Bridges can be a site to behold (flickr - Craig Stevens)
When Theo Epstein made allusions to (strike that) outright stated that 2010 would be a bridge season for his Boston Red Sox from the the championship team of 2007, through two successive playoff contenders, to a batch of young talent in A and AA ball, you could see the ugly start to come out of Red Sox fans across the Nation.
Comments sections across the major news outlets in Boston were strung with statements that would have you believe that the mediocrity of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots has poisoned the well in Boston. If we can’t trust in Bill, then how can we trust in anyone, including Theo? Take for example, ErikinConcordNH:
Epstein should be fired for his attitude. The Red Sox fans annually get soaked for just about the highest costs to attend baseball in the country. Yet we have clowns like Epstein acting like the Red Sox are a “small market team”. [snip] Why is it that other teams can act decisevely (Phillies, Yankees, Whitesox etc.) to fix their problems, but Theo fiddles and diddles and talks forever. Then our “big move” is to pick up waiver wire bums like Tug Hullet, Ramirez, and that guy back from Japan. Give me a break! Epstein’s methods don’t work. [snip] Get us a real GM who will use all the financial resources of the Red Sox properly. There is no reason given the revenue that the Red Sox can’t compete successfully with the Yankees (who can’t buy every player) or Angels or Phillies. Stop acting like Oakland – some mid-market “happy to win the wild card” outfit. New England deserves more than the small minded tactics of “Boy Blunder”.
And he’s the norm as opposed to the exception.
The news today that Mike Lowell has indeed been sent to Texas for young catcher Max Ramirez may have the masses of Red Sox Nation jumping on ErikinConcordNH’s bandwagon, especially when they are underwhelmed by the eventual signing of Adrian Beltre to play third base instead of a “blockbuster” that would bring Adrian Gonzalez (which I have admittedly been a vocal supporter of) or Miguel Cabrera to the middle of the Boston line up.
God forbid, Jason Bay get’s swept away by the New York Mets and Matt Holliday prices himself out of the Red Sox comfort range while Mike Cameron or another right handed outfielder with positive platoon splits to compliment Jeremy Hermida in left field ends up in a Boston uniform.
And when Clay Buchholz ends up as the number three starter coming into Spring Training instead of watching Roy Halladay walk through that door, there might just be an uprising of revolutionary proportions in Boston with fans throwing season ticket packages and pink hats into the Boston Harbor like the forefathers did tea when they were presented with an untenable situation.
But what will likely go unnoticed is that even in the “worst case scenario” of Beltre, a platoon in left, and no Roy Halladay, the Red Sox 2010 Opening Day roster is just as, if not more talented than the one that preceded it in 2009.
With the ever consistent Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and JD Drew manning the right side of the field and Jacoby Ellsbury looking to continue his improvement and make the “leap” that not trading him straight up for Curtis Granderson (which the Tigers supposedly offered) would suggest the Red Sox think he can, you have a core of talent that will deliver the same if not better year over year.
The same can be said of the top of the rotation and the back of the bullpen with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon all coming off good, but not their best seasons. The path to Papelbon will be improved by the full season ahead from Daniel Bard alone who will more than make up for any departed bullpen arms (remember Billy Wagner wasn’t on the roster to begin the season). At the same time, expectations for Clay Buchholz and a revitalized Daisuke Matsuzaka are higher than the Red Sox received out of their 3/4 starters in 2009.
So far, we can call the “bridge” team at least a wash (if not improved) with the 2009 club that entered the season as a World Series favorite by many.
Now the fun begins. We’ll start with the negative. In this “worst case” Jason Bay is replaced by Mike Cameron and Jeremy Hermida who in a pure platoon can be expected to hit a collective line in the .270/.380/.420 range with 25 home runs and upgraded defense over Jason Bay in left field. No doubt this is a step backwards.
But you forget that step back is more than made up for behind the plate with a full season of Victor Martinez’ bat replacing the remains of the hitter formerly known as Jason Varitek. The upgrade from ‘Tek to Martinez is greater than the gap between the platoon and Bay.
Add to that offensive and defensive upgrades, albeit small ones, at SS and 3B and the fact that David Ortiz can’t possibly be worse than he turned out in 2009 and the “bridge” team seems every bit as ready to keep the Red Sox in the race through the trade deadline when knew options may present themselves that are more palatable than what the Red Sox front office currently sees before them.
I’ll admit, it doesn’t feel fun this offseason and Granderson to the Yankees while watching big names sign and be traded elsewhere doesn’t feel like a team “going for it”. Don’t immediately think that a “bridge season” is a season lost. From where I sit, it’s just a matter of perspective. Last year, with what could be considered an inferior team to the one painted above, the Red Sox entered the season as talented as any club in baseball. A little perspective might make 2010’s bridge shine on the Boston skyline a little brighter (and that’s before even thinking about the young talent not sacrificed along the way).