Boston Red Sox may have hope for the 2023 season afterall
The Boston Red Sox early-mid offseason plan has thus far been less than inspiring to Red Sox Nation. They have yet to make that storied “big splash” in the free agency market and have lost their long-time shortstop, All-Star Xander Bogaerts to San Diego.
They need to make up for the loss, and it may very well appear that all is lost and that another trip to the bottom of the American League East is in the cards. But, hold on, there may just be an opportunity for Chaim Bloom, the team’s Chief Baseball Officer to rebound.
So, in light of the seemingly onerous start to the offseason, how can Bloom manage to rectify the situation in which the venerable Red Sox appear again to be also-rans in the AL East?
It will be a daunting task, but Bloom just may be able to pull it off. Let’s explore some options where he might be able to do so.
The Boston Red Sox need to be bold
The Boston Red Sox recently indicated that trading will be their avenue to success in the 2023 off-season. It had better be, their free-agent decisions have been less than inspiring.
On the plus side, they have ostensibly improved their bullpen with the additions of a real closer, Kenley Jansen, and another good reliever, Chris Martin. That’s good news.
However, good or great relievers are only really helpful additions if you have leads to protect in the later innings. You need to be ahead to make them relevant.
Thus far, production from the Sox lineup has been diminished by the loss of DH, J.D. Martinez, and Xander Bogaerts. Those holes have to be filled or more than filled if the Red Sox are to climb out of the AL East cellar. Where’s that production going to come from?
One plus may be the addition of Masataka Yoshida from Japan. Bloom put it all on the line for Yoshida, whom analysts thought he overpaid for by about 50 percent.
Yet, here’s how Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic sees him, according to nesn.com,
"“(Yoshida could be) the best pure hitter since Ichiro (Suzuki),” Red Sox director of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum said, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic."
That’s high praise indeed in light of Hideki Matsui and Shohei Ohtani who have played in MLB. If he’s about 75 percent as good as either, the Sox have a plumb there.
Watching Yoshida’s highlights, a couple of things shine through. First, he’s obviously a terrific contact hitter winning the Japan Professional Baseball League batting title twice over the past three years and finishing second in 2022.
Nbcsports.com says the following,
"Yoshida, a 29-year-old left fielder, is an intriguing figure. He has few peers as a hitter in Japan, winning the batting title in 2020 and 2021, and finishing second in 2022. Over five full seasons with Orix, the left-handed hitter has more than three times as many hits (746) and strikeouts (234). His career slash line is .327/.421/.539.He has a surprising amount of pop for his size (5’8”), averaging 50 extra-base hits over the past five seasons."
Watch Yoshida’s highlights. You’ll see this. First, he has surprising pop in his bat for a player who stands 5”8″ tall, but he’s solid. In addition, his inside-out swing to left field (he’s a lefty hitter) will get him a bunch of doubles off the Monster. And you can take that to the bank.
So the synthesis of all this is that Bloom has started the offseason a bit slow, but Yoshida may be a trump card. If he can trade the Sox into a better position, more power to him. But, he has to be bold. If he stands pat with this team, expect another bottom-of-the-AL East finish.
Next. MLB Rumors: Boston Red Sox must make a splash before it’s too late. dark
But there’s still time. And where there’s a will there’s a way. Bloom better find a way or he’ll be looking for a job after 2023 if the Sox bottom out again.
It says here, better to be bold, and if it fails, then go out with your head high than just peter out with a whimper.
Let’s see what the Red Sox, and their absentee ownership, who could really care less about the team, allows him to do. Don’t expect very much, and you won’t be disappointed. But, as they say, hope springs eternal, and Red Sox Nation can still hope.