3 Red Sox offseason additions we should already be concerned about
How concerned can Boston Red Sox fans be before a single game that matters has been played? If you’ve been keeping up with the health of the players, you may already be aware of some of the troubling news potentially spoiling the coming season.
The Red Sox got through spring mostly intact. A few injuries are sure to pop up along the way for any club even if they spend all March playing in bubble wrap.
Nobody should wave a white flag just yet, however, these three offseason additions should have fans second-guessing their place with the organization.
1) Why Red Sox fans should have concerns about Kenley Jansen
The new closer for the Red Sox, Kenley Jansen, didn’t have a superb spring. In 4.2 innings of work, Jansen was 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA. Spring statistics can be easily dismissed for a pitcher as accomplished as him. What should have Red Sox fans a little less optimistic is his health.
The 35-year-old left his most recent appearance on Friday due to feeling lightheaded. While not worthy of putting him on the IL, it’s a reminder of Jansen’s past struggles with health completely unrelated to the game.
In 2011, Jansen was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. It hasn’t stopped him from dominating on the mound. It has come up again and sidelined him in the past. It spawned up again last year as well as a member of the Atlanta Braves and landed him on the IL. The concerns are real.
From a baseball standpoint, he’s coming off of a strange season where he led the league with 54 games finished and 41 saves but did it with a 3.38 ERA. It’s the second-highest of his career.
Jansen is signed to a two-year deal with a $16 million per season contract. He can obliterate any early concerns we may have by getting out on the mound and adding to his 391 saves.
2) Why Red Sox fans should be concerned about Joely Rodriguez
Joely Rodriguez will begin the year on the IL with an oblique strain. The lefty reliever was signed to a modest contract this offseason, awarding him with a guarantee of $1.5 million this year with some incentives and a team option for 2024. He pitched just 2.2 innings for the Red Sox before getting hurt this spring. We can’t really count much against him for allowing 5 earned runs in such a small sample.
Something worth noting first is how average he has been in his 146 big league innings. Rodriguez is coming off of a year with the New York Mets which saw him go 2-4 with a 4.47 ERA. It’s actually slightly better than the 4.56 ERA he has in his career.
As concerned as everyone should be, the Red Sox should be fine without him. Richard Bleier is available to give them the lefty reliever innings they need. Plenty of other arms on the depth chart could make their way into the bullpen if it ever became a larger need for Alex Cora.
Anytime a player’s career with a new club begins with an IL stint should raise a few eyebrows. Spring injuries can be weird, too. Whatever timeline we think players may have in their recovery process may not be true.
3) Why Red Sox fans should be concerned about Adalberto Mondesi
The Red Sox picked up Adalberto Mondesi in a trade with the Kansas City Royals this offseason. A proven base thief who hasn’t hit all that well in the majors, the fleet-footed infielder is already only months away from free agency. He’ll hit the open market next offseason. Exactly when we’ll see him play for the Red Sox is a big unknown.
Mondesi is coming off of knee surgery. In any sport and at any position this is a huge deal. For a guy whose best attribute is his speed, the Red Sox are taking a big chance on him.
Mondesi hasn’t played in a big league game since April 26, 2022. Almost a full year has gone by since he went down with an injury that ended his season after 15 games and a .140/.204/.140 slash line.
Hitting isn’t something Mondesi has done particularly well at any level. Through 1366 plate appearances in the majors, he’s slashing just .244/.280/.408. He profiles as a nice bench piece to have for pinch running and maybe some defense. Beyond that, he hasn’t offered all that much.
Adding a speedster in a trade coming off of knee surgery comes with big risk. Mondesi does appear to be following the expected timeframe for a return. It should do little to ease any doubts we have about whether or not he can give the Red Sox any sort of production.
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