Red Sox Win Total Prediction
Boston’s new front-office tandem wasted no time in assembling a star-laden roster for beloved slugger David Ortiz’s farewell tour. Will the organization’s latest spending spree be enough to end a two-year playoff drought, though?
When Dave Dombrowski and Mike Hazen became president and general manager, respectively, the marching orders were clear: Remove the stench of successive losing campaigns, by any means necessary. Or, in Red Sox parlance, empty the pockets.
An early Christmas present arrived under the Fenway Park tree on Dec. 4, when ex-Tigers maestro Dombrowski wooed Price – again – with a $217 million contract. Esteemed closer Craig Kimbrel (225 saves over the past five seasons) also came aboard during the winter to reinvigorate an aging relief corps.
The pitching staff certainly needed some extra shine. With basically the entirety of 2015’s underachieving batting order returning, however, can Yawkey Way expect the club to surpass online sports book Bovada.lv’s projection of 86.5 victories this fall?
Refreshingly, Boston has embraced the idea of developing its numerous young bats alongside the handsomely compensated vets. For every Ortiz, there’s a Xander Bogaerts. Second-half sensation Mookie Betts precedes cagey second baseman Dustin Pedroia in the order. Rusney Castillo follows Pablo Sandoval, and so on. It’s a commendable approach – provided that the old guard can still produce the thunder from time to time.
The prized free-agent package of Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez basically went bust last summer. Nonetheless, the Red Sox managed to plate a fair number of runs thanks to Bogaerts’ emergence. The shortstop finished second to Miguel Cabrera in the American League batting race with a .320 average and crossed the plate 84 times. Ortiz (503 career homers and counting) chipped in down the stretch, too, and Betts posted a .311/.359/.500 slash line following the All-Star break.
If an offensive question exists, it probably relates to Blake Swihart. Injuries necessitated the former first-rounder’s earlier-than-expected promotion from Pawtucket in 2014. While he carried a respectable .274 mark, the power didn’t materialize right away. Let’s see if Boston feels compelled to add security at the trade deadline
Things also have the potential to get sticky once you move beyond Price in the rotation. Joe Kelly and Rick Porccello produced fine work in August and September, but concerns about sustainability remain. Once-promising Clay Buchholz continues to battle physical demons, and Henry Owens likely isn’t MLB-ready just yet.
Fortunately, the bullpen oozes experience. Erstwhile closer Koji Uehara and Seattle import Craig Smith presumably set the table for Kimbrel, whose presence immediately buoys a group that blew 20 saves in 60 chances a season ago.
Maybe Ramirez won’t improve on a middling .717 OPS. Perhaps Kung Fu Panda flexes his waistband more often than the lumber. Odds are, though, the Red Sox will exceed last year’s top-third finishes in runs, hits, doubles, average, on-base percentage and OPS.
Price’s presence automatically heightens the overall number of wins. In order to compete for the AL East crown, of course, the southpaw needs a sidekick in the starting five.
That arm may not reside on the current 25-man roster. Expect Dombrowski and Hazen to fine-tune at by Aug. 1, and find the missing link. The talent everywhere else will then take care of the rest.
2016 MLB WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: BOSTON RED SOX OVER 86.5 GAMES
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