Tag Archives: Mookie

BREAKING: Chris Sale is staying with the Boston Red Sox

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One of the Red Sox stars who was facing free agency has now re-upped with the club. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Rick Porcello are still yet to commit their futures to the team, but for now, Chris Sale is staying with Boston. All offseason the discussion has been central to Mookie Betts and his extension. But when Chris Sale said “My phone is on”, in reference to extension talks, Dombrowski knew what he needed to get done.

In the couple months since Sale’s comments, the two sides were working hard on a new contract. Dombrowski gave up a lot to bring Chris Sale to Boston, and wasn’t going to let him just walk away. He was facing free agency at the end of this season, a luxury Sale has never experienced.

Entering 2013, Sale agreed to a deal to buy out his remaining arbitration years. He signed an incredibly team friendly deal of 5 years and 32 million in total. In three seasons with the Red Sox, he’ll have made roughly just 30 million with incentives. This is absolutely nothing relative to how good he’s been since he’s got here, and all the leadership he’s provided (especially in a certain World Series comeback).

Sale Gets Breaded Up:

Which brings us to his new deal, finally paying Chris Sale what he deserves. The deal was agreed upon between the two sides Friday afternoon. It’s a five year deal stretching from 2020, through 2024, with a value around 150 million total. This would make the average annual value about 30 million. Certainly not a bargain, but for one of the top 5 or 10 pitchers in the league, it’s a reasonable price tag.

Questions will be asked about the durability of Sale. Or if the fatigue he’s experienced in cohesion with arm issues will subdue. The hope for the Red Sox is that it does. The hope is that he can put these issues behind him. Also the hope is for him to use his off-speed pitches to help himself become more of a finesse pitcher. With a guy who has faced issues with falling off later in the season, this much money is slightly concerning.

He absolutely has earned every penny of it, and more. But for the Red Sox, this deal is certainly a risk. They now have close to 100 million tied up in four starting pitchers (Sale, Porcello, David Price and Nathan Eovaldi).

What this Means for Boston’s future

The hope is Sale keeping his form and maintaining consistent seasons with an ERA around 3. If this happens for the next few years, this contract will be completely justifiable. Could Sale have tested the open market and/or pushed for a contract with 35+ million a year? Sure he could’ve. He decided to stay faithful to the team that had faith in him, and I think he’s going to reward this team for locking him up. The deal allows the team to still be flexible enough to sign Mookie, and hopefully Xander, while still keeping a huge piece in Sale around.

Does he possibly have a Cy Young in his future? Find out!

Good move Dombrowski, now make Mookie next.

Projecting the Opening Day Roster

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Based off of the quiet offseason Boston has had, many fans may think the transactions may be far from done. It is still possible that Dombrowski goes and resigns Craig Kimbrel, and it’s also possible he cooks up a trade to bring in a reliever. That aside, the roster is all but set. A couple guys are going to be fighting for jobs in March and that will be very interesting to watch. Without further ado, this is the best projection I have for what the 25 man roster might look like on April 9th vs. Toronto.

Catchers (2)

Christian Vazquez, Blake Swihart (starter in bold):

This is a three horse race for two jobs. Somehow Boston went all of 2018 with three catchers on their roster and it never really hurt them. They were never down a utility bat or a pitcher in the bullpen due to having three catchers, so they got away with it. 2019 won’t be the same case. Dombrowski has already said they want to make a move, with any of the three catchers available.

Sandy Leon is likely going to be the odd man out. If the Red Sox don’t find a suitor for him on the trade market, he’ll likely see himself cut before opening day. Personally, I would keep Leon to backup Vazquez (who’s bound to bounce back) and use Swihart as trade bait, but hey that’s just me.

Infielders (7)

Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce, Dustin Pedroia, Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers:

This situation isn’t as cloudy as the one behind the dish. The left side of the infield is locked in. Raffy will look to make strides at third while Xander head into a contract year at short. Dustin Pedroia will start at second, barring any setbacks with his knee. If he isn’t good to go for opening day I would give Brock the nod over Nunez at second. Then we turn to first base where there isn’t one starter, as it’s more of a platoon situation. Mitch Moreland is my projected opening day starter, since Marcus Stroman is likely to start for Toronto and he’s a righty. Steve Pearce is more than capable to hit against righties, but will likely start the season facing mostly left-handed opponents.

