Following up a World Series title with another championship would be a difficult task for any team. But so many things went right for the Red Sox in 2013 — with several players having seasons unlikely to be repeated — that it was difficult to imagine circumstances being so favorable for them this year. The task was even more daunting with the Orioles and Yankees improving themselves, and the Rays and Blue Jays looking formidable.
But going from first to last? Finishing at the bottom of the AL East, being eliminated from playoff consideration in early September and ranking among the last three teams in the league surely isn’t what the Red Sox nor their fans had in mind.
Preseason Prediction: For as much as things went wrong for the Red Sox in 2012, that’s as much as went right for them in 2013. If those two extremes even out this year, you have all the makings of a team stuck in the dog fight that is the AL East, trying desperately to make it back to the Postseason. (Joe Lucia, March 21st)
What Went Right: David Ortiz was once again one of the best designated hitters in baseball, providing the Red Sox with their only consistent middle-of-the-order run producer. With 32 home runs and 98 RBI, he could reach his highest total in both of those categories over the past seven seasons.
Jon Lester pitched like an ace, posting a 2.52 ERA with 149 strikeouts in 143 innings. When it became wholly apparent the Red Sox wouldn’t contend, he became arguably the top pitcher available at the trade deadline, yielding Yoenis Cespedes in a blockbuster deal. That gave Boston a much-needed right-handed power bat through at least next season.
Boston’s bullpen was one of the best in the AL, compiling a 3.31 ERA through Sept. 10. Closer Koji Uehara continued his 2013 late-season and postseason success, notching a 2.61 ERA, striking out 75 batters in 61.1 innings and converting 26 of 31 save opportunities. Junichi Tazawa and Burke Badenhop pitched well in setup roles. Andrew Miller was excellent (2.34 ERA, 14.7 Ks per nine innings) before being traded to the Orioles.
What Went Wrong: Ortiz’s .261/.358/.511 slash average could actually be his worst in a Red Sox uniform since 2009. Uehara’s heavy workload going back to last season wore him down and he was virtually shut down.
In 2013, the Red Sox offense led MLB with 853 runs and a .795 team OPS, while placing second with a .277 team batting average. That production cratered in 2014. With 16 games remaining on the schedule, Boston’s 561 runs are tied for last in the AL. With a .243 team average and .684 OPS, the Red Sox rank 14th out of 15 AL clubs.
A.J. Pierzynski was a poor replacement for Jarrod Saltalamacchia at catcher, batting .254 with a .633 OPS and only four home runs. Shane Victorino was limited to 30 games because of a back injury, and Daniel Nava couldn’t make up his production in right field.
Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. hit so poorly that he was eventually sent to the minors (amid grumblings that he was stubborn about improving his swing). Xander Bogaerts’ production at shortstop compelled the Red Sox to re-sign Stephen Drew near midseason. Will Middlebrooks never found his swing nor his power, and is being asked to play winter ball.
Most Surprising Player: Mookie Betts began the season with Double-A Portland, but hit so well that he was eventually promoted to Triple-A, then to the majors to help in center field (or perhaps fill in at second base while Dustin Pedroia battled wrist and thumb injuries). Betts may not be the same defender that Bradley is in center, but his .289 average and .826 OPS provided far more offense at the position. That allowed the Red Sox to demote Bradley to the minors.
Betts’ future in Boston is somewhat uncertain with the signing of Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo. It’s possible that his success has made him a strong offseason trade candidate. Or perhaps he can help provide depth in the outfield, especially if Bradley either can’t improve his hitting or ends up traded.
Most Disappointing Player: We’ve already established that virtually every player in the Red Sox lineup could be mentioned here. So let’s go to the pitching staff. Clay Buchholz was having an excellent 2013 before developing a shoulder injury that plagued him for five months. Boston hoped that he’d be healthy this season, but was awful in April and May, compiling a 7.02 ERA in 10 starts. Perhaps those struggles could be attributed to a knee injury that eventually put him on the disabled list, but it always seems to be something with Buchholz.
The trades of Lester and John Lackey put Buchholz in the position of being Boston’s top veteran starter, leading a young, overhauled rotation. Though he was still getting hit hard by opposing lineups through July and August, the 30-year-old embraced the role of mentoring the Red Sox’s developing pitchers. When healthy, Buchholz has pitched like a top-of-the-rotation starter, but the team surely realizes by now that he’s not consistent enough to be its ace and probably has to find one through free agency.
The Future: GM Ben Cherington did a nice job of bolstering his outfield by trading for Cespedes and Allen Craig. Both players should provide two impact bats to support Ortiz in the middle of the Red Sox lineup. Castillo should be an improvement in center field as well.
However, there are still quite a few questions going into next season that have to concern the front office, particularly the left side of the infield with Bogaerts and Middlebrooks. Both players could be the foundation of the Red Sox’s future, yet their lack of production calls into question whether a team can be built around them. But with the scarcity of quality shortstop and third basemen throughout baseball, Boston likely has no choice but to hope these two can eventually develop into cornerstone talents.
On the pitching side, there are several young arms such as Joe Kelly, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa and Matt Barnes that could build a good rotation. But who leads the staff as the No. 1 starter? Can the Red Sox really bring Lester back or haul in another top free agent arm like Max Scherzer? That could be the difference in whether or not Boston can compete in what should once again be an extremely competitive AL East next season.
