When the optimists are saying “If we can stay healthy and catch a few breaks, maybe we sneak into a wild card spot and go from there” I know something is very wrong. Okay, I’m spoiled but that should never be the attitude for this club. For the second year in a row, this roster seems poorly constructed. Two back-up catchers. No back up first baseman (Turner has never really played first). Two utility players at second and short. Three left fielders playing at Fenway with an expansive center field and a difficult right. Part of me hopes I’m wrong and this team goes all the way but I can’t imagine it no matter how hard I try. Another part of me fears that I am right and this team will become irrelevant in the best baseball market in the country. I’m conflicted. I’m a little scared. Go Sox!
Yeah, there's definitely some questions, Jim! We'll see how it goes. If those get mostly answered in a positive way there's some room for success, but it's not going to be easy. Here's to a new Red Sox season!
Matthew, what do you think of Fangraphs rankings of the other positions? 2B seems a little high to me, we are all Masataka believers but 3rd in LF is pretty rich! And actually 2B seems high to me too. Initially when I started writing this I thought it would be more balanced, but maybe I’m just negative (insert emoji shrug like you). Great article! I really enjoyed it and despite my pessimism I am stoked for the season!
Hey Paul, thanks for reading and thanks for commenting. As to the rankings, there's nothing that's really off to me. Maybe LF? I'm probably lower on RF and SS than FG is. I think there's a universe where Devers is maybe the best or second best 3B in baseball, so I'm probably higher there. I do like the potential of the rotation as well, though the reality is a bit scary too.
Stay reasonably healthy, beat the patsies ruthlessly (thank you new schedule format), stay competitive with the rest, embrace the extra 1/2 hour the pitch clock gives you. Bonus round: Do something big at trade deadline time.
I do think doing something big at the deadline is on the table, especially if the team has had a very good first half of the year. (I also think there's a possibility things go badly and players on one year terms get sent out around the deadline but you didn't ask about that so I won't mention it.) (oops)
I’m having a difficult time recalling a Red Sox club weaker up the middle than this one. I’m in my mid 50’s so either my memory is failing me (again) or perhaps…it isn’t?
That's a good point, Freddy. It's a bit of an odd way to build a team, or at least a contrary one. I'm not sure it's wrong per se, but I do think that's going to be a place of need going forward. I think the club is counting on Mayer (as I think I said in the article) to arrive quickly, and probably hoping Ceddanne Rafaela keeps hitting at the higher levels despite atrocious plate patience. So if those guys show up that certainly lessens the issue. And you can toss Trevor Story in there as well, at least in theory.
When the optimists are saying “If we can stay healthy and catch a few breaks, maybe we sneak into a wild card spot and go from there” I know something is very wrong. Okay, I’m spoiled but that should never be the attitude for this club. For the second year in a row, this roster seems poorly constructed. Two back-up catchers. No back up first baseman (Turner has never really played first). Two utility players at second and short. Three left fielders playing at Fenway with an expansive center field and a difficult right. Part of me hopes I’m wrong and this team goes all the way but I can’t imagine it no matter how hard I try. Another part of me fears that I am right and this team will become irrelevant in the best baseball market in the country. I’m conflicted. I’m a little scared. Go Sox!
Yeah, there's definitely some questions, Jim! We'll see how it goes. If those get mostly answered in a positive way there's some room for success, but it's not going to be easy. Here's to a new Red Sox season!
Matthew, what do you think of Fangraphs rankings of the other positions? 2B seems a little high to me, we are all Masataka believers but 3rd in LF is pretty rich! And actually 2B seems high to me too. Initially when I started writing this I thought it would be more balanced, but maybe I’m just negative (insert emoji shrug like you). Great article! I really enjoyed it and despite my pessimism I am stoked for the season!
Hey Paul, thanks for reading and thanks for commenting. As to the rankings, there's nothing that's really off to me. Maybe LF? I'm probably lower on RF and SS than FG is. I think there's a universe where Devers is maybe the best or second best 3B in baseball, so I'm probably higher there. I do like the potential of the rotation as well, though the reality is a bit scary too.
Stay reasonably healthy, beat the patsies ruthlessly (thank you new schedule format), stay competitive with the rest, embrace the extra 1/2 hour the pitch clock gives you. Bonus round: Do something big at trade deadline time.
I do think doing something big at the deadline is on the table, especially if the team has had a very good first half of the year. (I also think there's a possibility things go badly and players on one year terms get sent out around the deadline but you didn't ask about that so I won't mention it.) (oops)
There is always next year.
There's always this year too! In fact it starts today!
I’m having a difficult time recalling a Red Sox club weaker up the middle than this one. I’m in my mid 50’s so either my memory is failing me (again) or perhaps…it isn’t?
That's a good point, Freddy. It's a bit of an odd way to build a team, or at least a contrary one. I'm not sure it's wrong per se, but I do think that's going to be a place of need going forward. I think the club is counting on Mayer (as I think I said in the article) to arrive quickly, and probably hoping Ceddanne Rafaela keeps hitting at the higher levels despite atrocious plate patience. So if those guys show up that certainly lessens the issue. And you can toss Trevor Story in there as well, at least in theory.