Outfielders (3)

Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts:

With J.D. essentially serving as the DH/fourth outfielder, the Red Sox will only carry three natural outfielders on their roster. This was the case in 2018, and worked better than anyone could have imagined. J.D. was able to fill in the outfield at various times to give some of these guys a day off here and there, and will look to do the same in 2019.

The key part for this outfield this season is how they all blossom. Can Mookie Betts repeat his MVP caliber season? Can JBJ find a consistent bat and carry over his success from October? Can Andrew Benintendi take the next step towards being an MVP candidate-type player?

Designated Hitter (1)

J.D. Martinez:

Unfortunately if you came here hoping to see Allen Craig, or Rusney Castillo, you are going to be highly disappointed. The only man for this job is Julio Daniel. Martinez had an MVP level season in 2018, and now has a chance to repeat it in 2019 and possibly opt out after this season. This will be a huge season on many fronts for future salaries for these Red Sox players and for the front office. Seeing if J.D. regresses or not is going to be a huge factor to whether he opts in or opts out following 2019. However, J.D. is the man, has a relentless approach, and is always trying to get better. I think he’s due for more of the same in 2018.

Rotation (5)

Chris Sale, David Price, Nathan Eovaldi, Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez:

The rotation for Boston is five deep. They are loaded and nobody seems to talk about it. Everyone wants to talk about Severino/Paxton/Tanaka in New York or Corbin/Scherzer/Strasburg in Washington. Both sets of trios are certainly worthy of being the best in baseball. As far as the entire rotation goes, Boston might take the cake. Sale, Price and Eovaldi are all legit studs at this point. Price and Eovaldi will likely carry over to 2019 the huge postseasons they had. You know exactly what you’re going to get from Rick Porcello, 190 innings and an ERA around 4. The biggest wild card is Eduardo Rodriguez. If he can finally stay healthy and put together a full season, he could really breakout as an All-Star caliber pitcher in this league.

Rodriguez

Bullpen (7)

Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, Steven Wright, Hector Velazquez, Brian Johnson:

This is the only segment of this article that can still drastically change. Not only are their outside factors still affecting it (Kimbrel, trade, etc.) but there also internal competitions. At least two pitchers who pitched a significant portion of innings in 2018 for Boston could be sent packing after Spring Training, possibly more if another external option joins the club.

Matt Barnes is a lock, and in this scenario, would be my choice for the closer. I’m still hopeful on Kimbrel coming back on a reasonable deal, but for now, Barnes in the ninth. The other locks, Brasier, Hembree, Wright and Johnson. Brasier is the Red Sox second best reliever as of right now. Hembree and Wright both showed their value at times last season, and have earned spots in the bullpen in 2019 barring injury. Brian Johnson is the lefty out in the pen, so I also believe he’s a lock to make this team.

Then we turn to a few names competing for two spots. Workman and Velazquez have the spots in my books, but Tyler Thornburg, Bobby Poyner, and Colten Brewer will also compete for those two jobs. A couple other names I’d keep on eye on, depending on their spring performance, Carson Smith, Marcus Walden, William Cuevas and the kid, Durbin Feltman.

If Craig Kimbrel were to sign, or another reliever was brought in, I believe Workman is the pitcher who gets pumped from this 25 man roster. A lot of things could change on this list, but for the most part this is what the roster is going to look like going into 2019. Looks fairly similar to a roster that didn’t do half bad in 2018.

The Mookie Betts Scenario

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Almost two weeks have passed since the 2018 Boston Red Sox were finally crowned champions of the World. We now have to begin to look towards the future, both short term and long term. Short term, Mookie Betts isn’t going anywhere. His entry level contract runs through 2020, making him eligible to roam free following that season. At that time Betts will be looking ahead to his age 28 season. Which most see as or close to, the prime of one’s athletic ability.

He already has two MVP caliber level seasons in the books. So now is the time to lock up Mookie Betts with an offer he cannot deny. A lot has been made over the past couple winters that Betts isn’t overly eager to discuss a long term deal. The long term is what this Red Sox front office needs to be looking at. Making sure Mookie is here for the long haul, should be close to priority number one this winter.

The Length

Many people point to the Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as reasons to avoid long term deals in today’s day and age. I would be quick to point to you that both of those players were over 30 when they took those contracts. Mookie Betts just turned 26, only 26! It seems obvious to me that if Bryce Harper and Manny Machado have earned 8+ year contracts, than so has Betts. Mookie’s resumé is just as strong, if not stronger than both members of this year’s illustrious free agent class. So why is a ten year deal out of the question for Betts? It shouldn’t be.

