Dustin Pedroia Should Not Play Opening Day

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia had to undergo offseason surgery for a lingering knee injury that limited his production in 2017. Initially, this injury was expected to keep him out for roughly seven months, putting him back in the lineup by late May or early June. However, Pedroia has recently been cleared to start running, and seems to eyeing an Opening Day return. For the sake of the Red Sox, they better hope this doesn’t happen.

Dustin Pedroia Should Not Play Opening Day

The Red Sox will need their longest tenured player, just not in April

Image credit: Boston Herald

Pedroia’s career has been marred by injury for the last few seasons. He’s still one of the best all-around second basemen in baseball when healthy, and his glove is as good as it’s ever been. The problem is keeping him healthy. Since the 2014 season, Pedroia has played in 135, 93, 154, and 105 games out of the possible 162 games. This doesn’t include 2013, when he played 160 games through a painful wrist injury and clearly wasn’t himself.

Pedroia is the best second baseman on the roster by a large margin. Having him available for as many games as possible is crucial to the success of the Red Sox. That’s why it’s important for Pedroia to be smart with his recovery. The longtime Red Sox absolutely loves baseball, and tries to get on the field as quickly as possible. This has led to some problems in the past, such as in 2015.

Old Injury Concerns

Pedroia started 2015 on a tear. After playing through a wrist injury for the better part of two seasons, Pedroia started playing like his old self. In the season opener against Philadelphia, he hit two homers, and it looked like the Pedey of 2008 was back. However, his season hit a road block on June 24^th.

Pedroia suffered a hamstring injury and missed the next sixteen games. The 2015 Red Sox weren’t good, but they still had a chance to pull out a winning season by mid-July. Pedroia tried to rush himself back into the lineup even though he wasn’t close to 100%. He ended aggravating the injury, making only six appearances before going back on the disabled list for the next 42 games. Pedroia wouldn’t return until early September, when the season had long since been a lost cause.

Playing When It Matters Most

The Red Sox will need plays like this near the playoff push

Image credit – CBS Sports

This could be a case of history repeating itself. Pedroia is clearly trying to get back into the lineup as quickly as possible, but it’s on him and the team trainers to do it smartly. It’s much more important to have a 100% healthy Pedroia in September and October than it is to have a 60% Pedroia in April.

This Red Sox team has a lot going for it. They have an enviable starting rotation led by one of the games best pitchers in Chris Sale. They have an incredibly talented young core of players, led by likely MVP candidate Mookie Betts. Barring catastrophe, this team will be playing meaningful games in September and October, and they need to have their longtime second baseman around when that happens.

Cover image courtesy of WEEI.

Scott Boras Denies Reports That JD Martinez Is “Fed up”

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The Martinez Enigma

This whole JD Martinez situation all offseason has been annoying. It’s been weird, maddening, and downright boring. It’s been a lot of things. And another story has been added onto this seemingly never ending run for the power bat the Red Sox are looking for.

Ken Rosenthal wrote a column that JD Martinez is telling people in Miami that he is willing to hold out until he gets the price he wants, which was first reported by FanRag Sports’s Jon Heyman. He is also telling people that he is “fed up with the Red Sox inflexibility and would rather sign with another club”.

Scott Boras then came out and said those reports are false and that Martinez is “pleased” with the process. He also said that he has other offers and they are still negotiating. I’m going with Rosenthal on this one. He doesn’t just come up with random BS to get people to read his articles. JD probably told some folks he’s upset about whats going on and word got out to Rosenthal.

Apparently the only other offer JD Martinez also has is a one year offer from Arizona. But apparently he’s upset with Boston? This makes no sense. I also find it ridiculous that he and Boras are willing to hold out as long as possible to get the deal they want. Let me tell you something: the Red Sox have given you more than enough. I don’t know why Boras told this guy he will be getting $210 million for seven years at the beginning of the offseason. He’s clearly not worth that. Is he great? Absolutely. But not worth north of $200 million.

Don’t forget the fact that the Red Sox have literally given you the best offer out of anyone. Why are you mad at them? Why aren’t you mad at Arizona who is offering 1 year?! or any of the other 28 teams who aren’t even thinking of you. Why aren’t you “fed up” with them?

Money on His Mind

Now whether Rosenthal or Boras is right, there’s no denying the whole process has been ridiculous. The fact that he still hasn’t signed yet is the dumbest thing ever. I don’t know if it’s because Scott Boras and all your buddies were saying what they think you deserve and you think five years and $125 million is some petty offer or what. But you need to get it together. For some reason people got you thinking you’re Mickey Mantle or Barry Bonds. You’re great, but not a legend. At least not yet.

JD is just acting like a spoiled brat in all of this thinking he deserves one thing when he really deserves something else, and Boras is helping him think that way. You also can’t forget the dude is turning 31 this year. We’ve been down this road before. Overpaying someone over 30 is never ideal. Never seems to work out especially at the end.

