As the Toronto Blue Jays prepare to defend the American League East title, sportsnet.ca breaks down every squad in the division by looking at each team’s depth chart, strengths & weaknesses and key storylines to watch in 2016. We start in Boston …
More analysis:
Baltimore | Tampa Bay | Toronto | NY Yankees
The Boston Red Sox enter the 2016 season as legitimate contenders in the AL East, despite finishing under .500 in three of its last four seasons and dead last in 2015.
The team began the off-season with a front-office overhaul, bringing in former Detroit Tigers czar Dave Dombrowski as the new president of baseball operations before promoting Mike Hazen to replace outgoing GM Ben Cherington, who resigned from his post.
Boston also made some moves to overhaul the look and feel of the team on the field, acquiring former Toronto Blue Jays ace David Price with a monster free-agent deal to boost an underachieving pitching staff that ranked 24th in ERA last season. They also dealt a handful of minor-leaguers to the San Diego Padres to acquire all-star closer Craig Kimbrel.
The end result is the third-highest payroll in baseball and a roster mixed with solid veterans and emerging young superstars—such as outfielder Mookie Betts and shortstop Xander Bogaerts—that offers the potential to catch the Jays atop the division.
So on paper, the Red Sox have plenty to be optimistic about.
The offence ranked fourth in the MLB in runs last season and finished fifth in on-base percentage (OBP) in the midst of down years from veterans Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia. The defence is pretty good in most spots as well and there’s depth both on the bench and in the minor-league system.
However, some big issues remain that could ultimately derail their quest to go from worst to first.
DEPTH CHART:
Click on each position for a breakdown
KEY STORYLINES TO WATCH:
Will Ramirez’s transition to first base work out?
The Red Sox invested a ton in Ramirez as a free agent prior to 2015 and he returned the favour by having one of the least productive seasons of his career.
His play in left field was especially ugly, so he’s shifting to an infield role at first base. The transition has gone well thus far—he has yet to make an error during spring training—but it remains to be seen how he’ll hold up over a longer period of time.
Also, there were similarly positive reports about Ramirez last spring when he was shifted to left field. Plus, there are always durability and attitude questions with Ramirez.
If the first-base experiment doesn’t work out, it could be tough for the Sox to figure out how to get Ramirez on the field given they already have Ortiz at DH.
Do the Red Sox have enough in the rotation beyond Price?
The money and term were a bit steep, but it’s hard to imagine Price not making a major impact with the Red Sox in 2016. On the other hand, the rest of the starting five are hardly sure things.
Buchholz, an inconsistent but talented pitcher, is a good fit for the No. 2 role but has had issues staying healthy. Right-hander Rick Porcello has been effective in stretches but he was brutal for most of 2015—4.92 ERA and 15 losses—and opposing teams had success hitting his fastball. Joe Kelly didn’t prove to be a great fit in the AL East after a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals either, so it’s difficult to project what he’ll provide this year.
Rodriguez was the team’s best starting pitcher last season, but he’s already nursing an injury and going to start the year on the DL. That means knuckleballer Steven Wright will hold down the fifth spot to start the season.
Is that enough?
Can Pedroia return to his previous form?
The 2015 season was a disappointment for many of Red Sox players, but it was especially challenging for the all-star second baseman. He was limited by a hamstring injury that lingered long after his return from the disabled list, and eventually forced another trip to the DL.
The big picture for Pedroia wasn’t just health-related, either—his range and overall defensive play at second base dropped off dramatically.
So while health remains a question mark, Pedroia altered his training regimen this off-season in order to improve his speed and quickness.
With so many young players in key roles, it’ll be critical for Boston to receive stable play from one of its most important veteran players. Simply put, they need him to stay on the field.
