Where the Boston Red Sox Stand After the Mookie Betts Trade

This trade was bound to happen with rumors swirling since the end of last season. As the offseason progressed, Price and Betts were rumored to be a package deal. The front runners were the San Diego Padres and the Dodgers. It was LA that gave Boston the deal that they were looking for. Now the question is; can the Red Sox still compete without the elite Betts?

Where Does Boston Go from Here?

Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer, Chaim Bloom, said after the trade that the Red Sox still have the World Series in mind for the 2020 season. With Spring Training already underway, the Red Sox named former Bench Coach Ron Roenicke as the interim manager.

Chris Sales’ health is a big concern because he was shut down early during the 2019 season. Sales’ durability will be a big key to the Red Sox’s pitching staff as it all starts with the ace being dominant and winning games. In addition to Sale returning to form, Eduardo Rodriguez needs to follow up on his impressive 2019 season when he went 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA with a repeat performance.

Will the Red Sox Still Compete?

J.D. Martinez opted into the 2020 season, so he sticks around for at least one more year. Andrew Benintendi also recently signed a two-year, $10 million deal. The lineup as a whole will need to perform well, but these two, in particular, will need to perform at their best.

The pitching staff needs to stay healthy and the bullpen has to step up and support its starters and close out games. If Sale, Rodriguez, Martin Perez, and Nathan Eovaldi each have strong performances as the top four starting pitchers then the Red Sox will have a good chance to win four out of every five games. The bullpen will have to exceed expectations as there is not really a bonafide shutdown reliever on the roster aside from closer Brandon Workman.

Interim manager Ron Roenicke will have his players ready for the challenge. 2020 Opening Day will be the first time everyone gets to see how Roenicke can get his players to respond.

Chris Sale is the key to the Red Sox having success. As long as he is healthy and lasts the season, the ace will have his teammates’ support. The team will need to rally around one another to contribute to the long haul of the season.

World Series Contenders?

With the huge turnaround, Boston can make a run at the postseason. There’s still a bunch of talent left on the organization and the Red Sox can compete at a high level and be in contention as a top team in baseball.

Only time will tell how the team will play with the recent changes to the lineup and the pitching staff, but they’re not devoid of talent. The offense still has J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers, Benintendi, and Xander Bogaerts. Those four can still keep Boston alive and well in the playoff push down the stretch. Bogaerts’ 2019 campaign saw 33 home runs (HR) with 117 runs batted in. Martinez had 36 HRs with 105 RBIs. If Boston can get a similar contribution from the offense this season as they did last season, they will be in good shape to make a postseason run.