Who the Red Sox add to the beginning rotation has dominated the dialog all offseason lengthy, and many of the winter it’s felt like the game’s held its breath ready on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto earlier than every other enterprise acquired achieved.
But whereas pitching stays a giant query mark, the Red Sox lineup in all probability isn’t too removed from a completed product.
The Red Sox have been vocal about their want so as to add a right-handed bat, and so they’ve already gotten one by buying and selling for outfielder Tyler O’Neill to fill the void left by Alex Verdugo. The membership additionally wants an improve at second base, and a reunion with designated hitter Justin Turner can’t be dominated out, however by and enormous we must always have a good suggestion of what Boston’s lineup may seem like on Opening Day.
With the roster as presently constructed, right here’s what the Red Sox are working with.
Projected lineup
Jarren Duran LF, Masataka Yoshida DH, Trevor Story SS, Rafael Devers 3B, Triston Casas 1B, Tyler O’Neill CF, Wilyer Abreu RF, Connor Wong C, Pablo Reyes 2B
This isn’t a nasty lineup, however there are two apparent points that bounce out instantly. One is it tilts closely left-handed and is unattainable to steadiness with out batting somebody like Masataka Yoshida or Triston Casas sixth. The different is it places loads of stress on younger gamers like Jarren Duran, Casas and rookie Wilyer Abreu to provide. If they don’t the entire thing may crumble.
Regardless of what the Red Sox do to shore issues up, the efficiency of Trevor Story and Casas shall be key.
Story’s had a tricky run since coming to Boston, however most of his setbacks have been explainable. He signed with the Red Sox in late March of 2022 as a result of lockout and struggled after getting barely per week of spring coaching. Then he acquired hit by a pitch and broke his wrist.
Finally his elbow gave out, and even after returning final August he may by no means discover his timing on the plate. But earlier than all of that Story was a reliable and dynamic shortstop who reliably hit 20-30 house runs a 12 months. Now again to full well being, the Red Sox are relying on that model of Story to return.
As for Casas, he simply hit 24 house runs as a 23-year-old rookie and batted .317 with a 1.034 OPS within the second half. If he can keep anyplace near that stage of manufacturing over a full season, be careful.
Projected bench
Reese McGuire C, Enmanuel Valdez INF, Rob Refsnyder OF, Ceddanne Rafaela INF/OF
Reese McGuire and Rob Refsnyder are locked into their present roles, and Valdez would in all probability be bumped to Triple-A and Pablo Reyes moved right into a extra acceptable bench function if Boston acquires a brand new second baseman. The most attention-grabbing query right here is how Ceddanne Rafaela components into the equation.
On one hand, Rafaela is the very best defensive heart fielder on the group and also can slot in at shortstop and second base relying on the wants of a given day. On the opposite hand, his offensive method nonetheless wants seasoning and he is likely to be higher fitted to on a regular basis at bats in Triple-A than as a utility man off the bench within the large leagues.
Areas of enchancment
There are two apparent methods the Red Sox may nonetheless enhance: discovering an on a regular basis second baseman and including one other right-handed hitting outfielder.
An outfielder can be the best manner so as to add extra thump. O’Neill may very well be that man — he did hit 34 house runs in 2021 — however outdoors of that he’s by no means been an on a regular basis starter. Bringing again Turner would bolster the lineup whereas permitting O’Neill to platoon with Yoshida, Duran and Abreu, however that might additionally restrict Boston’s ceiling defensively.
A reunion with Adam Duvall would possibly truly take advantage of sense. He’s coming off a productive season with the Red Sox and will most certainly be had on solely a one- or two-year deal. He’d additionally take the stress off Abreu to provide, however the Red Sox have been so excessive on the rookie they may really feel higher off giving him an opportunity to be the man in proper area.
As for second base, many of the greatest obtainable choices can be extra glove-first than bat-first, however there are a pair who may make a significant distinction. For instance, Brandon Drury hit 26 house runs final 12 months and noticed important time batting No. 3 for the Angels. Whit Merrifield, the highest free agent second baseman, additionally boasts game-changing velocity, although he’d be extra prone to slot within the No. 6-7 spots.
