NFL
By: Steve Atkinson
The Red Sox have finally made some moves this off-season. Sox manager Alex Cora is back thank God so now they may be relevant. They have lost their fan base after the bad season in 2019, trading Betts, Cora being Suspended, and not showing up for 2020. They have a lot to prove from rebuilding the farm system to playing for a playoff spot. Games should mean something in September I don’t want them to be out of it. I want them to contend for a playoff spot. To start their pitching staff has been awful from the starting rotation to the bullpen. There’s a big puzzle to fill as the team gets ready for the 2021 season.
Alex Cora told MLB Network Radio that the pitching staff is stronger than what was portrayed in 2019, and 2020.
“As far as the pitching, I do believe we’re deeper than actually ‘19 and what the team was last year, Little by little, the front office did a good job during the season last year and the offseason to add some quality arms, some intriguing arms. Yesterday we add Martin and you start looking around: Eduardo (Rodriguez), Eovaldi, (Nick) Pivetta, Martin, Andriese. We’ve got (Tanner) Houck. So little by little, we’re building this puzzle. And like I said in November, I think I said it in December, and I’m going to keep saying it all the way to April 1, this puzzle is not completed. We have to be patient. But we’re going to be better.”
Red Sox Are Looking To Be Relevant This Season
The Red Sox also won’t play scared according to Chiam Bloom Chief Baseball Officer of the Red Sox. The Red Sox traded for reliever Adam Ottavino from the Yankees this week. ”
I know it’s the Yankees and I understand what that means. It’s the most storied rivalry in sports. Part of what makes the history of this organization so great is getting to lock horns with those guys on a regular basis. But if we’re not willing to do something that helps us because it helps them, or worse if we’re worried it might not go as we expect and it blows up in our face and we look bad, then we’re just playing scared and we’re not going to play scared.
I wasn’t as concerned going through it, I don’t think any of us were, of what it meant for the Yankees, We were really just looking at how it fits our objectives. I think that’s important, even if it is the Yankees. It’s very hard to be great if you’re too busy worrying about everybody else. We have to worry about ourselves.” Bloom said.
They Added Pitching So Far This Off-season
Besides adding Ottavino to the bullpen, they also added Martin Perez and Garrett Richards to the starting rotation. Red Sox also signed Kike Hernandez to a two-year $14 million contract last week also. Hernandez spent the last six seasons with the Dodgers and is now reunited with teammate Alex Verdugo who also is a former Dodger. The Sox have also signed outfielder Hunter Renfroe and pitcher Matt Andriese.
We’ll see how the rest of the off-season plays out. They still need help in the bullpen and starting rotation. This team has an identity problem and needs to bring their fanbase back. They can only do that if they win baseball games. Bringing Cora back was a start.