I’m sure this whole same situation is going on with Eric Hosmer as well, another name you would think has signed by now but has not. Why? Because teams aren’t stupid and don’t want to overpay players.

Boston is Watching

I’ll say this: I really hope if we get JD Martinez. It’s not like we are dragging him here and the only reason he is here is because of the check. He better want to play here. Because just like the pressure Stanton is going to have from going to NYY from Miami, JD will have to face that playing in Boston. And it is not easy. The fans don’t let you get away with things in cities like this. If you come here, please want to be here, because if not, please don’t. Sign that one year Arizona deal for all I care. Dombrowski can figure something else out. I just don’t want the Red Sox and JD Martinez to already be on bad terms before he even plays a single game with this team.

So whether this whole situation is because of Boras, JD, or both, it needs to end soon. And if you sign with Boston, sign with them wanting to win with them and wanting to be here. If you can’t do that, we’ll find someone who does.

Hey Boston Sports Fans, It’s Time to Wake Up

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Since the Patriots’ devastating loss in Super Bowl LII on Sunday, Boston has been in a state of what I like to call “sports grief”. Numerous fans tune out all media and sports radio in order to avoid the heartbreaking reality. However, do not fret Boston- hope for another championship lives on. Allow me to introduce you to the Boston Bruins who are currently playing like the best team in the NHL.

What You Have Missed

It has probably been a bit of time since you last gave the Bruins your full attention. While the Patriots were dominating the sports news cycle, the Bruins have been quietly making a name for themselves. The Bruins are currently trailing the division-leading Lightning by one point with one game in hand. Their 74 points has them placed second in the entire NHL (33-11-8) and they have shown no signs of slowing up. Last night’s 6-1 dismantling of the New York Rangers marked the Bruins 18th win in their past 23 games.

On the second night of a back to back in two cities the Bruins played a complete game against a lackluster Rangers team. Boston is 27-4-4 in its last 35 contests. After back to back road wins the Bruins are a remarkable 10-0-2 in their last twelve road games. They have secured a ridiculous 22 out of 24 points away from the Garden and last lost on the road in early December.

How the Bruins Have Done It

How are the Bruins dominating the sport of hockey you may ask? That is the great part; it’s been a team effort. Defensively the Bruins are a well oiled machine. They allow only 2.31 goals per game, which leads the entire National Hockey League. This outstanding defense has the Bruins second in the NHL in goal differential with a +48.

They are led by Vezina candidate Tuukka Rask, who has been the best goaltender in the NHL for the past two months. Rask has not lost a game in regulation since November 26th and is riding a personal 21 game point streak (19-0-2). Rask is tied for sixth in the NHL in save percentage (.925%) with none other than Anton Khudobin. The Finland native is currently third in the NHL in GAA and tied for sixth in wins with 22. After being benched earlier in the season, Tuukka has responded with a bang leading the Bruins to the top of the NHL standings.

Leadership

Offensively the Bruins have been absolute juggernauts. The Bruins rank fourth in the NHL in goals per game (3.27) and third in the Eastern Conference. Led by the Hart Trophy candidate Patrice Bergeron, who already has 24 goals on the season, and should be on pace to surpass his career high 32 goals. Nothing seems to slow this team down, whether it’s injuries, breaks, or suspensions. Whatever it is the Bruins just steam roll through it. Not many teams could lose their best offensive player to a five game suspension and go 4-1 in that stretch. Somehow someway the Bruins always come out on top and get the job done. They are playing like a true team mainly because of one of the best lead by example players in all of sports in Bergeron.

Relentless Nature

Maybe the stat of the year is the Bruins are 13-10-4 when allowing the opponent to score first. Including winning their past two contest against Detroit and New York where they trailed 1-0 in both games. It gets even crazier when being outshot by the opponent the Bruins are 12-3-4. In one goal games the Bruins have an insane .900 winning percentage (9-1-0). Even though the Bruins have a habit of getting of to slow starts they are still outscoring their opponents 48-39 in the first period. As the game goes on the B’s only get better. In the second and third periods the Bruins are outscoring their opponents 122-77, a plus 44 goal differential. Closing has not been a problem for the young players either. The Bruins have not lost in regulation when they lead after the second period (26-0-2).

The way this team has played the past few months it’s not unrealistic to expect them to win at least two rounds. Mainly because as of right now this team has no weaknesses. Wake up Boston sports fans, because the Boston Bruins are demanding your attention.

Adam Mcquaid’s Return Could Help the Bruins More Than You’d Think

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The issue with being a shut-down defenseman is that they’re often-times underappreciated. Today’s NHL showcases more skill and speed than ever before, and the fans will always be more drawn to the big-name players. This makes the stay-at-home guys even more prone to flying under the radar, but let’s not forget about Adam McQuaid. He was sidelined for three months after breaking his fibula, but the return of the fourth longest tenured Bruin could help the team down the stretch.

