Ben Cherington’s time as general manager of the Boston Red Sox very much resembled an all-or-nothing power hitter. To put his years in this position into baseball terms, he went 1-for-4, which isn’t awful, but also isn’t great.
Until you check out the details of the box score, that is.
He hit a long home run in 2013 when Boston won its third World Series title in 10 seasons. The other three outs were your typical “good morning, good afternoon and good night” strikeouts, which included three last-place finishes in the American League East.
Cherington shouldn’t have to shoulder the full blame for each of these lackluster performances, though. He was overruled by the powers above him when he wanted to hire someone other than Bobby Valentine as manager in 2012, and we all saw how that turned out.
He also tried working within the organization’s parameters when the front office low-balled Jon Lester during extension talks prior to the 2014 regular season. Instead of overpaying for a top ace the following winter, he attempted to assemble a rotation without one, while bolstering the offense with hitters like Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.
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We also know how that turned out.
Although his building of the ’13 championship roster was masterful, three last place finishes in four years with a team like the Red Sox means change is coming. Unfortunately for Cherington, he ended up being the scapegoat as John Henry and Co. brought in Dave Dombrowski to be president of baseball operations. His arrival also ushered in a drastic change in philosophy with regard to acquiring big-league talent.
The Red Sox have long been an organization that has fully embraced the sabermetric side of baseball. Heck they have the guy who spearheaded this movement – Bill James – on their payroll.
The hire of Dombrowski was surprising because while he’s experienced quite a bit of success as an executive, embracing numbers isn’t a big part of his reputation.
What it really comes down to is wins and losses. Henry hates to lose, realized some of the mistakes they’ve made over the past couple years and wanted to start moving in a different direction. The question as to whether or not this hire would bring a sweeping change throughout the organization was answered early in the winter once Dombrowski began addressing roster needs for 2016.
Before making any free-agent acquisitions, Rick Porcello’s four-year, $82.5 million contract was the richest ever for a Red Sox pitcher. Needless to say, the seven-year, $217 million agreement David Price signed blew that out of the water.
Somewhere, Cherington is wishing he could’ve been given the go-ahead to pursue that kind of deal.
In the bullpen, Dombrowski traded prospects to the San Diego Padres for closer Craig Kimbrel, which is another thing Cherington didn’t do during his tenure. To put a cherry on top, Wade Miley was traded away to acquire Carson Smith and secure the backend of the bullpen even further.
The pitching staff definitely needed to be addressed, but the everyday lineup also looked like a mess by the end of 2015. Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts both enjoyed solid seasons and David Ortiz did what he normally does, but outside of a surprising second half from Jackie Bradley Jr., that was about it.
Dustin Pedroia couldn’t stay healthy and only appeared in 93 games, Mike Napoli was dreadful and didn’t finish the year in Boston, and two of Cherington’s biggest offseason signings in Ramirez and Sandoval completely flopped.
Not only did they combine for an fWAR of -3.8 in 2015, but SB Nation’s Beyond the Boxscore tabbed their performances as two of the worst in all of baseball. Talk about disappointing, right?
While Dombrowski’s moves to bring more elite production and (more importantly) stability to the pitching staff has gotten most of the headlines, a return to prominence for the Red Sox will largely depend on Sandoval and Ramirez.
Not considering the long-term ramifications of acquiring Price, Smith and Kimbrel, these three will give Boston its best chance to win right now, which is what ownership wants. Honestly, who can blame them? Winning the World Series in 2013 must’ve been awesome, but you forget about it quickly after two straight last-place performances.
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However, none of those three can contribute on offense. As of right now, here’s what the projected starting lineup for Boston looks like, according to Roster Resource:
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- David Ortiz, DH
- Hanley Ramirez, 1B
- Pablo Sandoval, 3B
- Rusney Castillo, LF
- Blake Swihart, C
- Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
The first four spots look rock solid based off breakout campaigns in 2015 and veteran track records, but this lineup is awfully top-heavy. Since the trade value of Sandoval and Ramirez is basically non-existent right now, the Red Sox are stuck with them, hoping they find a way to bounce back. Regardless of public perception, thinking such a thing isn’t too crazy.
When he signed with Boston, Sandoval said one of the main reasons he left San Francisco was because he wanted a new challenge. He didn’t appear prepared for this challenge last year, but it seems as though he’s now gotten the message. Following a .245/.292/.366 triple slash with 10 homers and 47 RBI, he’s reportedly lost about 20 pounds in preparation for this season.
Comparing seasons isn’t the best thing to do because each situation is mutually exclusive from one another, but the last time Sandoval got serious about his health and lost a bunch of weight was in 2014, when he hit .279/.324/.415 with 16 homers and 73 RBI – all of which are numbers Boston will gladly take.
For Ramirez, he only has to wait one more year before settling into being a full-time designated hitter, but he’ll be dealing with another position change this spring.
Making the transition from shortstop/third base to left field seem as though it’d be seamless wasn’t a good move, and was doomed from the start. Some may think the same thing about moving to first base, but all hope shouldn’t be lost just yet.
Will he transform himself into a Gold Glover at the position? The smart money says no, but being back in the infield should help with his comfort level to a degree. And at this point, Boston will sacrifice some defense for him to show longer glimpses of last March and April, when he hit .293/.341/.659 with 10 homers and 22 RBI in 21 games played.
With Cherington out and Dombrowski calling the shots, times have changed in Boston. This winter’s moves will have a direct impact on whether the Red Sox can climb out of the cellar for the first time since 2013. However, the fate of how well or how badly this club performs could easily depend on Sandoval and Ramirez, which are two acquisitions Dombrowski probably wishes never happened.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter so we can get through a winter without baseball together: @mmusico8.
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