Boston Red Sox Bench Players a Major Strength for 2015
The starting lineup for the 2015 Boston Red Sox looks pretty good on paper. Veterans Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz are back along with younger players like Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo. The starting lineup also has newcomers Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to provide them with some much-needed offense — something they could have used more of in 2014. While the starting lineup will have the bulk of the workload to make up for the starting rotations lack of an ace, it is the Red Sox’s bench players who may ultimately help them capture the American League East.
The bench for the 2015 Red Sox is a rather impressive one with veterans who, if given the chance, can really contribute on a regular basis even if they’re not first on the depth chart.
Two players in particular everyone should pay attention to off the bench are Shane Victorino and Allen Craig. Both have proven track records and their own reasons to have stellar years in 2015.
Victorino still has an outside chance at starting in right field over Betts, however, it’s unlikely. Instead, Victorino will be the fourth outfielder for the Red Sox. Victorino will get plugged into the lineup whenever someone needs a night of rest or to bypass a slump. After missing a large chunk of the 2014 season, Victorino will for the first in a long time start the year on the bench. If his ego can’t take it, his bat can help change the situation.
Craig is intriguing too as he’s a guy used to playing on a regular basis. In 2012 and 2013, he hit over .300 with the St. Louis Cardinals and finished with 92 and 97 RBI, respectively. It was the 2014 season that made people question Craig’s abilities, as he hit just .237 in 398 plate appearances with the Cardinals and posted a far worse .128 BA with the Red Sox in the 107 plate appearances. Craig’s ability to play both first base and the corner outfield positions make him a valuable asset if he can remember how to hit.
Also intriguing bench players for the Red Sox are Brock Holt, Daniel Nava, and Jackie Bradley Jr. So too is backup catcher Ryan Hanigan.
My favorite among these four is Holt, who hit .281 last season in what amounted to his rookie season after two shorter stints in years previous. His ability to play the infield and outfield make him a versatile player. He also happened to lead the Red Sox in stolen bases in 2014 with 12 of them. This will likely change, though, with Betts projected to start and the arrival of Ramirez. Still, on a team that hasn’t used speed to win since Jacoby Ellsbury left, it has to be comforting to know they have some fresh legs ready to pinch run and swipe a base late in games.
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Nava is another good bat for the Red Sox to have off the bench. He’s hitting .289 over the last two seasons with a .368 on-base percentage. The 2014 season was a bit disappointing compared to what he did in 2013, but that seemed to be contagious for a lot of players on the roster. Like so many others available off the bench, Nava has the versatile adjective attached to his name. Primarily a corner outfielder, Nava also has the ability to play first base. This alone gets him into the starting lineup a little more frequently or as a pinch hitter whenever the situation arises.
As for Bradley Jr., the upside is something to pay attention to. The Red Sox still seem to have faith Bradley Jr. will eventually become a star player. His career .196 batting average over the first 164 games of his career says it’s unlikely. In fact, there’s a chance Bradley Jr. is traded or starts the year in Triple-A.
In the case of Hanigan, he won’t do much other than give starting backstop Christian Vazquez some days off and maybe compete with Bradley Jr. for the worst batting average on the club.
A stable bench can do a lot of good for any team looking to contend. The Red Sox can mark this off as one of their biggest strengths heading into the 2015 season.