NFL
By: Steve Atkinson
This season will be unlike any other. The 60 game MLB season will be a unique one, to say the least. Players can opt-out to play the season because of COVID-19 some have already. The latest to drop out of the season is David Price because he is risking his health. Imagine if he said that still with the Red Sox? All of the Boston media would be giving it to him. Price not playing with the Dodgers this year is a win for Chiam Bloom and the Dodgers are only getting Betts for 60 games. Then Betts will be able to test free agency. Another win for Bloom.
What Will Become Of The 2020 Red Sox?
We have yet to see if Alex Verdugo will be good but at least he’s playing and his contract won’t be up at the end of the year. He’s had more time to get ready with the season starting late so we’ll see what happens. Bloom when he got here was told to cut payroll which is what he did trading away Betts, and Price to L.A. For Verdugo, and minor leaguer Jeter Downs. With spring training part two underway Boston has as much of a chance as any team to make noise.
Pitching Staff Is Fair At Best
The Red Sox have a lot of players that nobody has ever heard of. For example, their catchers are Christian Vázquez, Kevin Plawecki, and Jonathan Lucroy. I’ve never heard of the other two besides Vazquez who was on the team last year. The rest of the depth chart is average, Mitch Moreland at first hopefully Michael Chavis at second, Xander Bogaerts, at shortstop, and Rafael Devers at third. Their outfield will consist of Andrew Benintendi in left, Jackie Bradley Jr. In center, and Alex Vertigo in right. J.D. Martinez will DH.
The pitching staff is rocky. No Chris Sale because he had Tommy John Surgery which I forgot about. The Sox ace is Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, and a bunch of guys nobody has ever heard of. For example Martin Perez, Ryan Weber, and Collin McHugh. The Sox bullpen isn’t much better. They have Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, and Heath Hembree. Then they have relief pitchers that are unknown like Josh Taylor, Austin Brice, and Marcus Walden. Not the best team going into a 60 game season but who really is?
There are tons of unknowns with the shortened season. Also, there are questions like will there be a complete 60 game season? The Sox have two decent starting pitchers and that is it. Their bullpen is fair at best. The only thing they got going for them is they have the bats. The offense has to be better than anything else in 2020.