Ten years keeps Betts locked up through his age 36 season. This makes him happy as he’s set for basically his entire career, on one, big contract. The Red Sox also will enjoy the benefit of the first six years of that deal being MVP-type seasons from Betts. After that, his defense and his brilliant plate approach will keep him productive. Keeping him as a contributing veteran in the last few years of that deal.

Sox fans may be weary of shelling out a big deal, just because of the injury woes of Dustin Pedroia. If I’m ownership however, I know that Mookie may very likely want to test the waters come free agency time. I would think a ten year deal might change his mind.

The Cash

This topic is a little more wide open than the last. He’s going to get somewhere between eight and eleven years, that’s just a fact. When it comes to the money, and how much per year Betts is going to get, that is up for debate. Some would say the 300-350 million range is fair which is understandable. That is most likely what the Red Sox front office would be pursuing. However, once Harper and Machado secure their bag and get 300+ million, it’s going to inflate what Mookie Betts (and his agent) may think of him. If those guys can get that much, couldn’t Betts fetch 400+?

If I’m GM Dave Dombrowski, I’m starting at 400 million (at 40 a year) and I’m even willing to negotiate. Mookie was such a special player this year, and he’s been showing this culminating over the past few years. Not only have his regular season statistics been great. He’s one of the main guys in that locker room and among the fan favorites on this team. He was clutch in the playoffs and even had a home run to seal the clinching game.

With a new daughter having just arrived, I feel Betts could be allured by the offer of a big, juicy contract. Now is the time to sign Mookie before his value goes up even more. Had the Sox done this after 2016, they probably could’ve locked him up for 200 million or even less over a ten year span. So unless they want to keep waiting to pay more money, they better get on the phone this winter and lock up Mookie Betts.

Which Sox Players are Going to Win Awards?

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The biggest trophy of them all was already captured by the 2018 Red Sox. However, there is still some hardware yet to be determined for members of our World Series team. From the major awards like MVP and Cy Young, to the position based awards like the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, Boston has candidates. They have guys that should be locks to win awards, and they also have dark horses that could end up taking home some of these awards too. For a team that won 108 games, they were bound to have some of the best players in the league. We take a look at who should win each award that has a Sox player in contention.

Gold Glove Award

The Red Sox have players nominated for Gold Gloves at five different positions. Mitch Moreland was solid at first, but I don’t believe he’s going to beat out either Justin Smoak or Matt Olson, who were both superior. Second base is a close race between all three horses, and I actually believe our guy gets it. Ian Kinsler was tied for the American League lead amongst second baseman for defensive runs saved (DRS). He’s also the only one of himself, Jed Lowrie and Rougned Odor to have won an award, which is most likely going to help swing things in his favour.

I believe Andrew Benintendi has a good shot to win in left field, but knocking off Alex Gordon is no easy task. Gordon again was one of the best defenders in baseball, and should pick up another Gold Glove. As much as it feels like Jackie Bradley Jr. may deserve this, or even Mike Trout, it’s going to Adam Engel. He was so impressive with both the eye test and by the metrics, and should win the award. Finally, is Mookie Betts in right field. Mookie Betts is going to win the Gold Glove in right field, take it to the bank, it’s Mookie Betts.

Silver Slugger Award

Finalists have yet to be named for any of the positions, but the Red Sox have some very strong candidates. Let’s start with those who are mortal locks to take home this trophy. J.D. Martinez was one of the best hitters in the entire sport, and trailed only Khris Davis‘ in home runs. Martinez and Davis will go head to head for this award, but J.D. was the better all around hitter by far. That should be enough to take the award home for him.

Mookie Betts has a pretty good chance at taking home an even bigger prize. The Silver Slugger should join the Gold Glove in comfortably being his. Unfortunately for Xander Bogaerts, Francisco Lindor is alive and well in the American League as a shortstop. If it weren’t for Lindor, Xander would likely be snagging another Silver Slugger. He should finish right behind Lindor, as Bogaerts put out arguably the best season of his career.

Cy Young Award

The Red Sox do have a solid candidate for this award as well, Chris Sale. However, even the most biased Red Sox fan could tell you that Sale isn’t going to win this award. Nor does he probably deserve to. Not to diminish his season, as it was one of the best of his already dominant career. He went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA, but shoulder fatigue caused him to miss time down the strecth. The lack of innings will obviously hurt Sale, who is still in search of his first Cy Young. With the seasons that Blake Snell and Justin Verlander posted, it’s going to be tough for this to be Sale’s year of finally overcoming this specific milestone.

