Boston Red Sox: 4 players attacking 2021 MLB season with vengeance
As unfamiliar as the Boston Red Sox were in 2020, they should look more like the team who took the field in 2018 and 2019.
They may not be as talented as those teams for obvious reasons, including their entire outfield of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. gone, but Alex Cora is back as manager, which in itself should trigger better production out of some younger and veteran players on the team.
Beyond the return of Cora, there are some competitive players on the team who just didn’t like who 2020 went and here are 4 players who are looking to attack the 2021 MLB season with a vengeance.
Boston Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez out to prove 2019 was no fluke
Let’s start with Eduardo Rodriguez.
Following a lost 2020 MLB season due to myocarditis (a result of COVID-19), the Boston Red Sox young, emerging starting pitcher doesn’t have a down season to bounce back from other than proving that the season that he had in 2019 was no fluke.
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In his last full season pitched, the 27-year-old lefty went 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA. Not only did he finally live up to the hype, he showed a command of the mound that showcased his ability to be a front-end starting pitcher in the Majors.
Can he return to that type of dominance?
Well, the Red Sox need him to be that pitcher and most importantly, he expects to bounce back strong in 2021.
"“I would say I will be 100 percent ready for next season,” Rodriguez said in an interview with MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM in early February, via MLB.com. “I feel great. Like [chief baseball officer] Chaim Bloom said a couple of days ago, I’m going to start throwing, I’m going to start my throwing program. My workouts are going to start next week, like, lifting weights and all that. I’ve been doing the bike a little bit.”"
Rodriguez certainly looked strong while throwing live batting practice in Spring Training. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he looked very much like the pitcher he was back in 2019 Spring Training.
If that is any indication of how Rodriguez will look in 2021, then the Red Sox rotation should be in good shape, even without Chris Sale.