Red Sox: Four good things that happened for Boston during 2020

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BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 13: A general view as the sun sets during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on August 13, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

2020 wasn’t all negative for the Boston Red Sox

This year has felt like one long slog that was never going to end. I think we can all agree that 2020 will go down as one of the worst years in history. There really wasn’t much positivity in the air and that includes the Boston Red Sox. A team that won it all just two years ago would finish near the bottom of the barrel, barely escaping a dead-last finish.

The thing is, there were some bright spots for this club during the year even though they were well overshadowed by the negatives. We saw Chaim Bloom implore a bargain based tactic of signing players that saw its successes and failures, but proved it could work if applied correctly. Some of Boston’s top prospects finally got the call to the big leagues and they stepped up to the occasion big-time showing they were ready for the limelight.

Then as the calendar flipped to the final months of the year the announcement was made that the team would be bringing back their former manager in Alex Cora. A man on a redemption tour of sorts ready to prove that any wrongdoings were in his past and that he can salvage a team that should be at the top of the standings, and not the bottom.

For most of 2020, we were left questioning everything the organization was doing whether it be on the field or in the front office, they didn’t give us much confidence in their competence. But we’re here today to look at those few things that can give us a least a glimmer of hope as the calendar turns to a new year and we begin this journey all over again in 2021.

BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 07: Alex Verdugo #99 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after robbing a home run in the ninth inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on August 7, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo earns his spot

I think from the start of the season right down to the final out Alex Verdugo was my favorite Red Sox player to watch in 2020. It didn’t matter if he was in the field, the batter’s box, or in the dugout he brought the energy.

Verdugo came to the team via the vaunted Mookie Betts trade with the Dodgers and had a cloud over his head. A sorted past and history of not always giving it his all gave Sox fans some trepidation about his joining the team, but that wouldn’t last.

As if we haven’t seen it plenty of times before, a change of scenery can work wonders for a player’s career. Though he wasn’t a disappointment with LA, we had heard stories of him not always putting in a max effort. Well, I don’t know about you, but I never saw any of that in Boston. From the moment he put on that Red Sox uniform he was red-lining it and doing whatever he could to try and get this team into a winning position.

Whether it was going for the extra base even if the moment didn’t necessarily warrant it, diving for any and every flyball, or talking smack to umpires, Dugie did it all. His .308/.367/.478/.844 slash was one of the best on the team while adding in 6 homers and 15 RBI. Oh yeah, he was a perfect 4-0 in regards to swiping bags.

Remember that night against Toronto? The one where he launched two bombs out of Fenway Park and then almost launched himself into the bullpen to rob the Jays in the ninth? That’s the kind of thing that Alexer Verdugo brings to the table. He’s high energy and will always play as if his next at-bat can win the game or the next flyball he misses could lose it.

That’s why he made my list of good things that happened for the Red Sox in 2020, and I can’t wait to see what he does in 2021.

MIAMI, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 15: Tanner Houck #89 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Miami Marlins during his major league debut at Marlins Park on September 15, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Red Sox prospects rise to the occasion

As much as I got excited for Alex Verdugo I think the debuts of Tanner Houck and Bobby Dalbec may have topped it. If you’ve followed BSI over the last couple of years then you know that Houck and Dalbec are two of Boston’s top prospects and we’ve anxiously awaited their arrivals. Our own Hunter Knoll has covered both extensively as they’ve climbed the developmental ranks and his analysis paid off in 2020.

Both were late-season additions to the Red Sox lineup once it was clear that all hope was lost and they could get some serious Major League playing time without killing their service years. Dalbec’s promotion came on the heels of Boston trading soon to be free-agent veteran Mitch Moreland to the Padres at the deadline in August. It didn’t take long for Bobby D to take to the big leagues and began smashing bombs right away.

He did hit the usual rookie cold spell but was able to break it rather quickly and get back to his offensive ways. At one point, Dalbec was flirting with tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s record for consecutive games with a home run, sadly he fell just short.

