Spring training is kicking into high gear, with pitchers and catchers reported and the rest of the players streaming in daily. One of the great things is Alex Cora’s regular press conferences. Today he had some things to say about changes for Dustin Pedroia, among other things:
Alex Cora meets with the press at Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers
Still The Laser Show
The money quote comes around the 4:30 mark. When asked about Dustin Pedroia this was his answer:
“He’s in Tom Brady mode…He’s been doing it since 2006, so nothing’s different.”
Alex Cora on Dustin Pedroia
It is Cora’s bond with his players, especially with his former padawan Pedroia, that allow him to know them inside out, and coach them appropriately. Cora kicks off his answer about Pedroia with this positive comment, comparing him with the GOAT, before getting to the heart of the issue.
Slowing Down
Earlier today Pedroia had his opening press conference. And, as Sean McAdam writes, his career is filled with uncertainty.
“I’ve definitely worked pretty hard to get to this point, but I’m taking it one step at a time.”
Dustin Pedroia from Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers FL
Cora laid out the new plan for the hard charging D-Ped:
“He know’s there’s certain days that there’s…no on the field stuff for him”
This is, frankly, a complete sea change on everything to do with Pedroia. This was a guy who would take infield from his knees when his left foot was in a boot in the summer of 2010. A guy who pushed things way too hard and ended up playing only three games in 2018.
Where We’re Going
Cora has said that he’s looking for around 120 games for Pedroia this year. Before this winter, Pedroia would be fighting back, insisting he could play 150. But Alex Cora has the same touch with players coming back from injury that he does when making winning moves in the postseason.
“We talked a little bit two days ago about workload and all that. He understands that for this (Pedroia’s comeback) to happen he has to stay with us.”
Imagine John Farrell trying this. But Cora can lay out a plan, and talk about ‘staying with us’, and have it come across naturally and with authority.
Staying Positive
Cora went on to talk about how things happened last year, and how he feels about how Pedroia handled his lost 2018. This includes going back on the DL on June 2nd when the team was in Houston, after returning on May 25th on the roster move that rocked baseball, Hanley Ramirez being designated for assignment.
“He did an outstanding job last year. He was honest with us in Houston. When he came back from Arizona (rehab) he was a great teammate, a great leader.”
Alex Cora on Dustin Pedroia’s injury plagued 2018
Cora is telling us how much he believes in ‘Pedey’. There are shades of Terry Francona, and a proud big brother thing going on here, really driving home the family atmosphere that exists in the Red Sox clubhouse.
So where does Alex Cora see this going? After mirroring Pedroia from earlier, talking about taking it day by day, the eventual path to Opening Day on March 28th in Seattle?
“Like I’ve been saying all along, he’ll be leading off for us.”
With Pedroia on board and Cora leading the way, Pedroia has a chance to have his most successful season since 2016. It’s easy to imagine a line-drive single leading off the game, with Mookie and JD Martinez coming up behind him.
Pedroia isn’t full of bluster and proclamations. Alex Cora has his back, and his trust. And with rumors of Machado going to the Yankees, we could be in for as entertaining a summer as we had in 2018, which is pretty incredible.
Red Sox superstar Mookie Betts is coming off an MVP Award for the 2018 season. There have been 11 seasons before Betts’ MVP season in which a Boston Red Sox won the award. Only one of those seasons saw a guy win his second MVP Award.
1912
Tris Speaker won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1912. The award then was not the modern MVP award. From 1911-1914 it was named the Chalmers Award, for the automobile company. However, just like now, baseball writers were the ones who determined the winner. The modern award was started in 1931.
As for Tris Speaker, he batted .383 and led the league in doubles, home runs and on-base percentage in 1912. It was easily his finest season with the Red Sox. However, he did not suffer that big of a drop-off in 1913. Speaker still batted .363 with a .974 OPS. He stole 46 bases and tripled 22 times.
1938
Jimmie Foxx was the recipient of the Red Sox first “modern” MVP Award. Foxx had won two MVP Awards while playing with the Philadelphia Athletics. 1938 was his third season in Boston after being traded.
In 1938, Foxx led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs batted in and walks. His 175 RBI that season is still a franchise record. His 50 home runs remained a franchise record for nearly seven decades, and his 398 total bases was a franchise record for 40 years.
In 1939 he was almost as good, just in less playing time. He upped his batting average to .360 and still led the league in on-base and slugging percentage. His 35 home runs led the league despite him only garnering 467 at-bats. Foxx finished second in the MVP vote that season.
1946
By the time Ted Williams won his first MVP Award in his first year back from war, he had already been robbed of two MVP’s. His lack of MVP’s, all things considered, has largely been attributed to him not getting along with the media members who voted for the awards.
