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Boston Red Sox: Biggest disappointments of 2016 season

By Sean Penney

Apr 9, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) throws his helmet away after being forced out at second base in the seventh inning against Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) throws his helmet away after being forced out at second base in the seventh inning against Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Boston Red Sox went from worst-to-first in a competitive AL East, but not every member of the roster had what we can consider a successful season.

Aug 25, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 25, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

A three-game sweep in the American League Division Series was a brutal ending to an otherwise promising season for the Boston Red Sox.

Any season that doesn’t end with a championship parade is considered a failure in this city, but when viewed through a realistic perspective there are many reasons to consider 2016 a success. The Red Sox bounced back from consecutive last place finishes to reclaim the AL East title and return to the postseason for the first time since 2013. They added several new pieces to improve the roster and saw several breakout performances from budding stars. While this falls short of the ultimate goal, this franchise is clearly trending in the right direction.

That being said, losing in the postseason wasn’t the only aspect in which the Red Sox fell short of expectations. There were a number of disappointments on this roster that Boston managed to win in spite of.

No, I’m not talking about David Price. Many are disappointed in the prized free agent for failing to live up to his “ace” reputation, but if you look beyond his 3.99 ERA you’ll find that he was still among the best pitchers in the league. You may still think he’s overpaid and his one start in the postseason clearly didn’t go well, but he’s hardly a bust.

Instead we are going to look at players that performed well below expectations, as well as some that were expected to be key pieces to the puzzle that ultimately contributed next to nothing.

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