On Wednesday I read a tweet from MassLive that was really a kick in the nards.
So, this last place team that once traded Mookie Betts to get under the luxury tax now has the 5th highest payroll in baseball. (Insert the Joker looking around meme) To this I have just one question, “What the fuck?” The worst part of this is that they are $4.5 million over the threshold. They couldn’t find $4.5 anywhere on the roster? According to Fangraph’s roster resource that easily could have been taken care of by moving just one of JD Martinez (.239/.313/.397! 3 HR 15 RBI 42 SO since the trade deadline) or Nathan Eovaldi (2 Games started, 12 Innings Pitched). But, the return for those two wasn’t enough so they didn’t pull the trigger.
Now looking to the future, the team is going to cry poor again because they didn’t reset the luxury tax this year. The luxury tax is going to go up by $3-4 million per year from now until 2026. But, that is not nearly enough to make it easy for the Red Sox to get under without having to pinch pennies. Their only hope is that some young players can contribute while they are pre-arbitration. I can’t wait to watch Triston Casas for a whole year and there is a good chance Eric Hosmer ops out which will free up money. Brayan Bello might give them a reliable starter which is something they are sorely lacking. We know that Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck are good. Who knows what their respective roles will be but, they are good to potentially great pitchers going forward.
A quick look at the rest of the roster isn’t as promising. If they bring back Bogaerts (please bring back Bogaerts) an infield of Casas, Story, Bogaerts and Devers is formidable. As we talked about in a recent episode of Baseball Night, Kiké Hernandez re-signed for the 2023 season. The outfield is shaping up to be Hernandez, Alex Verdugo and a player to be named later. Before we go on, its not going to be Aaron Judge. There is no way that Judge signs with the Red Sox next year. Ignore all the reports that the Red Sox are in on Judge or the Red Sox might try to steal him away from the Yankees. It is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Back to the projections. If you recall the Red Sox inexplicably traded their starting catcher at the deadline (and are still over the luxury tax threshold if you forgot that little note from the first paragraph). The guess is that Connor Wong will be the starting catcher next year. I could see them bringing back Christian Vazquez but they will probably expect him to take a discount for some reason.
The lineup could be good next year. If they can get some power out of first base and DH. Not a sentence you would expect but the Red Sox really struggled this season out of those spots in the lineup. This can all go to shit if they let Bogaerts go or look to trade Devers. If that were to happen I think should be the last straw with fans and this ownership group. If they are responsible for getting rid of Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers they should not own the team anymore.
Pitching is the big problem. Their most expensive player is their “ace” Chris Sale. I wanted to make the quotes 100 font but I’m a serious blogger and wouldn’t stoop to something like that. Chris Sale is not an ace of any staff. You can pitch him on opening day, if you want, but you are not getting that production out of him. He was given an extension too soon and because out it you lost Mookie Betts. At the end of the season I implore you to check the NL MVP ballot because Betts will be in the top 3.
As my brother Jack and I figured Nick Pivetta came crashing down to earth. Nate Eovaldi had the best year of his career and then the guy that has had two Tommy John surgeries got hurt a bunch this year. Not to mention gave up a ton of home runs when he did pitch. OK, I get it, I mentioned it. Michael Wacha was the only bright light in the rotation but have we not learned from Eovaldi and Pivetta? If you can get Wacha back on a team friendly contract I am all for it. Remember this is a money conscious team after all.
I know I said that pitching is the problem two paragraphs ago and it is but, Chiam Bloom is the problem. I don’t understand how a team set to finish in last place of the AL East has the 5th highest payroll. You NEED to unload players and reset the luxury tax if this is the case. When the team traded Vazquez it should have been done knowing Martinez or Eovaldi were out the door right behind him. Bloom doesn’t seem to have a plan. That is the most frustrating thing about the season. Fine the team fell from grace after an unexpected run to the ALCS last year. But now there is little hope for the team in the future because you couldn’t give up on two past their prime veterans at the trade deadline. I don’t get how this team has the payroll it does and I don’t think that Bloom should be back if the off season doesn’t go well.
The Never Weres 
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