MVP

Last, but certainly not least, is the Most Valuable Player. The Red Sox have both a candidate, and a favorite for this award. J.D. Martinez is absolutely a candidate, and has a good chance to finish in the top five. However, as a designated hitter, he’s highly unlikely to win. His offensive numbers were outstanding, but not enough to put him above the likes of Trout, Jose Ramirez or his own teammate. Mookie Betts was oh so close to capturing this award a couple years ago, when Mike Trout snatched it from his hands. This year however, this year is different. Betts was better than Trout in almost every category. Plus, he propelled his team to the best record in the entire league. This award is Mookie’s to lose, and there is no chance that he loses.

Mookie Betts: The Five Tool MVP

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Throughout the history of baseball, only a select handful of men have ever been regarded as a five-tool player. Even fewer were able to provide sustained success. The original example is the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays, and then we go to legends like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, along with the new kids on the block like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. So we turn to this year and the culmination of what has been building for a while for Mookie Betts. We take a brief look at each of his five tools, and how they contribute to one of the most electrifying players in the sport and the clear-cut MVP of 2018.

Speed

Let us start with Betts’ most recent accomplishment, becoming a member of the 30/30 club (30 homers and 30 stolen bags), and being only the second Red Sox player to ever do so. Mookie is never afraid to push the envelope and go first to third on a ground ball. Or to steal a base even when the pitcher and catcher know it’s coming. But after three straight years of 20+ stolen bases, he was finally able to reach the elusive mark of swiping 30. There is no reason to think he’ll slow down either. The speed factor will be a huge part of his game, both at the plate and in the field, for many years to come.

Hitting for Power

For a guy that doesn’t even sniff being six feet tall, Betts still packs a big punch. He’s posted his third straight 20 home run season and this year he’s elevated his power to another level. His league-leading .643 slugging percentage is absolutely insane. It’s over a HUNDRED points higher than any of his previous seasons. He also boasts an average exit velocity of 92.2 mph, which also puts him near the top of the league. The difference is he’s doing it all with a five foot nine frame. Yet he’s still amongst the big boys like Manny Machado and Yoenis Cespedes when it comes to the raw power off the bat.

Image result for mookie betts

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Hitting for Average

This was never going to be an issue for Betts in the Majors. A brilliant hitter all throughout the minor league system, he adjusted to professional pitching real quick. Only once has he posted an average under .290 in his career, and now he’s primed to win the first batting title of his career, with a .346 average going into Thursday night. He’s going to have roughly 800 hits at the culmination of 2018. Setting himself up very nicely (with good health) to have a realistic shot at reaching 3000 hits.

Defense

Buck Showalter said he was the greatest defensive right fielder he’s ever seen, and he’s been around since the 70s, need I say more? Mookie is a lock to win his third straight gold glove, and he’s only made one error out in right. One, single error… all season… which is crazy considering how often the ball is in his hand.

Arm

Last but certainly not least, is the cannon that is also known as Betts’ right arm. Of the five tools, this is the one that can be least supported by statistics. Lucky for you, all you have to do is a turn the television on when the Red Sox are playing. You’ll quickly be able to see for yourself the incredibly amazing throws that Mookie can make. Whether it’s to second, third or even gunning someone down at home, it genuinely looks too easy for Betts. He picks the ball up and next thing you know, the runner is out by five steps. Mookie did, that’s what just happened.

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Call-ups for the Red Sox in 2019

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The minor league season is over for the Red Sox, so the focus turns to next year for the prospects. There were risers and fallers in the system, but some of them could be on the major league team next year. The most likely call-ups are Michael Chavis, Travis Lakins, Durbin Feltman, and Bobby Dalbec.

