This off-season, the Boston Red Sox need to sign a big-name talent to fill the shoes of David Ortiz.
Over the past few months, we in Red Sox Nation (or at least me and a few people I follow on Twitter) have operated under the assumption that, upon the retirement of David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez will move from first base to designated hitter, Travis Shaw will move from third base to first base, and that prospect Yoan Moncada will take over the hot corner.
The veteran Ramirez will be able to hone in his bat, the Mayor of Ding-Dong City will take up an easier fielding position to focus more on upholding his nickname, and the young Moncada will storm on to the scene with his offensive and defensive prowess.
Sounds great, right? In theory, yes; in reality, perhaps not.
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The flaw in the plan may be Shaw, who, after a strong start to the season, has faltered in recent weeks. After recording a .314 batting average in April, Shaw’s performance at the plate has faltered month after month. In May, he dropped to .275; in June, to .214. Last month, he increased to .246, only to close out the month of August with a season-low: .167.
In his last thirty games, he has recorded a batting average of .197; the last fifteen, .184. In his last thirty games he has gone 16-for-84, recording 10 RBIs, an OPB of .277, and 26 strikeouts.
With the retirement of Ortiz, the Red Sox offense will lose one of, if not their most, important contributor. For a team that relies on run production, the Ortiz void will need to be filled quickly.
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And if his numbers are any indicator, Shaw is not the man to do it. Neither is Hanley. And if you’re counting on Moncada to storm on to the scene and produce-like-Papi, think again.
Long story short, the Red Sox need to pick-up an offensive talent this off-season, as we make the transition to a post-Papi ball club.
Atop the list of potential additions to the Red Sox roster would be Edwin Encarnación of the Toronto Blue Jays. The three-time All Star is the personal choice of David Ortiz, and would be able share DHing and first base responsibilities with Hanley Ramirez.
Another potential signing could be from another Al-East rival: Mark Trumbo of the Baltimore Orioles. Like Encarnación, the DH/first baseman is an offensive powerhouse and two-time All Star.
Next: Tight AL East race down the stretch
No matter what course of action management decides to take, they need to add a bat, whether it be by signing a free agent or trading for a top tier talent.