by the market set by Bryce Harper in 2019.
Showcasing even more power and defensive dominance, Betts not only becomes the face of the Red Sox, he also becomes the face of baseball after breaking through in the postseason and carrying the Red Sox back to the World Series.
After a seven-game battle with Xander Bogaerts, Travis Shaw, Rick Porcello and the Milwaukee Brewers, the Red Sox come up just short of winning back-to-back titles, but fans are encouraged with how clutch and reliable both Betts and Andrew Benintendi have become in the post season.
There will be some casualties due to the signing. The team will finally part ways with Jackie Bradley Jr. and will decide not to offer J.D. Martinez a bigger contract once he opts out after the 2019 season.
With Michael Chavis and Rafael Devers emerging, Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox will go into 2020 with a nice core of young players led by the great Mookie Betts.