The Top Five Red Sox Questions For Spring Training

Manager John Farrell meets with his infield.

The past few years have been very tumultuous for the Red Sox, with two last place finishes and overall mediocrity seemingly erased by 2013’s surprising World Series victory. However, the failure of Boston’s big offseason splashes coupled with a miserable season a year ago have certainly raised some eyebrows. Already high expectations soared through the roof when the club landed LHP ace David Price. Mookie Betts and Xander Boegarts, the team’s future centerpieces, will seek to build off of very impressive 2015 campaigns. The 2016 season is Big Papi’s last, and the team has to make it count. Here are the Red Sox’s top five questions for spring trainging now that everyone has reported to camp.

1) Will Pablo Sandoval bounce back from a horrible 2015?

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Pablo Sandoval: 3 time World Series Champ, World Series MVP, .294 career BA entering 2015, $19 million dollar contract. His resume was busting at the seams when the Red Sox signed him. Nothing was wrong with this acquisition. And then Sandoval shows up to camp out of shape in 2015, hits .245, and commits 15 errors in 123 games. Fast forward to 2016 with higher stakes entering the spring, and he shows up to Fort Myers out of shape yet again seemingly without a worry in the world. You can imagine Red Sox Nation’s reaction. Sandoval, the biggest storyline for the Red Sox in spring training, is the X-Factor to a potentially prolific Boston lineup if everything clicks. He will likely continue to dominate the Sox newsfeed well into the regular season, but he can silence all critics by producing. As Dustin Pedroia said in his first official news conference of 2016 on Monday, “You gotta put the work in” (Boston Herald). Sandoval has to improve upon a horrendous 2015 season for both the Red Sox to contend and his job security.

2) Will Hanley Ramirez’s transition to first base be replicate his previous switch to left field? If it does, uh-oh.

Hanley Ramirez’s situation is much like Sandoval’s. He was Boston’s other major signee of 2015, and he joined Sandoval on the failure list. His transition to left field, rather his attempted transition to left field, was simply disastrous. It seemed every day he was committing errors, taking playing time from Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo, or ailing from yet another sore muscle. Again we can quote Dustin Pedroia from the same Boston Herald artcle in which he discussed his faith in Ramirez,”He’ll be fine. He’s going to put the time in and all the work in and he’ll be fine.” Hanley’s fielding is not the only issue as well. After a monstrous April, he fell off of a cliff hitting only nine home runs after the season’s opening month in which he smashed ten. None of those 19 came after the All-Star break. Ramirez and Sandoval both desperately need bounce back years in 2016.

3) Price looks great at the top of the rotation, but how well can Joe Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Henry Owens/Roenis Elias round out the bottom?

The Red Sox starting pitching staff was a huge issue throughout all of 2015. Rick Porcello signed a monster (WAY too big) 4 year $82 million extension before he threw a pitch in a Red Sox uniform, and the team lacked an ace all year. The surprising early success of Eduardo Rodriguez was cancelled out by mediocre to bad seasons from Clay Bucholz and Wade Miley. Enter David Price, the $217 million dollar man who has never won a playoff game but always looks like a Cy Young finalist. In short, the Sox rotation is a roller coaster with one huge drop and a few bunny-hills at the end. Going pitcher by pitcher in one or two sentences:

1. We all know David Price from his days in Tampa and most recently Toronto, and if he doesn’t look like every penny of that $217 million dollar contract, Boston will be calling for his head.
2. Clay Bucholz, the longest tenured Red Sox starter by far, has been on the decline for what feels like years but somehow keeps many fans optimistic about him. He is a huge X-factor to the Red Sox pitching rotation, and 2016 has started well for him with numerous reports saying “his stuff looks great in Fort Myers”.
3. Rick Porcello needs to show Sox fans why he is worth $21 million. He needs to have control of his stuff all year, and he definitely needs to continue to raise his swinging strike percentage from 8.5%.
4. Eduardo Rodriguez was the lone bright spot of the Red Sox pitching staff last year, and he needs to build on a 3.85 ERA from 2015.
5. Joe Kelly is a puzzle; we know he has a nasty arsenal of pitches and his fastball can clock the upper 90’s but control has always been an issue. This year is make or break for Kelly.
6. Henry Owens or Roenis Elias would likely fill the sixth spot in a six-man rotation or take over if someone goes on the DL. Elias was acquired with reliever Carson Smith in a trade for Wade Miley. Owens shows great potential at times but a 4.57 ERA through 11 starts will not cut it. Both pitchers need a strong spring, Owens especially if he wants to crack the big league roster.

4) Will Rusney Castillo and Jackie Bradley Jr. finally break through and make the Red Sox outfield one of the best in the MLB?

Castillo managed to hit just five home runs in 80 games last year. For a $10 million player signed before he played in the bigs, that is never going to cut it. Like many other Red Sox players, highly paid or not, this season is also likely a make or break year for Castillo. If Rusney performs like the power hitting OF he was signed to be, the Red Sox outfield will boast one of the youngest, most talented trios in the league. That statement also gives the benefit of the doubt to Bradley Jr., who has always struggled to hit in the MLB but is easily one of the best fielders in the league. Bradley Jr. and Castillo are in the middle, mashing in Triple A but not producing at the major league level. If they can come through for Boston, the outfield will be great for years to come and that is not even mentioning how scary these two can potentially make the lineup.

5) Big Papi.

While other questions like the revamped bullpen and Brock Holt and Travis Shaw’s roles, those answers are pretty self-explanatory. There is one thing on all of Red Sox Nation’s mind heading into 2016. It is Big Papi’s last rodeo. One of the best Red Sox of all time, Ortiz announced his retirement in the offseason and has indicated that he has no intent of rethinking his plans. He is undoubtedly the leader of this team, and his energy, charisma, and clutch hitting are irreplaceable. The team has to make his last ride a memorable one, but Ortiz also has to pass the torch down to the younger guys in the organization. Pedroia will carry the veteran leadership role after this year, and hopefully young stars like Mookie Betts and Xander Boegarts will learn lessons from Papi. While Ortiz will ride off into the sunset in 2016, he needs to make sure that the team continues to move forward after he is gone.

2016 is a huge year for the Red Sox. It is a make or break season for a lot of guys on the team, and it can reveal a lot about what the next era of Red Sox baseball will look like without Big Papi. Not to mention, it is also Dave Dombrowski’s first year running the front office, and it will be interesting to see if his moves will pay off. Let’s hope for a great year of baseball.