What the Red Sox Need to Put Right Next Season
2020 was a year to forget for Boston Red Sox fans, with the team racking up the fourth worst record in the entire MLB and finishing rock bottom of their division.
Problems spanned right across the team with usually reliable sluggers swinging and missing time and again, and their pitchers resembling little leaguers.
In this article we attempt to home in on the things the Red Sox need to do in order to be better prepared for the new MLB season, so that 2021 is an altogether different story than 2020.
Chaim Bloom Needs to Keep Building for the Future
There is no doubt that Chaim Bloom is a man with one hell of a task on his hands during this off season, as he tries to make sense of what went before him so he can rebuild in time for the upcoming new season.
Of course, these days fans have a strong idea of what they believe should be going on both of the field and on the training ground, with many running their very own fantasy MLB rosters via sites like FanDuel, as well as backing their hunches with gameday bets.
Bloom does not have the luxury of trying things out in a fantasy setup, getting paid the big bucks to make the decisions for real. However, signs are that he is already doing a good job, bolstering the squad by at least resigning talented names such as Jhonny Pereda and Roldani Baldwin, although much bigger signings will be needed once a new manager is announced.
Boston Need a Manager Who Can Change the Locker Room Dynamic
The Sox have had a bit of a bad time of things when it comes to managers, with Alex Cora being fired after he was embroiled in the Astros’ cheating scandal and Cora in turn being replaced by Ron Roenicke who presided over the one of the worst 60-game spells in franchise history.
The good news is that the team can start from scratch by bringing in a fresh manager who will be able to breathe much needed air into the locker room.
Or will it be a fresh face? Alex Cora is one of the front runners for the job, having done his stint in purgatory.
However, in our humble opinion it would be unwise to go back to a man whose dirty laundry could come back to bite the franchise. There are certainly far more interesting options, such as Jason Varitek, who would immediately have the fans on his side, and Eduardo Perez who is looking to make the leap from the ESPN studio to the MLB dugout.
Whoever Bloom chooses they will have perhaps the toughest job in baseball on their hands.
Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
Although most are staying quiet about it at the moment, there is a sense of cautious optimism among Red Sox fans, with most seeing the 2020 debacle as a minor bump in the road rather than a sign of potentially lasting decline.
For example, most infield positions appear to be held down by reliable and powerful players. However, it is elsewhere on the roster that cuts will inevitably have to be made, especially if high salaries are not garnering A-star performances and numbers.
Those names who should be on Bloom’s chopping block include J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. all of whom have frustratingly been unable to build on their considerable talent bases.
Pitchers Make Perfect
Last but not least is the pitching rotation, which is undoubtedly where most changes and improvements have to come.
Every man and his dog who gives a damn about Boston will be hoping and praying that Chris Sale can have a smooth recovery from his recent arm surgery. If that does not happen then the Sox could be in real trouble, with Collin McHugh and Ryan Weber being about as potent as a pea shooter in a gun fight.
Hopefully, Bloom can reinvigorate Eduardo Rodriguez after a recent bout of sickness.
