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There are probably a lot of people skeptical about the Boston Red Sox offseason moves this year. That argument has some merit, depending on your own opinion of improving a team, but the reality is the BoSox upgraded their club more than any other team with dreams of October.
First off, anyone hoping for the unique home run power that the recent championship Sox provided should wake up and smell the pine tar. Gone, not only for the Red Sox but most likely all of baseball, are teams built around the long ball. From 2003 to 2008, Fenway Park was the home to one of the most devastating yard-going duos in the history of the game. David Ortiz, the only everyday player from the 2004 squad is a shell of his former self, and the combo of Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez come nowhere near to matching the raw power of Manny and Big Papi.
The critics of the Sox hot stove selections this winter will also point to letting go the only player eclipsing 30 home runs, Jason Bay. But instead of overpaying for Bay, the Sox filtered that money into pitching, defense and productiveness.
Already equipped with one of the deepest rotations in baseball, the Red Sox signed the pick of this offseason’s litter in former Angel John Lackey. Some would argue the Red Sox overpaid for an injury-prone 32-year-old, but when in this day and age do you not overpay for a quality arm? In addition to being one of the most productive starters these past few years, Lackey has also been a thorn in the side of the Yankees — a team the Sox will absolutely need to get through to hoist the hardware in October.
The Sox also added much needed help in their defense, which was toward the bottom of the league this past year. Boston gave sturdy veteran and two-time Gold Glove winner Mike Cameron a shot at fielding fly balls in center.
Also improved is the left side of the infield, with the addition of Adrian Beltre. The Sox received some help at third in the form of Beltre, who signed a one-year deal. Beltre is hoping to prove to the rest of the league he deserves a longer deal, and what better place than Fenway Park, which favors right-handed hitters. What were inconsistencies last year now become strengths, as the everyday lineup now features eight former all-stars, including five from the past two years. And that power production you were worried about? The Red Sox currently have nine players on the roster that have hit at least 25 home runs in a season, or in other words, more than every other team.
Gone are the days of baseballs flying through the heavy air collected above Fenway before finally landing in a sea of red and blue. What the Boston Red Sox have to offer now is a team that can beat you on all three sides of the ball — pitching, hitting and fielding. You have the most complete team in all of baseball.
