If we’re going to make early-season assessments of the Red Sox – and we are – then let’s acknowledge that this one has had a little bit of everything, but not enough of anything.
So far, after all, the Red Sox have played 20 games, including 10 at home and 10 on the road, with 10 wins and 10 losses. There have been the requisite good, bag and ugly, which is to say that the Red Sox are pretty much exactly where we thought they would be – in both the middle of the pack in baseball as a whole and at the bottom of the American League East.
Are they horrible? No, But they aren’t good, either.
The injury to Trevor Story has been the defining moment of this Red Sox season so far, but there are two ways to to look at that. The first is that Story’s injury was bad luck. The second is that it exposed a roster construction with nothing behind him at the position – hollow walls, so to speak which has triggered an avalanche of poor defensive play all over the diamond.
If all it took was an injury to Trevor Story for the 2024 Red Sox to start crumbling, well, then they probably weren’t going to accomplish anything in the first place.
Years ago, when Theo Epstein ran the Red Sox and the Sox were hellbent on winning, the team had lofty, simple goals: 90-95 wins per season, the playoffs, above-average play at most every position. But now? It’s hard to find many (any?) sports on the diamond where the Sox are either above average or (heaven forbid) elite, which explains the overall inconsistency and mediocrity as the open a three-game series in Pittsburgh today in Game 21 of the season.
Is it still early? Of course. But based on the personnel, it’s hard to see the Sox improving across the board on some of the play we’ve seen so far.
A position-by-position assessment:
Starting pitching
ERA: 1.82 (First in MLB)
Innings: 104 (Ninth in MLB)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 17: Reese McGuire #3 of the Boston Red Sox, left, dumps water on Tanner Houck #89 of the Boston Red Sox after throwing a complete game against the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park on April 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Ain’t it the darnedest thing? Entering the season, the Sox’ starting pitching was arguably the biggest weakness, particularly after the season-ending ending injury to Lucas Giolito, who was a lottery ticket to begin with. Now Nick Pivetta and Garrett Whitlock are out, too. Tanner Houck (two walks) has been absolutely terrific and Kutter Crawford has been good, too. Can it continue? Only heaven knows. A concern: how many innings can they handle? Houck’s recent complete game was an outlier. The Sox are going to need more from everyone.
Relief pitching
ERA: 3.97 (15th in MLB)
Innings: 79.1 (Third in MLB)
Blown saves: Six (Second-most in MLB)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 16: Kenley Jansen #74 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning at Fenway Park on April 16, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Kenley Jansen has been a haht-attack closah, to put it mildly, but that’s really ust the tip of the iceberg. Sox relievers are already throwing too many innings – no thanks to Thursday’s bullpen game – and the combination of Giolito’s injury and a further willingness to spend has caused a trickledown effect. If Jordan Montgomery had been here and Whitlock had been in the bullpen, would he now be hurt? And would the Sox have more wins? Discuss.
Catcher
OPS: .858 (Fourth in MLB)
DEF: -0.8 (29th in MLB)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 17: Connor Wong #12 of the Boston Red Sox points to the crowd after hitting a home run single during the fourth inning of a game against the /g at Fenway Park on April 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Admittedly, defense at catcher can be difficult to quantify with even some of the modern metrics – and the Sox aren’t as bad behind the plate as the about statistic suggests. Offensively, Connor Wong and Reese McGuire have actually been quite good so far, but don’t overrate. Both hit at the bottom of the order and aren’t in premier lineups positions. That said, they’re doing their jobs – and then some. This isn’t a problem, at least not yet.
First base
OPS: .778 (Eighth in MLB)
DEF: -1.0 (10th in MLB)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 30: Triston Casas #36 of the Boston Red Sox catches a ball for an out at first base during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 30, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
All things considered, Triston Casas has been … fine. But with the way the red Sox have been built, the team needed him to continue the ascension he made at the end of last season. Is it his fault? No. But as was noted to me recently by a friend – high-level source there – when was the last time you saw him make a great play at first base? The answer: Hmmm. Casas is obviously there to hit. If the Red Sox are going to get better this year, he needs to be at the middle of if.
Third base
OPS: .529 (30th in MLB)
DEF: -1.4 (27th in MLB)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 15: Tyler O’Neill #17 of the Boston Red Sox, left, and Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox collide during the seventh inning of a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Guardians. Both players were taken out of the game. April 15, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Looking for somewhere to point your longest finger? Third base would be a good start. Rafael Devers is the highest-paid player on the Boston roster and has been one of the team’s worst all-around players so far. Are injuries part of the story? Sure. But Devers also skipped out after the home opener, which is a bad look for someone who is supposed to be the team leader. If you want to criticize ownership during spring training, have it. But you then can’t be a negative all over the field.
Left field
OPS: .971 (First in MLB)
DEF: -0.1 (Ninth in MLB)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 18: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox runs towards third base after hitting a two-run RBI triple against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on April 18, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Well, whaddaya know? Finally a position where the Sox rank above average in both offense and defense. Jarren Duran hasn’t been perfect – that drop in left field was still a headscratcher – but, again, perfect is a high bar. As far as overall play goes, Duran has been one of the best – if not the best – on the entire roster. The Red Sox need to be fair to him and keep him out of center field.
Center field
OPS: .506 (27th in MLB)
DEF: -0.4 (19th in MLB)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 18: Ceddanne Rafaela #43 of the Boston Red Sox walks off of the field after striking out against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning at Fenway Park on April 18, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Ceddanne Rafaela started the season like gangbusters in Seattle, and the offensive questions were a known issue entering the season. Some of the play in the outfield has been downright spectacular, but there have also been some defensive mistakes that bear watching. Keeping him in center field (as opposed to moving him to shortstop) speaks volumes about how the Sox are emphasizing the long term this year, but the defense needs to be cleaner if he isn’t going to hit. There have been some sloppy mistakes.
Designated hitter
OPS: .496 (30th in MLB)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 16: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out against the Cleveland Guardians during the eleventh inning at Fenway Park on April 16, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
See a pattern here? Third base, shortstop and designated hitter have been the worst positions in the lineup – and they’re the three highest-paid positional players on the roster. Taking Masataka Yoshida’s glove away from him was supposed to make him better, not worse. If things don’t change soon, Alex Cora will have no choice but to bench someone for whom the Sox paid $90 million over five years when no one else was offering anything close. Did you ever thing you’d see the day when the Red Sox failed to have a representative DH?
