It’s safe to say there are big problems in Bean Town. How
does a team with so much potential compensate for a three year drought in the
post season, disappointments at every position, failed free agent attempts, and
a depleting farm system? And to top it all off, they are now manager-less. A
manager experiment that had many scratching their heads from the beginning
finally came to an end yesterday.
The Bobby V-Era came to a close after the outspoken manager
was at the helm of a whirlwind season in Boston. It seemed like he never got
very comfortable in that clubhouse through disagreements with players, media
issues, and criticizing his players of different offenses. The team longed for
the environment established by Terry Francona and Theo Epstein, but it was nowhere
to be found.
With $250 million dollars available through in-season
transactions in which they saw Kevin Youkilis, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and
Adrian Gonzalez depart, the Sox have an opportunity to rebuild the franchise.
Many believe Josh Hamilton is in their sights, but with the lack of support
around him, they may need to go a different route. If they spread it around,
they can fill out their lineup with solid all-around players, rather than
burning the majority on one stud. The Red Sox have attempted the high profile,
free agent route the last few off-seasons, but seen limited results. They’ve
been most successful when discovering and developing hidden gems and underrated
athletes, such as Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, and Youkilis. If they go back to
that game plan, they might just see a turn around in their results next season.
Follow Hayley Zedeck on Twitter @hzedeck.
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