In an offseason that began with a frustrated fanbase due to a lack of spending from ownership, Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox have officially begun their addition phase. With the poor performance of the team in the 2022 season, fans are pleading to this ownership to spend the exorbitant amounts of money from John Henry’s bank account on valuable players that can vault the Red Sox back into postseason contention. Although naysayers believe this is easier said than done, the organization has been proving this fanbase wrong these past few weeks.
As Chaim Bloom has stated for most of the offseason, he views this team as a contender. While I was skeptical of this view during the early parts of this offseason, I can now almost see a clear picture for this team. Bloom hoped to rebuild a lackluster bullpen which could barely hold three run leads in 2022 with the additions of Joely Rodriguez, Chris Martin and All-Star closer Kenley Jansen. While Jansen is slowly inching towards “father time,” a formidable closer is vital in Major League Baseball, no matter what the baseball nerds want to tell you. Although losing Matt Strahm to the Phillies will sting, I can still see a robust bullpen group for this team. A healthy Garrett Whitlock would go a long way. John Schreiber should continue his breakout from 2022. Tanner Houck was solid down the stretch last season. As much as I don’t want to believe it, this Red Sox bullpen is in surprisingly acceptable shape for next April.
The other large question that circled through every Red Sox blog this offseason was whether Xander Bogaerts, a Red Sox legend, would resign in the offseason. Regarded as one of the top shortstops in baseball, I truly believed that the Red Sox would not shell out the money to pay him for multiple years. I mean, if you look at the contract that they offered him last March, it was laughable. However, analysts are reporting the Red Sox are “picking up steam” with talks with the Bogaerts camp. To my surprise, the Red Sox are offering a large contract with various incentives for the All-Star caliber player, which is a precarious route to travel on. Sure, Bogaerts is a surefire everyday starter who will bat over .300 almost every season, but it’s a large risk to give a large contract to Bogaerts (who is currently 30). Additionally, with shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer ascending through the minor league ranks, Bogaerts may not hold down that spot for much longer. Although I still feel as if signing Xander is the right move, I’m hoping the contract is not a monstrosity.
After the recent signing of Japanese phenom Masataka Yoshida, I believe that Chaim Bloom isn’t finished stockpiling players for next season. I’m predicting a contract with Xander Bogaerts in the coming days, as well as another bat that will slide into DH next season. With that in mind, I’m hoping the Red Sox don’t re-sign J.D. Martinez, as he will cost too much for a position that doesn’t offer much value. Assuming Bogaerts does return next season, I’m hoping that Chaim Bloom continues to deflate Henry’s bank account, as money does talk in this league. Here’s to hoping I guess.
