Red Sox: Mr. Negative examines Boston’s latest foray into free agency

Red Sox staff rebuild begins with Martin Perez

A congratulatory shout out to Red Sox management with special emphasis on Chaim Bloom. The signing of Martin Perez has finally made my head explode. Perez sealed off his 2020 season with a release by Boston. Perez collected a hefty $500,000 farewell gift, waited for a call, and needless to say, the Red Sox responded.

The new deal is for $4.5 MM so quick math is the Red Sox saved a few million. This will inflict pain upon a wretched bullpen to be overtaxed and fans viewing a Perez start. Slow death by a thousand cuts or hits.

I imagine this is cleverness on Bloom’s part. But is it symptomatic of your new Red Sox approach to team building. I can’t wait for Hunter Renfroe and his .228 career average era to begin. Meanwhile just to the south Brian Cashman has inked DJ LeMahieu and taking the Corey Kluber plunge. But, hey – we have Matt Andriese.

The stark competitive reality is it is always, forever, about the Yankees. Red Sox fans don’t give two hoots about Toronto or the other laggards in the division. The laggards that cleaned Boston’s clock in 2020 and will take delight in duplicating the process in 2021. The Yankees have delivered a message. The Red Sox have responded. Take that, you fiscal bullies, we have inked Perez.

The Red Sox have certainly concentrated on a staff upgrade. I wish I could remember some that passed through the locker room in 2020, grabbed a nice jersey, and were sent packing. Baseball trivia for the future. Based on their upgrades I suspect they restock the food service by scouring through the dumpsters at Burger King. Many have come, and all have failed.

I may rank on Perez – undoubtedly a charitable man, loves dogs, his family, and walking on the beach is not the real target. Perez is just symptomatic of sudden management malfeasance that apparently is in place to test the fans’ resolve. If the dreaded social media is to be an indicator the big choice for fans is do I take a torch or pitchfork? Then again – some divorced folks remarry each other.

Boston needs someone, anyone, that can make a splash. The Red Sox have some luxury tax wiggle room and can cast to the waters for someone – anyone. A bat? An arm? Even Jackie Bradley Jr. is looking like a plus. So far I am having visions of the Red Sox attacking all the dubious records of the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.

The Sox are resetting – maybe. Getting as far under the luxury tax as possible while awaiting the contracts of David Price and Dustin Pedroia to flutter away to the land of bad memories. A concept one can accept up to a point. For me, that point is directed at my wallet where I and a few million others pay the freight. Bloom – your product is lousy. It is an Edsel. A Broadway show that closes after intermission. This team as now constructed is as exciting as a Library Board meeting.

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But a reasonable fan and that means they who do not take Prozac before watching should have patience. The management team has come through with four-count ‘em – titles this century. Follow the plan. In Chaim we trust. A bridge year. Or a bridge decade? Chaim – please do not take the Tampa approach to heart. We actually have fans – fans that are emotionally invested. Fans that expect you to spend $200 MM even occasionally getting burned. Do you have a hole at second?  Plug it with money.

Hopefully, some optimism exists somewhere? Maybe the evaluators are firmly convinced Jeter Downs is this age, Rogers Hornsby. That Renfroe is not Dave Kingman but Jimmie Foxx. That George Springer may be settling in Boston for six-years and a gazillion dollars? That pitching help is in the plan. A free agent or two – maybe Brad Hand or both Jake Odorizzi and Masahiro Tanaka?

So far it is stagnation. The excitement level is somewhere between changing the cat litter and nibbling on three-day-old burnt toast. In Vegas you want action and in Boston sports, you want action and not the inert. I may be on the ledge, but I have a world of company.