Red Sox must keep building on momentum from 2021 season

The Red Sox set the bar for the upcoming season more than five months ago.

Boston took the field for the 173rd time last campaign in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Eliminations of the Yankees and Rays were followed by a loss against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. The Red Sox simply ran out of steam against a franchise that reached its third World Series since 2017, outscored by a total of 23-3 over its final three defeats.

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Boston’s next outing of consequence comes Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. An extended delay caused by an owner-imposed lockout and another far shorter one courtesy of Mother Nature helped create at least one silver lining — the Red Sox facing off against their ancient rivals from New York to open 2022. This rematch of the A.L. Wild Card game played at Fenway Park promises to provide a nice dose of early theater.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and manager Alex Cora have clearly built toward something. The abbreviated disaster that was 2020 was put in the rearview mirror thanks to some smart roster retooling and Cora’s return to the dugout. Their challenge is to continue that momentum into another October, avoiding a step back into what could be an unsettled period looming next winter.

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Potential free agents include the club’s de facto captain and shortstop, a slugger in the middle of the lineup, two of the current top three outfielders, three members of the starting rotation and a pair of veteran catchers. Boston projects to be significantly below the Competitive Balance Tax for the first time in Bloom’s tenure entering 2023 but flexibility doesn’t always guarantee the correct replacements will be identified. There is risk that accompanies parting with such a significant amount of talent.

Trevor Story should improve the Red Sox batting order

Trevor Story’s signing to a six-year, $140-million deal was a welcome statement of intent. The 29-year-old is a premium performer on both sides of the ball — he should immediately improve the Red Sox batting order and infield defense. Story represents the most expensive move by Bloom on the open market to date.

Will Boston be similarly aggressive when it comes to retaining its own stars? Xander Bogaerts could exercise an opt-out clause in his contract and J.D. Martinez is at the end of the five-year deal he signed prior to a historic championship run in 2018. Kiké Hernandez and Jackie Bradley Jr., Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill, Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki — they all could be elsewhere when the next version of Opening Day rolls around.

The apprehension surrounding contract extension talks with Rafael Devers was created by the Red Sox themselves. The inability to sign Mookie Betts to a long-term deal and his subsequent trade to the Dodgers — who ended a 32-year World Series drought in 2020 — stripped the lineup of a popular homegrown star. Devers is unlikely to command a salary matching the agreement between Betts and Los Angeles, but the precedent set by one of the game’s financial powers was a decidedly unpopular one.

A sense of urgency

If all of that’s not enough to provide something resembling a sense of urgency, the makeup of the A.L. East should handle the rest. The Blue Jays, Yankees and Tampa Bay should provide some formidable competition. The White Sox and Houston also figure to pose long-term concerns when it comes to securing a playoff spot in consecutive years.

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Boston seems settled at a handful of positions, but possible platoons at first base and in each corner outfield spot will lead to a fair bit of lineup shuffling. The pitching hierarchy could change all the way into September with Chris Sale (rib cage) and James Paxton (left elbow) on the 60-day injured list, Garrett Whitlock possibly poised for a larger role later in the season and lingering questions at the back end of the bullpen. The Red Sox staff could be the group most likely in need of additions as the trade deadline approaches later this summer.

Boston was valued at $3.9 billion by Forbes as recently as last month. The CBT is a financial deterrent to an extent but it shouldn’t be seen as an impenetrable barrier for a club with such vast resources. There is no acceptable reason the Red Sox can’t acquire immediate help from a seller, keep Bogaerts, Devers and multiple other high-dollar players along with Story and make a real challenge to capture both division and league crowns.

Boston currently finds itself on a certain trajectory. This wouldn’t be the time to veer from it.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25

2022 Red Sox Schedule

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Red Sox must keep building on momentum from 2021 season