Red Sox: Which player has the most to prove going into 2019?
The Boston Red Sox have multiple players with something to prove – who has the most to prove in 2019?
The 2018 postseason was a wild one. The Boston Red Sox took on the underperforming New York Yankees who found themselves with their tails in between their legs, after getting overly confident. That was followed by the Houston Astros who folded late in the ALCS. The World Series with the National League Champion Los Angeles Dodgers also fell short of excitement with the exception of the longest game in Series history that lasted 18 innings.
Still, there are multiple players that had mixed performance in 2018 prior to the World Series where they either showed up big time or were a complete dud. There are a couple of players that come to mind but none come quicker than that of All-Star outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and closer Craig Kimbrel. Youngster Rafael Devers is also looking to make 2019 his after subpar numbers last season. The last player to look at is someone who could be playing in a different city in 2020.
Xander Bogaerts, arguably the best Shortstop since Rico Petrocelli or Nomar Garciaparra for those that can’t remember that far back, is another player to look at with everything to prove in 2019. A big season for him will translate to a big payday for him longterm. There will be one team out there who is willing to give him $20+ million annually. Especially with the number of good talent out there at the present moment. We’ll take a look at each player and see if any of them have a reason to go off and blow up in 2019.
Rafael Devers (Not arbitration eligible until 2021)
Who doesn’t love the young 3rd basemen that made the bum “Panda” Pablo Sandoval rendered useless? Devers’ first hit was coincidentally his first major league home run against the Mariners on July 26th in a 4 – 0 victory in Seattle. This was the end of the Sandoval Era in Boston, one of the worst moves ever made. Devers would make improvements from 2017 to 2018.
2019 is a big year for the young 22-year-old. Devers slashed .284/10/30/3 in 2016 and followed that with a better 2017 campaign with a .240/21/66/5 slash. Some can expect him in 2019 to get something similar to a .268/27/85/7 line. Devers is getting more comfortable and by the time he’s in his mid 20’s should be one of the best guys manning the hot corner in the major leagues.
For two straight seasons, Devers has had his way with Houston in the postseason which has been great as Houston is one of the better teams in the American League. One thing that fans and teammates are hoping that get a little bit better is the defensive issues that caused problems. Still, nothing was as bad as Edgar Renteria at Short Stop who seemed to throw it everywhere but the right place when he committed 30 errors as a member of the Red Sox.
Devers needs to also see his on base percentage, slugging numbers, and OPS numbers increase. This along with the increase in performance from several key players will be a major boost for the team in Bean Town.
Craig Kimbrel (Currently a Free Agent)
It would be unfair to discredit what Kimbrel has been able to do for Boston since leaving Atlanta and San Diego. In three seasons in Boston, he has compiled a 12 – 7 record with a 2.44 ERA with 108 saves and 305 strike outs in 184 1/3rd innings of work. That’s a 14.9 K/9 Ratio for those keeping notes.
Kimbrel was brought on several years ago to help bring the team back to the postseason and make a deep run in the hopes of winning a World Series Title which finally came in 2018. The spectacular lockdown closer was all but himself come the playoffs however which led the team to winning despite his performance. On several occasions, Kimbrel almost blew the game. What happened? It’s certainly one of the reasons why the Red Rocket has not found a home in 2019 and beyond as of right now.
His agent has been seeking a deal in the realm of 6 years and $100 million guaranteed. Safe to say that that was not going to happen with how he imploded in the World Series in 2018. Could Kimbrel return to Boston in 2019? Sure could! In fact, it would solidify the bullpen that made no major additions as opposed to the Yankees who added multiple closers this offseason. Kimbrel could find himself coming back on a short term deal.
With this short term deal, he could prove himself and with that perhaps then, could find a team willing to give him a longterm deal. It just doesn’t appear to be in Boston, at least not right now.
Xander Bogaerts (Free Agent in 2020)
The X-Factor has been one of the best things to happen to Boston over the last six seasons. Over the last four years, his average slash line is .295/15/84/12. Not too bad for a Short Stop who has been a member of the Red Sox organization since he was 16 years old. Bogey has twice hit 20+ home runs and three times had 80+ RBI’s including last season where he cracked the 100 number for the first time at age 25.
Bogaerts has also hit 28 or more doubles in each of the last five seasons including last season where he hit a career best 45 doubles. Bogaerts last season slashed .288/23/103/8, more than doubled his 10 home runs from the season before. All of his numbers increased including batting average, on base percentage, sluggage, and OPS. Bogaerts did so well as to also finish 13th overall in the MVP race in 2018.
Bogaerts will be turning 26 this season and has everything to prove in 2019. Can he hit the prestigious .300/30/100/10 club as a Short Stop? If he does, he will certainly find himself in the elite group of next years top Free Agents with a shot to get $150-$200+ million on their next contract.
Especially after what we’ve seen with Manny Machado who admittedly quits on his team getting $300 million to play in San Diego. Hard to find someone who wouldn’t consider taking Bogey over Machado. Bogaerts puts in 100% every game.
Jackie Bradley Jr. (Free Agent in 2021)
Jackie Bradley Jr. is one of the best fielders in the outfield. It’s not up for debate after winning a Gold Glove in 2018. His defense has been lauded for multiple years. His offense has been steadily declining for the past three seasons. With 2016 being his best statistical season, his slash of .267/26/87/9 fell to .245/17/63/8 in 2017, and in 2018 his slash dropped once again to .234/13/59/17. Thank goodness for stolen bases and a spectacular Post Season.
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Bradley was able to rectify his value on a whole new level after memorable games against both the Astros and the Dodgers. Bradley put Game 3 of the ALCS away after hitting a grand slam and hit the go ahead two run homer in Game 4 before the series ended in five games.
Also in game 3 of the World Series, Bradley hit the game tying solo home run in the top of the 8th inning. The Red Sox lost in 18 innings to the Dodgers in a game that set a new record for the longest World Series game of all time.
It would be unfair to discredit the man who was able to get the key clutch hit when the team needed it the most. In 144 games, JBJ again knocked 13 homers and had 59 runs knocked in. In 14 Post Season games, Bradley slashed .200/3/10/1. Three of his eight hits will never be forgotten. JBJ is also one of the 2018 stars to be actively shopped by the Red Sox. If that doesn’t serve as extra motivation, I’m not sure what does.
Next. Boston Red Sox discussion point predictions for 2019 season. dark
Bradley Jr. will have to get back on the horse as a player who teams will be looking at if they are looking at getting a future stud outfielder in 2021 and the future. Will the Sox open up the purse for JBJ? The odds are unlikely as the team will need to focus their finances on other players long-term. Would he be willing to take a hometown discount? Only time will tell if the top player with the most to prove can deliver in 2019 and maybe, just maybe be able to bring his team back to the World Series.