In 1941, he batted .406, yet finished second to Joe DiMaggio for the award. DiMaggio batted .408 during his famous 56 game hit streak, just .002 better than Williams did for the entire season.
In 1942, Williams won the Triple Crown and led the league in just about every conceivable batting statistic. Somehow, he lost out to another Yankee on the Award. Joe Gordon won the award despite trailing in every statistic. His OPS was 237 points lower and he hit half as many home runs. Hmmm.
Williams finally got his due after returning from war. He led the league in on-base and slugging percentage and batted .342 with 38 home runs. As an encore, he led the league in even more categories, again winning the Triple Crown. Yet again, Williams somehow managed to finish second in the MVP vote while winning the Triple Crown. Joe DiMaggio was handed the award despite only hitting .315 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI.
Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox receives his 1946 American League MVP Award from Joe Cashman of the BBWAA. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images)
1949
After a third-place finish in 1948, Williams won his second MVP Award in 49. He led the league in on-base and slugging percentage, home runs, doubles and runs batted in.
In 1950 he was having another great season before breaking his elbow at the All-Star Game after crashing into the outfield wall. Williams only played 89 games that year yet managed to hit 28 home runs and drive home 97 runs. He would have been his typical MVP deserving self had he not broken his elbow.
1958
A Red Sox not named Ted Williams managed to win the MVP before Williams’ playing days were over. Jackie Jensen won the Award in 1958, his fifth season with the Red Sox. Jensen hit 35 home runs and led the league with 122 RBI.
As a follow-up, Jensen again led the league in RBI in 1959 while hitting 28 home runs. He surpassed 100 runs batted in for the fifth time in six seasons with the team, finishing at 97 in the other season. Jensen also had his second 20-20 season with the Red Sox in 1959, stealing 20 bags while being caught just five times.
1967
We all know of Carl Yastrzemski’s 1967 season. He won the Triple Crown and led the Red Sox to the American League pennant that season. It was a career year for Yaz, but how did he finish the following season?
Well, his statistics dropped off quite a lot, but so did a lot of the league in the offensively-challenged 1968 season. In fact, Yaz won the batting title that season with a .301 average. He also led the league in on-base percentage and OPS. The biggest drop-off was his power, falling from 44 home runs in 1967 to 23 in 1968. With it, his RBI and slugging percentage tumbled.
1975
In 1975, Fred Lynn became the first rookie to win the MVP Award. To this day, he is joined only by Ichiro Suzuki, who at 27 was hardly a real rookie. Lynn led the league in doubles, on-base percentage and OPS that rookie season.
In 1976, although Lynn played well, his offense took a noticeable dip. Lynn batted an excellent .314, but with 10 home runs his total was less than half of his rookie season. Lynn also hit 15 less doubles and walked less. So, it was a solid season, but a far cry from his MVP campaign.
Lynn actually was the best player in the league in 1979, arguably his best season. Don Baylor won MVP after leading the league in RBI and making the playoffs. However, the Red Sox actually won three more games than the Angels, yet missed the playoffs. Lynn led the league in batting, on-base percentage and slugging that season while hitting 39 home runs. Somehow, he finished fourth in the voting.
1978
In the midst of a monster three-year stretch, Jim Rice put up his best season in 1978. He won the MVP Award that season and broke Jimmie Foxx’ 40-year-old franchise record for total bases in a season. Rice led the league in hits, home runs, RBI, triples, total bases, slugging and OPS.
Hi follow-up season wasn’t much worse. Rice hit a career high .325 in 1979 and launched 39 home runs. He again led the league in total bases and eclipsed 200 hits for the third season in a row.
Over the three year stretch he batted .320 with a .972 OPS. His average season had 207 base hits, 41 home runs, 12 triples and 128 RBI.
1986
Roger Clemens won the MVP in addition to the Cy Young Award in 1986. He is still the only pitcher in Red Sox history to do so, thanks to Pedro Martinez being robbed of the MVP in 1999. Clemens had a breakout season, leading the league in wins, ERA and WHIP. He struck out a record 20 batters in April of that season, a feat he would match ten years later.
Clemens did not disappoint in 1987. He again led the league in wins and won the Cy Young Award. He was 20-9 that year with a 2.97 ERA and 256 strike outs. His strike outs placed him second to Mark Langston and he finished third in ERA.
1995
Mo Vaughn wasn’t really the best player in the American League in 1995, but he had an excellent season and it led to the MVP Award. The Red Sox won the division title in large part to Mo’s bat. Mo batted .300 that year with 39 home runs and a league leading 126 runs batted in.
