This off-season for the Red Sox has been an extremely quiet one. After a disappointing season filled with injuries, controversy and a missed playoff berth in 2010, many expected there to be a torrent of activity surrounding top tier free agents in November, but instead, the Sox have made a handful of minor moves that have only left fans scratching their heads. The lastest of the insignifcant moves comes with the announcement that infielder Drew Sutton has been signed. No knock on Sutton, because I’m sure he is a hard working player trying to make the bigs permanently, but his services are going to have little to no impact on the 2011 Boston Red Sox squad.Â
People are getting sick of me rambling on and on about the urgent need for Theo to fill a big hole ASAP. The longer he waits, the less options he will have and the likelihood the Sox will walk into 2011 with a lineup lacking a serious punch increases. As seen this past year, focusing on pitching and defense flopped, because committing errors is a way of life in Boston. The focus needs to be on what the entire rest of the AL East has, power and an intimidating lineup. If the Sox played in the NL, maybe the pitching and defense strategy would work, but not when your top 3 competitors within the division are crushing home runs and driving in 5+ runs each and every night. This is crunch time, because the Sox aren’t looking to add a few complimentary players, but rather an everyday catcher, 3rd baseman and outfielder. Those are not small holes to fill and are positions in high demand around the league thus far into November and as we approach the month of decision, December.
What makes these minor moves hard to understand is the priority and timing, not the players or moves themselves. I understand the value of building up a great farm system and adding depth at all levels, but the money-maker and lifeblood of an organization is in the big leagues. I don’t care how strong the AA Portland Sea Dogs are (no offense), for example, because if the team in Boston is playing poorly, fan support dwindles, television ratings plummet (look at 2010), ticket sales drop-off and income falls, making it more difficult to reinvest big sums into the franchise at all levels. You have to invest money to make money, but if you don’t make money, you have less to invest. It’s a vicious cycle that thankfully the Sox ownership has not had to deal with in quite some time.
The time to act is now and with Thanksgiving a few days away, it may be a prime opportunity for Theo to make a house call or two. He brought in Curt Schilling on Thanksgiving several years ago and before Schilling became a political figure-head standing behind every republican candidate in Massachusetts, he made just a tiny impact on the organization’s success. If the Sox can make another big signing on Turkey Day, it would be a great excuse to feast and pass out on the couch in front of the TV, because we all know we need an excuse to do that. Well, maybe not, but it would be nice. I’m certainly not holding my breath for an announcement in the next week though.
With each passing day, the anxiety builds within the Red Sox nation fan base. An anxiety that only the Sox know how to provide, whether it be on the field, in the locker room or during the off-season. The franchise we all know and love gets a kick out of pushing its fan base to the edge, only to snatch everyone back with 1 or 2 redeeming moves. This year has all the makings of a mad dash to get the best offer on the table at the last minute with hope of landing one of the big names on the market. Intense last-minute negotiations…would the Red Sox have it any other way?
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