Spring training will
officially start for the Boston Red Sox this year on February 20th with the reporting of pitchers and catchers
to camp in Fort Myers, Florida. Coming off a 71-91 2014 season, the team made a
series of offseason moves to complement their crop of up and coming youngsters
in the hopes of finding more success in the new year. However, they are far
from a polished product and there a number of prominent questions as a new
season dawns.
Here are five of the most burning questions:
Does the team have an
ace?: The Red Sox completely remade their starting rotation this offseason,
bringing in Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson to join holdovers
Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly. Besides none of them being an established ace, the
thing the group of five most has in common is that none of them have completely
tapped their full potential, which has resulted in wildly fluctuating results
throughout all of their careers.
It’s unlikely that anyone in this group will be a serious Cy
Young contender. However, they all have the ability to post above average
numbers, and the best bets for the distinction of being the staff’s leader are
Buchholz and Porcello.
Buchholz was 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 16 starts as recently
as 2013 but has yet to post consecutive above-average seasons in his eight
years in the majors due to injuries and inconsistency.
Porcello, a 26-year-old right-hander, came over from the
Detroit Tigers this offseason in the Yoenis Cespedes trade.
He already has 76 wins in six seasons and has seen his numbers improve each
year. On the downside, he doesn’t strike out a ton of batters, which could pose
problems in cozy Fenway Park.
While there are certainly some nice pieces on this staff, it’s
hard to imagine banking on any one of them being the type of number one type
pitcher a playoff caliber team needs. Might this hold the Red Sox back, or are
they simply not yet done forming this year’s roster?
Is Dustin Pedroia on
the downside of his career?: The pint-sized second baseman has been a fan favorite
throughout his career—earning a Rookie of the Year Award, an MVP and multiple
All-Star nods along the way. Unfortunately, his numbers have been in steady
decline for several years, with his OPS in 2014 being 149 points below its 2011
level.
Pedroia will be 32 shortly after the All-Star break and
plays with a reckless abandon that can be taxing on the body. He has also
played through a series of nagging injuries in recent years and will be part of
a much better balanced roster. There is no reason to believe he can’t bounce back
with better numbers in 2015, that is unless the physical tolls have created an
inevitable decline a little earlier than fans would have hoped.
Is it time to cut
bait on Jackie Bradley, Jr.?: One of the more highly anticipated prospects
to graduate to the majors in recent memory, the outfielder has simply not yet been
able to live up to the hype. Although he already has one of the best gloves in
the game, his bat has been one of the worst, producing a combined .196 batting
average with four home runs, 40 RBIs and 152 strikeouts in 479 major league at-bats
during the past two years.
Still just 24, and with his talent and pleasant hard-working
demeanor, it’s hard to imagine Bradley won’t be able to eventually figure it
out. That just may not happen in Boston. With a crowded outfield that already
has Hanley Ramirez, Rusney Castillo, Shane Victorino, Mookie Betts, Allen Craig and Daniel
Nava, he will likely not only have to raise his game but actually beat out one
or more of them to have a job in 2015. That being said, factors like injuries
and trades can always come in to play, so nothing is written in stone yet.
Can Christian Vazquez
handle the job of being the primary catcher?: There’s little doubt the
rocket-armed 24-year-old is ready with the glove. He has already earned the praise
of veteran pitchers for his work ethic and ability to call a game, and nabbed
52 percent of runners attempting to steal on him in 55 games with Boston last
year. On the downside, he hit a harmless .240 with a single home run and 20
RBIs during that time. Fortunately, it seems that the Red Sox are putting him
in a position to succeed. They brought veteran Ryan Hanigan on board to serve
as his backup, while fellow prospect Blake Swihart is biding his time in the
high minors waiting for his own chance.
Vazquez should be able to produce more than enough behind
the plate to earn his keep. Any value he adds with his bat will be gravy. As he
adapts to his new role, it’s hard to imagine the team not being as pleased as
punch if he could chip in something along the lines of a .250 batting average
and 6-8 home runs along with his anticipated glove work.
What does the team
exactly have in Castillo?: After leaving Cuba, the 27-year-old outfielder
signed a $72 million contract
with Boston last year. He acquitted himself in a late-season call-up, hitting
.333 with two homers and three stolen bases in 10 games—despite essentially not
having played organized ball for about two years. He added to expectations with
a very
solid showing in the Puerto Rican Winter League. That being said, very few
people seem to know exactly what kind of player he’ll be in the long run.
Projections
have ranged from extra outfielder to All-Star potential, leaving a vast expanse
of possibilities in between. Like Vazquez, he has the luxury of not having to
be the savior right out of the gate. The crowded outfield might even prevent
him from earning a starting role. Unlike the catcher, he will be expected to
answer the bell earlier and with greater frequency because of his large
contract.
Statistics via http://www.baseball-reference.com/
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