Boston Red Sox Offseason To-Do List
By Jason Burke
The Boston Red Sox were unceremoniously bounced from the postseason by the Cleveland Indians (ok, Andrew Miller) this October, but they still have some great building blocks in place that should see the Sox in contention for at least a postseason berth yet again in 2017.
That said, of course there are areas in which the Boston Red Sox can improve this winter, and we’ll get to those. But first, let’s take a look at which players will be hitting free agency and where the team ranked in some important facets.
Free Agents: Aaron Hill (34), Koji Uehara (41), Brad Ziegler (37), Junichi Tazawa (30), Casey Janssen (35). Aside from Hill, the other four names on the list are relievers, and three of those four are well into their 30s.
The most significant loss for the club will be David Ortiz missing from their lineup on a daily basis. Players with a .401 on-base percentage don’t grow on trees, especially ones that combine power and plate discipline while being a leader in the clubhouse. Papi’s departure will create a void in the middle of the Red Sox lineup, which is probably the most unnecessary sentence you’ll read this offseason, but with the right approach, the front office can certainly minimize the effect that departure will have in 2017.
In terms of rankings, the Sox were near the top in nearly every offensive category. They ranked 9th in homers (208), 1st in batting average (.282), 1st in OBP (.348), 1st in wOBA (.346) and 1st in wRC+ with a 113. They were even 7th in base running. Yeah, the 2016 Sox were pretty good with the bats.
On the rubber, they ranked 9th in ERA (4.00) and had the same FIP, but dropped a spot in the rankings. The relievers held a 3.56 ERA (9th) while the starters came in with a 4.22 ERA which ranked 8th.
Defensively the club ranked 4th in DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) with 48, sticking very close to the second and third teams on the list in Houston and San Francisco (51, 50) but with a large gap between themselves and the first place Cubs who saved 82, and the fifth place Angels who saved 31.
The obvious holes to fill will be an arm for the rotation, some bullpen upgrades and a replacement for Ortiz. So here are some options that could set them up for contention in 2017.