Boston Red Sox 2023 expectations: Anticipating the ugly
The off-season keeps rolling along and Boston Red Sox fans are absolutely dreading the upcoming 2023 season. Honestly, who can blame them at this point, right?
You’ve lost so many crucial parts of this team with Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and Nathan Eovaldi leaving via free agency to the Padres, Dodgers, and Rangers, respectively. Rafael Devers contract is up after the 2023 season. So there’s some warranted skepticism.
So what can we realistically expect from this Red Sox team in 2023? Let’s deep-dive into it!
The Boston Red Sox could have a lack of power in 2023
This may be tough for Red Sox fans to swallow, but it’s something we need to probably accept. The Boston Red Sox will not be a team of power in their 2023 lineup.
There are just too many unknowns this season with the Red Sox lineup.
Yes, Rafael Devers is going to supply his contributions of power to the lineup. But what about all of the other guys in this Red Sox lineup?
A guy like Triston Casas has a lot of hype behind him. Can he live up to it and be an everyday power hitting first baseman in the MLB?
Masataka Yoshida is unproven. Trevor Story is coming off a season where he had multiple injuries and couldn’t really get it going in 2022. Justin Turner doesn’t really have power anymore and is getting older. Alex Verdugo isn’t much of a power hitter either.
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Point being is that there aren’t many other options that can help the power numbers for the Red Sox. Martinez and Bogaerts helped with that over the last couple of years.
Now, where is that power going to come from?
The Boston Red Sox will have a much improved bullpen in 2023
The one bright spot to the 2023 season could be the bullpen.
We know how much of a colossal disaster the bullpen was for the Red Sox in 2022. It never seemed like there were defined roles for relievers during last season. In 2023, that could change for the better.
Adding arms like Joelys Rodriguez, Chris Martin, and Kenley Jansen are a big boost to a bullpen that already had arms like John Schreiber and Tanner Houck in it.
Now at least you have guys that will come in, throw strikes, and not walk people. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a legitimate closer back in the closer role! That always seems like a good thing to have if you want to be a winning team in the MLB. Right?
The bottom line on the 2023 Boston Red Sox
This 2023 Boston Red Sox team could be ugly to watch, assuming other trades and moves aren’t made before Spring Training.
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This team is in a loaded division of teams that seemingly improve throughout the off-season.
They put themselves in this position with bad trades, letting big names go in free agency, and overall abysmal/questionable moves by ownership.
If you want to have a winning team, you need to spend money and get big pieces. The Red Sox seem to have forgotten that part of constructing a consistent winner.
Buckle up Red Sox fans. It’s going to be a very rocky 2023 season.