Boston Red Sox continue a stumbling and bumbling offseason
It would be invigorating to write lots of positive Boston Red Sox articles this offseason amidst all the head-scratching moves the team has and continues to make. But it ain’t easy.
The best news on incoming players was shoring up a terrible bullpen albeit with older arms. Also, the risky but big-market team move for Matasaka Yoshida also was quite nice though it may fail. Whatever, that’s what big-market teams do.
And the signing of former big bat Adam Duvall, although he’s recovering from a serious injury for a hitter (wrist), was OK though as usual, he’s older as well as injured.
But other than those moves which may or may not work out, there’s been little to cheer about for Red Sox Nation. And they let their feelings be known at the past usual love-fest Winter Weekend by not unsurprisingly nearly booing the Boston Red Sox brass off the podium. What a shock!
But all in all, the offseason has been a bore and is marked by several strategies that are mind-boggling at best and completely inane at worst.
The Boston Red Sox one might guess have a chance to be good this season. But that’s a long shot at best.
Boston Red Sox have bungled the 2023 offseason once more
The Boston Red Sox seem like their own worst enemies at times, as in two of the past three seasons and very likely this upcoming one, as well. The team continues to spend, aka waste, what ultimately amounts to big dollars on marginal players.
As noted previously, when you aggregate all these dollars on marginal or risky players, it all adds up to likely funding a truly top player or too, like Mookie Betts and/or Xander Bogaerts.
It’s a totally flawed strategy that has helped consign the Boston Red Sox to the rubbish heap of last place in the American League East for two of the past three seasons.
These include players like Adam Duvall, last season’s James Paxton, and the recently acquired by-trade, Adalberto Mondesi, injury-riddled players, or older players whose best days are in the rearview mirror.
Here’s what Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball officer Chaim Bloom had to say about Mondesi,
"“In terms of the talent, the athleticism he has, it’s really been top of the scale of anyone who plays big league baseball,” said Bloom. “Obviously he’s had a tough time over the years with injuries.”"
The operative phase in that quote is obviously, “… he’s had a tough time over the years with injuries”. Other acquisitions also have had recent serious injury issues but the trend continues.
Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox Nation waits patiently for the ever-awaited brilliant prospects that they either have drafted or traded to arrive. Unfortunately, they seldom do with any success whatsoever in Beantown.
Boston Red Sox prospects seldom work out
This season’s hopes are on drafted first baseman Triston Casas and pitcher Brayan Bello. Casas looks to start this season as does Bello. But Bello is an international free agent, with which the Boston Red Sox seem to do quite well. Conversely, in the MLB draft, it’s not such a good record.
Strains the brain to think of a solid starting pitcher who was actually drafted and developed by the Red Sox since Jon Lester, way back when. Gulp, Lester was drafted in 2002. Point made.
The moral of the story is this, stumbling and bumbling your way through an offseason by acquiring older, injury-riddled, or mediocre players is no way to build a title-contending baseball (or any other sport’s) team.
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A big-market team should act as such as the Boston Red Sox did in re-signing Rafael Devers, a solid baseball move. Problem is, Devers doesn’t enhance the squad one bit this season over what they had last season. He was already in place. No big-name stars have been added this offseason whatsoever.
That’s the problem. Big stars cost a lot but they deliver a lot if you choose the right ones. The point is, you should be going for them. Sometimes they work out, other times, not so much.
But star players who have solid histories, i.e. no major injuries and are not older, are more likely than a risky player to work out.
Next. Boston Red Sox: Grading a rollercoaster of an offseason. dark
The Boston Red Sox haven’t learned that lesson very well. They continue to spend what amounts to big dollars on risks, like a small market team, e.g the Tampa Bay Rays.
Unfortunately, that strategy while “sustainable” hasn’t delivered a World Series title to the Rays, ever. And like the Rays, don’t expect one or probably even a playoff berth for this Red Sox team. They, unfortunately, still don’t get it.