Lean Years Ahead for the Red Sox?
By Bill Smith
Those of you who endured mandatory religious education when younger, may remember Joseph(yes, the one with the technicolor coat). You will recall that his jealous brothers sold him to one of the Pharaohs, as an expression of sibling rivalry taken a step too far. While a captive, Joseph had dreams, when interpreted properly would accurately predict the future. One of those dreams depicted a period of famine and a period of plenty. The Pharaoh acted accordingly and they all lived happily ever after.
After the Winter Meetings, with the virtual inactivity of the Red Sox and the pronouncements coming from those who much be obeyed, if Joseph was around today he would tell them to expect at least one and perhaps two seasons of famine. Ben Cherington has indicated thrift may be in order for the immediate future which ruled out, e.g. the Albert Pujols Sweepstakes in the which winner/loser has to pay him a quarter of a billion dollars, yes, that’s with a B, over the next ten years.
No, by and large,we steered clear of free agent craps, and our activity has shown a desire to be careful of the luxury tax. and stay low. Note the signing of Jesse Carlson to a low risk split contract with an invitation to make the team at spring training. If he doesn’t make , no major financial downside. You will note the absence of any Red Sox activity in that Japanese quagmire involving paying to bid, etc. the likes of which gave us Daisuke Matsuzaka. Ryan Madson and and Andrew Bailey are still out there, as closers. Madson appeared had resigned with the Phillies in a 4 year $44,000,000.00 contract, but somewhere a there was a loop hole which allowed the Phillies to pull the offer and spend that money for Jonathan Papelbon. (Score: Phillies 1, Boras 0) According to street talk, we never even tried to resign Papelbon. If we out wait the competition Bailey and Madson might become practical in the closer equation.
The reasoning of management, upon reflection, is sound. Last year went up in a mushroom shaped cloud, largely because of a malaise of unknown etiology that infected the Red Sox Clubhouse. After all was said and done, and much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, we have a new media savvy, temperamental new Manager, and a new General Manager ( or should I say almost new), and, by and large, the same team. Most of the malcontents are still in place. That cardinal problem must be addressed.
With the core of our team battered by the self immolation of September, it needs to get its act together. Bobby Valentine, capable as he may be, has his work cut out for him. Bringing in a bunch of high priced, arrogant free agents into the team right now would only exacerbate the problem. New clubhouse jealousies, cliques and subsets would form and be mixed with the existing issues making pacific resolution impossible. Free agency has been tried in the past with disaterous results, e.g. John Lackey and Carl Crawford(?) which have tied up much needed funds which could be put to better use. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results. Let’s not add insanity to the list.
The answer comes from rebuilding within the farm system. It worked in the past and it appears to be a sensible resolution to the problems at hand . Ryan Lavarnway is a good example. We have farm teams for a reason, to harvest. Let’s get some of that eager,cheap and talented new blood transfused into the circulation of the home team. This saves money, gives Valentine an opportunity to kick some order/discipline into the existing players and bring in bright eyed youngsters who are used to long bus rides, lousy meals and missed families. If they are not worthy of being with the Pawsox, why do we have them. The main problem with this is time. The Red Sox Nation wants a World Series Championship by Valentine’s Day (please excuse the pun, but it was too obvious to pass up), and this way they are not going to get it this year nor next. Patience is not a virtue in the fens; it is more of a sin. Hair shirts and ashes will be the order of the day
For what I have found digging up the bones of this story, to do otherwise would cripple the team in the long term. Management will just have to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and take one for the team, in the short run. This low ball strategy makes sense, but also please know that those who must be obeyed have acquired new toys,e.g. a soccer team in Liverpool and a substantial interest in a NASCAR team, another financial money pit. A baseball team with a relatively low payroll is more marketable than one with huge luxury tax issues. The Red Sox may be on the block, if not now, in the foreseeable future (Picture Mark Cuban in a Red Sox cap). I say that because the signs are pointing to a present ownership showing pangs of ennui and the presence of problems with no easy resolution. Lay away stores for the coming famine. It’s on the way.
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