Red Sox: Three players whose futures are doomed in Boston
These players may be in the final weeks of their Red Sox tenure
While the playoff push is in full swing and the Red Sox are fighting for their postseason lives, it’s hard to not start looking toward the future. I don’t like to get the cart ahead of the horse but things are so up in the air right now with this squad it feels like we almost have to start looking at 2022, even if it’s off in the distance.
I want to make it clear, though, I fully believe the Red Sox will finish the season strong thanks to their schedule and will walk into the postseason in that first Wild Card spot. Getting the hell out of Seattle with some wins would be a great start to that plan but as we all know the Sox always seem to have a tough time in the Emerald City.
Again, the strength of schedule the rest of the way is in Boston’s favor and should be their path to October baseball. With that said, while I don’t believe our season will end in the near future, I’m here to start looking at what the 2022 squad may look like.
The Sox have plenty of players in arbitration and free agency so the money will be flying out of Fenway Park, but even then, there are some that feel like it’s more than likely we’re witnessing their final days with the club.
Red Sox RHP: Garrett Richards
This one should come as no surprise to anyone that’s watched this team for any instance of time in 2021. Garrett Richards is the definition of a “Chaim Bloom Guy,” during his tenure in Boston. A low cost-high reward possibility that has seen some success in the past but is on hard times. If I’ve learned anything about Chaim since he joined the organization it’s that he loves making chicken salad out of chicken crap.
Now, I’m not trying to browbeat Richards and downplay him as a pitcher. At a time in his career, he was very good at what he does but those years are long gone. He hadn’t made a start in years and was being tossed into a rotation that was in flux. Add in the fact that he was dropped from the rotation at the first open moment, and it’s not a good look.
His $8.5M salary for 2021 was acceptable as the Sox had plenty of wiggle room with the budget, but his $10M club option for 2022 is hard to swallow. There is a $1.5M buyout in his contract in lieu of the option which I feel will most likely be the way Bloom goes. We know how fiscally responsible Bloom and his team are and paying a mediocre pitcher $10M just isn’t it.
Yes, Richards has been fantastic since being moved to the bullpen but his salary does not compute with his new job and I find it very hard to see Boston wanting to pay him that much to be a middle/long reliever.
Could they always activate the buyout and make him a lower offer? Sure. But even then, I don’t think the righty is going to slash his salary just to stay with a club that he wasn’t successful at.
Red Sox LHP: Martín Pérez
This one hurts, buds. If you’ve followed anything I’ve written on this website you know how much I love Martín Pérez. Now, It’s hard to defend his starts at times, well, a lot of the time, but I can’t deny how much this guy loves this team. We’re talking about a dude who went on the Section-10 Podcast before he was even re-signed to the club and was hyping them up and shit-talking the Yankees, that’s my kind of player.
However, when we get down to the brass tax and look at the numbers, I just can’t see Chaim bringing back Martín for 2022. He’s learning a base salary of $4.5M for this season plus his $500K buyout from his previous deal.
Going forward he has a similar deal in which he has either a club option for 2022 of $6M or a $500K buyout. There will be a free agent list a mile long of starters this winter and I believe that the Red Sox will go shopping for a new lefty.
Things would’ve gone differently for Pérez had he been able to recapture some of his 2020 magic. In a season ravaged by COVID and uncertainty, he was the lone constant for this club. You knew that he would go out there every fifth day and give you every drop of fuel he had in the tank. He was Boston’s most consistent pitcher through last year.
He’s only gone past five innings a handful of times in 2021 and like Richards, he was moved to the bullpen to make room for a better starter. If he was able to show more consistency in his starts I think he would be a great returning face for next year but it just wasn’t the case.
As much as it hurts me to say this, we better enjoy each and every Pérez Day we have left on the calendar because I don’t think we’ll be having many more in the future.
Red Sox Catcher: Christian Vázquez
This is the selection that I believe will get the most heat from Red Sox Nation. Christian Vázquez has become a fan favorite to some while 2021 has also seen him earn the ire of another section of the fanbase.
I’ve been on both sides of the argument as deep down I think the Moon Man is fantastic and is still one of the best catchers in the game today, but it’s hard to ignore his massive regressions in almost every category imaginable.
He’s a free agent after this season but carries a $7M team option with a $250K buyout. Just like the previous fellas I mentioned on my list here, I think the Red Sox will be taking the buyout over the team option. I’m sure some of you are sitting there saying, “Brendan, why would they pass on one of their key guys?” I’ll tell ya why, my friends. It all boils down to three things: money, playing quality, control.
Again, Vazqy is a free agent with that option but a new deal will surely command much more than the $7M he’d be due in 2022. I keep harping on his salary because Boston has two very good catchers right behind Christian on the depth chart that earn far less per year. Kevin Plawecki is in arbitration will earn just $1.6M in 2021, so even if he gets a raise, it won’t come near what Vazqy will command.
Big Kev has been great in the batter’s box and has called some great games behind the plate, I don’t really think Boston will be missing much if he takes over full-time. Next comes control. The third man on the totem pole is Connor Wong and the youngster has plenty of time left with the organization ahead of him. Sadly, Vázquez has more working against him than for him and it could lead to his exit from the team.
The future of the Red Sox is bright
Hang tough Red Sox Nation! I know it’s never fun talking about players that could be wearing different jerseys come next season but it’s something we all have to face as fans. We still have plenty of baseball left on the schedule for 2021 and Boston will surely put up a fight as October inches closer and closer. We have a very light schedule to look forward to as the season concludes and that Wild Card spot is within reach.
The Sox seem to be on the other side of their COVID scare as well and we should start seeing players coming back relatively soon. Once the squad is back to full strength I think my confidence will climb but I’ll admit every night I’m having to monitor my blood pressure. With each returning player, I know those numbers will go down and the Red Sox wins will continue to go up. But that’s just talking about 2021, we have to circle back to 2022 though.
Chaim has done wonders for the farm system in his short tenure and we have a handful of players on the Top-100 right now which I never would’ve expected a year or two ago. The mix of veteran stars and exciting young prospects in our system has my mouth watering for the next few years of Red Sox baseball. I can’t wait to see Rafael Devers transform into the old veteran surrounded by youngsters at the ripe old age of like 26.
We have plenty to be thankful for as none of us thought we’d be contending for a postseason spot in 2021. We also have plenty to look forward to with this roster and what Chaim and Alex Cora can do with it as players progress and evolve each and every day. While we may have to say goodbye to some familiar faces and fan favorites, that just means we’ll have more room for new friends and some cool new buds.
Next. Red Sox v. Mariners Preview, September 14th. dark