Category: Boston Red Sox
3 reasons why: Red Sox will win the World Series
As the 2016 season approaches, I will be taking a look at the 10 teams with the best odds of winning the World Series and examining three reasons why each team may ultimately hoist the trophy. Today’s team:
Red Sox (12/1 odds to win World Series): The Red Sox haven’t reached the postseason since they won the World Series in 2013. They are coming off a year in which they won 78 games and finished 15 games back in the AL East, but despite all that, there’s plenty of excitement in Boston.
David Price: David Price’s postseason resume (1-2, 5.12 ERA) leaves a lot to be desired, but he’s still an elite pitcher. Price went 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA in 2015 and tallied 220 1/3 innings. The 30-year old left-hander has logged more than 200 innings in five of the last six seasons and is projected (3.09 ERA, 195 innings, 1.128 WHIP) for another big year in 2016. The deal also allows Price to pitch in Fenway Park, a place he has been comfortable throughout his career, as evidenced by his 1.95 ERA across 11 starts.
Dave Dombrowski: Boston biggest move to prep for 2016 may have occurred late in the 2015 season. In August, the Red Sox hired Dave Dombrowski to be the President of Baseball Operations – a move that is already paying off. Not only did Dombrowski go out acquire a frontline starter in Price, but he also acquired an elite closer in Craig Kimbrel.
Outfield: Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo certainly make for an outfield with tons of potential. Betts had a bit of a coming out party in 2015 – hitting .291with 77 RBIs and 21 stolen bases – and if he can produce similar numbers in 2016, the Red Sox will be in good shape. Bradley Jr. and Castillo have yet to produce over the entirety of a complete season, but the tools are there and if everything comes together, it could go a long way toward Boston’s success.
Bonus: David Ortiz has already announced that the 2016 season will be his last. What better way for the 19-year veteran to go out than with one more parade?
Cubs still favorite, D-backs make huge jump in 2016 World Series odds
A trio of teams – the Cubs, Red Sox and D-backs – have garnered the bulk of the offseason headlines thus far.
Yes, plenty of teams have made moves to put themselves in a better position going forward, but the three teams mentioned above have made the biggest, most significant moves and the betting lines reflect that.
On November 2, the day after the World Series concluded, Bovada, an online casino and sportsbook, posted odds for the 2016 World Series. The Cubs (11/1) were the odds-on favorite while the Red Sox (20/1) were in the middle of the pack and the D-backs (50/1) seemed like a long shot.
Fast forward through the Winter Meetings, into the middle of December, and plenty of things have changed.
The Cubs are still the favorites, but the odds are now 8/1 after the club strengthened the rotation and signed John Lackey, in addition to bolstering an already potent lineup with the additions of Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward.
Boston got a head start on the off-season wheeling and dealing when it traded four prospects to San Diego in exchange for Craig Kimbrel. The Kimbrel trade was a big move that strengthened a ‘pen that finished the season with a 4.24 ERA, 26th in all of baseball. However, it turns out it was just a precursor as Dave Dombrowski still had some tricks up his sleeve.
The Red Sox made another big splash when they inked David Price to a monster contract and as a result, their World Series odds jumped from 20/1 to 9/1.
But perhaps the biggest off-season shocker took place just before the Winter Meetings when Arizona landed Zack Greinke. Not only did the Greinke signing give a tremendous boost to Arizona’s starting rotation, but it also subtraced an ace from the Dodgers’ staff and kept the Giants, a division rival and the other finalist in the Greinke sweepstakes, from acquiring the superstar.
Of course, once the D-backs added Greinke it was a clear sign that the team was in “win now” mode, so Dave Stewart and Tony La Russa went out and made another bold move, trading for Shelby Miller.
The D-backs finished second in the National League in runs scored a season ago and added two quality arms to the rotation which is why the odds went all the way from 50/1 to 20/1.
Although the Giants missed on Greinke, the club added Jeff Samardzija and saw odds swing from 20/1 to 8/1.
While all those changes were significant and interesting, there is still plenty of offseason left, which means time for more deals (what happens if the Cubs get another pitcher?).
