Xander Bogaerts lining up against the Red Sox will not not be weird. Let's get that out of the way before we move forward because its caused the fanbase a wide range of emotions ands takes. There's some who understood the process and trusted leadership. There were others who called Bogey greedy, selfish, the Red Sox cheap, and Chaim inept. Those folks are obnoxious and should not be allowed to root for the Sox. It's the people who have been so loud with their negativity that the Red Sox early season success has infuriating them. It goes against everything they've said. These folks are not fans, simply put - you're rooting for your bullish takes over team support.
This weekend was a doozy by all accounts. From Xander hugging Rafael Devers in a brown Padres uniform, to Don Orsillo calling Devers taters it was a moment for nostalgia and a deep yearning for what once was once.
There is so many positives to take from this series alone. Alex Cora says it all the time, win the series, string togethers series wins. Good teams win series its that simple in baseball. For a team like the Red Sox who have been accused of being mismanaged up top which coincided with losing their star face of the franchise short stop, to take 2 of 3 against said player and his current team is a massive win. It's only mid May, but the early success cannot be discounted. The buttons being pressed from Chaim Bloom upstairs with his roster construction and on the fly in season moves have been success for the most part. On the field, Cora is utilizing his rosters strength and getting the most out of his guys.
Sans Bogaerts, this team is much improved this year due to a more balanced roster. Last year they sat 22-25 through 47 where as they are currently 26-21 but beyond the record the product on the field is much improved.
Coming into this season the holiday Red Sox Nations celebrates every 5 days became something of a tongue in cheek comment. No one knew what to expect from the Lanky lefty. One thing everyone agreed on was that it was good to have our ace pitching in April, Something he hadn't done since the 2019 season.
Through 5 starts, the April Sale Days were nothing to celebrate. Sporting an 8.22 ERA, topped out by an uncharacteristic zero strike out game to round out the stretch, it looked like Sale was now going to be a shell of himself. Being a proverbial "innings eater" on a contract with enough zeros that only were allotted for an ace pitcher's salary was a gut punch. Furthermore, a team that was in desperate need of a dependable arm in a rotation that was comparable in numbers to the lowly A's.
The Cleveland start happened and it has been trending in the right direction ever since.
The growl is back, the 97 mph upstairs punch out heater is back and the psycho is back. This team needed this and it's now apparent what has been missing over the past couple years. A bonafide veteran and top of the rotation ace. Whether Sale can keep this up is still to be seen, but anything close to this production is a welcome sight for all.
Last season, the Red Sox lacked a true first baseman, a right fielder, a closer and a number 1 starter. We just covered the latter, but the roster was incomplete with players who shouldn't have been getting regular major league at bats and playing positions they didn't belong it. This offseason brought pieces in that shored up those holes. Kenley Jansen has claimed the closer role and slammed the door shut 10 times already, for perspective last years team leader in saves was 8 which was shared by 3 people. The 9th inning was a terrifying aspect previously and a handful of wins were coughed up due to lacking any semblance of a back end. Having a closer makes a world of difference.
The right corner of the diamond was previously manned by a natural 3rd baseman and outfielder in Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero. Neither of them were exceptional in the field, and their spot in the lineup was that of a black hole. Playing nightly with 8 players in a lineup is tough for any team to win. This season has welcomed the emergence of former top prospect Triston Casas. Although the rookie has yet to find his bat consistently, he is getting on base, launching tanks 15 rows deep and is a natural first baseman. The hits should follow.
After being devoid a full outfield last year, this team is approaching a fantastic problem when Adam Duvall returns from the IL. The guy who has a swing built for Fenway, became obsessed with launching nukes into orbit before fracturing his wrist in Detroit. Losing their best player, and calling up his replacement in Jarren Duran, Sox nation groaned. From a guy who was carrying the team to a guy who tried fighting fans in Kansas City and continuously lost battles to the sun when attempting to catch pop flies. Duran has done nothing except slash his way to the tune of .343/3/19 with 13 doubles 7 swiped bags and a noticeable improvement on defense. We all know there are 3 outfield spots. The Red Sox have aforementioned Duvall, Duran, as well as rookie of the year candidate and WBC champion Masa Yoshida and walk off king Alex Verdugo who have all proved they belong in the lineup as everyday players. Furthermore they don't have the ability to stash one at DH as elder statesman Justin Turner is holding that down, another point to Bloom on a great signing.
This is exactly what we have wanted. A competitive team that is watchable. They can hit they can compete and they can be enjoyed. They've had thrilling wins by way of walk offs, and crushing defeats by way of 9th inning rallies. everything in between shows that this team can will compete for a playoff spot.
For a team that many thought were destined for the basement in the division for th 2nd year in a row this is a welcomed sight. The line up rakes and the bullpen shuts it down. As the rotation continues to ramp up and get healthier, this is shaping up for a fun year and a ceiling that could have they playing meaningful September baseball. What more could you want?
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