Immediately marks the ultimate day of the Purple Sox season, which for the third straight yr will finish with out a journey to the playoffs.
The Purple Sox conclude their schedule with one final sport in opposition to the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. After that, one other lengthy offseason awaits.
Now that we’ve reached the tip of the highway, let’s reply your questions in at this time’s mailbag.
Starting of the yr I requested how they win 90. How a lot of what you thought wanted to occur really did? — Paul Z.
Nice query! So when Paul requested this initially again in February, I gave a breakdown of what a best-case situation would seem like for 2024. My response was lengthy and detailed, however the details have been as follows.
Trevor Story will get again to his outdated kind and delivers a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger caliber season. Tyler O’Neill stays wholesome and posts numbers akin to his breakthrough 2021 marketing campaign. Jarren Duran hits 40 doubles and steals 30 bases. Rookies Wilyer Abreu, Vaughn Grissom and Ceddanne Rafaela set up themselves as on a regular basis contributors. Brayan Bello makes the leap and turns into an ace, and the younger starters who earn rotation spots make 32 begins and high 160 innings. Lucas Giolito returns to his Chicago White Sox peak and anchors the rotation, and Nick Pivetta places himself in line for a giant contract. With extra dependable beginning pitching the bullpen doesn’t get burnt out, and Boston’s opponents within the AL East take a step again.
Purple Sox mailbag: What wouldn’t it take for this crew to win 90 video games?
In hindsight, loads of that really occurred! However clearly a number of vital issues didn’t.
First, the nice. O’Neill did not fairly keep wholesome however he nonetheless topped 30 house runs, and Duran blew previous 40 doubles and 30 stolen bases to place collectively an impressive all-around season. Grissom’s season was a bust however Abreu and Rafaela each carried their weight as rookies. Even when Bello did not pitch like an ace, Tanner Houck did for giant parts of the season, and he, Bello and Kutter Crawford all topped 30 begins and 160 innings, so shut sufficient there.
We may argue about what sort of contract Pivetta’s put himself in place to land, however he was strong as properly, and the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays did fall again to Earth, serving to make sure the Purple Sox will not end final a 3rd straight season.
So why did not the Purple Sox break via and win 90 video games? The largest downside was Story getting harm once more barely per week into the season, after which Triston Casas additionally taking place shortly afterwards. We have seen what a distinction these two could make, so who is aware of how issues may have gone if the Purple Sox hadn’t been with out each within the coronary heart of the order for 4 months?
Dropping Giolito for the season throughout spring coaching was additionally killer, as was Garrett Whitlock’s newest setback, and even with extra dependable beginning pitching the bullpen additionally collapsed as soon as once more within the second half.
On the finish of the day, the Purple Sox at all times wanted all the things to go completely if this crew was ever going to meaningfully compete. As soon as once more they did not have the expertise or the depth to outlive the sort of setbacks they encountered, so whereas this season represents a step ahead, it may well’t be referred to as successful.
What will be the urge for food for pursuing free brokers? Is possession keen to spend the cash? — Shawn H.
Current historical past suggests most likely not. Ever since possession fired Dave Dombrowski there was a transparent shift in organizational philosophy in direction of executing a long-term rebuild. The membership has caught to that method even within the face of underwhelming outcomes on the massive league stage, and Boston’s payroll — as soon as persistently high 5 within the sport — has now fallen to the center of the pack as properly.
A cynical studying of the scenario is John Henry and Co. have develop into content material to maximise earnings even when the result’s a persistently mediocre product.
At this level the Purple Sox have not earned the advantage of the doubt, however the membership has spent aggressively and received earlier than. Given the place the crew is now, there are causes to imagine possession may determine the time has come to flip the change and go for it as soon as once more.
The largest cause for hope is the membership’s long-term rebuild is sort of full. Boston’s massive 4 of Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Kristian Campbell have reached Triple-A and can possible affect the massive league membership in some trend subsequent yr. Two homegrown standouts, Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck, additionally broke out as All-Stars this yr, and others like Bello, Crawford, Casas, Connor Wong, Abreu and Rafaela, simply to call just a few, have established themselves as dependable massive leaguers.
The muse that Boston has spent the final six years constructing is firmly in place.
