The Boston Red Sox loaded up on pitching this offseason but left their lineup with some glaring holes, and it’s showing early in the season.
Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez headline the pitching additions, with Johan Oviedo adding depth. They also brought in catcher Willson Contreras and utility man Caleb Durbin. But after losing Alex Bregman in free agency and trading Rafael Devers last year, Boston’s offense looks thin.
Now they’re 4-8 to start the season, and Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report thinks he knows why.
“Boston Red Sox: Not making major offensive free-agent investment… But failing to either re-sign Bregman or add another big bat around Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu is perplexing.”
The numbers back up Kelly’s assessment. Outside of Wilyer Abreu (1.110 OPS), Masataka Yoshida (.875), and Ceddanne Rafaela (.790), the Red Sox lineup has been rough.
The Offensive Struggles Are Real
Willson Contreras has been solid with an .859 OPS, but that’s about where the good news ends. The rest of the lineup tells a different story:
- Roman Anthony: .656 OPS
- Marcelo Mayer: .598 OPS
- Jarren Duran: .550 OPS
- Carlos Narvaez: .490 OPS
- Trevor Story: .390 OPS
- Caleb Durbin: .318 OPS
That’s a lot of below-average production from guys who need to contribute.
What makes this frustrating is that there were options available. Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, and Eugenio Suarez all signed elsewhere. The Red Sox could’ve even made a stronger push to retain Bregman.
Instead, they’re banking on young players like Anthony and Mayer to carry the offense while they figure things out. That’s a risky strategy when you’re trying to compete.
Early, But Concerning
Two weeks doesn’t make a season, but the early returns aren’t encouraging. The Red Sox improved their pitching staff significantly, which should help them in a lot of games. But baseball games are still won by scoring runs.
The front office clearly believed their young core could step up immediately. So far, that bet isn’t paying off.
Boston needs guys like Anthony and Duran to start producing soon. If they don’t, this offseason strategy will look even worse as the season progresses. They’ve got the pitching to keep them competitive, but offense wins championships.