If the Red Sox had been so as to add each Duvall and Drury, or right-handed hitters of comparable high quality at their positions, they’d simply have a prime 10 lineup in baseball and sufficient depth to compete over a protracted 162-game season. Without any extra additions they might nonetheless be fairly good, however this group is probably going not less than one bat away.
Past inaction catching up with Sox
Now that Yamamoto has signed, the remainder of the pitching market ought to begin selecting up. Even with out the offseason’s prime prize there are nonetheless arms up for grabs who may assist flip across the membership’s depleted beginning rotation, however the Red Sox can’t afford to attend round for much longer.
The proven fact that issues have reached this level goes to indicate how pricey the membership’s previous inaction has been.
Think of all of the instances the Red Sox may have landed a high quality beginning pitcher on a good 3-5 12 months deal over the previous few years however didn’t. That pitcher would haven’t solely helped fortify the membership’s rotation and probably prevented both of the previous two final place finishes, however they’d possible have been extra reasonably priced than anybody the Red Sox get now.
The large what-if is Kevin Gausman, who signed a five-year, $110 million contract with Toronto in 2022 and has been among the best pitchers in baseball ever since. Gausman was a Cy Young finalist who posted a 3.16 ERA with 237 strikeouts in 185 innings this previous season, however regardless of rumors the Red Sox had been in on him previous to 2022, Gausman advised MassLive that he by no means heard from Boston throughout his free company.
More not too long ago, the Red Sox had been overwhelmed out final winter by the Tampa Bay Rays for Zach Eflin, who reportedly selected between two equivalent three-year, $40 million presents. An Orlando native, Eflin reportedly took Boston’s preliminary supply to Tampa Bay and signed after they agreed to match it. Hindsight is unquestionably 20/20, however had the Red Sox sweetened the pot just a bit bit, perhaps the deal would have been too wealthy for the Rays and Boston would’ve been the one benefitting from his 3.50 ERA over 177.2 innings.
Then there’s Nathan Eovaldi, who wound up in Texas this previous offseason after he and the Red Sox couldn’t line up on a brand new deal. This one it’s powerful guilty both aspect, as a result of the Red Sox reportedly supplied Eovaldi a three-year, $51 million deal that might have been bigger than the two-year, $34 million contract he in the end signed with Texas, however Eovaldi opted to carry out for a much bigger deal and by the point he was prepared the Red Sox had already pivoted to different gamers, together with Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Masataka Yoshida and Justin Turner.
Things clearly labored out simply wonderful for Eovaldi, who went 5-0 for the Rangers within the playoffs and gained the championship-clinching Game 5 of the World Series.
Boston’s outlook can be a lot brighter in the event that they’d landed any of those three, however the previous is the previous and failing to land high quality pitching earlier than shouldn’t cease them from doing so now.
Early traits look good for Beltre, Mauer
This 12 months’s Baseball Hall of Fame vote doesn’t shut till Dec. 31, however because of the tireless work of Ryan Thibodaux and his Hall of Fame Tracker group, an early image is starting to emerge of how this 12 months’s vote might play out.
And to this point issues are trying fairly good for first-year candidates Adrian Beltre and Joe Mauer.
As of this writing solely 37 ballots have been made public, good for lower than 10% of the entire projected vote, however primarily based on these ballots Beltre appears set to comfortably cruise into Cooperstown on the primary poll, whereas Mauer is trending in the appropriate course as nicely. So far Beltre has appeared on all however one poll that’s been revealed (97.3%), whereas Mauer has acquired 28 votes, good for 75.7% of the recognized whole and simply away from the 75% threshold wanted for induction.
Ex-Rockies nice Todd Helton, who fell simply wanting induction final 12 months with 72.2%, can be on tempo to earn enshrinement in his sixth attempt with 81.1%,
Gary Sheffield (67.6%) is nicely above his whole final 12 months (55%) however appears prone to fall quick in his last 12 months on the poll. Andruw Jones (62.2%), Billy Wagner (62.2%), Carlos Beltran (59.5%) and first-year candidate Chase Utley (56.8%) don’t look prone to earn enshrinement this 12 months both however are posting spectacular totals that bode nicely for his or her future outlook.
Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, as soon as thought-about Hall of Fame locks earlier than testing constructive for efficiency enhancing medicine as gamers, are nonetheless not drawing practically sufficient help to counsel future enshrinement with 43.2% and 40.5%, respectively.
Source: www.bostonherald.com