So over the weekend the Red Sox lost “2 of 3” to the Yankees. Why the quotes around 2 out of 3? Well because it took some of the worst umpiring these eyes have ever seen as well as a full-blown monsoon to shorten game 2 to 6 innings. Now, I am not saying that the Red Sox deserved to win this series because boy oh boy did they play like garbage. The offense scored 6 runs in 3 games, Martin Perez is totally lost on the mound, and the bullpen was a nightmare. My biggest takeaways from this series are pretty simple:
- The Sox Need a Real First Baseman
Alex Cora and the Sox are clearly getting pretty tired of Bobby Dalbec’s home run or strikeout style at bats. So much so that Cora put Arroyo, WHO HAS NEVER PLAYED FIRST, at first on Sunday night and he almost immediately destroyed his groin. So with that development that leaves you Chavis and Dalbec who are the same exact player in my eyes, and that isn’t good enough. So what do the Sox do now? Well Tristan Casas is a ways away so you can cross his name out. I think the move everyone wants to see the Sox make is bring Anthony Rizzo home. He is a championship winner, a seasoned vet, a very good bat, and also will come relatively cheap.
2. Martin Perez Isn’t a Quality Starter
Martin Perez has not gone 6 innings in his last 7 starts. That is not effective pitching in terms of having your bullpen guys ready and rested for every game. It seems as though his third time through the order he gets it real hard. So what should the Sox do with Perez? Well, with Sale about two weeks away I think you have to put Perez into what was the Matt Andriese role (multi-inning reliever) and tell Andriese to take a hike. Another thing to watch is if Garrett Richards can pitch without sticky fingers, because if not the Sox could be in the market for a back-end starter.
3. One More Premier Arm Might Be Needed in the Bullpen
Barnes, Whitlock, and Ottavino have been menaces this season. Just lockdown guys. Josh Taylor has been really good since the end of April, Sawamura has been good on most occassions and not good on a few others. However, Yacksel Rios, Darwinzon Hernandez, Matt Andriese, and Brandon Workman are not guys you can trust in the 6th or 7th inning in a close game. Now a guy like Kimbrel would be a luxury, having 3 guys who could easily close a game would be incredible. But given his salary and potential asking price, I think a guy like Taylor Rogers makes a lot of sense. A middle/late inning guy who can bridge the gap between the starter and Whitlock-Otto-Barnes.
4. The Red Sox Are Still A VERY Good Baseball Team
The first half was shocking for everyone, the Sox going into the All-Star break as the best team in the AL was not something many expected. However, that doesn’t happen by accident. This team plays very good baseball, they can hang a crooked number in the blink of an eye, and the pieces are there for a post-season run. Limping into the All-Star break and losing the first series after isn’t ideal, but make no mistake the Sox will figure it out.
Anything But E 