Boston Red Sox: Moving forward for 2017
By Rick McNair
Time to place the Red Sox angst and crying towels away in some dark place and look forward to 2017.
The state of the Boston Red Sox is in reality on solid ground despite the recent demise at the hands, gloves, and bats of the Cleveland Indians. The games represented a lesson on the value of pitching. Pitching controls the ebb and flow of a game and Cleveland won based on the fact that their arms outperformed ours at the most important of times.
The Red Sox have some holes to patch, but they will use money, prospects and the semi-positive trading acumen of Dave Dombrowski and Mike Hazen. The patchwork will not be accomplished with a tub of spackle from Lowe’s.
The team finished with 93 wins in arguably the most difficult division in baseball. That number jumps to 98 wins if you place any loyalty to Pythagorean concepts. The Red Sox led the majors in offense and the pitching was surprisingly competent in the second half. A nice turnaround by the staff.
The Red Sox are in an envious position compared to the other residents of the American League East. They have had the fortunate influx of youth and that youth was baseball wise beyond their years. You see the results with the All-Star selections of 2017. So – first off – examine the haven of the young – the Red Sox outfield.