McQuaid’s Intangibles

Standing at 6’4- 212lbs, the Cornwall, Prince Edward Island native has always been one to lay the body and protect the front of the net. He’s absolutely tough as nails and has racked up 51 fights at the NHL level. He can throw hands with just about anybody in the league, and it shows in his record.

According to www.hockeyfights.com, he’s a career 49-9-20 between his time in the OHL, AHL, and NHL. The fans also love that he never wastes time getting in the punches. With fighting gradually becoming less and less prevalent we often see two guys square up, latch on, and tap out after 15 seconds of nothing. McQuaid’s more into the run and gun approach, and the second he’s toe to toe the hands are flying. Some of his more notable take downs even include guys like Matt Martin, Nikita Zadorov, and John Scott. Having the willingness to scrap heavyweights like this is respectable enough, but having the ability to come out on top is beyond impressive.

Playstyle

Although McQuaid’s style of play is centered around toughness and physicality he’s also proven his defensive worth. His career plus-60 rating is highlighted by his efforts during the Bruins Stanley cup winning season. He finished his rookie season as a plus-30 and was a pleasant surprise throughout the cup run. His career rating is even more impressive considering that he isn’t out on the ice for many goals for, emphasizing how little he is on for goals against. Coach Bruce Cassidy describes him as “a hard-nosed defensive defenseman who can make a good first-pass decision”.

Cassidy continued to mention McQuaid’s presence in the locker room, adding that “he’s a great guy. His teammates all love him (and) he’s a big part of our identity”. Fellow defenseman Kevan Miller has also praised McQuaid’s company in the locker-room. “He’s just a great person, but an even better teammate” Miller says. “He’ll block a shot and do anything for the team”.

Oct 5, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid (54) attempts to block a shot by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith (2) during the second period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Penalty Kill

He’s also been a key piece of the Bruins’ penalty kill throughout his entire career. The best penalty killers are usually those who exhibit the most tenacity and fearlessness, which is right up McQuaid’s alley. This led to his broken fibula after being on the receiving end of a Ben Hutton slap-shot. But McQuaid isn’t going to change his game. “I don’t see anything changing”, he said. “I can choose between getting hurt every once in a while and missing some time, or playing a different style and probably not playing at all”.

McQuaid’s game does have its flaws. He’s most effective when he keeps things simple, and at times he tries to do too much. This has led to some costly turnovers over the years, leaving fans frustrated. He also won’t produce much offense, with a career high of just 15 points. But I’ve said throughout the year that the Bruins are winning because of their combination of skill and toughness. McQuaid’s return will only add to that. He’s a perfect second or third pair defenseman who will do anything for the team. He’ll eat up 18 minutes a night and will continue to be reliable on the penalty-kill. Just his mentality and veteran presence alone should help the Bruins down the stretch.

Cover image courtesy of CBS Boston.

Red Sox Should Stay Away from J.D Martinez

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Now that the Patriots’ season is over (long sigh), fans will quickly turn their attention to the other Boston teams. The Red Sox won 93 games last year, but they were knocked out in the divisional round. So far they have not done anything noteworthy this offseason to improve the team. One option is former Tigers and Diamondbacks slugger JD Martinez. Last year, Martinez had a career year with 45 home runs, 104 RBI, and he is a free agent. One of the teams with interest is the Red Sox. The Red Sox SHOULD NOT sign Martinez for three reasons:

Money and Production

According to Jerry Carasnick, Martinez’ agent, Scott Boras is looking for $200 million. The Red Sox have already wasted money on players such as Pablo Sandavol, who was cut last year. Rusney Castillo has been a bust since he came over from Cuba. Hanley Ramirez who has been okay, but not living up to his contract. They have a big payroll, but bad decisions cannot be made if they want to contend. You cannot win with players not living up to their potential. Also, they are reportedly unwilling to go over the luxury tax. Martinez is 30 years old so his production will go down by year, and he struggles with injuries. Martinez was the second best hitter in Detroit behind Miguel Cabrera and in Arizona behind Paul Goldschmidt. The Red Sox did not replace David Ortiz’ power, leadership, and ratings/marketing, and Martinez is not the guy.

Might Not Be the Year of the Red Sox

The Red Sox should wait another year. They already missed out on Giancarlo Stanton, who was regarded as the top need for the Red Sox. The list of free agents in 2019 include Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Charlie Blackmon, and Josh Donaldson. These players will cost more than Martinez, but they are more talented and younger players worth waiting for. Many fans in Boston are spoiled and have a win-now mentality because of all the winning this century, but the Red Sox are better off waiting considering it is going to be hard to beat the Yankees this year anyway.

Is He That Good?

Do they really need Martinez? JD Martinez is a great player, but he is not good enough to make them better than the Yankees, Astros, or Indians. Is spending all that money really worth it, considering 2018 might not be Boston’s year anyway? If David Price opts out and the Red Sox can find a way to clear some more money, then the Red Sox can sign big free agents next offseason. Young stars such as Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr., will not be due for a big payday yet.

