Boston Red Sox
2015 Win/Loss Record:
78-84, 5th in American League East
Last Postseason
Appearance: 2013
Last World Series
Championship: 2013
Key Arrivals: David
Price (P), Craig Kimbrel (P)
Key Departures: Wade
Miley (P)
Manager: John
Farrell, 4th Year W/L 246-240
(400-410 in 5 years with Blue Jays and Red Sox)
(400-410 in 5 years with Blue Jays and Red Sox)
Overall Review: Here’s how the last
four years have gone for the Boston Red Sox: last place, World Champions, last
place, last place. And there’s not a team in baseball who wouldn’t trade three
last-place finishes for a World Championship sandwiched in the middle. But the
2015 Sox were much improved from the 2014 edition, despite missing some of the
key players in the line up due to injuries. Dustin Pedroia, Pablo Sandoval and
Hanley Ramirez all missed significant time last year.
So despite the big-name pitching
acquisitions Boston made in the offseason, if the Red Sox are to climb out of
the basement and into postseason contention again, it will be the return to
health of the line-up. But, of course, some of the pitching performances of
2015 leave much to be desired as well.
Offense: Much is going to be made—and
pretty much already has been—of David Ortiz’s impending retirement that will
follow the 2016 season. Big Papi will be 40 years old this year and he’s hoping
he can have one more All-Star calibre season in his great career. Last year his
home run and RBI total of 37 and 108, were the highest he’s had in both
categories since 2007. One can just hope that the Red Sox don’t take the focus
off of the team and place it on one player for the whole season.
Because there’s plenty of other
stories to be told on this Boston team. The first being if former AL MVP
Pedroia can play his first full season since 2013. Even though he only appeared
in 93 games last year, he still managed to hit .291, hit 12 homers and drive in
42 runs. He’s also a team leader and Boston needs his presence in their
line-up. Another story to look at is if Pablo Sandoval will live up to the big
contract he signed prior to 2014. You’d have to say Year One in Boston was
rather disappointing as the Panda only batted .245 with ten home runs and 47
RBIs. Of course, he wasn’t exactly a model of regular season consistency when
he was with the Giants either. If Boston can get into the playoffs, that’s when
he will earn the contract he received.
Pitching: The Red Sox were the big
winners in the David Price sweepstakes. But Price is now with his fourth team
in the last two years and while his regular season numbers have been
impressive, he has been a complete bust in the playoffs. In 14 playoff games
with the Rays, Tigers and Blue Jays, Price has an ERA of 5.12 and a record of
2-7, and neither of those wins came as a starter. Rick Porcello is pencilled in
to be the number two starter and he struggled last year with a 9-15 record, a
4.92 ERA and 149 strikeouts. Rounding out the starting staff will be Eduardo
Rodriguez (10-6, 3.85, 98), Clay Buchholz (7-7, 3.26, 107 in only 18 starts)
and Joe Kelly (10-6, 4.82, 110).
The trade with the Padres that
netted closer Craig Kimbrel will probably prove to be a bigger acquisition than
Price. Kimbrel saved 39 games for a pitiful San Diego team last year and his
high-nineties fastball makes him virtually unhittable. Former closer Koji
Uehara will be one of the best set-up men in all of baseball. The problem is,
will the starting rotation be able to pass leads on to these two relievers? That
will be the test for the Red Sox.
 |
| Second baseman Dustin Pedroia |
Prediction: Health is the priority for
Boston in 2016. If everyone stays healthy, the Red Sox will not spend a third
consecutive season in the basement. They aren’t quite ready to compete with
Toronto for the division, but will easily pass the Orioles and Rays. What will
determine their spot in the standings at the end of the year will be how they
stack up with the Yankees. They should be able to catch and pass the aging New
Yorkers and finish in second in the AL East. The top Wild Card spot beckons.
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