Was bringing Farrell back for 2017 the right move?

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This past week, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi announced that John Farrell will return for the 2017. The burning question on fans' minds is "Was this the right move?" My gut feeling is that this is indeed the correct decision. No, he's not Terry Francona, Joe Maddon, or Bruce Bochy, but I would say 2 things in his defense - he was at the helm for 2013 and it would also appear he has this team on the up again after 2 straight last place finishes.

Let's start with the first thing - 2013. We all remember how that turned out, yes? It seemed as if the baseball gods wanted the Red Sox to win that year, but remember that the game is played on the field. And players can lose focus over the course of a 6 month season, and it takes a firm hand in the clubhouse to keep the team focus on the ultimate goal. I give Farrell most of the credit for that.

Reason #2 I would support Farrell for now - this team is heading in the right direction after getting swept by Cleveland. Yes, I know - we got swept, but I'll happily take it over 2 straight last place finishes, wouldn't you? I can't tell you how happy I was to see meaningful late-season and playoff baseball back at Fenway again. Like in 2013, I credit Farrell for keeping the team focused, and it paid off with a division title in the toughest division in baseball this year. Side note: Before fans of other teams start giving me flack, the AL East had 3 playoff teams and 4 of 5 teams over .500, so yeah, I think it qualifies as the best this year. Plus, the team had to deal with the media circus that was David Ortiz's retirement tour this year, but Farrell still kept the team on track.

Yes, I understand the counter-arguments. His in-game management is bad at times (trust me, that frustrates me too), but again, I do believe Farrell deserves a lot of credit for being a steady hand in the dugout, which is a big part of being a manager. My question to the anti-Farrell crowd would be this - would you rather go back to Bobby Valentine? Who would you have manage the team in place of Farrell? I say stick with Farrell for 2017, and see how it plays out before maybe changing managers.

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LCS and beyond: What'll happen the rest of the playoffs?

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Hint: I'm feeling a happy ending (finally!) for the Chicago Cubs.

With the Red Sox out of the playoffs and the League Championship Series almost set (the LA Dodgers will face the Washington Nationals tonight for the right to face the Cubs), I thought it was a good time to look at how I believe the rest of the playoffs will shape up.

Washington/LA: Tonight's game 5 will be a competitive affair, I think, but I do see the Nationals edging out LA in a tight one. Why? Simple - I predict Max Scherzer steps up and pitches the game of his life. He did struggle in Game 2, but I think he does show up big time in the biggest moment thus far for Washington. I also see Bryce Harper and the rest of the Nationals lineup getting to Rich Hill, the LA starter, early. Hill struggled in his first playoff start this season, lasting only 4.1 innings and giving up 4 runs to the Nats.
Prediction: WAS over LA 4-2, WAS advances  

NLCS - CHI vs WAS: The Nationals are a good team, no doubt about it, but I firmly believe the Chicago Cubs are far and away the most complete team of 2016. They have an excellent combination of youth, experience, pitching (Red Sox fans will know all about that - Jon Lester and John Lackey, both ex-Sox players who will both start for Chicago), hitting, defense, and management from the GM Theo Epstein down to Joe Maddon. Maddon may be quirky, but he's one of the best managers in baseball, and he's proved it with the Rays and Cubs. This series will be tight, but I do think the Cubs have the talent to beat Washington.
Prediction - CHI wins the series 4-2  

ALCS: CLE vs TOR: This one should be interesting. Both teams swept their way through the ALDS, so both teams are rested, but I do think Toronto has that extra edge after also beating the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card play-in game. However, Cleveland is more than capable of causing what I think most would consider an upset. In addition, Cleveland arguably had the tougher ALDS matchup with Boston and swept the Sox in impressive fashion. I think this one could go the full 7 games, but I do think Toronto edges them out due to having a tougher lineup. Prediction: TOR wins the series 4-3

World Series prediction - Cubs win 4-1 I'll point out again that Chicago has a more complete team than any team remaining, and I believe that will propel them to the top of the baseball mountain in 2016, and I think they beat the Jays handily in 5. This is the part where I knock on wood, because I sincerely hope the Cubs can prove me right and pull it out, but I'm also well aware of the Cubs history.
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Season Recap: A farewell to Ortiz and what's next

AP/Charles Krupa

The Red Sox were swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Indians on Monday in a disappointing end to David Ortiz's final season with the Red Sox. David Ortiz bid an emotional farewell to Red Sox Nation after losing 4-3 to the Indians. The Red Sox did well to make it to the playoffs, but were outplayed in every phase of the game in the ALDS by a hungry Cleveland team.

