So, we’ve had a week to recuperate from last weekend’s miserable postseason showing. I’m not going to sugarcoat it because, quite frankly, I’m still bitter about it. And I think Red Sox Nation will agree with me that it’s frustrating to make sure you can watch the playoffs in their entirety, only to find out that your playoffs that year consisted of three games during which the team you’d been watching for the entire season didn’t even show up. I’m just saying.
Evidently we have some work to do, and when I say “we” I especially mean Theo Epstein. There is a reason why we were swept in the first round. We had a hitting issue. If you think about it, we didn’t have a pitching issue. Lester made a mistake with Torii Hunter on the mound, Josh Beckett had one bad frame in the seventh, and Clay Buchholz, the vindicator of the entire 2009 postseason for the Boston Red Sox, delivered an absolutely stellar performance, and Theo has confirmed his membership in the 2010 starting rotation. But the hitting issue was glaring and significant. Even reflecting on the regular season. In past years, when the team slumped, we were at least able to manufacture runs through walks and small ball. This year, when we slumped, we didn’t reach base at all. So let’s discuss how to solve this hitting issue.
Starting with Tek. This was a hot topic last offseason, and while it’s not going to be as hot this year, it’s going to be just as significant. After we acquired V-Mart at the trading deadline, Tek became our backup catcher. V-Mart would’ve had playing time no matter what, given his diversity in the field, but it was his offense that did the captain in. Theo has confirmed that V-Mart will start next year. The Red Sox probably won’t exercise their five-million-dollar option for next year, so it’ll be up to Tek to exercise his option, worth three million, and just accept the fact that he’s no longer a starter, which he did this year with composure and grace, teaching V-Mart everything he knows to prepare him to catch each arm. Will Tek exercise the option? I think he will. And I would even go so far as to say that Tek may join our coaching staff after he retires. Meanwhile, Tek’s solid defense behind the plate makes him one of the best defensive backup catchers there is, and having him on the roster would allow V-Mart to play other positions if necessary. And let’s not forget the fact that Tek is our captain. And the fact that he was a good soldier this season proves yet again that he deserves that “C” on his jersey.
We need a shortstop. There’s no getting around that. We’ve needed a shortstop ever since Nomar wrote his one-way ticket out of town. Jed Lowrie needs insurance for his wrist, but that insurance probably won’t come in the form of Alex Gonzalez. He’s got a six-million-dollar club option for next year, but that’s a steep figure in this economy, and unfortunately Theo probably won’t be picking that up. It doesn’t look like we’ll be making any blockbuster deal for a power bat at that position, so look for Theo to focus more on defense. Which Julio Lugo made painfully clear.
We also need to resign Jason Bay. Let me repeat that. We need to resign Jason Bay. He’s an excellent hitter and fielder, walks more than most in the American League, and, oh, by the way, he hustles and he’s drama-free. To be honest, it’s either him or Matt Holliday, but he’s been here, he’s used to this city, and he’s put up great numbers.
Oh, and we need David Ortiz to be a force again. None of this one-home-run-in-his-first-forty-plus-at-bats business. That won’t fly. We need Big Papi back. A big part of that will be monitoring his off-season program.
Mike Lowell’s situation is a bit tricky. Tito expects him to be healthier than ever next year, and indeed he showed flashes of brilliance in the field in Anaheim. But that’s just it. We were in Anaheim, where the weather was warm and stable. In Boston, it’s either hot or cold. I’m not necessarily saying that we should get rid of Mike Lowell because I think he’s valuable to our club, both as a third baseman and perhaps as a DH when Ortiz gets the day off. I’m just saying that we need to watch him closely. Very, very closely.
Even though our pitching was definitely a strong point this season, there are some interesting discussions on that end, too. Theo is insisting that Dice-K adequately prepare himself for Spring Training this year. I couldn’t agree more. And I will be furious if he’s a World Baseball Classic ace at Boston’s expense.
Wakefield had surgery on his back a few days ago to correct a loose fragment in his back that’s been bothering him since July. It’s been significant; he’s had trouble walking because of weakness in his left leg. But the surgery has minimal recovery time, so barring any complications, expect him to show up on time for Spring Training.
Billy Wagner’s agent says that he wants to pitch next season, and why not? Dude’s still got it. The Red Sox agreed not to pick up his option for next season, so he’ll be testing the waters, but he says his family is his top priority.
Sooner or later, we have to start restoring our faith in Papelbon. I personally am not completely ready to do that yet. In a broad sense, it’s the lineup’s fault that we’re sitting on our laurels right now with nothing to do, baseball-wise, for the rest of October, but Papelbon just rubbed salt in the wound. If you’re one pitch away multiple times, there’s no reason to not record the out already. But I digress. The point is, he’s still our closer, and he’s obviously shaken. At some point this winter, we’ll have to remember the fact that he’s got some of the best stuff in the Majors and that he’s one of the elite closers in the game. Even if he did ultimately play an integral part in our postseason downfall. On a related note, I think it’s safe to say that the eighth inning has “Daniel Bard” written all over it.
But after all is said and done, I think one of the absolutely most important roles we need to fill this offseason is that of Kevin Millar. He was the essence of the 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox. He exuded a winning spirit, kept the clubhouse loose, and helped take the team to the top. Right now, Dustin Pedroia is the emotional leader of this team, but after this year’s ALDS I think it’s safe to say that he needs some help. Someone to spark the squad when the going gets tough and the tough need to hit. Someone, ironically and unfortunately, like Torii Hunter.
All of that is to say that our front office has its hands full. It’s not like last year where we barely didn’t make it. This year we didn’t make it by a mile. Something must be done. I’ll leave it to Theo to ultimately decide what, who, when, and how, but I think we have effectively established the why. The only thing we as fans can do now is look forward to 2010. Meanwhile, the Bruins are 3-4-0 in the first seven games of the season. We’re in third place in our division. We’ve had some very spotty play, so I’m looking forward to some improvements.