Michael Chavis

Coming into the year, Chavis was the best prospect in the organization. An 80 game suspension for PEDs set him back, but Chavis raked when he came back. The 23-year old spent the bulk of the year in Double-A Portland and hit .303 with six home runs in 33 games there. The third baseman was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket and hit .273 in just eight games there. When Bobby Dalbec and Chavis were on the same team, Chavis moved to first base. Steve Pearce is a free agent and Mitch Moreland is under contract for next year, so the Red Sox will have to make some decisions with that. Also, moving Rafael Devers, who struggled at third, to first base, has been talked about. This would open the door for Chavis to be the opening day third baseman next year.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, right, poses with shortstop Michael Chavis from Sprayberry Senior High School in Marietta, Ga., at the 2014 MLB baseball draft Thursday, June 5, 2014, in Secaucus, N.J. Chavis was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 26th pick in the first round. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Lakins and Feltman

Travis Lakins got off to a rough start in his Red Sox career, but do not let his 4.42 career ERA fool you. His career was revived when he moved to the bullpen. Lakins was moved to bullpen full time when he was promoted from Portland to Pawtucket and did not disappoint. The righty posted a 1.65 ERA in ten appearances with Pawtucket, picking up two saves.

Durbin Feltman was drafted just a few months ago and has been very impressive already. It only took him four games in which he did not give up a run to be promoted to Greenville. Feltman posted a 2.57 ERA in seven games with Greenville then was promoted to Salem. He was good again in Salem, posting a 2.19 ERA in eleven games. All in all, Feltman had a 1.93 ERA in 22 games this season. The bullpen is obviously the biggest need for the Red Sox, so Feltman and Lakins could be the biggest pieces in the farm system.

 

Bobby Dalbec

Despite having a decent average, Dalbec makes up for that with walks and home runs. His on-base percentage is .361 which is up about 100 points from his .257 average. Dalbec showed his power this year, hitting 32 home runs in just 129 games with Portland and Salem. Dalbec fits today’s game because nobody really cares about hits and it’s all about getting on base and hitting the long ball. As I mentioned, the Red Sox have a hot corner conundrum. If Devers and Chavis are on the roster, Dalbec may have a tough time getting playing time. He has played third base his entire career so the Red Sox would have to change something to get him playing time.

Photo by Peter Aiken

Bottom Line

Right now, the Red Sox have one of the worst farm systems in the league. However, I still believe that they have great potential and are on the rise. Dombrowski has drafted well since he was hired, and some of the 2018 picks are off to a hot start. They have also gotten unlucky because there top three prospects (Chavis, Groome, Casas) were all suspended or injured at some point this season.

Boston Red Sox Sweep the Miami Marlins in a Quick 2 Game Series

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Close Tuesday Win to Start the Series

Tuesday was the highly anticipated end to the Sox’s losing streak, as Eduardo Nunez grounded out to a double play to allow JD Martinez to score the winning run. The tight 8-7 win was tough to watch, as the Sox bullpen was seemingly falling apart. The Red Sox led 4-1 in the 8th when Matt Barnes came to the mound. He proceeded to give up 4 runs, giving he Marlins a 5-4 lead. Heath Hembree entered and gave up one more run before the inning was over. The Sox were quick to tie the game up after Jackie Bradley Jr’s patient at bat. Craig Kimbrel(2.55 ERA) was next up out of the bullpen, and he let up back to back walks and a single by Magneuris Sierra to a knot it up at 7.

Tuesday showed that the bullpen needs work and the team looked forward to having David Price(14-6, 3.50 ERA) take the mound Wednesday night.

“I’m not concerned. I think we need to get better. Walks are getting up there now, a lot of 3-1 counts, a lot of two-strike hits. That’s not good and they know it. That’s something that we’ve been talking about. We trust the stuff, but at the end, we have to execute.” – Alex Cora

“It was pretty amazing that we were able to pull out a win tonight, winning’s a lot more fun than losing.” – Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Seventh Heaven Inning to take the Sweep

Fenway Park felt as though the Sox were playing in Miami last night. With the heat on full blast, the Red Sox came out with a win over the Marlins 14-6. The seventh inning seemed as though it was straight out of a history book. The last time that the Red Sox had an inning like last night was in 2003 against the Miami Marlins. In the 2nd inning Mookie Betts finally hit a home run, after a dry past couple of games. David Price was taken out in the 3rd after getting hit, bringing in Hector Velasquez.

The Sox went into the 7th trailing 5-3, but picked up a whopping 11 hits in the inning. Eduardo Nunez has been hot at the bat and continued to do so on Wednesday. Going through the lineup, Benintendi got the first out, and hit into a double play after a sacrifice bunt in the latter part of the inning. Mookie Betts ended the night a triple shy of another cycle, proving why he is the AL MVP leader.

