The Boston Red Sox stand an excellent chance of making the playoffs, yet not all their regular players are locks to make the postseason roster.
The roster that the Boston Red Sox take with them into the postseason won’t be the same as the one they opened the regular season with. That much should be obvious, given that the team has added players through trades and internal promotion who have gone on to become vital to their success.
There are also a handful of players on this team once considered to be key cogs who are no longer locks to make the postseason roster. It would have seemed ridiculous to suggest back in April that any of these players should be left behind while their teammates go to battle on the October stage. A lot can change in six months to change that perception.
This list includes players with All-Star appearances or prestigious season awards on their resumes. They each have great track records but in a “what have you done for me lately” league their disappointing seasons leave us wondering if they would be a liability in the postseason.
Health is always the wild card when constructing a postseason roster. For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll assume every potential option for a roster spot will be available so that our choices to exclude from the roster are based on performance rather than injury status.
We know what these players are capable of, yet each will need to finish the season strong to warrant a spot on the postseason roster.