If the Red Sox can get their offense from 2016 back, and the pitching staff is as good as it was last year then they will be legitimate contenders. Not having Martinez should not be a problem because they led the league in runs in 2016, and the pitching staff ranked fourth in 2017. Their roster has not changed that much since 2016, and the Red Sox could win the world series if new manager Alex Cora puts all the pieces into the puzzle the right way.

Cover image courtesy of MassLive.com

Celtics’ Youth on Fire: Can They Sustain the Flame?

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We already began to see the emergence of the Celtics’ youth in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown early on this season. Then Rozier and Smart added some fuel to the fire, with Rozier carrying it into his three starts at point guard. But during that three-game span without Irving and others, the young Celtics really got a chance to show everyone what they could do.

Banged Up and Short-handed

The Celtics had to go three games without some key players:

Kyrie Irving sat out all three games with a sore quad; he probably could have played against the Trailblazers but with Toronto right after, pretty sure the plan was to conserve energy.
Marcus Smart continues to sit out with a self-inflicted hand injury. I heard the stitches are out, but they are being cautious.
Marcus Morris had a nasty fall against the Knicks. He missed the next two games with a sore hip.
Shane Larkin sat out with a sore knee and wasn’t available for the Hawks and Trailblazer games.

Although they only had to face the Knicks, Hawks and Trailblazers, the Cs had fans worried about how the games would play out.

Developing Celtics’ Youth: How are They Doing It?

Time and time again, the Cs youth had been inconsistent with their efforts on both sides of the ball. But this time, they proved that they can hold their own. They went 3-0 in those games, and here’s my take on how:

building up minutes : It used to frustrate me that coach didn’t play the young guys more, but now I’m seeing the bigger picture. I’ve compared it to teaching someone how to ride a bike. The minimal minutes to start out are the training wheels — but Brad Stevens has finally removed them. The guys are adapting to the pace, gaining more awareness and building confidence —10-20 minutes at a time.
coaching : Stevens is so good at helping his guys utilize their strengths. Nader and Ojeleye can knock down the perimeter shots when encouraged; Theis can get the basket if he’s fed the ball in the paint; Tatum is encouraged to use his length and athleticism not just on offense, but on defense as well. Brad’s expectations for his guys are realistic, which takes the pressure off. A lot of rookies in the league don’t have that luxury.
leadership/confidence : the youth on this team knows how fortunate they are to be able to play with (young) vets like Irving and Horford. They also know how fortunate they are to play for Brad, who is quite young and probably easier to communicate with. But in general, having the supportive foundation that they have really helps. If you watch, you can see that these guys play hard for each other. The trust and confidence they have in one another makes it easier to handle business on the court. Why do you think they’re still rated #1 in defensive efficiency?

Other people may have more technical explanations for this emergence of the Celtics’ youth. But really, sometimes it’s just that simple.

Cover image courtesy of MassLive.com

The Best Catchers in Baseball Long-Term

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Lists have been circulating for the top 10 players at each position “right now”. Personally, I like to look at things with more of a long-term view. My lists factor in age and don’t just focus on the 2018 season. I take a look at it in more of a, “who would I draft if I were starting a team from scratch”, sort of way. So someone like Yadier Molina, who is a borderline future Hall of Famer, would have a very difficult time making the list at the age of 35. I also do not factor Minor Leaguers into the equation, so Francisco Mejia will have to wait his turn.

1. Buster Posey

Buster Posey remains in the top spot for me, although barely. I had a long debate with myself over this top spot. At 30 years old, Posey isn’t a young chicken anymore, but he is far from old. There are a couple young bucks knocking on his door, ultimately defense led me to keep him atop his throne. The two young catchers making a case for the top spot have troubles behind the dish currently, whereas Posey is a strong defender.

Posey has batted .300 five times in his career, and in three of the past four seasons. His home run power has been declining, but he still knows how to spray the ball all over the yard. I also expect to see a slight rebound in his power as he is too good to finish with just 12-14 home runs again. For his career, Posey has batted .308 while averaging 20 homers per 162 games played. He has an .850 career OPS and is coming off a season in which he produced the second highest batting average and on-base percentage of his career.

The Giants like to play Posey at first base some to save his knees and keep him fresher, and I think it would be smart of them to continue to do that more now that he is in his thirties. Ultimately, I think Posey will move off catcher in a couple of years and continue to be a good hitter for years to come.

2. Willson Contreras

Contreras is the youngster I most debated with moving into the top spot. Looking into his defense though, I found he has plenty of work to do to become the all-around catcher Buster Posey is. Contreras has made 19 errors and allowed 13 passed balls in 165 games at catcher. His 13 errors last season tied for the most at the position. Contreras does have a strong arm though and still plenty young to improve on defense.

