The Red Sox Aren't Even Trying Anymore
I’m an idiot. No, not the kind of idiot that brought a World Series title to Boston for the first time in 86 years. I’m the kind of idiot that believed the 2015 Red Sox were starting to turn their season around.
And to be honest, I can’t really tell if I actually believed that was happening, or if I was more just rooting for it to happen. Maybe a little bit of both. Whichever one it was, it’s not happening anymore. With a sweep of the Yankees before the All Star break, the Red Sox would’ve been 2.5 games back of first place. Instead, they lost two out of three, and followed that up by getting swept in a four-game series out in Anaheim to fall nine games out. It happened that fast. It was like thinking that you were going to get a new puppy for Christmas, and then you got a cat that had Nickelback concert tickets on its collar.
The fact that they got swept would’ve been enough to lower the casket, but it was the fashion in which they did it that really just sucks the life out of you as a fan. According to Elias, the four runs that the Red Sox scored were the fewest that they’ve tallied in a four-game series since 1965. Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez were a combined 0-for-44 in the series, and the loss in the series finale tied the Red Sox with Seattle Mariners for the worst record in the American League at 42-51. The Red Sox sent one player to the All Star Game this year, and then they sent him to the bench for three out of the four games against the Angels in favor of Mike Napoli, who came into the series hitting .193 with a .648 OPS. It’s shit like this that really makes you wonder if they were even trying.
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I don’t care what Napoli’s numbers are against the Angels in his career. They’ve given Napoli more than enough time to figure it out at the plate. He hasn’t, and the fact that his leash has been so long is one of the biggest reasons why this team will be playing meaningless games for the rest of the summer. It’s not Napoli’s fault that he’s having a terrible season, but it’s certainly Farrell’s fault for continuing to trot him out there, hitless game after hitless game, when they still had a shot to get back in the race.
So now we wait. That sweep just about guaranteed that the Red Sox will be sellers at the trade deadline in ten days. I’m sure they’ll be listening to offers on anybody not named Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts or Eduardo Rodriguez. It’s a given that David Ortiz isn’t going anywhere, given his 10-5 rights, but beyond those names, I don’t think anybody is safe. And yes, that means Dustin Pedroia. I’d be surprised if they traded him, and I don’t think they actually will, but I’d be willing to bet that they’ll at least listen to offers on him.
What’s different about this year, as opposed to when they blew the team up in 2012 and 2014, is that they don’t have very many assets that other teams will give you something of value for. You think anybody is going to give you anything of value for Shane Victorino, Clay Buchholz (now that he has an elbow injury), Justin Masterson, or Napoli? I doubt there will be anybody lining up to take on the contracts of Hanley Ramirez or Pablo Sandoval, either. Your best bet is to hope that you can get a good prospect back for Koji Uehara. Beyond that, all we can do now is hope that general manager Ben Cherington has something up his sleeve to help the team in 2016. But, looking at his decisions over the last couple of years, I’m not getting my hopes up.
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