10 Things I’m Watching In 2015: Boston Red Sox
As we count down to Spring Training, here’s the fifth installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: the Boston Red Sox.
In the middle of January, MLB Network Radio asked Pablo Sandoval if the Red Sox would win the AL East in 2015. His answer, “we will.”
While Sandoval, who signed a five-year $95 million contract with the Red Sox, is confident, can the team really go from worst to first this season?
Although Boston was unable to resign Lester, General Manager Ben Cherington made some big moves this off season and made it clear the Red Sox are looking to compete.
In addition to adding Sandoval, the Red Sox added Hanley Ramirez to a line-up that already features David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia.
Boston also fixed up the pitching staff, adding Wade Miley, Rick Porcello and Justin Masterson. None of those names are going to have experts listing the Red Sox among the game’s top rotations, but it’s not a bad staff either.
The Red Sox scored 634 runs last season – which tied for 11th in the American League. Needless to say the club is hoping to improve on those numbers and if Sandoval and Ramirez hit like they’re capable of, then the Boston line-up should be more potent.
Going from worst to first in one season is not an easy task, but Boston has done it before and there are several players on that team that know how to win – something that is very important when looking for a major turnaround.
Recap of previous entries:
Trade Deadline Revisited
As soon as the July 31 Trade Deadline was completed, the A’s and Tigers appeared to be the big winners.
The Athletics had acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel a bit before the Trade Deadline and then acquired Jon Lester in a blockbuster move while the Tigers landed David Price.
As it turned out, those teams went a combined 0-4 in the postseason and the real prize of the Deadline may have been a 31-year old pitcher from Mobile, Alabama.
The San Francisco Giants acquired Jake Peavy, for a couple of pitching prospects, a few days before the Trade Deadline. Peavy went 8-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 12 starts for the National League champions to finish the regular season and is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in two postseason starts.
Now it remains to be seen whether or not the Giants will resign Peavy next season, but after winning the National League pennant and reaching a third World Series in the past five years, it’s hard to argue the move wasn’t a success for the Giants.
In addition to the Peavy trade, plenty of other teams were active at the Trade Deadline. Here’s a quick rundown on how everyone performed with their new teams:
A’s acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel: In 16 starts with the Athletics, Samardzija went 8-8 with a 3.14 ERA. Hammel went 2-6 with a 4.26 ERA in 12 starts.
Cubs acquire Addison Russell, Billy McKinney and Dan Straily: Russell, the No. 5 prospect according to MLBpipeline.com, was the prize of this trade for the Cubs and he hit .294 in 50 games with the Cubs AA affiliate.
The Athletics acquired Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes and cash from the Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes: Lester went 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 starts, but was also on the mound when the A’s collapse began in the AL Wild Card game. Gomes played in 34 games for the A’s and hit .234 Cespedes hit .269 with five homers and 33 RBI for Boston.
Then, the A’s traded Tommy Milone to the Twins in exchange for Sam Fuld:
Milone appeared in six games, five starts, for the Twins while Fuld played in 53 games and hit .210 for Oakland.
The Cardinals acquired John Lackey from the Red Sox for Joe Kelly and Allen Craig: Lackey went 3-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 10 starts for the Cardinals while Kelly went 4-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 10 starts for Boston and Craig hit .128 in 29 games.
The Brewers traded a pair of minor leaguers (outfielder Mitch Haniger and pitcher Anthony Banda) to the Diamondbacks for Gerardo Parra: Parra hit .268 in 46 games for Milwaukee.
The Padres continued selling and traded Chris Denorfia to the Mariners for Abraham Almonte and minor league pitcher Stephen Kohlscheen: Denorfia hit .195 in 32 games with the Mariners.
A day after trading Justin Masterson to the Cardinals, the Indians traded Asdrubal Cabrera to the Nationals for Zach Walters: Masterson was a disappointment with the Cardinals as he went 3-3 in nine games, six starts, with a 7.04 ERA. Cabrera hit .229 in 49 games with the Nationals and Walters hit .130 in 70 games for the Indians.