At the plate, Contreras is already showing a lot. After debuting on top prospects list before the 2016 season, Contreras raked at AAA Iowa to the tune of a .353 average and 1.035 OPS. Since getting the call-up midseason, Contreras has batted .278 with 33 home runs and an .851 OPS in 629 Major League at-bats. Not too shabby for a guy just starting out. His 21 home runs last season came in just 377 at-bats. With regular playing time, Contreras looks like a catcher who can hit above .280 with 25-30 home runs. With some improvement on the defensive side of things and I might just change my mind about that top spot.

3. Gary Sanchez

Sanchez is, admittedly, a lot better than I ever thought he’d be. He has put up much better numbers at the Major League level than he ever did in the minors. Strange how all the Yankees players seem to go from mediocre minor leaguers to stars in the Majors. Sanchez did make the top 100 of prospects lists many times however, and here he is following up on that promise. After destroying the baseball following his call-up two seasons ago, Sanchez batted .278 while homering 33 times last year. His .876 OPS was tops at the position, edging out Posey and Contreras. Sanchez appears to be a perennial 30 home run threat.

The reason Sanchez comes in at third on my list is his defense. Quite frankly, Sanchez has no business even being a catcher. It seemed like every time I watched him play last year he was dropping at least one pitch every game. His 13 errors last season tied him for the Major League lead, as did his 16 passed balls. Leading just one category is bad enough, but both? Just give the man a bat and sit him on the bench at all other times.

4. Salvador Perez

It seems like Perez has been around a while, yet he is still only 27. Perez comes in 4th on this list due to his great defense and his power bat. He never walks, leading him to an on-base percentage under .300 four years running. However, he has homered over 20 times in each of the last three, topping out at 27 last season. This power still led him to the 5th highest OPS at the position last year among guys with 400 plate appearances. I’ve also always gotten the feeling his bat would perform a little better if Ned Yost would give him a few more days off. Perez seems to play catcher more than anyone else year in and year out, and his bat typically fades in the second half.

Perez is thought very highly for his ability to handle a pitching staff. He also is very good at blocking balls in the dirt and at throwing out runners. As such, he had won four straight Gold Gloves before last season. He also has made the same amount of errors over the last three years combined as the two catchers above him on this list made last season alone. It took him four years to compile the amount of passed balls Sanchez did last year.

5. J.T. Realmuto

Realmuto, despite being in the league for half as long as Perez, turns 27 before the season starts. He is perhaps the fastest catcher in baseball, using that speed to steal 28 bases over the last three seasons. He also is a pretty decent hitter, hitting .303 in 2016. His average dropped to a still respectable .278 last season, but he added more power, hitting 17 home runs. His .783 OPS was just a little behind Perez.

His defense needs a little work, as he has made 22 errors and allowed 28 passed balls over his three seasons in the bigs. His defense isn’t so bad that he might get moved to a different position, but he has some work to put in before moving up the list.

6. Welington Castillo

Castillo has been perennially underrated the past few seasons. He has a power bat, for the position, and a strong throwing arm. Castillo broke out in 2015 after joining the Diamondbacks, hitting 17 home runs over just 274 at-bats. He was decent again in 2016 before setting some personal bests last season. Castillo hit a career high 20 home runs in only 341 at-bats. He batted .282 with a .490 slugging percentage and .813 OPS. Behind the plate, Castillo led the league by throwing out 49% of would be base stealers. At 30 years old and not a lot of innings on his legs, Castillo should remain a solid contributor for a few more years.

Welington Castillo watches a home run sail.

7. Mike Zunino

Zunino was drafted third overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2012. He tore up minor league pitching the rest of that season and was ranked by Baseball America as the 13th best prospect in baseball. The Mariners rushed him to the Majors the next season and Zunino wasn’t ready. Not given the proper time to develop, Zunino hasn’t been the player he was supposed to be. Before last season he was a .195 career hitter at the Major League level.

Early last season was much the same for Zunino, as he was batting .167 when he got sent to the minors in early May. Something clicked for Zunino after a second call-up though. Starting in June, Zunino batted .272 the rest of the way with 24 home runs. He had a stellar .582 slugging percentage and .936 OPS during that time, numbers that would even surpass Gary Sanchez. So the question is, which Zunino will we see moving forward? Will he revert back to the hitter he was before last season, or will the improvements take permanent hold?

Mariners catcher Mike Zunino hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Astros.

8. Austin Barnes

Barnes is a name not many people knew until the postseason last year. Barnes entered last year with a total of 61 career at-bats. He earned more and more playing time as last season progressed before ultimately usurping Yasmani Grandal for the starting catcher role. Barnes had batted .289 with 8 home runs and a stellar .408/.486/.895 slash line on the season. He then played in 15 games in the playoffs as opposed to just four for Grandal. There is precedence for Barnes’ hitting, as he was a career .299 hitter with a .388 on-base percentage during his minor league career.