Mo was even better in his quest to win back-to-back MVP’s in 1996. Unfortunately, the team didn’t quite measure up. Vaughn had a career high 207 base hits, 44 home runs and 143 runs batted in that season. His batting line was an exquisite .326/.420/.583/1.003. This led to a fifth-place finish in the MVP voting despite the Red Sox third-place finish in the American League East.
2008
Following up his Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, Dustin Pedroia added every other award to his cabinet in 2008, taking home the MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. He led the league with 213 base hits and 54 doubles while playing great defense. His .326 average was tops on the team and he was a near perfect 20-21 on stolen bases.
In 2009 he fell off some, but he pretty much had to. Pedroia still batted .296 with 48 doubles. He stole 20 bases for the second straight season and played his usual stellar defense. His play led to a second straight all-star berth.
2018
Mookie Betts had a phenomenal 2018 season, leading the league in hitting (.346) and slugging (.640). He had a 30-30 season and bashed 48 doubles to boot. On top of it all, he won a Gold Glove for his continued excellence in right field.
So how will Mookie Betts follow up his MVP season? As you can see, most former Red Sox MVP’s only suffered small drop-offs the following season. All of them were still very good the following year. Betts was so good last year he almost has to drop off a little, but not much of one should be expected, and nothing in this history changes that viewpoint.
I was making the rounds on the Red Sox news circuit yesterday when I came to a sudden realization. This is going to be a boring offseason.
Granted, it’s still incredibly early on. The non-tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players (the first major offseason date) is later tonight at 8 pm ET. The Winter Meetings don’t kick off until December 9th. MLB’s hot stove has been relatively cool thus far, outside of a handful of moves ranging from “Indifferent Shrug” to “Okay, That’s Interesting”. Both New York teams have led the charge by shopping at the Great Seattle Mariners Fire Sale of 2018. The Yankees acquired lefty James Paxton on November 20. Meanwhile, the Mets traded for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. The Red Sox, for their part, haven’t really been involved in much of the early action. There haven’t been any rumors of that changing any time soon.
That makes total sense for a 108-win champion coming off of the best season in franchise history. Boston will likely be returning most of the core group that led 2018’s title run. It has already brought back World Series MVP Steve Pearce on a team friendly 1-year deal and restructured/extended Alex Cora’s current deal through 2021. Both moves were no-brainers, and the Sox moved quickly to tie up those loose ends. The Red Sox also took a flyer on 25-year-old reliever Colten Brewer. Beyond that, the only real questions with this roster involve Craig Kimbrel, Nathan Eovaldi, and which of their homegrown core they can lock up long-term.
It’s a change of pace from last year’s eons-long pursuit of JD Martinez. It’s also a far cry from splashy offseasons like 2014 and 2015. I didn’t hear any reports of Dave Dombrowski sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner with Madison Bumgarner like Theo Epstein did with Curt Schilling in 2003. Trying to decide which sub-70 OPS+ catcher to move on isn’t a fun conversation to have on sports talk radio. The minutiae of sussing out a 6th or 7th reliever don’t really move the needle for many fans. There is some intrigue around second base and Dustin Pedroia’s status moving forward. And, while I personally think first base is an area to upgrade, the team seems happy with their Peace/Mitch Moreland platoon.
Winter can be fickle, and Dombrowski has never been shy about making blockbusters happen. Standing pat after a season where nearly everything went right can be risky, too. However, should the Sox choose to mostly shuffle some minor pieces around while keeping most of a championship roster intact, it will be hard to complain. This team doesn’t feel quite as one-hit-wonder-y as 2013, and doesn’t have as many players set to depart as 2004. The best comparison is 2007. That offseason, a strong mix of young, homegrown talent and veteran stars made it easy to roll things over to 2008.
Besides, next offseason looms large. Some key players that are up for extensions in 2019: Moreland, Martinez (player option) Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, and Xander Bogaerts. Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley become unrestricted free agents the following year. It may be best for Boston to keep its books as clean as possible, with that in mind. That is unless they plan on acquiring a player with the intent to replace one of those guys over the long term.
As is always the case, we’ll have no choice to wait and see what happens. But if push comes to shove, I’m fine if the only offseason addition the Red Sox make is another World Series trophy to their display case.
Following up probably the easiest portion of these articles, numbers one through ten comes the third installment in this series of articles. This set of numbers, 11 through 15, won’t be quite so obvious. This grouping, however, does include one retired number and one current player.
