With the World Series now more than a month past, general managers around the league are currently focused on the offseason and on retooling for the 2015 campaign. For the Boston Red Sox, things are no different. As a followup act to a 2013 season that saw them finish with baseball’s best record on their way to capturing a third World Series title since 2004, the Sox finished dead last in the American League East in 2014, thanks in large part to inconsistent pitching and a lineup devoid of power outside of designated hitter David Ortiz. Boston made some moves, namely signing Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo and trading for Oakland Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, during the season to begin the rebuilding process a few months early, but, like every other MLB team, they had to wait until after the season officially ended before moving on most of their targets.
The Red Sox offseason got rolling a little over a month ago, when they announced the signing of Altheltics’ hitting coach Chili Davis to replace Greg Colbrunn, who resigned shortly after the season ended. About a week later, they made their first player signing of the offseason by inking closer Koji Uehara to a two-year deal.
Recently, however, the hot stove really began to heat up on Yawkey Way. Over the weekend, word came out of Boston that the Sox had offered long-term contracts to A’s pitcher Jon Lester and the two best bats available during this free agency period: San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval and Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop/third baseman Hanley Ramirez.
There has been no official word on Lester as of yet, though the Red Sox are believed to be the front-runners for his services, but it was first reported Sunday evening that the Sox had signed Ramirez, and early Monday morning came the first reports that Sandoval had also agreed to a deal. Ramirez’s contract is for four years and $88 million, with a vesting option for a fifth year at $22 million. Sandoval’s contract is similar, according to reports. Ramirez will be rejoining the Red Sox after being traded to the then Florida Marlins exactly nine years ago Monday.
So, what does this mean for the Red Sox going forward? They still have issues with their rotation to resolve, but Sandoval and Ramirez should do a lot to shore up a lineup that lacked power and finished with the third worst batting average with runners in scoring position in 2014. The Red Sox now have two legitimate bats to insert around Ortiz and first baseman Mike Napoli, instead of the series of untested rookies that found their way into last season’s lineup.
Ramirez hit 13 home runs to complement his .283 batting average last season. And while his best days on the basepaths are behind him – he hasn’t stolen more than 20 bases in four of the past five seasons – Ramirez still brings a speed element to an offense that sorely lacked in that category last season. Ramirez’s 14 steals would have led the Sox in that category. Instead, utility man Brock Holt led the team with just 12. Sandoval hit 16 homers and hit .279 last season. Sandoval’s and Ramirez’s home run totals would have placed them third and fourth, respectively on the Sox team leader board last season, and their batting averages would have ranked first and second, respectively. If I were to guess, I would say that the idea is for Ramirez to bat second or third, followed by Ortiz, Sandoval, and Napoli in that order. Barring injury or prolonged slumps, that should make for one of the most formidable hearts of any lineup in baseball. Add guys like Castillo, Cespedes, outfielder Mookie Betts, and second baseman Dustin Pedroia to that mix, and the Sox suddenly look primed to bounce back from a dismal season at the plate.
Likely more important to the Sox, however, are the playoff numbers put up by both of their newest acquisitions. The team is looking to avoid a long rebuilding period and contend immediately in 2015, and that means having players that will perform in the postseason. If history is anything to judge by, they found them. Ramirez has appeared in a total of 13 postseason games, over the course of which he has driven in nine runs while posting a .356 average and a ridiculous 1.013 OPS. Sandoval has seen action in 39 October games and has hit as well as, if not better than, Ramirez, driving in 20 runs over those 39 games and hitting .344 with a .935 OPS.
However, these signings are not all sunshine and rainbows for every member of the club. For one thing, the Sandoval signing likely means the end of Will Middlebrooks in Boston. After a breakout 2012 campaign in which he clubbed 15 homers and batted .288, Middlebrooks has been nothing but a disappointment. His 2013 and 2014 batting averages were .227 and .191, respectively, and he hit just two bombs last season. What’s worse is that he has spent more time on the disabled list or with Triple-A Pawtucket, either on a rehab assignment or while trying to fix his approach at the plate, than he has with the big league club over the past two seasons. Now that is not actually true, but, as a fan, it sure feels like it is, and that may be what ultimately seals Middlebrooks’ fate. Boston is one of the few markets in which fan support truly affects a players standing within the organization, and Middlebrooks has lost that support.
The Ramirez signing could have some effect on incumbent shortstop Xander Bogaerts, though Bogaerts’ future with the team is not in jeopardy, at least not to Middlebrooks’ degree. After playing well in the 2013 World Series, many expected Bogaerts to compete for Rookie of the year honors in 2014. Instead, Bogaerts hit just .240 for the season and committed 20 errors. His sub-par performances both at the plate and in the field likely had a great deal to do with an ill-advised move from shortstop to third base during the season, but it would not be surprising to see Bogaerts at least begin the year in AAA to refine his tools while Ramirez, who hasn’t been charged with 20 or more errors in a season since 2008, mans short. More plausible is idea that Ramirez moves to the outfield. He has the speed and arm to cover left field, and that would allow Bogaerts to continue to develop at shortstop. This scenario would likely involve trading Cespedes to make room in the outfield. Such a trade, even if Ramirez sticks at short, is well within the realm of possibility, as Cespedes is entering the final year of his contract and will command a large sum at the end of the 2015 season. The Sox may try to extend him, but given their relative depth in the outfield and their glut of top prospects waiting for their own contracts, a trade at some point before or during the season seems more likely.
Though the signings of Sandoval and Ramirez represent two crucial steps along the path to returning to the playoffs, the Red Sox still have a lot of work left to do. They will likely now turn most of their attention to revamping the pitching staff, and Jon Lester’s decision will have a great deal of influence on the direction that process takes. The Sox have also been linked with Kansas City Royals ace James Shields, though they have yet to offer Shields a contract, and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels. As the weather cools down in Boston, the hot stove only gets hotter. Let’s see what happens next.
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