Boston Needs to be Realistic with Sandoval/Ramirez

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Pablo Sandoval arrived at the Red Sox Spring Training camp early, talking about what good shape he is in and how he is committed to having a good year. You don’t have to look far to find where his commitment is, it’s hanging over his belt. If anything he is much heavier than he was last year.

His supporters have always marveled at his agility, given his size. I was one of those supporters. However, after the debacle of the 2015 season, when he looked svelt compared to what he looks like now, it’s hard to believe anyone his size can be in shape to play a 162 game Major League baseball season.

The Red Sox have players with the ability to go all the way this year. If Sandoval and the other expensive, yet average, outfielder turned corner infielder, Hanley Ramirez, don’t perform better than they did last year, building this young, talented team was a waste of time.

I understand that the Red Sox have major money tied up in these two and, like most teams, can’t stand to see all that money being spent on players that are sitting on the bench. Whatever happened to the concept of ‘throwing good money after bad’ which is what they will be doing if these two flop again?

With Brock Holt available to play third and Travis Shaw first, why not give them the jobs and let Sandoval and Ramirez earn their old jobs back? In any other business, workers who produced as poorly and were paid as highly as these two did in 2015 would be looking for work.  Unfortunately, the Red Sox are stuck with them.

Maybe the two of them will surprise Red Sox fans and return to their previous form, but I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.  In the meantime, the Sox appear to have the ability to win without them in the lineup.

Why waste a potentially successful season waiting to see if these two can produce?