Three steps the Red Sox must take to return to the World Series
The Boston Red Sox won it all in 2018 but would fail to make a trip to the Fall Classic this season. What moves must they make to return to the big stage?
Just under a year ago the Red Sox were on top of the baseball world. The had just finished a dominant 108-win regular season and were cruising to an 11-3 run in the postseason. It would go down as one of the most exciting seasons in Boston history. From Opening Day until Chris Sale struck out Manny Machado for the final out, there wasn’t a down moment.
Sadly, 2019 wouldn’t bring Red Sox Nation the same level of joy and this season was a downright nightmare. There were moments this past year where it felt like they were going to turn things around and get back on track but nothing ever materialized. Many would speculate on the issues that were plaguing the team but a solution never seemed to present itself.
Both the starting and relief pitching was spotty at best through 2019 as each facet of the art would struggle and strive at different times. The offense that propelled the Sox to the Commissioner’s Trophy didn’t lack this season but they weren’t the savages we were accustomed to seeing in 2018.
To me, these are the areas where the Red Sox need to improve upon if they want to be contenders again in 2020. That may sound pretty obvious but if it was that obvious then why didn’t anything get done during the season to prevent the massacre that was 2019? Let’s take a look at some ways that these problems can be solved to once again make Boston a contender in 2020.
1: Strengthen the Starting Rotation
Boston’s pitching staff got its backside whooped something fierce this past season. At different times in the year, we would see the starters be as lights-out as humanly possible and then be in shambles the next. The Red Sox have one of the best starting rotations on paper but they just didn’t show up. A majority of the rotation would battle injuries all season long, hindering their success.
Chris Sale suffered from shoulder inflammation as well as other ailments throughout the year. Not to forget whatever the mystery illness was that took him out for much of the postseason. Sale signed a massive 5-year/$145M extension this past winter and hasn’t quite lived up to it.
David Price would also need to be shut down with weeks left in the season due to a cyst on his left wrist. Price had moments of beauty on the mound this year but was also shadowed with poor outings. The cyst could be the culprit for much of it but the southpaw wasn’t healthy for much of the year. He had the cyst removed and is on the mend with a goal of rebounding big in 2020.
Nathan Eovaldi literally spent half the season on the IL for a total of 93 days injured this season. He re-signed with Boston as a free agent for a wild 4-years/$60M. That contract is already paying off well. Rick Porcello is the lone free agent in the rotation an is unlikely to return to the Red Sox.
Eduardo Rodriguez was the only member of the starting rotation that offered anything in the way of success this year. He finished the season at 19-6 in 203.1 IP with 213 strikeouts, all are career highs for the lefty.
The Red Sox need to get their pitchers healthy as possible heading into spring training. Alex Cora also needs to get his starters some work this spring as I feel that was a major component in their performances seriously lacking this year. Boston will also need to search for a fifth starter in a free agent market that isn’t ripe with them.
Getting everyone healthy will be the most important thing for the Red Sox this winter. If they can find a fifth starter on the market then good for them. But with a budget that’s beyond tight, I just don’t see that happening. They’ll need to rely on their core four and the bullpen to get them back to October.
2: Beef up the bullpen
Boston’s bullpen was a sight to be seen in 2019. Going into Opening Day we thought that Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier were going to be to answers to the departed Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly. That plan didn’t quite work out as we had hoped and neither settled into the closer role.
Cora would try out damn near everyone on the roster as a closer through this season with little to no success. Finally, Brandon Workman stepped up to the plate and gave the Red Sox the confidence the needed to finish games.
He would tally up 16 saves during his time as the closer and showed a great ability to stay calm in hectic situations. He still has trouble with walks, 5.7/9, but he still got the job done when called upon. I imagine he’ll be the guy for the ninth going into 2020 until someone takes it from him.
This winter will be beyond important for the Red Sox and their hopes at contending in 2020. They will need to sign some relievers or make some blockbuster deals to secure them. One thing is for sure though and that’s that Boston can’t afford to go into 2020 without adding more firepower to the relief corps.
Both the Astros and Nationals have soon to be free-agents this winter, so the World Series may be a great way for Boston to scout future relievers. The front office will surely be keeping a close watch on both squads as they battle for the Commissioner’s Trophy.
3: Rediscover patience at the plate
Boston’s offense was a nightmare for opposing pitchers in 2018 and sadly it didn’t live up to the hype in 2019. Though they were still one of the strongest offenses in the league they lacked the killer instinct that carried them through the World Series. The 2019 squad would see increases in the major offensive categories for most of the season except for two: runs and RBI.
This was an area that they had zero issues last year as it felt like anytime someone got on base it was just a matter of time before they crossed home plate. I just never got that feeling this season unless Rafael Devers or Xander Bogaerts were batting.
During their historic run last season, the Red Sox were dangerous during every phase of the at-bat. It didn’t matter if they were up by a dozen or in the hole they would attack with every chance they had. Their biggest weapon was patience, and that wasn’t something that carried over into 2019.
Their bats were hotter than a bonfire and with that ability to make pitchers work they were unstoppable. There were far too many times this season where guys were swinging at pitches that weren’t even in the same area code. That just can’t happen if Boston wants to see the Fall Classic in 2020.
No matter the pitcher if the Red Sox got to two outs and had some strikes on the board they somehow got even stronger. They need to rediscover that zen if they want to become dangerous again in 2020. If Boston once again becomes that team that will fight tooth and nail while at the plate, they’ll be hard to beat.
Looking at 2020
There’s a lot of uncertainty for the Red Sox heading into this offseason. They still don’t have a dedicated GM as they’re running with a team of interim general managers. Nobody knows if J.D. Martinez will return to the club or test free agency. And then there are the constant rumors surround possible trades of Mookie Betts as well as other key players.
I don’t have a crystal ball and have zero ideas of what this team is going to do this winter, but I do know that they can become relevant with some tweaks. They need to focus on the pitching staff first and foremost.
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The Sox need to get the starters healthy and get them ready in spring training, unlike the last season. Giving the extra rest after the World Series may have seemed like a good idea on paper but it clearly didn’t give them any help. These guys need to be ready to go for Opening Day so they can come out of the gates hot.
Boston’s bullpen has some good pieces going forward but they can’t just rest on their laurels like we constantly heard from the organization in 2019. They’re not bad but they’re not good either, they need some extra ingredients to make the dish perfect. That’s going to come at a price as the relievers on the market this winter will all command a price.
This offense is a murderer’s row of hitters when they’re firing and ready to rock, but they need to regain their presence at the plate. When they were at their best there wasn’t a pitcher alive that could slow them down. An overeagerness when in the box in 2019 led to a lot of easy outs for the opposition, that can’t happen in 2020.
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The Red Sox can absolutely make their way back to the World Series next season if they address the problems that they ignored all season. Cora, as well as the front office, needs to be proactive not just during the offseason but as the calendar, flips through 2020. If something isn’t working then it needs to be corrected. Boston has the components they just need to find the instructions to put them all together.