Red Sox alternate history: 2014-15

Nov 25, 2014; Boston, Ma, USA; Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington talks to the media about third baseman Pablo Sandoval (not pictured) during the introductory press conference at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Science fiction is a favorite pastime of mine and one of the most popular genres is alternate history. What would happen if the Civil War was a stalemate? Harry Turtledove has made a fortune off that concept. And the plethora of alternate outcomes from various conflicts or worlds that may have existed if a minor change had taken place.

Baseball fans look and say “only if” when looking at how a player rudely dismissed, not made a free agent offer or rejected in trade suddenly appears in the upper statistical ranks.

In the last few seasons the Red Sox have been victimized by overinflated expectations or hype regarding players either in their system, free agents or on the trading block. So here are a few to mull over. There are many more and each team has their own fan base that sings the siren song of “What if?”

As with all history, it can be interpreted as one wishes to spin it. Revisionist do it and now I join the ranks with a baseball version for 2014. How it could have spun 2015.