Boston Red Sox: Time for free agent signings and an owner like Elon Musk

The 2020 Boston Red Sox team had a lackluster season in which they played like cellar-dwellers. It’s time now to step up to the big leagues and sign top players or sell the team to a dynamic new owner like Elon Musk.

The Boston Red Sox stunk in 2020. No need to go into that in any more detail. While the world, the nation, and all of its sports were impacted dramatically by the pandemic, the Boston home baseball team fared as badly as just about any other Major League team.

But now it’s 2021. As our nation’s top pandemic expert noted, “there’s light at the en

d of the tunnel.” That’s wonderfully good news for all of mankind. Let’s hope it’s accurate and the vaccination protocols will in the future keep all of us safe.

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But, since sports can be a diversion even in the worst of times, we’re talking about baseball here and the Boston Red Sox (what other club is there?) in particular. In 2020, the rivals in the Bronx kicked the butts of the local team. Indeed. It’s time to turn the tables.

A very recent article by a colleague suggesting that DJ LeMahieu would be a great acquisition certainly met with a super-positive response here. It is just what the doctor ordered for this moribund Boston Red Sox team.

It’s time to throw down the gauntlet to the Yankees and the other teams in the American League East and make it crystal clear that the Red Sox are back in the game. The signing of LeMahieu would do just that. No matter the cost.

The Sox need a second baseman desperately. He’s the best available and one of the best period. Just spend the money. He’ll be worth it completely.

You have to love this aspect of addition by subtraction. In this case, the addition by Boston would be absolutely a subtraction for the Bronx Bummers. How sweet it would be!

But that’s not the only move for the top that the Boston Red Sox need to make. No, not at all.

They also need a top (or close thereto) of the rotation pitcher. That’s no great revelation. Their starting pitching was decimated last season. Their best, Chris Sale had his inevitable Tommy John surgery. (Long overdue in this person’s mind.)

Eduardo Rodriguez was hit hard by the coronavirus and thankfully he seems to be doing great. Nathan Eovaldi was also hurt during the year and that just about finished any hopes of the Boston Red Sox to compete in 2020. But 2021 can be a different year entirely.

Yet, the Red Sox have to make a splash and get a pitcher who can lead the rotation from the get-go.

The pitchers the Sox should target are Trevor Bauer, Masahiro Tanaka (another slap at the team in the Big Apple), or Corey Kluber. They need one at least of these three to state intent that they are serious about contending. Two of the above would be really nice.

Bauer is the best available, but any of the three would be nice. About Bauer, he posted a 1.73 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with Cincinnati.

The Boston Red Sox, it’s ownership, and it’s “Head of Baseball Operations”, Chaim Bloom, who had to suffer through a financial brushback in 2020 have to decide if they will be competitors or also-rans in 2021.

The club sent out Mookie Betts, one of the best players in baseball along with David Price to shed payroll. How’d that work out for them? Not too good at all last season. The Red Sox flopped and the Dodgers, well, didn’t.

Traded to Boston for Betts was Alex Verdugo and two other prospects. Verdugo showed tremendous potential last season. A good sign of things to come.

That notwithstanding, it’s time for the current Red Sox ownership to decide if they can withstand the financial implications of bad player contract decisions (they are not alone in those) and poor results, and yet still, as they say, stay in the game.

If not, this ownership should sell the team. Here’s a suggestion. Maybe all-around genius and always underestimated winner Elon Musk would be interested in buying the club with his spare change?

Musk is an amazing fellow and he’d be a fantastic owner! After all, Mr. John Henry has his Liverpool “football” club to occupy his time in the UK. And they were the best of the best last season.

Selling the Boston Red Sox would provide additional funds for the Liverpool Reds to challenge to retain their English Premier League title and contend for the European crown again, as well, would it not? A win-win-win for all concerned.

Another challenge for the inimitable Elon Musk. A financial windfall for the Fenway Sports Group, and an opportunity for Boston baseball fans to have baseball ownership that is financially willing to compete with the big-boys in American baseball. Know this, never, ever, ever count out Elon Musk.