Number 11 – Frank Malzone
Frank Malzone was an eight-time All-Star, spending 11 of his 12 seasons in Boston. Malzone made two All-Star Games in both 1959 and 1960, when Major League Baseball temporarily held two per season. Malzone was an excellent fielder, winning three consecutive Gold Gloves to begin his career. He also drove in 103 runners his rookie season, placing second in the Rookie of the Year vote.
During his nine full seasons with the Red Sox, Malzone batted .278 in addition to his All-Star Games and Gold Gloves. He hit 131 home runs during his time in Boston. From 1957-64, he was the cream of the crop at the hot corner. During that time he made eight All-Star Games in eight seasons. His average season was .281 with 16 home runs and 84 runs batted in during that timeframe.
Honorable Mentions: Tim Naehring, Bill Mueller, Clay Buchholz, Dave Stapleton
Number 12 – Ellis Burks
After a brief stint in Pawtucket, Burks came up to the Red Sox in 1987 and put up a 20-20 season as a rookie. He kept putting up results all over the field his entire career. With the Sox, he stole over 20 bases each of his first three seasons. In his first four years, he batted .291 with a .820 OPS. In that fourth season, he made the All-Star Game, won a Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger Award.
Burks’ play fell off his final two seasons in Boston, missing more than half the season in 1992. He battled injuries periodically throughout his career but was stellar when on the field. His biggest competition at the number 12 comes in the form of players who were good fewer years in Boston than he was, although several of them were postseason heroes.
Honorable Mentions: Wes Ferrell, Mark Bellhorn, Todd Walker, Mike Napoli
(Photo by Robert Beck/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Number 13 – John Valentin
John Valentin was an underrated star of the Red Sox in the nineties. Valentin was good both offensively and defensively and was a clutch hitter. During his time in Boston, he turned the tenth unassisted triple play in Major League history, hit for the cycle and posted the highest WAR in the American League in 1995. In the postseason, Valentin batted .347/.407/.639/1.046, hitting five home runs and driving in 19 runs over 72 at-bats.
Unfortunately, Valentin experienced severe knee problems that shortened his career. His knees bothered him in the late-nineties, then he blew out his knee and only played 30 games over his final two seasons with the Red Sox. However, from 1994-97 Valentin averaged 17 home runs and 35 doubles per season while batting .303/.384/.492/.876.
Honorable Mentions: Alex Cora, Hanley Ramirez
John Valentin homers off Roger Clemens in the 1st inning of game 3 of the ALCS in 1999.
Number 14 – Jim Rice
Jim Rice is the lone Hall of Famer in this group and has his number 14 retired by the Red Sox. He was quite possibly the most feared hitter in baseball for a decade. His rookie season he placed 2nd in the Rookie of the Year vote and third in the MVP vote. Things only went up from there.
From 1977-79, Rice put up one of the most dominant three-year stretches baseball has seen. Rice went over 200 hits each of those seasons and led the league in home runs twice. His 406 total bases in 1978 are a franchise record to this day. During that stretch, his average season was .320 with 41 home runs, 128 runs batted in, 207 base hits, 386 total bases, and a .972 OPS. He wasn’t all home runs as you can see by his hit total and the fact he hit 36 triples in those three seasons.
After a few good seasons, Rice had another monster season left in him in 1984. That year he led the league with 39 home runs and 126 runs batted in. His final top five MVP finish came in 1986 when he placed in third. In addition to his 1978 MVP Award, this was Rice’s fifth top-five MVP finish. His career tailed off in a hurry after that 86 season or he would have made the Hall of Fame much sooner. He still finished with nearly 2500 lifetime hits and a .298 batting average.
Number 15 – Dustin Pedroia
Who else at number 15 but our beloved leader at the keystone position. Pedroia has fallen on hard times lately with his knee problems, but he has had a wonderful career. Defying the odds of his small stature, Pedroia has won a Rookie of the Year, an MVP Award, a Silver Slugger, four Gold Gloves and made four all-star teams.
Pedroia followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign by leading the league in hits, runs scored and doubles in 2008. He even added some home run pop to his repertoire, hitting 17 out that season. In 2010 he was on pace for 20 when he broke his leg with a foul ball. He followed through on that pace the next season, smashing 21 “lasers” over the fence.
In his career, Pedroia has averaged 194 base hits per 162 games played. He is a career .300 hitter with extra-base power. In addition to that, he is a team leader and one of the best fielding second basemen in the game. Pedroia has never made more than seven errors in any season. The only season his fielding percentage dipped below .990 was when he was a September call-up in 2006; remarkable.
Honorable Mentions: Joe Dobson, Kevin Millar, Dennis Lamp, Earl Webb
When last we gazed on the 2018 Red Sox, the view was majestic. But the 2018 season is over, and second base is a need. Could Marwin Gonzalez meet that need?