So, how bad was it? As a team, the Red Sox hit .214 for the series, and a measly .163 with runners in scoring position. And especially in the first game, Red Sox hitters were swinging at air. Pitching? Forget about it. The team had an ERA of 5.04, and the big money guy, David Price, had a 13.50 ERA (so much for that $214 million contract - yikes!). The Red Sox could not get any momentum in any facet of the game, and with the exception of Andrew Benintendi and Brock Holt, no one on the roster really performed up to the bar they had set all season.

Now for the plus side - this will be a good learning curve for the young guys, and having that playoff experience under their belt will help them next year. And with no David Ortiz on the field, that should put more on the shoulders of guys like Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and the rest of the young core, but I think they are ready.

And the lineup was one huge positive for the Sox all season long, from Ortiz's monster final season to Mookie Betts having an MVP-caliber season, Andrew Benintendi showing flashes of brilliance both at the plate and in the field, and finally having 5 guys (Ortiz, Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez, and Jackie Bradley) with over 20 home runs.

What's next?
So, what's in store this off-season? The Red Sox have to fill David Ortiz's very large shoes at DH. In Spring Training, I would have advocated Hanley in that role, and that's still possible, but Hanley proved what I thought early in the year wrong, and I'm grateful for it. He was above average at 1st base, and I'd be fine keeping him there after what he has done this year. Edwin Encarnacion is out there, but I would say try Pablo Sandoval there, but I'm not the one making the decisions, and the verdict is still out on Panda. One thing is clear - filling Ortiz's spot will make for an interesting offseason.

Farwell, Papi:
On that note, it's time for the hardest part: Saying good bye to David Ortiz. He's been without a doubt the most important player in Red Sox history, winning 3 World Series championships. He changed the culture around Fenway, and he played the game with a huge smile from ear to ear every day. It's going to be depressing when he's not on the Opening Day roster, but the time was right for him to go.

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2nd half preview: Can the Sox push towards a playoff spot?

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The All Star break is over, and the Red Sox started the 2nd half of the season off on a good foot by taking 2 of 3 from the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The Red Sox continue tonight against the San Francisco Giants, who are in town for 2 games. Right now, the Red Sox are 1.5 games behind the Orioles, and sitting in the first Wild Card spot ahead of Toronto.

So, the question is, can they continue the momentum from the first half of the season and either overtake Baltimore for the division crown or solidify their hold on the Wild Card spot? Yes, I believe they can.

Why? Let's start with the young guys, namely Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Xander Bogaerts. All of those guys were named to the All Star Game as starters, and with very good reason. They have been on fire for the most part, and that's not about to change. And it's not just them. Let's talk about the other Red Sox representive in the All Star Game - David Ortiz. He's the current team leader in batting average (.327), home runs (22) and RBI's (72). And he's 40 years old. He looks like he could keep this up for another few years. Unfortunately, that won't happen, but he's doing a good job of making Red Sox Nation believe that he won't retire. The Red Sox can outscore any team on any given day.

The issue is still pitching, but I do believe that David Price will get his stuff together in the second half and show the team why they were willing to drop $217 million on him. Meanwhile, Rick Porcello (11-2, 3.66 ERA) has quietly been having a solid year, and I think that will continue. Not to mention new addition Drew Pomeranz (who makes his team debut Wednesday) gives them a great option at the bottom of the rotation. The only issue is Clay Buchholz (3-9, 5.91 ERA), but I do believe his days with the team are numbered. Whether they get rid of him at the trade deadline or after the season, I don't believe he has a future in Boston beyond this season.

The Sox have the talent to make a run, but it all comes down to consistency, which has been an issue at times. Especially from their big money ace, David Price, but as I mentioned, I do believe he'll turn it around in the second half. And we'll see if Dave Dombrowski tries to add another starter at the deadline, since that would definitely help, but on paper, this is a very talented squad that should be aiming to overtake Baltimore.

