2023 Red Sox preview: Will Boston contend for a playoff spot?
WBZ-TV's Dan Roche will preview a part of the 2023 Red Sox each day leading up to Thursday's Opening Day tilt against the Baltimore Orioles. On Thursday -- Opening Day! -- Rochie takes a look at the expectations for the Red Sox for the new season!
BOSTON -- Everywhere I go, I'm asked the same question over and over again: Will the 2023 Red Sox be any good?
My answer? They'll be better than you think. BUT -- I don't know how many wins that will translate to by season's end.
Last year, the Red Sox finished with a 78-84 record. That team had a bad bullpen and a starting rotation plagued with injuries. Michael Wacha was the "ace" of the staff with 11 wins on the season. Far too often, Alex Cora was dealing with pitchers and players who had zero experience or simply were overmatched at the big league level.
There were key departures over the offseason, mostly notably Xander Bogaerts signing a big money deal with the San Diego Padres. Others no longer here include J.D. Martinez, Christian Vazquez, and Nate Eovaldi. Trevor Story is also out with an elbow injury and won't be back until July -- if he returns at all this season.
The good news is that Chaim Bloom went out and added proven, veteran players to help his club. Guys who have won a World Series recently.
Justin Turner, Adam Duvall, Chris Martin, and Kenley Jansen should all bring value -- both on and off the field. However, they are all in their mid-30s, so it remains to be seen if they can stay healthy.
There are plenty of question marks elsewhere on the roster, too.
The Boston lineup should produce runs, but can Enrique Hernandez replace Bogaerts as the starting shortstop. Hernandez has only played 100 games at that position over his nine-year career.
Can Duvall be the everyday centerfielder? He's only played 96 games in the position over the last three seasons. His 2022 season ended in late July due to a wrist injury.
Can Christian Arroyo stay healthy as the everyday second baseman? He has plenty of experience at the position, but only as a reserve. Arroyo's career-high for games played in a season is 87, which he set last year.
The biggest question mark is Masataka Yoshida and how his game translates to Major League Baseball. The $90 million man shined for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, showing great potential as Boston's cleanup hitter. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch Yoshida play -- and swing the bat -- at Fenway Park.
As you can see, there are a lot of questions surrounding the 2023 Boston Red Sox, which bring low expectations for the team in a stacked AL East.
Red Sox Preview: Starting Rotation | The Bullpen | The Lineup
I know Alex Cora likes this team, and he's a heck of a manager that will get his team to play hard and, perhaps, overachieve. And if the Red Sox are in contention for a playoff spot around the trade deadline, John Henry and Chaim Bloom owe it to Cora, the team, and the fanbase to go for it.
Will the Red Sox contend? We shall see. All I will say is that the over/under for this team is 78.5 wins. I'll take the over.
I think these Red Sox can battle for a playoff spot. Hopefully that means we're in for a fun summer in Boston.