Roche: Patience Still A Part Of Red Sox Plan
BOSTON (CBS) -- Let's start by getting this out of the way: I was not happy that the Red Sox fell short in their bid to sign Jon Lester.
However, it's time to move on, and that's what Ben Cherington and his Baseball Ops department have done. Ben quickly made some moves in the pitching market. Lots of folks feel that the Sox still need an ace to replace Lester, and I agree. I do think that patience may be needed. Acquiring an ace is not easy. In fact, it may not happen this offseason. It could happen at the 2015 trade deadline or even next offseason. And, if you look at the Red Sox minor league system, it may not come until one of their young pitchers develops.
A great example of that? Jon Lester.
So, let's take a look at where the Sox stand as the Winter Meetings end in San Diego, but with still work to be done.
Rotation
Clay Buchholz
Joe Kelly
Wade Miley
Rick Porcello
Justin Masterson
Clearly, it's no Lester-Lackey 1-2 punch, but it's vastly improved from what the Sox had to end the season. The uncertainty is gone, as you just never knew what you were going to get each start from Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, etc ... .
Now, the rotation would look a lot better with a clear ace at the top. Give me a James Shields, Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmerman or Max Scherzer any day of the week. However, that may take some time. There are plenty of really good pitchers that are free agents after this coming season such as Cueto, Doug Fister, Zack Greinke (opt-out after this season), David Price, Jeff Samardzija, and Zimmerman. One of these could be acquired via trade mid-season or signed after next season.
Would it be better to get an ace right now? Absolutely, but sometimes it's not realistic. Maybe you have to give up too much in a trade or you would have to overpay in the free-agent market.
Another factor? Young arms. Ben Cherington brought up the fact that the aces we've seen in recent years that have carried their teams to World Series titles have all been in their 20s: Madison Bumgarner, Lester, Josh Beckett, Tim Lincecum, etc. The Red Sox have a bunch of potential in their system from the likes of Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Eduardo Rodriguez, and right on down the line. Who's to say one of these guys doesn't develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter? Again, the key word is patience.
Bullpen
Koji Uehara
Junichi Tazawa
Edward Mujica
Tommy Layne
Brandon Workman
Anthony Ranaudo
Still a work in progress, but from the back end out is pretty good. The key is Koji rebounding into form with proper rest. With Andrew Miller gone, Tommy Layne may get a chance. Look for this need to be addressed soon.
Lineup
With Yoenis Cespedes gone, things become a bit clearer. So, let's take a look at a potential lineup for 2015 while also being aware that there's plenty of time for more moves to come.
1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Hanley Ramirez, LF
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Pablo Sandoval, 3B
6. Mike Napoli, 1B
7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
8. Rusney Castillo, CF
9. Christian Vazquez, C
Not a bad lineup and one that should be much more consistent with what we saw in 2013. A little too right-handed perhaps, but solid 1-6 with potential in the 7-8-9 spots. The one big question is who leads off? It could be Betts if he returns with the same form he left off with this past season, or it could be Castillo, who may grow into the role with time.
The defense should be solid as well with Castillo being a key. Keep in mind, there's potential for a good bench depending upon who stays and who goes between now and spring training. Shane Victorino, Allen Craig, Brock Holt, Daniel Nava, and a backup catcher all can help and could start at any time. Again, if there are takers out there, the bench could be different come April.
Overall
There's still a long way to go in this offseason and a lot can still happen. However, this team 1-25 is much, much better than the team that we saw in the second half of last season. John Farrell likes this team and could love it if Cherington secures an ace.
Stay tuned.
Follow WBZ-TV's Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ.
MORE RED SOX COVERAGE FROM CBS BOSTON