“That inning, we didn’t hit the ball out of the ballpark, but we ran the bases well.” – Alex Cora

“Hitting is contagious, you see your teammates go out there and put together good at-bats, put you in better spots at the plate, it’s contagious. That inning showed it.” – Brock Holt

“Everyone was just enjoying it, it’s one of those things when you’re passing it back, having fun playing the game.” – Mookie Betts

Up Next

The Red Sox will travel to Chicago for a 4 game series against the White Sox. Porcello, Eovaldi, Rodriguez, and Johnson will be the starting pitchers for the Red Sox. Eduardo Rodriguez will make his first start after being on the DL and rehabbing in the minors.

Sources

MLB

NESN

Statcast

Five Red Sox Named To All-Star Roster

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Boston Will Have Five of its Players Heading to D.C.

On Sunday night, the MLB revealed the AL and NL rosters for the All-Star Game. The Red Sox tied with the Indians and Astros for most players on the AL roster. The game takes place on Tuesday, July 17th, at the home ballpark of the Washington Nationals.

The All Stars

This year’s crew is headlined by Mookie Betts and JD Martinez, who will both be starting in the game. Betts, making his third appearance in the Midsummer Classic, was an obvious lock for a starting spot. He currently is leading the entire MLB in batting average (.342). He’s also third in the AL in WAR (5.4). Martinez was another clear-cut choice as he prepares to make his second appearance. He leads both leagues in both homers (27) and RBIs (74).

The remaining Red Sox who made the team are Mitch Moreland, Chris Sale, and Craig Kimbrel. Moreland will be making his first appearance in the All-Star game this year. He’s having a great year for the Sox and made the team as a reserve at first base. Sale and Kimbrel will both represent the American League pitching staff. Sale will make his seventh appearance, having thus far pitched his way to the fourth-best ERA (2.36) and second-highest amount of strikeouts (176) in the AL. Kimbrel, also playing in the game for the seventh time, is second in the majors with 27 saves.

AL All-Star Final Vote-Vote for Benintendi!

This year, there is one remaining roster spot for fans to vote in one last player. For the AL, the candidates are Andrelton Simmons, Giancarlo Stanton, Jean Segura, Eddie Rosario, and Boston’s own Andrew Benintendi. Make sure you vote Benny into the All-Star Game here! Voting ends July 11th at 4:00 p.m. ET. Help the Sox get a sixth All Star!

The Sox are cruising through a great season, and the All-Star selections are just gravy. Though all fans know it isn’t the ultimate goal, it is some great recognition for the chosen players. Congratulations to all of Boston’s players who will no doubt represent the team well in DC!

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Red Sox Take Series Against Toronto

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Tuesday- Porcello vs. Happ

Porcello took the mound for his fifth start against Toronto’s J. A. Happ. Unfortunately, today’s game didn’t end in the Sox’ favor. Rick Porcello pitched another great game ending with a 1.93 ERA. Hanley Ramirez and Rafael Devers both hit singles to get on base. This allowed Eduardo Nuñez to hit and RBI single into left field. With bases loaded, Brock Holt hit to left field, which forced the game into extra innings. The Toronto Blue Jays eventually took the win as Craig Kimbrel let up his first run in the 2018 season.

Wednesday- Rodriguez vs. Sanchez

It was another night of the Mookie Show for the Sox. The Toronto Blue Jays lost 4-3 against the Red Sox Wednesday night. Hitting two homers, one in his first at bat of the game, Mookie smashed the losing streak. In an interview later that night, Alex Cora compared them to the likes of Altuve and Trout. Brock Holt had three hits, to raise his batting average to .327. Eduardo Rodriguez pitched nearly seven innings and only let up six hits. He extended the Red Sox lead to 18-5. It also happened that the Bruins were playing the same day, and there is a large support system coming from the Sox. Both teams are seen often cheering for the others. Tomorrow is Sale day and with the losing streak gone can he add a win under his belt.

“Two good swings. The one to the opposite side of the field, that was great.” – Alex Cora on Mookie Betts

“Good win for us. Good win for the Bruins. Everybody is pulling for them over here. Mookie did his thing… again” -Hanley Ramirez on the win

Thursday – Sale vs. Estrada

J.D. hit the ball to right center to allow three runs with only two outs in the fifth inning. Chris Sale let up a run in the first inning causing Toronto to give Sanchez the run support Sale wanted. With Joe Kelly serving his suspension, Matt Barnes was brought in. With the Sox only leading Toronto by one run in the seventh inning, Barnes struck out Maile, avoiding a run to tie the game. I’m the eighth inning, Toronto was ready to rally and the Sox had to make a great play. Brock Holt had to throw the ball to Moreland at first, to get Grichuk out. Toronto challenged the call, but luckily there was not enough evidence in their favor. Tomorrow Xander Bogaerts with return from the disabled list and Drew Pomeranz will pitch at Fenway for the first time this season.

