So apparently the Red Sox lost to the Angels on Sunday? And got swept in the process? Wow, that’s a bummer
In all honesty I didn’t get to watch much of the series; I was out of the house for the first two games, and only caught bits of the deciding game 3. But I did manage to catch the playoff implosion of Jonathan Papelbon, so I had that going for me.
Really though, I find I can’t get myself all that worked up about what was an intensely disappointing playoff run. Part of that is because I didn’t get to watch much of the games. But also because it was simply a glaring example of “regressing to the mean.” Jonathan Papelbon was never going to carry a 0.00 ERA for his entire career. The Sox recent playoff dominance against the Angels was never going to continue in perpetuity. Stuff happens, tip you cap and get ready for next year.
That being said, my equanimity does not extend to the Sox offseason. There are major holes in the batting order that need to be addressed. In my incredibly informed opinion Theo needs to either resign Jason Bay, or get Matt Holliday signed. But that’s just a holding move. In order for the offseason to be a success, the Sox need to either add a new corner infielder — first base or third, doesn’t matter to me — or a DH capable of more than a .790 OPS. I love David Ortiz, but aside from those 99 RBI he was a corpse this year. Really though adding another corner infielder would be the biggest upgrade since presumably that player would also allow for an upgrade to the team’s defense. Ideally the player to target would be San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He’s young, has plenty of pop in his bat, and has a decent glove.
So if the Sox manage to get Holliday and Gonzalez and that combined with the pitching they have would be a formidable team. Now the odds are they won’t be able to make a deal work with San Diego, and that the Yankees will overbid on Holliday. If I had to guess I’ll say the most likely outcome is they’ll resign Bay, hope that Lowell and Ortiz bounce back, and that a full season of Martinez as catcher will bring more wins. That would be the most cost-effective move, but it wouldn’t exactly make me feel comfortable about their chances to win a title.
Still, regardless of the moves they make, the team will remain a playoff contender, and really that’s all I can ask for.