On The Roster Now
For over 10 years, Dustin Pedroia was the guardian of second base and the second spot in the batting order for the Red Sox. Before the dark times, before Manny Machado.
But let’s not be too harsh. Machado’s spike and the aftermath, it could be argued, ended with the Sox getting Alex Cora. That’s a great thing!
Pedroia is making a lot of money. He’s on the books for an average of $13.75 million until 2021. And that would be fine if he could play. But the outlook is extremely iffy. He had knee cartilage restoration surgery in late 2017, followed by arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in late July of this year.
I’m not a doctor, I don’t even play one on the Boston Sports Extra website, but because of those knee surgeries, I’m not hopeful for a full recovery.
Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt are the remaining possibilities at second base. But Nunez is a DL stint waiting to happen, while Brock Holt provides limited returns the more he plays.
Look, I love me some Brock Holt, but he’s averaged 89 games a year for the past 3 years. He’s not reliable for a full season.
Can Marwin Gonzalez play 2B?
Gonzalez is what’s known as a super utility player. Think Ben Zobrist. He has played 1B, 2B, SS, and OF for the Astros over the past few years, and done well. His 3-year averages are 140 Games, 28 Doubles, 17 Home Runs, and a .778 OPS.
He has been held back from a set position because of the team he’s been on. The Houston Astros have MVP candidates at Second Base in Jose Altuve, and at Short Stop in Carlos Correa. In his career, Marwin Gonzalez has spent 54% of his time at either Short Stop or Second.
I think Gonzalez can definitely play Second Base, but why would he come to the Sox?
The Alex Cora Connection
Because of Alex Cora. Even the most casual observer could see the difference over a full season and in the playoffs that Alex Cora makes. It’s no mistake his teams have won the World Series two years in a row. And Marwin Gonzalez knows Cora from their time together last year with the Astros.
Even if Pedroia comes back, Holt gets playing time, and somehow Nunez stays healthy, Alex Cora knows how they communicate with the team effectively. Gonzalez’s versatility would be put to cooly efficient use by Cora in those circumstances.
The Cost
MLB Trade Rumors pegs Marwin Gonzalez as the 16th best free agent and estimates he will garner a 4 year, $36 million dollar deal.
These are the types of players I believe the Red Sox will go after because of their substantial payroll. The Luxury Payroll Tax is a complicated matter that will be addressed at a later time. But after all the arbitration numbers for the entire All-Star Outfield, as well as Xander Bogaerts, the Sox will be well into Luxury Tax territory.
Less expensive players like Marwin Gonzalez would go a long way towards solidifying the roster and getting the Red Sox back to the playoffs in 2019.
The Red Sox take on the Houston Astros this weekend in a three game set that many believe is an ALCS preview. There will be plenty to take in at Fenway Park over the next few days. Here’s what I’ll be keeping my eye on:
Aces, Charles, You’re Aces
Aces are often the case when top flight teams face off, and there will be some big time pitching matchups worth tuning in for.
Friday night’s tilt features two of the AL’s best: Gerrit Cole and David Price. Cole was a CY Young favorite earlier this season. In his first 10 starts, he went 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA and a .169 batting average against. However, he’s cooled recently. Since the calendar flipped to August, he’s 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA. Conversely, Price is just hitting his stride. The 2012 AL CY Young award winner has been on fire since the All-Star break. He’s shut down opposing bats to the tune of a 1.62 second-half ERA, with an exquisite 6.14 K/BB ratio over his last 7 starts.
Saturday’s matchup is solid as well, with Houston’s Charlie Morton (13-3, 3.13 ERA) facing off against Eduardo Rodriguez (12-3, 3.34 ERA). Both guys are in the midst of career years, and overcoming recent DL stints. This will be Morton’s first start since August 28th, and Rodriguez’s second start since returning from the DL earlier this month. Of course, we all remember how that first start went:
Buenas noticias para @RedSox Eduardo Rodríguez lució enorme en su primera apertura, luego de salir de la lista de lesionados 12 ponches🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZPwlh1p9dG
As if that wasn’t enough, Sunday features the two of the last three AL CY Young winners. Rick Porcello is looking to rebound from an especially tough stretch; he’s allowed a HR in 10 of his last 13 starts, and has a 5.21 ERA since June 27th. Dallas Keuchel has been Houston’s 4th best starter, though he’d be a #2 or #3 guy on most clubs. He’s been effective all season long, and will be coming off of a 6 inning, 0 earned-run outing against the Twins on Monday.