The Red Sox traded Andrew Miller to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez: Miller appeared in 23 games for the Orioles and posted a 1.35 ERA.
Boston was very active at the deadline and concluded its day after trading Stephen Drew to the Yankees for Kelly Johnson: Drew hit .150 in 46 games with the Yankees.
In addition to Drew, the Yankees acquired Martin Prado. In order to get Prado, the Yankees sent Peter O’Brien and either cash or a player to be named later to the Diamondbacks: Prado hit .316 in 37 games as a Yankee.
The Braves acquired Emilio Bonifacio, James Russell and cash from the Cubs in exchange for minor league catcher Victor Caratini: Bonifacio appeared in 41 games for the Braves and hit .212, while Russell posted a 2.22 ERA in 22 appearances with Atlanta.
The Marlins sent outfielder Jake Marisnick to the Astros in return for Jarred Cosart and Kike Hernandez: Marisnick hit .272 in 51 games with his new team and Cosart went 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 10 starts with his new club.
The Tigers acquired David Price, the Mariners picked up Austin Jackson and the Rays received Drew Smyly and Nick Franklin: Price went 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 starts for the Tigers while Austin Jackson hit .229 in 54 games with the Mariners. He also stole 11 bases. In Tampa Bay, Smyly went 3-1 in seven starts and posted a 1.70 ERA and Franklin hit .206 in 11 games.
Obviously these stats do not tell the whole story of who won or lost a trade or whether it was even for both teams as contract situations, cash, prospects and plenty of other factors are up for consideration, but in the break between the championship series and the World Series, it is interesting to look back and see how all those Deadline deals stacked up.
2014 Trade Deadline Recap
Roughly a month ago the A’s and Cubs jumpstarted the trade season with a blockbuster deal that sent Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the A’s. About a week ago, the Red Sox traded Jake Peavy to the Giants.
The wheels were rolling and could tell it was going to be an exciting trade season, but nothing could have prepared everyone for all the excitement the July 31st deadline provided.
Here’s a quick recap on the days action:
The Athletics acquired Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes and cash from the Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes. Then, the A’s traded Tommy Milone to the Twins in exchange for Sam Fuld.
The Cardinals acquired John Lackey from the Red Sox for Joey Kelly and Allen Craig.
The Brewers traded a pair of minor leaguers (outfielder Mitch Haniger and pitcher Anthony Banda) to the Diamondbacks for Gerardo Parra.
The Padres continued selling and traded Chris Denorfia to the Mariners for Abraham Almonte and minor league pitcher Stephen Kohlscheen.
A day after trading Justin Masterson to the Cardinals, the Indians traded Asdrubal Cabrera to the Nationals for Zach Walters.
The Red Sox traded Andrew Miller to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.
Boston was very active at the deadline and concluded its day after trading Stephen Drew to the Yankees for Kelly Johnson.
In addition to Drew, the Yankees acquired Martin Prado. In order to get Prado, the Yankees sent Peter O’Brien and either cash or a player to be named later to the Diamondbacks.
The Braves acquired Emilio Bonifacio, James Russell and cash from the Cubs in exchange for minor league catcher Victor Caratini.
The Marlins sent outfielder Jake Marisnick to the Astros in return for Jarred Cosart and Kike Hernandez.
In perhaps the biggest blockbuster trade of the day, the Tigers acquired David Price, the Mariners picked up Austin Jackson and the Rays received Drew Smyly and Nick Franklin.
Today’s Trade Deadline was one of the most exciting in recent memory as there was not only a plethora of moves, but moves with very significant pieces.
At first glance, the Red Sox, A’s, Cardinals and Tigers appear to be the “Trade Deadline winners.” However, a lot will be determined by how teams fare in October.
When all is said and done and one team is hoisting the World Series Trophy in October, today will be a fun one to look back at.
Side note:
It is not a total shock, but it is a bit surprising that the Dodgers didn’t trade Matt Kemp or any of their outfielders.
Boor on Baseball 