One by one, the Boston Red Sox came up in the spring and uttered the same stubborn message.
From Eduardo Rodriguez – “Do not sleep on us” – to that of Chris Sale – “We plan to make some noise” – there is optimism at the team’s complex despite the 24-36 record in the pandemic shortened season which left them last in the AL East.
“2020 did not go the way anyone wanted,” said baseball official Chaim Bloom. In his first year, he traded an AL MVP Mookie Betts, appointed and fired a manager and handled the COVID-19 outbreak.
“I do not want last year’s stain to make people look at the talent we have,” Bloom said in a video call with reporters on Sunday. ‘It’s a time for hope, for renewal … I know we’ve been through a long cold winter. But it is important for us to take the time to breathe, and be happy that we can do it. and see all the possibilities. ‘
Three days of pitcher and catcher exercises can’t erase everything that went wrong in 2020. But Bloom said everything has gone well so far this year, especially compared to last year.
“The more uneventful, the better,” he said.
After playing only 60 games last year, preparing for a full season again brought uncertainty into the spring practice. Among the questions: how can you best prepare for a full load a year after they started no more than a dozen and threw less than 65 overs?
“Anyone who thinks they can tell you what last year means … I’m not buying it. We all use only the best information we have, and use all the information we have,” Bloom said. “There’s going to be art to this, it’s not just science.”
Rodriguez, who missed the entire 2020s due to a heart problem resulting from his coronavirus infection, has already thrown one bullpen session and is a “full course” to continue.
“We have to make sure we take care of him,” Bloom said. “He comes from something no one really experienced, so we have to pay attention.”
Sale’s recovery after the Tommy John operation is also on schedule, presumably for a mid-season return.
“One of the biggest attractions so far this spring has been watching Chris Sale throw a baseball. We’ve been waiting a long time to do that,” Bloom said, adding that the team will be careful. “We have to do it the right way with him.”
The Red Sox are also optimistic that a more normal season will allow third-team player Rafael Devers to pull out of the defensive battle that led him to 14 games with 14 errors. And manager Alex Cora is betting – actually $ 5 – that three-time All-Star JD Martinez will bounce back from the worst season of his career, when he batted just .213.
“JD got mad at me because I bet $ 1 just a few months ago that he’s going to have a better season,” Cora told reporters. “I will increase the bet to $ 5 that he will have a better season.”
The team also did not rule out signing Jackie Bradley Jr., who is still a free agent, again. Bradley batted .239 in eight seasons – although it was up to .283 in 2020 – but provided spectacular defense in midfield.
“We love Jackie and we’ve been in touch with him all winter,” Bloom said. “We’re going to keep doing it until it’s done.”
After finishing 16 games behind Tampa Bay in the 60-season and nine behind the game card Yankees, the Red Sox would need everything to walk right to make a turn at the playoffs. Bloom said a World Series title is still the goal, but allowed the season to be a success as he sees progress in building a long-term candidate.
“I would like to come to the end of this year and be able to see the next core and see what the centerpiece of a sustainable championship candidate will be, and to see the core take shape,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.