9. Christian Vazquez

Red Sox fans have heard about Vazquez’ defense and amazing arm for years now. We finally got a chance to see it on a regular basis last year. Vazquez was the Red Sox main catcher and threw out 42% of attempted base stealers. This was right in line with his 43% in his career. He does have some work to do with blocking pitches, but I have little doubt the rest of his game behind the plate will improve.

Vazquez has always been good at getting his bat on the ball, so I thought he could develop into a solid contact hitter with decent averages. I was surprised to see him bat as high as .290 last year though in his first full season. Even if he can’t maintain an average that high moving forward, a contact hitter at catcher who can bat .270 while controlling the running game is a definite asset.

Christian Vazquez hits a walk-off three run homer of Indians closer Cody Allen.

10. Yasmani Grandal

This spot was up for grabs, and I ultimately went with Grandal, who might not even have a starting job this year. A low average hitter, Grandal has historically drawn a lot of walks while hitting for power. Last season though, his walks dropped off quite a bit while he struck out more than ever. This is a concerning development for Grandal fans and made me want to go in another direction. There aren’t a whole lot of options though, and with his power and just 29 years old Grandal still seemed like the choice. He has homered 49 times over the last two seasons.

Grandal is also considered to be an excellent pitch framer. That’s really all he has working for him behind the plate though, as he has led the league in passed balls in three of the past four seasons. His defense tends to be overrated by analytics.

Honorable Mentions:

Wilson Ramos, Yadier Molina, Jonathan Lucroy, Robinson Chirinos, Brian McCann

Featured picture from minorleagueball.com

New England’s Defensive State Ahead of the 2018 Off-Season

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In team sports, you often hear, “You win as a team and you lose as a team”. Rarely will you find a coach or staff that believes otherwise. Bill Belichick and his staff do not sway away from this mentality.

With that being said, it may not always be true.

The New England defense allowed over 538 yards on the grandest stage of them all. Philadelphia was an astounding 10-16 on third down conversions, 2-2 on fourth down conversions, and didn’t allow a sack.

This is not to take away from a brilliant performance from the Super Bowl MVP, Nick Foles, but the Patriots defense was non-existent Sunday night.

Aside from Stephon Gilmore, who was virtually lock-down, the Patriots’ secondary got scorched. Jordan Richards looked lost on numerous occasions. One of those included a key third down where he let up a 55-yard play to put the Eagles in scoring position. Eric Rowe allowed over 80-yards in coverage as well as a touchdown while serving as New England’s second corner… We won’t get into that.

If you haven’t figured out how to say goodbye to Malcolm Butler yet, I suggest reading this article.

The defensive-front couldn’t sustain consistent pressure on Nick Foles. Foles wasn’t pressured on play action, three step drops, five step drops, and RPO’s. In other words: HE WAS NEVER PRESSURED.

A combined effort highlighted by LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi rushed for over 160-yards, a touchdown, and six first downs. Blount and Ajayi both gashed the Patriots with carries of over 25-yards.

The Patriots offense, however, was amazing.

Tom Brady, for the second straight Super Bowl, threw for over 500-yards. He tossed three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. All after one of his best targets, Brandin Cooks, left the game due to a head injury early on.

Not counting the 34-second drive to end the first half, Tom Brady led the Patriots on four straight drives of over seventy-five yards or more… each resulting in touchdowns. This strand ended with a beautiful strip-sack by Brandon Graham late in the fourth quarter.

CONCLUSION

After reviewing these points, while it may be a team effort, the defense lost New England the Super Bowl.

While there certainly are a few question marks on offense for New England, there is much more to be happy about. Among the uncertainties are Nate Solder, Danny Amendola, and Dion Lewis’ expiring contracts.

While Gronkowski has had his share of injuries, I am calling his bluff on potential retirement. Next season, health providing, the Patriots offense will have Cooks, Gronkowski, Edelman, and Hogan all at once. Also we can’t forget about the return of Malcolm Mitchell. I am not concerned about the offense.

The defense, however, will require much change.

Cornerback

During the Super Bowl, fans got to see a sneak peek of New England’s secondary without Malcolm Butler and no additions. Newsflash: IT WAS ATROCIOUS.

Outside of miscommunication against the Chiefs and Panthers, and poor performances against the Bills once, and the Steelers, Stephon Gilmore was great this season. It now seems clear to all why New England gave him ‘lock-down cornerback’ money.

PFF gave Stephon Gilmore an 89.1 grade for the season, ranking him the 8th best cornerback in the league.

According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, through the entire playoffs, Stephon Gilmore allowed 4-15 completed passes for 55-yards, with 6 pass breakups.

The New England Patriots have their clear-cut #1 cornerback for the future.

Devin McCourty is still playing great ball for New England, and position-mate Duron Harmon has been key as well.

For this last season, both Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon were ranked top-10 out of all free-safeties by Bleacher Report.

Patrick Chung, strong-safety, will also likely be keeping his starting job in New England next season. One could argue that Chung deserved Pro-Bowl honors this year. Chung’s ability to defend tight ends and play at the line of scrimmage makes him vital in New England.

