2. Despite losing Xander, Boston had a great offseason
Paying star free agents instead of keeping your own star players is an unfortunate Red Sox tradition that continued this offseason. Losing Bogaerts hurts but if you put the loss aside and focus on what the Red Sox added, it is clear the team built a more complete roster with improved starting pitching and bullpen depth.
Part of what has Boston’s offseason being underrated is the fact there wasn’t one splashy signing, but rather a myriad of potential impact additions.
Boston signed closer Kenley Jansen to solidify the back end of the bullpen while adding veteran Corey Kluber to the rotation.
Signing Justin Turner, Adam Duvall, Masataka Yoshida, and Jorge Alfaro adds to the lineup. Turner has the potential to be a great value signing while Duvall is a proven commodity as a power hitter and should thrive in Boston.
Yoshida clearly has a high ceiling and has given reason to believe he could quickly become a star in Boston. The Red Sox failed to make one move to replace Bogaerts but looking objectively at their roster this time last season there is reason to feel the team has made needed improvements and has more than enough depth for a surprise playoff run.