The Boston Red Sox have promoted Rafael Devers to Triple-A Pawtucket. Could he be the long-term answer at third base with Pablo Sandoval out of the picture?
It was only a matter of time before the Boston Red Sox finally gave Pablo Sandoval his marching orders. Sandoval was not getting the job done and after an eerily odd ear infection, he found himself on the disabled list again.
The Red Sox had to begin looking at other options. With the Tzu-Wei Lin call up, the Kung Fu-less Panda looked to be beat out. It was just what Dave Dombrowski needed to see in order to finally say enough was enough.
Lin has out performed Sandoval in almost every regard. The home run swing isn’t there quite yet but getting on base has been huge for him. Lin also has the ability to steal and plays stellar defense. It just furthered the case for Lin to be there in the line up instead of Sandoval.
At one point the Red Sox were 8 – 4 with Lin manning the hot corner. He simply made the difference when he was in the every day line up. That kind of success with the Panda never really happened.
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Post-Panda Era
The Sox are still on the hook for over $49 million dollars through the 2019 season but if he works out and does well, perhaps a team might be willing to give him a contract. This contract has gone down as one of the worst free agent signings since Carl Crawford came over to Boston on what was heralded the worst move by the Red Sox in decades.
Dombrowski needs to begin having more faith in his rookies and farm system. The young guys have begun to find their new identity which is the reason for late first half success. Deven Marrero has also played well and has seen his batting average rise from .159 to .225 in less than a month. There is no time to wait and see if players “find themselves”. Sandoval had been given nearly two and a half years to find himself. This counting his sabbatical last season when he went 0/6 in seven at bats including six strike outs.
Devers called up
It was only a matter of time before Rafael Devers got the call to AAA. Devers is someone who has drawn some comparisons to David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre. While Beltre was only in Boston for one season, everyone remembers the impact that Ortiz had on the team. If Devers can lead the team of the future, the Red Sox have a very bright future in store.
Devers figures to be the main third baseman in Pawtucket for the rest of the season. If Devers can cruise through AAA, there’s a slight possibility that Boston calls him up briefly. A taste of the majors might really get him going. If someone were to get injured in Boston, there’s a shot that Boston opens up a spot for him as well.
Next: Red Sox Prospect Update: What happened to Blake Swihart?
Red Sox management will be keeping a close tab on their young third baseman. Let’s just hope that he can roast AAA like he crushed AA.