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Jackie Bradley Jr. is not human

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When Jackie Bradley, Jr. came up at first, most of us with an eye for baseball recognized his very real defensive talents, yet JBJ struggled early on with the bat. Coming into this season, I would have been thrilled with a .250 average and him continuing with the stellar defense he has shown so far in his young career.

So here we are, a little over a month into the season, and Bradley is riding a Major League best 20-game hit streak. He's hitting a cool .331 with 6 home runs and 30 RBI's so far, and exceeding just about every expectation at the plate. As mentioned above, I would have been more than happy with a .250 batting average, yet he continues to wow me at the plate, and it is amazing to watch. Granted, he's just one guy in an offensive juggernaut that has come to life in the past week especially, but he has managed to stand out even among a red-hot Red Sox lineup because of the generally low expectations for him offensively. 

So, the question remains: Is Jackie Bradley, Jr. human? Until he proves me otherwise, I refuse to believe that he's human, given the way he has been performing this season.

I just hope it continues. He's proved himself an important part of this lineup, no matter where he hits, and that has to continue going forward.

The curious case of the $100 million signing: Pablo Sandoval

AP Photo/ Patrick Semansky

Way back when the Red Sox signed Pablo Sandoval, I was intrigued to say the least. I watched as he deliviered 2 World Series to San Francisco in 2012 and 2014, then signed a 5-year/$95 million deal with Boston. When the deal was inked, I thought it could only help to have someone with his postseason background on our team, but I was worried a little about his weight. I brushed those aside, thinking the deal's value would show in time, but it doesn't help now that those concerns seem to have some validity. I elaborated on that when he showed up to Spring Training with no noticeable improvement.

Now, it has apparently gone from bad to worse with him, as Masslive reports that the Panda may be out for the remainder of the season after he undergoes shoulder surgery. This will be a good thing for one Travis Shaw, who is more than capable of filling in, and is more than deserving to be the everyday third baseman. The one thing that remains, though, is Sandoval's contract. It's clear he's been a bust, and one that cost the team nearly $100 million over 5 years, so he's not cheap either. If Shaw keeps performing at the level he has (.322 average, 3 home runs, 17 RBI's and solid defense so far), the question won't be "Who starts at 3rd?," it will be more like "How do we cut our losses with Sandoval and find a team that'll take him off our hands?"

Maybe Sandoval will be the second coming of John Lackey, who came back in 2013 after a bad start to his Red Sox career and played a major role in helping us win it all in 2013, but that seems unlikely with Panda. He could prove me wrong, and I want him to do just that, but it just seems so unlikely at this point.

The best thing would be to trade him at some point and cut our losses, but right now, I doubt there is a team out there that would take him, even if we ate the vast majority of the remainder of his contract.

Red Sox heat up as April turns into May

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

The saying "April showers bring May flowers" may not apply to the weather in Boston, but it is proving true for the Red Sox. After a rough start to the season, the Red Sox turned on the jets towards the end of April and into early May and have a half-game lead on the Baltimore Orioles on top of the AL East.

The good news is that almost everyone has contributed, from David Ortiz to Hanley Ramirez to the young guns. David Ortiz looks like he could play until 50. Ramirez has been surprisingly effective at first base, and proving my worries about him from Spring Training wrong, which is a very good thing.

The bad news is that there are still a few noticeable holes, namely David Price and Clay Buchholz. Price has been shaky so far, despite a 4-0 record. He has shown flashes of why he got all the money, but he also has a 6.14 ERA in 6 starts so far. Needless to say, he has to get better. Buchholz has been suffering from the same inconsistencies that have followed him throughout his whole career. Right now, he's going through a down stretch at 0-3 and a 6.51 ERA to go with. He's also been on the mound for the only 2 losses during the Red Sox 8-2 stretch. It is still early for both guys. The season isn't decided in May, and both guys have time to work through their issues, but I think most Red Sox fans would agree that the sooner they do so, the better.

In the meantime, the team has more than enough firepower to get by, especially with a lot of the young guys playing so well. Not to mention they seemed focused at the moment, which seemed easier said than done coming out of Spring Training with a lot of questions. The team will look to continue their momentum into a 3-game series with the 18-8 Chicago White Sox.