Boston Red Sox offseason is a lousy harbinger of disappointment
The Boston Red Sox are stalled while other big teams sign the biggest and best prizes in free agency. For most big-market teams, a quiet offseason would be the cause for alarm bells all over the region.
But not seemingly for the uninvolved Boston Red Sox ownership with their apathetic and ostensibly bottom-line-obsessed attitude. After winning four World Series in Boston, its prime focus is Plan B.
That entails increasing the value of the club exponentially, while the on-field product resides in the oblivion of last place in the AL East. Plan B rakes in profits hand-over-fist by charging outrageous prices for seats and everything else you can buy in old Fenway Park from hot dogs to beer.
One would think that a multi-billion (with a “B”) dollar organization that owns the Red Sox and Liverpool Reds and their stadiums among other holdings, would display some pride in their storied Boston franchise. They don’t.
Let’s explore why this sleepy offseason, absent several earth-shattering moves (e.g. trades) between now and April will occasion another disaster in 2023.
The Boston Red Sox are an indifferent organization
Under Theo Epstein and Dave Dombrowski, the Sox acted and spent like a big-market team. Yet, after winning their fourth World Series championship in 2018, things changed.
The owners used a down 2019 as the excuse to broom Dombrowski, less than one year after he’d assembled another World Series winner. That was step one of Plan B.
Then, they hired Chaim Bloom from the do-more-with-less school of baseball in Tampa Bay as the Chief Baseball Officer as Step 2 of Plan B. Bloom dutifully shipped Boston’s former MVP and best player out of town for a pittance while shedding both Betts and some of David Price’s salaries in the process.
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In one fell swoop off goes maybe $30M to $40M from the payroll. Now trading a star who you can’t sign isn’t necessarily a bad idea. It’s always risky but not necessarily negative.
Bloom’s problems in his trades of Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Hunter Renfroe were the returns. Each was a costly on-field disaster. Reacquiring Jackie Bradley Jr. was also a fiscal calamity. He paid well more for Bradley than he’d have for Renfroe. Bradley was predictably awful.
Boston Red Sox prognostication for 2023
The offseason is where championships are forged. Have the Red Sox forged a champion? First, a positive, on paper, they’ve seemingly improved their bullpen. The pen was a disaster last season.
Yet, by off-loading four of their best hitters from the 2021 Cinderella season, Renfroe, Kyle Schwarber. J.D. Martinez, and now Xander Bogaerts, they’ll have far fewer leads to protect.
The acquisition (some think gross overspending) of outfielder Masataka Yoshida is actually one move liked here. They paid over $100M for him, but he’s one of Japan’s best hitters.
Sometimes those players work out, other times not. But big-market teams make signings like this even if they are risky. Yoshida will play left field and they needed an added outfielder or two.
The plan for the middle of the infield especially who’ll play shortstop is still muddled. Jose Iglesias would be a great addition as a stop-gap until hopefully a top prospect like Marcelo Meyer actually pans out. Either Iglesias or Trevor Story last offseason’s big signing can play short and the other second.
The catching is decidedly mediocre. The Sox have Reece McGuire and Connor Wong (a part of the Betts trade). It’s not a dynamic duo.
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The outfield with Yoshida, Kike Hernandez (unless he’s moved back to second base and another new outfielder is brought in) and Alex Verdugo is decidedly average. They all are OK but OK doesn’t win titles.
Then, there’s the starting pitching. mlb.com projects the following in the starting rotation: Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, and Brayan Bello. Lots of questions there and not sure how many answers. It’s an issue and acquiring a number two or three starter would certainly be a positive.
Look at the offseason to date, and it’s lackluster and riddled with questions. Chaim Bloom says trades are how they might move forward,
"“For us to do what we’re hoping to do this offseason, I think the trade route really needs to be a part of it,” he added. “That requires another club that is up for doing something — even if it comes at a cost — that still makes sense for us and makes us better. … It’s something we are very, very actively exploring.”"
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Hope so, but if Chaim Bloom’s trade record is any indication, it could be a long season indeed for the Boston Red Sox. We’ll see.