It’s already here. Pitchers and catchers have reported. Full-squad workouts begin on Monday. Before you know it, we’ll all be wearing shorts and t-shirts again, watching the Red Sox try and win their third straight AL East title. But before we fast-forward to October, or even to preseason predictions, let’s take a look at a few of the top Red Sox storylines to keep an eye out for this spring, after what was a pretty quiet offseason:
MEGA POWERS UNITE
-That’s right, I just called Chris Sale and David Price the “Mega Powers.” If you’re an old-school WWF fan like myself, then you know that Hulk Hogan and the Macho Man Randy Savage are the original Mega Powers. Well, fast-forward to 2018, and jump from the world of professional wrestling to Major League Baseball, and you have the potential version of Hogan and Savage at the top of the Red Sox rotation.
In other words, they have the potential to be the most dominant one-two punch in all of baseball. But, like any spring training storyline, it comes with some questions. Will Sale struggle again late in the season like he did in 2017? Can Price stay healthy for an entire season? And what will both pitchers look like in the postseason?
Sale has apparently changed his offseason throwing program in order to not be worn down by the end of the season. If you recall, Sale came out of the gate guns blazing during his first season with the Red Sox last year. He struggled late in the season because of it but has said he’s “dialed it back” this offseason so that he can withstand a full 162-game schedule, and then some.
Price is back in the starting rotation. He missed most of last season with an elbow injury that didn’t require surgery. He returned late in the year and pitched masterfully out of the bullpen for the Red Sox in the postseason. It’s that type of performance that leads me to believe his presence in the rotation will be a dominant one. I realize it’s fairly cheesy to look at Price’s return the rotation as an offseason acquisition, but let’s be honest, Price only made 11 starts last year. That’s the lowest amount of starts he’s ever made in a single season as a starting pitcher, since he came into the league. And with his early opt-out clause after this season, there’s incentive for him to dominate the way he has for most of his career.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. The Mega Powers eventually collided, and it led to Hogan vs Savage for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania V. Well, here’s hoping Miss Elizabeth doesn’t get involved in this one.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
-Last season was the first season without David Ortiz in a long time, and there’s no doubt that his absence was felt, especially in the clubhouse. It’s time for somebody to step up and take a more prominent leadership role. I’m not talking about the manager. Sure, new skipper Alex Cora needs to establish himself as somebody the players must respect, but the Red Sox need leadership from somebody who’s actually lacing them up. And I’m not talking about a pitcher, or somebody who comes off the bench once or twice a week. I’m talking about an everyday positional player.
It should be Dustin Pedroia, but you know how I feel about him. I still can’t get that Manny Machado video from last year out of my head. So maybe it’s best that Pedroia leads by example, if he can get that knee healthy and stay on the field. I also look at Mookie Betts as a lead-by-example guy. There’s nothing wrong with that. But somebody needs to try and be that vocal leader as well. As if to say, “This is my team now.” I think we all know that’s not going to be Hanley Ramirez. He’s had his opportunities to be the new leader of the Red Sox, and he failed.
I’ll be looking at guys like Xander Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez to step into that elite leadership role. Bogaerts is 25 and is entering his fifth full Major League season. Vazquez is 27 and has clearly established himself the team’s top catcher. Bogaerts had a down year in 2017, hitting .273. But the two seasons before that, he hit .294 in 2016, and .320 in 2015. I’d put my money on him bouncing back in 2018. I expect him and Vazquez to be more vocal in 2018 and establishing themselves as two of the Red Sox’ most respected players.
DON’T WAIT FOR JD
-I’ll keep this short and sweet. Red Sox players can’t spend all spring training looking over their shoulders and waiting for Martinez to walk through those doors. As I write this, Martinez is still a free agent. Would he help the Red Sox’ offense? Of course, he would. But if the Sox don’t want to get in a bidding war with themselves over a 30-year-old who isn’t as good as everyone’s made him out to be, then I don’t blame them.
They offered him a $100 million contract, and Martinez is reportedly “fed up” with the way the Red Sox have handled the negotiation. Well, I have some news for Martinez. The Boston Red Sox will survive without him. He needs them, more than the team needs him. And it’s time for the Sox to send that message home.
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