Even without Chris Sale and Justin Verlander toeing the rubber, both teams have plenty of starting pitching to keep things interesting all weekend.
Mitchy No Bags
On May 25th, the Red Sox DFA’ed Hanley Ramirez. There were plenty of extenuating factors that went into that roster decision, including first-baseman Mitch Moreland‘s red hot start. It made sense at the time. Moreland was hitting .318/.393/.636 with 8 HR in 122 PA, along with his typically stellar defense. He’s since gone into a tailspin. In 75 games since May 26th, Moreland is only slashing .220/.294/.374 with 7 HR. He’s also 1 for his last 18 at bats.
Moreland is a career .252/.318/.440 hitter, and the totality of his 2018 has reflected that larger sample size. However, considering how hard he faltered in the second half of 2017, Sox fans have reason to worry that they won’t get enough out of a key cog come playoff time. If Moreland is going to get hot again, this weekend would be a good time to start.
Old Dogs, Old Tricks
Second base has been a struggle for the Sox this season. They rank 26th in the majors with a 83 wRC+ at that position. Dustin Pedroia‘s consistent offensive output and strong defense (*cough* Nunez *cough*) has been missed.
The good news? A couple of former All-Stars have made their presence felt at that spot recently. Ian Kinsler and Brandon Phillips may be long in the tooth, but they’re contributing in a big way down the stretch.
Kinsler got off to a slow start this season. But, he began to find a rhythm right before the Red Sox acquired him on July 30th. In 21 games for Boston, he’s hit .310/.355./408 with a 106 OPS+. His slick defense has been a major upgrade, too. Kinsler was 4-11 with 5 RBI in the Red Sox sweep of the Braves earlier this week, including a couple of rare (for him) opposite-field gappers.
Brandon Phillips signed a minor league contract in June, and made his Red Sox debut on Wednesday. His impact was, in a word, immediate:
There’s still about a month until the postseason roster shakes out. But these two former All-Stars have tons to offer the Sox in the here and now. We’ll see if they continue to make the most of their opportunities against the reigning world champs.
This weekend is must watch TV for Red Sox fans. The results may not be predicative of what will happen in October, but they will go a long way towards determining who has the upper hand should we see this matchup again.
The 37 year old infielder becomes an asset in multiple ways after being called up on Sunday night.
As Announced Tuesday afternoon, Brandon Phillips will be the first Red Sox player to don the number 0. He has finally got his shot at the major leagues for the first time this season. He claimed the last spot on the 40 man roster. His last major league game was on September 30, 2017 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Against the Oakland Athletics, he went 1-4 with a strikeout. While tearing it up in AAA Pawtucket, what does he bring to the table?
In Pawtucket, he sported a .302 batting average with 4 home runs, 19 runs batted in, with 1 stolen base and 45 hits. During his 38 games with the club. He has been showing us all along that he still has the offensive pop in his bat, and the speed underneath his feet to help move this Red Sox offense along.
While having great experience from his major league career, he can share his words of wisdom to the younger core of infielders this team has. Rafael Devers, Ian Kinsler, Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez, and even Dustin Pedroia can learn a thing or two from Brandon Phillips.
Devers can especially get some inside knowledge of his throwing hiccups. While learning how to overcome these difficulties at such a young age. Pedroia can learn about dealing with consistent injuries. As we all know, Phillips had dealt with several injuries throughout his career as well. He is still playing at a high level at age 37.
His Versatility.
He has played at almost any position in the infield. He knows what each position demands, physically and mentally. His presence has made a nightmare scenario for most teams even worse. It will be interesting to note if he is used as a rest guy for now. As a 162 game season requires the need for a rest day here and there. The toll is heavy.
He comes up the same day Devers is taken off the dl. How will Alex Cora manage this? He said that he is very excited to have a veteran guy like him around. It will be fun to watch moving forward.
While he may be in action as soon as the first game against the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night, it remains to be seen how he will preform in his comeback. As one could only speculate the emotions tied to his first performance back to where he hit his stardom, and became a household name.
With a fair amount of talent currently on the disabled list, how is this team filling the absences? How are these “role players” preforming under the pressure of expectations from Boston fans and media?
In recent weeks the Red Sox have placed numerous everyday players on the disabled list. The versatility of the bench was questioned, and put to the test. How have these players preformed? What will their roles look like once these players come back from injury at full strength?
The starting rotation
It’s no secret that the starting rotation has taken a beating this season. Despite the pile of injuries it seems like they are pitching better than ever. With Cy Young candidate Chris Sale back on the 10 day disabled list with shoulder inflammation, one man has truly risen to the occasion. Haters rejoice to none other than David Price.
