Now that the Red Sox have wrapped up their fourth world championship in fifteen years it’s time to look ahead to next year. Pitching is the first issue that General Manager Dave Dombrowski needs to address this offseason. In this post, we will examine three areas that the organization reshape for the 2019 season.
Reshaping The Red Sox Roster for the 2019 season
Addressing The Pitching; The first order of business is to address the pitching staff. Currently, the team has three free agent pitchers that they need to make a decision on. Relievers Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly and Nathan Eovaldi are all free agents. Eovaldi finished the year with an impressive 6-7 record and a 3.81 ERA after being acquired from Tampa. Eovaldi proved to be a horse in the postseason but maybe too expensive for the organization to resign.
As for Joe Kelly and Nathan Eovaldi look for the club to move on from both closer Craig Kimbrel and Nathan Eovaldi The team could use Kelly as the eighth inning man and promote setup man Ryan Brasier to take over the closer’s role. In the starting pitching area, the club may think of trading Rick Porcello and his 21,000,000 a year salary.
Depending on what direction the team goes in look for the Red Sox to be conservative this offseason. Suitable starters who would be a nice fit are Dallas Keuchel or Brett Anderson of Oakland. Charlie Morton of the Astros would be a nice piece if the price is right. Regarding the bullpen department, attractive relievers are Tony Sipp of Houston. Cody Allen Of Cleveland. Also, Andrew Miller could be a possibility for the right situation.
Added depth; Aside from Brock Holt the team could use an extra role player or two. Holt who played a key role in the playoffs is the teams super sub. Some players who are free agents are Austin Jackson of Cleveland, John Jay Of Arizona. During the season Dombrowski signed Brandon Phillips. Phillips became an instant leader in the clubhouse after being recalled from Pawtucket. Depending on second baseman Dustin Pedroia’s progress from knee surgery second base will be an issue that needs to be addressed.
Possible Trades; Whenever a team wins a total of 119 games fans are more than satisfied. First_ Year manager Alex Cora was one of three managers to win a World Series as a rookie manager. Look for the organization to have a quiet offseason and maintain the intensity they showed in the playoffs. The Future; The club has so far received a commitment from David Price and signed Steven Pearce to a one year Deal. Pearce was obtained midway through the season and was named World Series MVP.