Sox taking it to extremes
In club’s present state, it’s the best of times, worst of times
It’s the winter of our disconnect with the valve to the Red Sox’ hot stove closed tightly as the standoff between nearly all the teams in baseball and nearly all the available free agents shows no signs of ending anytime soon.
Around here, the story of the Red Sox’ glaring need — more power! — is old news, and the club’s attempt to strike a deal with their best available option, J.D. Martinez, is moving at a snail-like speed.
At this extended moment of inaction, let’s take stock of what we like and what we don’t about the current state of the Red Sox. When nothing’s happening, the team is at its best and worst — and nothing in between, because this is Boston.
• The best — Mookie Betts: Nobody else on the team has the complete package of smarts, drive and talent as Betts, who at the age of 25 has yet to enter a prime that should see him reach heights perhaps even higher than the organization’s last three most complete and accomplished position players — Nomar Garciaparra, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia — ever reached.
Would he benefit from the presence of a pure slugger like Martinez in the lineup? Captain Obvious says look at Betts’ offensive production in David Ortiz’ final year of 2016 (.897 OPS, 31 homers) and the first year without Ortiz last season (.803 OPS, 24 homers) and you decide. His defense is sublime. Last spring, he and the Red Sox curiously could not agree on a suitable pre-arbitration salary and his contract was renewed. That’s not unheard of for talented players such as Betts with no negotiating leverage, but that doesn’t make it a good piece of news to hear. Betts has yet to step into a leadership role that awaits him and suits him, but don’t discount how important the moves this offseason and next will be for him to appreciate the team’s ability to build for the both the present and future.
The Red Sox should strive to build around Betts. He’s their future.
• The worst — The payroll situation: How exactly did the Red Sox wind up in their present payroll pinch in which they are now the sole team assured of busting through the $197 million luxury tax threshold in 2018? Four big moves for under-performing or nonperforming players — Hanley Ramirez (four years, $88 million), Pablo Sandoval (five years, $95 million), Rusney Castillo (seven years, $72.5 million) and Allen Craig (31⁄2 years/$28 million) — by former general manager Ben Cherington are the chief drivers, of course. The signings placed Cherington’s successor, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, into a corner from which he has yet to emerge. The one major free agent acquisition Dombrowski is responsible for — signing a 30-year-old ace, David Price, to a seven-year, $121 million deal — has not paid off. It would be unfair to call the signing a flop but for reasons related to both on-field and off-field performance, as well as health, it can’t be counted as an unvarnished success, either. Whether or not it is making Dombrowski somewhat gun-shy about reentering the free agent market can be judged after this offseason finally ends. He certainly has made several trades for relatively cheap and very talented players such as Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz at the cost of a good chunk of blue-chip talent. But compared to some of the moves made by Dombrowski’s peers — Brian Cashman in New York, Andrew Friedman in Los Angeles and Theo Epstein in Chicago — the Red Sox have bumped against payroll constraints at the same time their wants (such as the power deficit) have erupted into pressing needs. How did the team get in this pickle?
• The best — The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry: It’s back and despite winning the division the last two seasons, the Red Sox are back to playing catch-up. The presence of Giancarlo Stanton alongside Aaron Judge provides a one-sided jolt to the Yankees, who have a young core as good as the Red Sox, a rotation almost as good, with much better power bats and relievers, plus payroll flexibility for this year and next that the Red Sox can only envy. I’m sure Red Sox fans don’t want to hear this, but the storyline’s more intriguing when the Bostonians are underdogs to the mighty, mighty pinstripes.
• The worst — The winnow window: Only two seasons left! The Red Sox are responsible for this narrative, bringing in Dombrowski as the finisher to the job started by Cherington. The duty was to bring in the right veterans at the right time as the young core matured into the envy of the other 29 teams. The window closes after next season, the last assured with Sale, but at times it sure looks as if it’s shutting faster than anyone thought. Dombrowski was right to trade what appeared to be a surplus of blue-chip prospects for proven veterans such as Sale, but where’s the franchise headed? What’s the long-term plan? How much of the future was sacrificed for a short-term gain that is still not assured? So many unanswerable questions, and so much at stake this year and next.
• The best — Pomeranz: Nobody on the pitching staff has done a better job of putting up ever-improving numbers while remaining a complete mystery personality-wise. The latter does not matter as far as wins and losses go, but Pomeranz is an enigma wrapped up in four consecutive sub-4.00 ERA seasons, including last year’s 3.32 gem. The 2016 midseason trade acquisition was roundly viewed as a botch after it was revealed the Padres were less than forthcoming about a mysterious elbow issue affecting Pomeranz, but he quashed that narrative and has simply pitched way above average while remaining completely off the radar. He’s the most unassuming 6-foot-6 lefthander in the game, and his toughness is underrated. I like a good mystery. Pomeranz is one.
• The worst — Forecasting improvement from Ramirez: Among the myths promoted late last year, arguably the biggest one is that the Red Sox are expecting a return to second-half 2016 form from Ramirez, the designated hitter/first baseman. Why is that? Ramirez’ peak came with the Marlins in 2007-2010 when he was age 23-26. He averaged 27 home runs a season with a .925 OPS. In the seven seasons since, he has averaged 20 home runs a season with an .802 OPS. In 2016, at age 32, he bumped up his production to 30 home runs and a .866 OPS ... and then last year, he dropped to 23 homers and a .750 OPS. Over his last three campaigns with the Red Sox, Ramirez has been a .457 slugger with a .785 OPS. He’ll be 34 years old next season and had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in the offseason. Where’s the optimism coming from? Or better yet, why would the Red Sox think this kind of production from their first baseman or DH is acceptable?
• The best — BFF’s: Andrew Benintendi and Brock Holt
Their bromance, unabashedly playing out on social media, is heartwarming.
• The worst — Tearing down Xander Bogaerts: So apparently he’s not Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor or Corey Seager. Still, those impatient with the progression of the 25-yearold shortstop, who, due to injury, essentially hit one-handed for too much of last season, need to focus their energies on more worthy subjects.