You know, even when he’s struggling, you think he’s one adjustment away to do damage.” -Alex Cora on J. D. Martinez

“That’s the kind of guy he is. He does some pretty incredible things with that bat, and I’m appreciative of it tonight. ” – Chris Sale on J. D.

Sources

Red Sox Twitter

NESN

Masslive photo J.D. Martinez

J.D. Martinez Is Not the Only Way Boston Can Return to Contention

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I will be the first person to tell you how badly the Red Sox need a bat like J.D. Martinez’s in order to make a deep run in the playoffs. This article isn’t going to back up the opinion that this team, as built, is ready to contend with NYY/WAS/LAD/HOU.

Down Year 2017

All of last season, the void that David Ortiz left in the lineup went unfilled. There was a clear home run surge in the MLB last year, and Boston was left out.

Jackie Bradley Jr. had a season that earned him a spot on Yahoo’s “most overrated players in the MLB” list. Something JBJ looks to use as motivation to get back on track this season: 

Xander Bogaerts was snuffed by a lingering hand injury last year. One that even he says he probably shouldn’t have played through. On regaining some pop after recovering from his hand injury, Bogaerts said, “I’m not saying I’m going out and hitting 60 like Stanton or something, but I can definitely go out there and put up the same numbers as ‘16, maybe a little bit better”. In 2016, the season Xander is referring to, he smacked 21 home runs.

Hanley Ramirez was battling a shoulder injury from right out the gate last season. In an interview, Hanley said that he plans on playing another ‘10 years’ and sees himself returning to ‘Miami Hanley’ this year.

After being an A.L. MVP candidate in 2016, Betts batted .318 with 31 HR and 113 RBI. He as well found himself slumping (by his standards) in 2017 where he batted .264 and had less home runs and RBI’s.

In the Red Sox first season without their locker room leader and best slugger in the middle of the lineup, four other key parts of their lineup found themselves in down years… Boston still managed to win 93 games.

As it stands right now, Boston is still the favorite to sign J.D. Martinez. If Boston snags J.D., and gets bounce-back seasons from at least three of the four guys listed above, they will have submitted themselves back into the World Series discussion.

Alternative to J.D. Martinez

Let’s say that Arizona ends up bringing back J.D. Martinez.

The reaction to spring training thus far has been less than enthusiastic for most Red Sox fans. People have already mailed in the season because the Bronx got Stanton.

This Red Sox roster is a good one. It may not be a world series contender, but it doesn’t have to be.

They are a wild card team as is, and with good years from Bogaerts/Bradley/Betts, they could potentially snag the division.

Trade Deadline

What I am getting at, is that this roster doesn’t need to add anybody right now. It can wait until the trade deadline. I once wrote an article, here, where I went over every single trade deadline that Dave Dombrowski has been in charge for, and you will see that he has never left a deadline without filling the team’s needs.

If for some reason the Red Sox miss out on Martinez, waiting until the deadline is something that can benefit them. This would give Dombrowski a chance to see the team play this year. By doing so, he can get a better feel for their needs.

Another reason that waiting for the trade deadline may be a good idea is that the impending free agency for next year is loaded. Free agency has a huge impact on the trade deadline. Teams that have players with contracts that are expiring are more willing to move them at the deadline instead of potentially losing them for almost nothing in free agency.

This list of impending free agents that could be dealt at the trade deadline include the likes of Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, and Brian Dozier. All of these players, some for a greater price than others, could be brought in for a playoff run to help this team.

Boston Will Be Fine

Whichever way Boston ends up going, do not give up on this team yet. They managed to win 93 games in a season with a poor manager, locker room drama, and serious lineup slumps. Not to mention they had a down year from their 2016 Cy Young winner, Rick Porcello. Also, Boston lost both Steven Wright and ‘Ace’ David Price to injuries for all if not most of the season.

If J.D. Martinez ends up donning a Red Sox uniform, they will be locked and loaded from game one. If they lose out on J.D Martinez, Boston has the juice to get to the trade deadline, where Dave Dombrowski can load up for a playoff run.