Manager not only concern
Surgeries, injuries add uncertainty
The Red Sox need more than a manager. They need a starting pitcher, maybe a second baseman, and a reliable power hitter wouldn’t hurt.
And injuries already are starting to mount with Opening Day a mere five months away.
Lefthanded starter Eduardo Rodriguez underwent right knee surgery yesterday. It was patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, and the Red Sox announced Rodriguez will not return to pitching for approximately six months, meaning he almost certainly will miss the beginning of next season.
Hanley Ramirez also had surgery. His was arthroscopy and debridement of his left shoulder. Ramirez is expected to be ready for the start of next season, but the procedure raises fresh questions about whether he can return to form following a disappointing year.
Lefty reliever Robby Scott also had surgery this month, and second baseman Dustin Pedroia still is weighing his options after seeing a knee specialist last week. That’s to say nothing of lingering uncertainty about pitcher David Price’s troublesome elbow.
Has an advanced medical degree ever been a prerequisite for a major league manager?
Whoever replaces John Farrell can’t possibly know what he’s getting into. The Red Sox finished their season a little more than a week ago with significant questions about what comes next, and their short-term future has only grown more murky with time.
Yesterday was a prime example. It started with Ramirez tweeting about his own surgery, and the team then announcing that Rodriguez had a more serious procedure.
Rodriguez spent more than a month on the disabled list this year because of a right knee subluxation — his kneecap basically came out of place — which has been a recurring injury. His surgery addressed the ligament that helps keep the kneecap in place.
Losing Rodriguez for Opening Day leaves the Sox without their presumptive fifth starter behind Price, Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz and Rick Porcello, assuming, of course, Price’s elbow holds up after landing him on the DL twice this season.
The team could count on knuckleballer Steven Wright to fill the void, but he had his own knee surgery in May. They could give a longer look to lefty Brian Johnson, who pitched well in five spo starts this season. More likely, the Sox will need to address their rotation depth, which seemed thin even before Rodriguez’ surgery.
Don’t forget, that was Doug Fister starting Game 3 of the Division Series.
So, a rotation that grew paper thin this season already has lost a starter for the beginning of next year. And a lineup that lacked home run power just had its most proven home run threat undergo shoulder surgery.
Ramirez experienced offensive decline across the board this season, and his lingering shoulder issues often were a point of blame and concern.
After hitting 30 home runs with a career-high 111 RBI in 2016, Ramirez dipped to 23 homers and 62 RBI and saw his OPS decline more than 100 points. He also started just 17 games at first base. The first two times he played the field, Ramirez had to sit out the next three games because of soreness.
“Hanley’s one of the guys that we look for to have a bigger year for us from an offensive perspective,” team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said last week. “Some of that is going to come from an internal perspective, and then you can look for somebody outside to help you somewhat. But we need to score more runs.”
Scoring more runs has been near the top of the offseason todo list from the very beginning. Now, finding more pitching depth is right up there as well, and depending on what Pedroia decides to do about his knee, second base might also have to be a priority. Dombrowski’s been busy enough as it is. He’s interviewed Astros bench coach Alex Cora and former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus as candidates to replace Farrell, and former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is also believed to be on the short list. NBC Sports Boston reported that Gardenhire will interview today. Dombrowski said there were no interviews yesterday. But finding someone to lead this team on the bench and in the clubhouse is clearly just the beginning. The Red Sox created that void themselves, and their uncertainty has only grown since then.
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NBC Sports Boston reported that the San Diego Padres will interview Red Sox hitting coach Chili Davis for their own hitting coach vacancy. All Red Sox coaches are in a state of uncertainty until the team settles on a manager, and Dombrowski said he’ll let them interview for other opportunities . . . .
Triple-A outfielders Bryce Brentz and Rusney Castillo were named to the International League postseason All-Star team. Brentz hit 30 home runs and could be right-handed option off the bench next year.