With all of these homegrown gamers, the Purple Sox at the moment are ready the place they might find yourself solely needing one or two affect gamers in free company to make a distinction, fairly than 5 – 6. That should not be a tough promote, so if ponying up to usher in a big-time slugger or an ace means the distinction between a playoff season and one other yr of “meh,” hopefully possession will open their wallets and make it occur.
What’s the plan for subsequent yr? Main trades, shaking up the teaching workers or govt workplace? — Tim B.
I would not anticipate something vital so far as management modifications. Alex Cora simply signed a three-year extension midseason and Craig Breslow is wrapping up his first full yr as chief baseball officer. Perhaps we may see some modifications to the teaching workers or the addition of a No. 2 to serve below Breslow within the entrance workplace hierarchy, however in any other case the key decision-makers ought to all return.
Now, let’s speak trades.
Craig Breslow has already signaled that lots of this offseason’s additions will possible come by way of commerce. The offense skews massively left-handed, and with just about everybody set to return apart from O’Neill the one manner Boston can steadiness its lineup is by shifting out certainly one of its left-handed bats.
What’s that imply? A minimum of certainly one of Casas, Duran, Abreu or Masataka Yoshida is sort of actually getting traded.
Dealing from that group would presumably web a right-handed bat or extra pitching, both of which might assist handle certainly one of Boston’s greatest wants. Every of these gamers has totally different ranges of worth, however somebody like Duran or Casas may actually function the centerpiece of a deal that may web the ace the Purple Sox have been in search of.
To be clear, I do not wish to see the Purple Sox lose both of these guys, but when the return was somebody like Chicago White Sox righty Garrett Crochet or Seattle’s George Kirby, it is a transfer Breslow must take into account.
Will any rookies crack the Opening Day lineup? — Danny E.
I feel Kristian Campbell has a good chance of creating the Opening Day roster because the beginning second baseman. Campbell has shot up via the system like a rocket and his rise from relative obscurity to arguably the highest hitter within the minors this season is with out precedent. He’ll need to win a aggressive place battle with Grissom and David Hamilton, however who’re we to guess in opposition to him at this level?
The opposite one to look at is Anthony. He is the No. 1 prospect in MLB for a cause and has earned rave critiques in every single place he is gone. If the Purple Sox have been to commerce Duran or Abreu this offseason he may instantly slot in as their substitute, and albeit, he’ll push his manner into the equation regardless of who else is in entrance of him.
Is there an opportunity that the Sox may signal Nick Pivetta to a brand new contract and put him within the bullpen the place he has thrived up to now? Is that this potential or would he command an excessive amount of on the free agent market as a starter? — Scott L.
The Purple Sox may positively re-sign Pivetta, but when they do I extremely doubt we might see him pitch out of the bullpen. He’ll command a wholesome market as a starter in free company this winter, and the one cause it might make sense for Boston to deliver him again is that if he’ll stay within the rotation.
It is price noting too that he wasn’t a fan of the bullpen expertise final yr, so if there have been any inkling that would occur once more, my guess is he would merely select to signal with one other crew the place that will be much less of a chance. Clearly groups can use gamers nevertheless they need as soon as they’re below contract, however Pivetta is a beginning pitcher and that is what he’ll be regardless of the place he lands subsequent season.
What is going to the radio sales space seem like subsequent yr? Arduous to think about life with out Joe however Flemming and Lou are each excellent, and the McDonough appearances are at all times welcome. — Adam V.
WEEI hasn’t introduced its plans for subsequent yr, however one factor is for positive, Purple Sox video games are by no means going to sound the identical with out Joe Castiglione.
A lot of my formative recollections as a fan contain listening to Joe within the automotive or in my room on college nights after I used to be presupposed to have gone to mattress, and one of many coolest elements of masking the crew now could be having the possibility to get to know him on a private stage. Joe is a good man and after 42 years he is earned an extended and blissful retirement.
That being mentioned, Joe does nonetheless have yet another sport left to name at this time, so even when the Purple Sox haven’t got a lot left to play for at this level, followers ought to positively you’ll want to tune in for his last broadcast. NESN can be planning on airing his radio name for the ninth inning, which is a unbelievable thought and an effective way to ship off a membership legend.