CORNERBACK HELP FROM WITHIN

Cyrus Jones, former second round pick, looks to return from a torn ACL and compete for a job next season. Jones was far from a fan favorite a season ago after muffing multiple punts. The guy damn-near got booed out of Foxborough. Players like Edelman coming to his defense and touting his work ethic shouldn’t go unnoticed. How Bill views Cyrus’ potential could sway the Patriots’ search for a nickel cornerback.

While it may be hard to envision this right now, I would not be all that surprised to see Eric Rowe starting across from Gilmore next season. Most of Rowe’s 2017-2018 season was lost to injuries. Last season, as well as when he was healthy towards the end of this regular season, he looked like the guy to fill Butler’s shoes. There is no denying that Rowe started the Super Bowl on the wrong foot, but he is a good player. Whether he is #2 cornerback material is up to Bill.

The obvious need in this secondary is at the #2 cornerback position. Whether the improvements come from in-house, or not, remains to be seen.

While improvements at the cornerback position will be vital going forward, if the front seven continues to struggle at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the talent level in the secondary won’t matter a bit.

Pass Rush

Looking back, the eight-sack performance against the Tennessee Titans seems to be nothing more than an anomaly. The Patriots’ group of pass-rushers are very young, headlined by the leader of the group, Trey Flowers, and his sidekick, Deatrich Wise. Both having played their college ball at Arkansas, seem to be the head of the pack going forward for New England.

Trey Flowers proved that it is possible to have a good season as a pass rusher with low sack numbers, totaling at 6.5. With that being said, he led the team in that category, which is not close to the number you want your leading sack artist to have.

Things didn’t go as planned with the edge rushers for New England this season. Rob Ninkovich retired shortly before the season started, leaving a hole in leadership and skill level.

Also last off-season, the Patriots acquired former Super Bowl hero, Kony Ealy, from the Panthers. Needless to say, his time in Foxborough was short-lived.

Going into this offseason, there are improvements to be made with the pass rush, some may argue that it is the biggest area of need for New England.

I would expect New England to use one of their three picks in the first two rounds of the draft on pass rush. Whether that be defensive-end, or a 3-4 pass rush linebacker. This unit as a whole has struggled enough to where I wouldn’t be surprised if New England spent a decent penny in free agency to sure it up.

PASS RUSH HELP FROM WITHIN

Also what should be noted is the Patriots’ first draft choice last year, Derek Rivers, missed all of this season with a torn ACL.

Derek Rivers, a pass rush specialist in college, stands at 6-foot-4, 245-pounds. In four college seasons, Rivers compiled a total of 37.5-sacks. Having been the team’s first selection in the draft, expect Rivers to be some much needed help from within.

An obvious addition to multiple phases of the front-seven, is the return of Donta Hightower. Donta is without a doubt one of the NFL’s best all-around linebackers. His ability to play in coverage, manage the defense, and rush the passer was surely missed this season.

The everlasting issue with Hightower is his inability to play a full season. The key with Hightower is to not rely on him so heavily early in the season to give him his rest. Honestly, just hope his injuries come early rather than late, and not season-ending. With hopeful thinking, having Donta Hightower back for the entirety of next season will greatly impact the pass rush.

Linebackers

Continuing on with Dont’a Hightower: His impact on the linebacker core is unmatched. Dont’a takes pressure off of his teammates and does a great job at preventing any confusion. Having Dont’a back would be huge, but relying on his return is not something I recommend.

The Patriots made a great addition when bringing in Marquise Flowers, and the trade for Kyle Van Noy has been a complete success. That said, even with the Pro-Bowl caliber Hightower back, the linebacker position lacks depth. Specifically, they lack athletes at the linebacker position.

Too often, Patrick Chung has to take on a larger role than you would like him to because he is constantly moving down into the box in aid of the unathletic linebackers.

I don’t mean to tug on strings here, but the Patriots are in desperate need of a ‘Jamie Collins’ like linebacker. Someone with the speed to pick up wide receivers over the middle and can keep up with running-backs. The undersized linebacker who moves like a safety is exactly what you should expect the Patriots to be looking for from their first pick, to their last.

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE

Other than maybe the safety position, interior defensive line may be the most solid group on defense. Led by the young defensive tackle out of Texas, Malcom Brown, this group can usually hold its own against most lines.

Again, the return of a healthy Donta Hightower, even though he doesn’t play defensive line, will help this unit immensely. Donta’s ability to line up over the center and coordinate the young defensive linemen like Malcom Brown, Ricky Jean-Francois, and Adam Butler will help their growth. Another key kog in this unity is veteran, Lawrence Guy. Guy came in as a free agent from Baltimore and contributed a large amount over the second half of the season.

Once vital big-man, Alan Branch, was a healthy scratch for the entire playoffs thanks to the emergence of Jean-Francois and the steady play of Guy. I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see him become a cap-casualty.

