Where The Red Sox Stand Now That Baseball Is Back
BOSTON (CBS) -- Baseball is back, and it's going to come at us fast. After the 99-day lockout ended Thursday with a new labor deal, Spring Training is set to begin on Sunday with Opening Day coming on April 7.
It doesn't give teams much time to boost their roster ahead of the season, but those are the breaks when you go through a lengthy labor disagreement. And the Red Sox have a lot to get done in that short period of time if they want to get back to the ALCS -- and beyond -- in 2022.
A lot of folks decided to block baseball from their minds as the bickering went on for three-plus months. So here's a quick crash course of what Chaim Bloom and company were able to accomplish before Rob Manfred locked the doors around the league -- and what they need to get done over the next few weeks.
Additions And Subtractions
Bloom added a trio of pitchers off the bargain bin before the lockout began, signing righty Michael Wacha (one-year, $7 million deal) and lefties James Paxton (one-year, $10 million) and Rich Hill (one-year, $5 million). Wacha can be used as a starter or a long reliever, while the 41-year-old Hill will fill an end-of-rotation spot. Paxton is coming off Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to join the mix until this summer.
Bloom cashed in on Hunter Renfroe's stellar 2021 season, sending him to the Milwaukee Brewers for Jackie Bradley Jr., who returns to Boston after signing with the Brew Crew just over a year ago. The Sox also acquired minor-league infielders David Hamilton and Alex Binelas in the deal.
Backup catcher Kevin Plawecki and reliever Ryan Brasier also re-upped with Boston, rounding out the team's moves prior to the lockout.
There was one big departure from the starting rotation, with Eduardo Rodriguez leaving for a five-year, $77 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. It leaves a big hole at the front of the Boston rotation that Bloom is going to have to fill.
Pending Free Agents
The Red Sox have a bunch of them, and some of them were pretty important to the team's success last season.
Kyle Schwarber became a fan favorite for bringing a big bat to the postseason lineup, but is now free to sign wherever he'd like. And with the DH position now available to every team, his market is going to really heat up.
It felt like J.D. Martinez opting in for another year spelled the end of Schwarber's time in Boston, but if he and the Sox can reach some common ground on a new contract, "Kyle from Waltham" should absolutely be brought back into the mix. The Boston offense was at its finest when both Martinez and Schwarber were in the lineup, and Martinez is only signed for one more season. Schwarber could definitely be a long-term option at DH for Boston.
Adam Ottavino was a reliable reliever for much of last season, but he is a free agent and may be running out of the bullpen (and taking barefoot walks through the outfield) elsewhere in 2022.
Pitchers Garrett Richards, Martin Perez and Hansel Robles, and infielder Travis Shaw are all free agents, and most likely won't be back in Boston this season.
What They Need
Right Field: The Sox can't go into the season with Alex Verdugo, Kiké Hernandez and Bradley Jr. as their outfield. I mean, they could, but Bradley Jr. would not be a sufficient replacement for Renfroe's bat in the lineup.
Schwarber would fit the bill, but he's a lefty and isn't a long-term solution in the outfield. The Red Sox could turn to Japanese star Seiya Suzuki, but it's going to cost them quite a bit. He'll likely be worth the investment, but we'll see if Bloom and the Sox are willing to pay up. Kris Bryant and Nick Castellanos are other options if the Red Sox want to make a big splash in the outfield.
The likelier route is a more cost-effective addition, someone like Tommy Pham or Jorge Soler. Of if Boston wants to invest elsewhere, youngster Jarren Duran could get an extended look to start the season.
Another Starter: The Boston rotation is currently made up of Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta and Hill. It's a good start, but the Red Sox need another arm to replace Rodriguez. Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock are both options to start games, but they'd be better served as weapons out of the bullpen to start the season as the team figures out the staff.
Boston would be really lucky to snag 29-year-old Carlos Rodon on a prove-it deal, and the odds are he would be much better on one of those than Richards was last season. He was having a stellar season with the White Sox before arm soreness cost him a good chunk of time, and finished 2021 with a 13-5 record, 2.37 ERA, and 0.957 WHIP. He went 3-0 in his four September starts as he ramped up for the playoffs, but pitched just 18 innings over those outings. He lasted just 2.2 innings in his lone ALDS start.
But Rodon can throw some serious heat, and if healthy, he'd be a solid option in the front of the rotation.
Closing Time: Who gets the ninth inning for Boston is a giant mystery. Matt Barnes lost his way after making the All-Star team last year, leaving Alex Cora to mostly turn to Ottavino to end games. He may not be around in 2022, and if Barnes doesn't have his groove back, Cora will have to turn to someone else.
Whitlock and Houck could be in-house candidates, but adding another arm to the mix ahead of the season wouldn't be a bad idea.
