With football season behind us, and hockey season already in full motion, it’s time to turn to another sport beloved by the city of Boston — baseball. The Boston Red Sox ship off to Florida soon to start spring training in Fort Meyers. Opening Day will be upon us before we know it. Throngs of students and fans will flock to historic Fenway Park, which lies just beyond the edge of East Campus. The Sox made quite a few moves since the offseason started, revamping their rotation and bulking up their starting lineup. With that in mind, I’ve got a few predictions for the upcoming Red Sox season.
- Newly Acquired Rick Porcello — Ace In Training
Rick Porcello was merely a number four starter when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers, behind a formidable trio of Max Scherzer, David Price and Anibal Sánchez. In Boston, his talents are going to thrive right at the front of the rotation. Porcello is a career 76-63 pitcher, with a 4.30 ERA. Under pitching coach Juan Nieves, who turned middle reliever Koji Uehara into one of baseball’s most dominant closers, there’s no reason to think Porcello isn’t going to succeed.
- Red Sox Bullpen Dominates
General manager Ben Cherington made some moves this offseason to really shore up his bullpen, something that plagued the Sox last season. He acquired Robbie Ross from the Texas Rangers, and although he had a less than stellar season last year, he has proven how successful of a left-handed reliever he is out of the pen. He re-signed Craig Breslow, someone who has already proven to be a great pitcher in Boston, becoming a battery with Uehara as the eighth inning guy during the 2013 playoffs. Yes, Breslow’s performances were not great this season, so to rectify that, the Sox declined his $4 million option and signed him at a discounted $2 million, lowering the financial risk on them. Anthony Varvaro and Zeke Spruill are two more low-cost relievers who have the stuff it takes to make this bullpen great. Varvaro has had an ERA under 2.85 in his last two seasons while still making over 60 appearances, and Spruill, acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks, is reported to be athletic and have a very live arm. His control is something Nieves will have to work on with the young right-hander. The biggest move Cherington made was signing former Texas Ranger and former All Star Alexi Ogando. Coming off an injury-plagued season, he was dominant in the 2011 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers and holds a career 3.35 ERA. This revamped bullpen will be one of the key factors if the Red Sox have success this season.
- David Ortiz Hits Less than 30 Homeruns
What? How could you say that? Big Papi is a legend, and there’s no way his production will drop off with two consecutive 30 homerun seasons in his last two years! Yes, that’s all true, his production will still be good, and the last two years have been kind to Ortiz. But this season will be kindest of all on the big man. The reason he’s had two consecutive 30 homerun seasons in the last two years is because he’s had to be the anchor of this offense. No one in the lineup over the last two seasons would have been able to nearly match Papi’s numbers. The moves Ben Cherington made in late 2014 ensured Ortiz finally wouldn’t be alone in slamming balls out of Fenway Park. Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval are two of the leagues powerhouses and will absolutely take a load off the 39-year-old Ortiz’s shoulders. But wait, there’s more! Mike Napoli had sleep apnea surgery during the offseason, something that was plaguing him, draining him of sleep and energy and almost forcing him to retire. After having the surgery, Napoli felt relief, finally being able to sleep eight hours a night and waking up as refreshed and energized as he’s felt in a long time. Welcome back to the lineup, Nap. A healthy Dustin Pedroia as well, without hand injuries, will certainly pack a punch next season too. With a two through six lineup as formidable as Pedroia, Papi, Ramirez, Sandoval and Napoli, opposing pitchers should be quaking in their cleats for what certainly is one of the most potent lineups in Major League Baseball.
The Sox’s lack of production last season disappointed many fans after coming off a Cinderella-like 2013 playoffs that ended with a World Series championship win for the first time in 95 years right at Fenway. On paper, Cherington had clearly improved the makeup of this team. With spring training and Opening Day looming, let’s see if what happens on paper translates onto the field.