The first baseman finished with a .263/.359/.600/.959 slash adding 8 homers and 16 RBI. As he only played a month, he is still considered a rookie for 2021 and can make a run at the Rookie of the Year.

Much like Dalbec, due to Houck’s short time in the bigs this year, he will still be considered a rookie for 2021 and has a fast-track to the starting rotation. With little competition and big question marks hovering above Boston’s aces, Houck should find himself in the rotation on Opening Day.

I will admit that despite him not getting as much love as some other pitching prospects in the pipeline, I was most anxious to see what he could do, and he didn’t disappoint.

The righty finished with an impressive 3-0 record with a lights-out 0.53 ERA through 17.0 innings pitched. It may be a small sample size and we very well may be getting ahead of ourselves, but I think Houck can do some serious damage in 2021.

His BB/9 was a bit higher than I’d like to see at 4.8 but it was more than balanced out by his K/9 which was a stellar 11.1. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he dedicated the entire offseason toward not just earning but keeping a starting job.

BOSTON, MA – JULY 24: Kevin Pillar #5 of the Boston Red Sox makes a leaping catch in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles on Opening Day at Fenway Park on July 24, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /

Red Sox bargain buys pay off

Chaim Bloom was hired by the Red Sox two achieve three main goals: build a contender, repair the bloated budget, and replenish the depleted farm system. So far he’s achieved two of these goals while fielding a contender has eluded him.

One thing that we’ve seen from the CBO during his tenure is his penchant for signing talent at a bargain price. It hasn’t always paid off, just look at that pitching staff from 2020, but in a few cases, it has.

The two that instantly come to mind when I think of the low cost-high reward method from 2020 are Kevin Pillar and Martin Perez. Both came to Boston ahead of the season and were brought here on inexpensive short-term deals. Though neither would be tethered to the club beyond this season they both gave their all while wearing that Red Sox uni.

Hell, on Opening Day Pillar opened his tenure in Boston by crashing full-speed into the bullpen wall to save an extra-base hit. That’s all I needed to see from the veteran outfielder. He would back up that play with what felt like a nightly web-gem and consistent quality plate appearances. I was sad to see him go and still have a sliver of hope that he’ll be back, but am thankful for his time with the team this year.

Then there was Martin Perez. I never thought I’d write so many words about a middle of the rotation starter but this year has been wild. Perez came to the team with low expectations and he absolutely crushed them.

A 3-5 record may not seem impressive but there were plenty of those losses that can’t be attributed to his efforts. He totaled a 4.50 ERA through 62 IP and would end up being Boston’s best starter this year.

Though the team chose to not pick up Perez’s club option for 2021 there’s still a possibility that he’ll be back on the roster, especially if other pitchers get signed. Bringing Martin back on a more club-friendly salary could be the answer to the equation. Perez loved his time in Boston and expressed that he wanted to stay with the Red Sox, here’s to possibly seeing him back in 2021.

BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 10: Alex Cora speaks alongside Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom during a press conference introducing him as the manager of the Boston Red Sox on November 10, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

The Red Sox re-hire Alex Cora

This is something that still feels a bit controversial despite it occurring over a month ago. When Alex Cora was fired, or mutually parted ways, whatever tag you want to place on it, he began to brandish the Scarlett Letter. He was involved in the 2017 cheating scandal perpetrated by the Houston Astros and doesn’t deny that. His biggest argument comes in the way that he wasn’t the sole deviant but we’ll never fully know the truth.

When Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox announced that Cora would be coming back it seemed like the fanbase began to split. You have those that realize it’s a great idea to bring back the guy that managed the team to its winningest season ever. Then you have the other portion that can’t move past what happened in Houston and the then baseless accusation surrounding 2018. The bottom line is that this team is far better with AC in the manager’s office than it is without it, and we saw that in 2020.