Strikeouts, as we know, have been defining baseball for some time now. And for the Red Sox, even in the offseason, they are continuing to strike out at a seemingly historic rate.
Yeesh.
When, if ever, does it end?
Within two days of losing out in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, the Red Sox fell on their faces again yesterday with the news that Max Fried had signed an eight-year, $218-million deal with the New Yok Yankees. And then Nathan Eovaldi went to Texas Rangers for three years and $75 million. There was also a report from Sean McAdam of Mass Live that the Red Sox were in disagreement over what to do on infielder Alex Bregman, evoking memories of a long-standing criticism of the Sox coined by a former Boston Herald columnist, the late Tim Horgan.
Don’t just do something. Stand there.
Holy crap, Batman. Can the Sox get anything right? I mean … anything? A year ago, part owner Tom Werner foolishly promised that the Sox were going to go “full throttle,” a declaration that left him looking like, well, Mister Magoo. The only difference is that Monsieur Magoo was near-sighted (see below) while the Sox seem hopelessly fixed on the long-range future, seemingly incapable of recognizing that their fans need a gesture of good faith and they need one now.
On Monday, Breslow said the Red Sox have “asked a ton of our fans in terms of patience and tolerating finishes well below where the Red Sox should be.” Yesterday, he added this: ““In order to attract free agent talent, you have to be willing to get uncomfortable. I think that is the sentiment of our room and as we’re trying to improve our team, this can’t be about doing what feels perfectly comfortable.”
Well knock me over with a feather, but the Sox don’t seem “comfortable” with – or capable of – anything. We asked this question a couple days ago, so we’ll ask it again today and we’ll keep on asking it until the Sox wake up in 2024, soon-to-be 2025:
Good heavens.
It’s competition, folks.
You can’t just keep clinging to the same “plan” when the world keeps changing around you.
To wit:
Soto established a new market
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees in action against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 13, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Do I believe that the Sox wanted Soto? Yes. Do I believe they were realistic about what it would take to get him? Obviously not. Many of us are surprised by where the numbers for Soto ended up, though that’s usually how free agency goes. Once upon a time, the Red Sox understood this. When they signed J.D. Drew, the numbers seemed outrageous. Ditto for Daisuke Matsuzaka. But the Red Sox did it anyway because they (led by Theo Epstein) understood what it took to make the moves that were truly their Plan A.
Now, the Sox keep matching when the stakes get raised – right up until the point that the big boys raise the stakes to a point that the Red Sox are “uncomfortable” going to. So they back down. Just like they did on Yoshinobu Yamamoto and just like they did on Soto.
Which brings us to …
The Max Fried failure
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 04: Max Fried #54 of the Atlanta Braves throws against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on June 04, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Let’s make something clear here: there was a reason both the Red Sox and Yankees were fixated on Fried over Corbin Burnes. Put these in whatever order you like, but while Burnes is bigger and slightly younger, Fried is the more skilled, pure pitch and, of course, left-handed. That last fact is not insignificant. The Red Sox have a staff full of right-handed starters and could use a left arm in the same way they could use a right bat. Fried was the guy. That’s why they went after him first.
Entering the offseason, some projections had Fried pegged for a six-year contract at $150-$175 million. There were reports yesterday that the Yankees were willing to go to seven years. When the dust cleared, New York was at eight years and $218 million, which the Yankees happily forked over after losing Soto to the crosstown New York Mets. The Red Sox? They got beat to the punch again, unwilling or unable to grasp the reality that the talent has the leverage on the open market. As such, they Sox were once again left with nothing.
The Nathan Eovaldi fallout
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JULY 06: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park on July 06, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
When Eovaldi left the Red Sox two offseasons ago, I’ll admit: it was time to move on. The Red Sox needed something new. But with the way things have evolved – and Eovaldi won another title with the Texas Rangers – I was admittedly wrong. Had the Sox signed Fried and Eovaldi, I’d have been happy with it. As it turns out, they couldn’t even get Eovaldi, who signed a three-year, $65-million deal with the Rangers.
This should have you worried.
When Eovaldi was here, the Sox liked him and he liked Boston. He was a good fit, a pure professional, a proven October performer (9-3, 3.05 ERA for his career). But he, like many, seemingly sees the Red Sox as nothing more than a memory, which is what the Sox are. Eovaldi – and the game – has again blown right by.
The Bregman reports
CLEVELAND, OHIO – JULY 09: Manager Alex Cora and J.D. Martinez #28 of the Boston Red Sox react with Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 09, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Do the Sox need Alex Bregman, per se? Well, yes and no. They certainly could use a right-handed bat, though they can get that somewhere else. Bregman would certainly give them the latitude to move Rafael Devers from third base and trade Triston Casas for pitching, though there seems to be some organizational uncertainty as detailed in McAdam’s story above. If you didn’t click on that link, here’s the meat of it, according to McAdam:
“But Boston’s pursuit, according to an industry source, is somewhat complicated by some internal disagreement over Bregman. While manager Alex Cora and team president Sam Kennedy are known to be big proponents of Bregman, the source said some members of the baseball operations staff, including chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, are more circumspect when it comes to the player.”
Look, this isn’t the first time the Sox have had an internal disagreement over a player. But the report triggered this response from Zach Scott, a former Red Sox employee who briefly became general manager of the Mets before starting his own venture:
Ouch. Of course, this isn’t the first time Scott has tweaked the Sox, who deserve tweaking. The Red Sox have been all over the place in recent years in terms of organizational philosophy. First, they say spending is reckless. Then they get desperate and spend – or try to:
So where are we now?
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan pitches in the first inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Good question. Maybe the Sox will surprise us and land Roki Sasaki. Maybe they will sign Teoscar Hernandez and trade Jarren Duran and Marcelo Mayer in a package for Garrett Crochet. Maybe they will sign Burnes. But whatever the case, the Sox need to do something – and they need to do it fast. Their fan base, after all, was well beyond uncomfortable a long, long time ago.