Another starting pitcher that seems to have been unnoticed is Eduardo Rodriguez. After being on the dl for a while due to an ankle injury. Rodriguez has finally made a few rehab starts. He made a rehab start against the New Hampshire Fisher cats on Monday. He threw 63 pitches (39 for strikes) in four shutout innings, including 8 strikeouts.
A huge contributor in his absence is Brian Johnson. Although his last start was a rocky one, over his last 7 he sports a 3-1 record, with a 4.01 ERA to go along with 11 walks, 33 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched. While his numbers don’t justify just how well he has performed in the rotation, expect to see him in a Hector Velazquez role once E-rod comes back.
Infield questions??
With Ian Kinsler being reactivated last Friday, the team had some backups in store. Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez have stepped up big this season. Holt is hitting a modest .265 with 3 homers and 32 rbi’s in 86 games this season. in his 52 starts coming at second base, he has zero errors (1 all season). He is the definition of a true utility player. He has been one of the few shining stars in that position with Dustin Pedroia still fighting his nagging knee injury.
The other player who has made contributions at second is Eduardo Nunez. The 31-year-old has played 74 games at the position. With a .257 average, 7 homers, 38 rbi’s Nunez has been consistent this season. While he thrives more in the left side of the field, he has been a good player in the lineup. The team also has guys like Brandon Phillips and Tzu-Wei Lin in the minor leagues waiting for their shot.
Christian Vazquez has been working with Sox legend Jason Veritek while recovering from a pinky injury. In the meantime, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart have played nicely. Leon gets the majority of reps behind the plate. While his offensive numbers are not worth mentioning, his defense stands out. He currently has a catchers ERA of 3.13 in 69 games behind the plate. Along the way he even received a personal endorsement from former CY Young winner Rick Porcello.
Blake Swihart hasn’t seen much time in the majors this season. Most appearances have come from pinch hitting. While he hasn’t been a huge factor this season, he still brings versatility if and when the team calls his name. Truly a team player.
How does this affect the team chemistry moving forward? Will this translate to a deep playoff run? Find out soon!
The Boston Globe reported Wednesday that the Red Sox are planning to activate second baseman Ian Kinsler for tonight’s game against the Rays. It’s a move that, on the surface, doesn’t come as particularly surprising or thought-provoking. After all, Kinsler’s injury was deemed minor when he was placed on the 10-Day DL with a hamstring injury on August 4th.
However, it’s not particularly hard to see why Kinsler is on this Red Sox roster in the first place, or why his return to the lineup is newsworthy. In case you’ve forgotten, Boston has another former All-Star second baseman on this roster, also idling on the disabled list.
Dustin Pedroia has only played three games this season. He’s been sidelined by the same knee injury that limited him to only 105 games last year. He also won’t play again in 2018. But as teammates Mookie Betts and JD Martinez duke it out down the stretch for the AL MVP award, it’s worth remembering that this is the 10 year anniversary of Pedroia’s own MVP season. And what a season that was.
The Numbers
Pedroia followed up his 2007 AL Rookie of the Year campaign by improving in nearly every countable metric. He slashed .326/.376/.493, with an OPS+ of 123. He only hit 17 HRs (second fewest by any non-pitcher MVP this millennium), but he also led the league in runs (118), hits (213), and doubles (54). Pedroia’s 6.3 fWAR was good for second in the AL, only trailing future Red Sox legend Grady Sizemore‘s 7.4 mark. Pedey was especially lethal at Fenway Park (.344/.393/.519/), and somehow managed to hit .298 in two-strike counts. As if that wasn’t enough, he also stole 20 bases in 21 attempts (a 95% success rate).
Captain Clutch
Pedroia’s MVP case was buoyed by his performance in the clutch. In “Late & Close” situations (7th inning or later, batting team leading by one run, tied, or has the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck), he hit .368/.419/.526. In “High Leverage” situations, he had an OPS of 1.007 across 112 plate appearances.
The Woodland, CA native also shone brightest against the best competition. Granted, his .291/.348/.445 slash line against sub-.500 teams was far from mediocre. But against teams .500 or better, Pedroia took it to another level. His .348 BA led all Red Sox regulars. He also had 47 of his 73 extra base hits against winning clubs.
Throw in a Gold Glove award and a Silver Slugger, and it’s no surprise why Pedroia won MVP. He even overcame having fewer HR and RBI than Minnesota’s Justin Morneau, or a lower OPS than teammate Kevin Youkilis. The guy earned it.