The most action I expect from this group would be the Patriots picking up Malcom Brown’s fifth-year option. The young guys will continue to grow and improve here.

Whether it be at the #2 or #3 cornerback positions, pass rush, linebacker position… or all of the above: This defense needs to get better. A lot better.

Patrice Bergeron- Fire on Ice

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After losing in a recent game against Anaheim, the Bruins were looking to bounce back. In their next game, they had their chance for redemption when they faced the St Louis Blues. The Bruins are getting into the latter part of the season where every point is crucial. Boston scored three goals-all coming from key veteran players: David Krejci, David Backes, and Patrice Bergeron. In this article, we take a look at one of the league’s most humble player.

THE ART OF THE DRAW

If you want to win a faceoff, you put Patrice Bergeron on the ice. The Boston Bruins centerman led the NHL in faceoff wins with 1,015 in the 2013-14 season, and he’s widely considered one of the best in the league. The finest two-way players in the NHL, Patrice Bergeron is not only methodical in his gameplay, he’s a consummate player. With a team-first attitude, the quiet forward makes a lot of noise on the ice. So much so that Bergeron earned NHL’s Second Star for January. Currently, Bergeron boasts a 57% faceoff win and has 11 goals in his last 14 games played. He also is now first on the Bruins’ roster in goals.

As being part of NHL’s most formidable line, Bergeron just keeps piling up numbers, even without his sidekick, Brad Marchand. With Marchand serving a five-game suspension, Patrice kept the first line productive with himself, David Pastrnak and Danton Heinen. Being with a responsible player like Bergeron has served them well, as both Pastrnak and Heinen scored critical goals. The B’s posted a 4-1 record without Marchand, showing once again how cohesive the black and gold have been. And if you’re wondering just how respected Bergeron is around the league, there’s serious talk about nominating the four-time Selke Winner as the league’s MVP. Not only does he have the backing of the Bruins organization, he has a fan in Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill:

“Bergeron, for me, has probably been the best player in the league for the season up to now…There are others like (Tampa Bay’s Nikita) Kucherov that you could make arguments for, but I think he has had as big an impact on winning as anyone in the league.”

Not only is the future Captain an all-around player, he’s one tough player. And playing against an ill Bergeron doesn’t exactly bode well for any opponent. Ask the Carolina Hurricanes, who had the misfortune of playing against Bergeron; he netted 4 goals in a recent game- an impressive feat considering he wasn’t feeling too well. Back in 2013 during a Stanley Cup playoff run, Bergy played with a separated shoulder, a hole in his lung, and a fractured rib. Most athletes wouldn’t dare play through those type of injuries, yet for someone like Bergy, there’s no questioning his dedication to the sport.

FUTURE CAPTAIN

For every young Bruins player on this years roster, they have found themselves in a somewhat enviable position. Not only do they look to Captain Zdeno Chara’s wisdom from his many years of playing 1400 games to be exact-but they also have Bergeron to look to. Sadly, there will come a time when Chara will hang up his skates, leaving a lasting legacy in Boston. For Patrice Bergeron, becoming the Bruins new Captain would be the natural step, as Chara passes the torch to his successor. For the organization and fans, there could not a better leader than Patrice- tough, smart and classy.

Follow Liz Rizzo on Twitter: @pastagrl88

Truck Day is Finally Here

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Truck Day has Arrived by Olivia Winchenbach

Truck day has come and gone, and that means that baseball season is nearly here. With Spring Training arriving, the Red Sox have yet to come up big in the offseason. Truck Day marks the unofficial start of baseball season for the Red Sox organization. Especially with the quiet offseason, Truck day brings the joy of baseball back. It’s the final send off for the team before the beginning of the season. Spring Training is the first look at the 2018 team. It is the time to create bonds and perfect your craft. This will be new manager Alex Cora’s first time being with the whole team. This could allow insight on the season ahead, and how everyone with perform.

The Wait is Over by Steve Atkinson

It’s that time of year again. Baseball is right around the corner. First it was Truck day on Monday -the day after the Super Bowl- which means Spring Training is coming up. However, the Red Sox have had a quiet offseason doing nothing but watch the Yankees get stronger. It will be interesting to see how the team takes shape this Spring. The biggest team has done this offseason was firing John Farrell and hiring Alex Cora. But Truck Day just shows that good and exciting things are coming for this baseball team. I’m anxious to see how this plays out.

Onto Spring Training

Now, the truck stopped at all affiliated ballparks on the way to Ft. Meyers. Pitchers and catchers arrive in just a few days. Through social media it seems that most of the team has already arrived and are beginning to train. One can only hope the best for this season as the Red Sox have fallen short the past few years. Baseball is in the air, and Sox Nation is ready and waiting.

Article written through the collaboration of @bennybiceps_ and @steveA1127.

Sources

Boston Red Sox

Boston.com