Red Sox Insider: Time for action or 2023 MLB season is lost

The Boston Red Sox 2023 offseason has been pretty lackluster when you dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s thus far. While it may not approach the absolutely calamitous 2021 offseason, it still leaves a lot to be desired.

Now with the not wholly to be unexpected shelving of last offseason’s big “splash” (if you can call it that) Trevor Story with an arm injury, the walls may be caving in on Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom’s offseason efforts completely.

The 2022 offseason sunk the ship and the 2023 version is listing badly. The biggest bright spot is the re-signing of Rafael Devers but that’s no augmentation over last season’s dismal squad.

Now with losing Story, whom the team signed despite his questionable right arm to be its second baseman, and with the departure of Xander Bogaerts, perhaps its shortstop, things have gone from poor to dismal in a hurry.

The clock is ticking away on this offseason and Bloom himself has signaled that trades are the likely way to try to salvage what’s left of it. Unfortunately, the signings suggested are mere stopgaps and no trade of any real magnitude is anywhere to be rumored never mind seen.

The 2023 Boston Red Sox are in trouble

While injuries happen to any and all major sports teams, when you sign a player with an injury history and especially arm injuries of recent vintage, you’re asking for trouble.

That’s what several of Bloom’s signature signings have been, not only in the case of Story but in other major signings, e.g. James Paxton and Corey Kluber. They fall into those categories as well as being higher in age signaling shorter rather than longer-term expectations.

The team is now faced with trying rectify their second base hole either with Kike Hernandez moving in from centerfield or using back-up level Christian Arroyo. Now, they need a shortstop, a power-hitting outfielder, and a replacement possibly for Hernandez in centerfield.

Names being thrown out as possible solutions are less than inspiring. Elvis Andrus who’s 34 is one name mentioned for shortstop and Jurickson Profar, at least only 29 years old is looked upon as a possible outfielder and multi-role player, aka, jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none.

Here’s what nbcsports.com has to say about the two,

"Andrus, 34, was a two-time All-Star early in his 14-year MLB career with the Texas Rangers. The veteran shortstop spent the 2022 campaign with the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox, amassing a .249/.303/.404 slash line with 17 homers, 58 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 149 games.Profar, 29, is the more versatile option as he’s played every position in his nine-year career except pitcher and catcher. He played left field for the entire 2022 season with the San Diego Padres, but he split time between all three outfield spots in 2021. The switch-hitter has played 218 games at second base and 104 at shortstop."

Neither inspires great confidence in helping this last-place team climb out of the cellar. One name not being heard is a more logical one. That would be Jose Iglesias. But Mr. Bloom evidently can’t stand prosperity.

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After 2021’s Cinderella season, he not only traded Hunter Renfroe and allowed Kyle Schwarber (NL home run leader in 2022) to leave but also let late-season excellent addition, former Red Sox Iglesias walk, as well.

All fit the Boston Red Sox like a proverbial glove but that evidently means little to the Red Sox baseball hierarchy. They paid a huge price for these gaffes last season and seem to be largely falling into the same trap now.

The clock is ticking toward the start of spring training in one month (pitchers’ and catchers’ first workout is February 15). Mr. Bloom and company have a lot of work to do if they are to avoid bottom-dwelling in the American League East for the third time in four seasons.

The Boston Red Sox absentee ownership could seemingly care less (though reportedly [and unfortunately] they claim to have no plans to sell the team), yet, even they might take note of the total reversal of the highly successful Dave Dombrowski years if a last-place team eventuates yet again.

So with only a month remaining, let’s see if Chaim Bloom and the Boston Red Sox can actually trade and sign this team into a legitimate contender for a playoff spot. It seems unlikely but so was the 2021 playoff and ALCS run, so you just never know.