The Highlights
Of course, what would an MVP season be without a highlight reel? Pedey certainly made plenty of big time plays in 2008. Thanks to the power of the internet, we have the ability to re-live many of them…
…or at least we should. Unfortunately, 10 years is a decade in internet time too. It turns out it’s not so easy to find random clips of regular season baseball from 2008. MLB.com’s video vault has plethora of inactive links that pop up when you search “Pedroia 2008”, which is none too helpful. A random YouTube user took the time to upload a semi-suspicious amount of videos from that season in glorious 144p quality, which is only slightly less useless.
Maybe the best highlight to come out of 2008? Pedroia’s MLB the Show 09 commercial. It is, in a word, iconic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy9KxVwHcWo
It’s unclear when (or if) we’ll ever see Pedroia man second base in a Red Sox uniform again. But there’s no denying that he’s a Red Sox great, and his masterful 2008 campaign is one major reason why. With the Sox poised to crown another MVP this fall, let’s not forget to show The Laser Show a little love.
The Boston Red Sox in 2018 are a machine. It seems as if they can do no wrong, even though some may point out there are (few) vulnerabilities in this team. However, there is one thing missing from this team, and has been since David Ortiz’s departure. The Red Sox are missing a true voice of leadership. Who could fill the void – Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, or another candidate?
The Red Sox are running rampant on opposing teams. They are young, athletic, and their talent is proving to be almost unmatched every time they step on the diamond. Their inevitable trip into the postseason is backed by having two of the best players in baseball, and a record that is currently seven wins better than the defending World Series champions. A certain presence has always been absent since David Ortiz left and even though the Sox replaced the power presence with JD Martinez, something is still missing. A clubhouse leader is almost as important as anything else; think of it as a 10th position, at times.
Tek: The Last Captain
The last official captain for the Red Sox was the beloved Jason Varitek, who spent his entire career with the club and won two World Series titles in the process. He proudly donned the “C” over his heart on his jersey from the historic 2004 season until his retirement in 2011. He was one of three captains in baseball at the time of the appointment, along with Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko. This is a tradition that Red Sox nation would love to see continued, and this is the perfect time to do exactly that.
Courtesy of the Boston Herald
Looking Ahead
Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are the faces of the team today. This is a new generation of players that will be around for a long time – an untouched core that has been through nearly everything together, comparable to the “Core Four” the Yankees had years ago. Even then, Derek Jeter was appointed captain and took this extra role about as serious as he did his shortstop post.
The shortstop position is seen as the captain of the infield, even by MLB itself. It is the most athletically demanding position and the most pivotal when it comes to calling plays or defensive shifts. Now, I understand that Jason Varitek was a catcher and the catcher may take the role of calling plays or shifts as well. However, with the platoon of Christian Vazquez, Sandy Leon and (as of late) Blake Swihart, there is too much inconsistency in appearances. The captain of the team needs to be someone on the field every game, as long as they are healthy.
Why Not Dustin?
This leads us down another rabbit hole: many people will be saying “Well the team has Dustin Pedroia!” Not so fast, buddy. Dustin Pedroia is the longest tenured player on the Red Sox roster currently, true. However, he has downplayed this role multiple times. Dustin has the mentality of the team having more than one voice, and leading together towards success. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this mentality, but it can’t last forever. This team will eventually go through rough patches, being this season or after. Having a multitude of voices without one to settle the clubhouse could be worrisome.
Dustin Pedroia has even pointed to Xander being the one to bring up the clubhouse’s spirits most of the time.
“I was sitting in the [batting] cage by myself and I was hurting, and Bogey comes in — he’s the happiest kid ever — and he said, ‘Hey, what’s wrong?'” Pedroia said. “I’m like, ‘Man, Bogey, I don’t know if I can. I mean, I’m going to be fine to play, but I hope they throw it right down the middle. You know what I mean? And he goes, ‘Oh man, you’re gonna be fine.’ And I go, ‘Bogey, see that’s what I’m talking about. There are some days when I come in and I need you and we all need each other. So it’s OK to be that guy. Let it come out.’
Bogaerts is the Perfect Candidate
Xander Bogaerts came up late in the 2013 regular season before helping the team win a World Series. He was a breath of fresh air for a team that needed some young, refreshing talent. As far as this core goes, he was second only to Jackie Bradley to come up in the same season. Xander has more of a liking in Boston and a “been there, done that” identity with this club. He’s won a championship, lost in the playoffs, made pivotal plays, and has been on the wrong side of success. As quick as Xander has turned into a young veteran of the club, it’s time to reward him. Being that he is still only 25 years old with 5 years of experience under his belt, he is very relatable to his young teammates.
Mookie, Benintendi and the others can learn a lot about what it’s like to play in a World Series game. Xander is the perfect candidate to impart that knowledge.
