FORT MYERS, Fla. — I’m old enough to remember when the Red Sox were the Yankees’ great rival.
In a strangely harsh feast-or-famine situation of late, Boston, a four-time champion this century, has somehow fallen to the AL East. Of course, they could become a force again if the historically decorated (but seemingly distracted or disinterested) ownership group starts aiming for wins again.
The group, led by John Henry, has bought the Pittsburgh Penguins and Liverpool Soccer Club and has recently invested billions in golf (but not baseball), so much so that the Red Sox are temporarily on the back burner. There is growing speculation that this may be the case.
One Red Sox official said he believes that and even sees the Red Sox and Liverpool’s fortunes heading in opposite directions. (Meanwhile, team leaders insisted the Red Sox remain a cornerstone franchise in an ever-expanding portfolio.)
Either way, the Red Sox have been sluggish lately, finishing in last place two years in a row and three of the past four years. But the Red Sox, with their nearly limitless resources and notoriously loyal fans, have signed player contracts that seem incremental. Here is a partial overview of the most important moves for players and other players.
1. Hired former pitcher and fellow Yale graduate Craig Breslow to replace fired Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom.
2. Expanded the role of team president Sam Kennedy, perhaps in return for combat pay, since he’s the one always running around to take on the abuse of loyal fans.
3. They brought back Theo Epstein, Kennedy’s Brookline High School teammate. He’s the guy who won the World Series three times and broke the historical curse twice (including theirs in 2004). Yes, it’s a great move, but it’s probably too late to save the season.
4. They implemented a new pitching system and hired the respected Andrew Bailey as their new pitching coach. I wouldn’t say they see him as a savior, but it’s close.
5. They traded veteran star Chris Sale and second base prospect Vaughn Grissom. And as Luck predicted, Sale has been brilliant for the powerhouse Braves, while Grissom has been dealing with hamstring and groin strains and will start the season on the IL.
6. They traded Alex Verdugo to a supposed rival and three young pitchers. Verdugo clashed with some players here, but his main thrust was to supplement a batter-oriented system with pitchers.
7. They traded for former All-Star but unpopular Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neal. O’Neal is currently nursing a calf (but should be fine soon).
8. And after finishing in second place (or lower) for several free agents, including coveted Japanese pitching superstar Yoshinobu Yama (they bid close to $300 million) , which would have been much more expensive), signed right-hander Lucas Giolito. $38 million, two-year contract. This seemed like a safe play since he is known for posting consistent innings pitched (enough to qualify almost every year).
Unfortunately, Giolito has been diagnosed with a torn UCL and is exploring second options before deciding on surgery, which could mean he will miss more than half of his current contract with the Red Sox. .
In the past, the Red Sox might have responded by signing a major free agent. What about former Yankee, postseason hero, Jon Lester-type left-hander Jordan Montgomery? One player in a Red Sox uniform immediately responded to the suggestion: [free agent Blake] Do you both snort?
Red Sox decision-makers had a Zoom call with Montgomery three weeks ago and are said to be continuing to communicate and have conversations. But they seem reluctant to give Montgomery the seven-year deal he’s seeking, and some still believe an innings eater (Michael Lorenzen or Mike Clevinger?) is more likely in the short term. .
It’s not like this team is hopeless. You may just need a boost or two. But will there be another one? We all know that finishing last place for three years in a row is a fait accompli, but there are still some good and wonderful things.
Triston Casas has star potential. Jalen Duran is a basepath terrorist.
Young center fielder Sedan Raffaella may be the real deal. Right-hander Brian Bello, who signed a $55 million, six-year extension Thursday, looks like a star at times.
Trevor Story is wholesome. Coach Alex Cora said the defense is much better, calling Story, who had a plus-8 defensive rating in 43 games last year, a “game changer.” (Kike Hernandez tried to learn shortstop last year.)
Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen give them a strong bullpen back end. Rafael Devers is a great player, especially at bat.
They can hit, they can run, and they can be “nasty,” said Pedro Martinez, a special adviser to the Red Sox and the greatest player of all time.
“We’re moving away from the boom-or-bust model,” Breslow said, offering a possible explanation for the long-term outlook.
Outside of this camp, they seem likely to remain in “collapse” mode. The talk now is how much they all trust each other, as Devers declared upon arriving at camp that “everyone knows what this team needs.”
Devers didn’t say exactly what that entailed, but everyone assumed he meant pitching. Here comes the top of the problem. To get their focus back on baseball, the Red Sox need an ownership group that has won more World Series championships than anyone else this century.
