One Red Sox failure and one question mark
Just as Middlebrooks broke onto the stage with a bang, so did another potential right-hand slugger, Michael Chavis. In 2019, Chavis arrived with 18 home runs in 95 games, with many of those long shots among the statcast leaders. Chavis also whiffed 127 times, but that is an acceptable consequence in today’s version of swing from the heels.
Fast forward to 2021, and the once-promising Chavis is now with the Pittsburgh organization. In 2020, he hit just .212 and was at the .190 mark when Boston pulled the plug in 2021. Just 26 years old, Chavis has time to get recentered.
The third base bandwagon also has Bobby Dalbec, who has now been positioned at first base. Dalbec – like Chavis – can mutilate a baseball when he makes contact. In 2020 the ultimate contact took place 25 times but also is the nasty consequences of free-swinging – 154 Ks and just 28 walks.
Dalbec was in a sweet spot offensively the second half of 2021, and it may have been an apparition or possibly not? With Devers approaching the multi-year contract potential that could be $250 MM on up, you could see Dalbec return to his third base home.