Tomase: 10 reasons to feel optimistic about the 2021 Red Sox

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1/11

A lost season of Red Sox baseball is over, and if there's any consolation, at least it only lasted 60 games.

That was more than enough time, however, to recognize just how daunting a task Chaim Bloom and Co. face in rebuilding the 2018 World Series winners. By now we're well-versed in the organization's deficiencies -- no pitching, a strip-mined farm system, a top-heavy offense, an unwillingness, at least in the short term, to spend.

But there's no reason 2021 need be as miserable as 2020. In fact, signs suggest the club has already started climbing out of the hole. Some are apparent -- Alex Verdugo says hello -- while others require knowing where to look.

In any event, here are 10 reasons to feel optimistic about the 2021 Red Sox as they prepare for the first full offseason of Bloom's tenure.

2/11

This rebuild starts at the top, and Bloom has shown a deft hand, particularly once the moratorium on transactions was lifted over the summer.

While none of the moves he made at the trade deadline qualified as splashy, Bloom succeeded in beginning to replenish the farm system without touching a single piece that could be considered essential next season.

For expendable veterans Mitch Moreland, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, Kevin Pillar, and Josh Osich, Bloom acquired four prospects who immediately slot into the organization's top 25, promising reclamation project Nick Pivetta, and a player to be named later.

He made his waiver claims count, too, adding intriguing talents in Yairo Munoz (Cardinals), Christian Arroyo (Indians), and Deivy Grullon (Phillies). Munoz went 6-for-7 in a doubleheader vs. the Jays and can play virtually every position, Arroyo is a former first-round pick and top-100 prospect who could start at second next year, and Grullon showed impressive power with consecutive 21-homer seasons in the minors in 2018-19.

There's still a long way to go, but Bloom has already extracted value out of some marginal assets.

3/11

Were the Red Sox even remotely in playoff contention, Verdugo would be on the periphery of the MVP discussion. He arrived with huge shoes to fill after being the centerpiece of the Mookie Betts trade with the Dodgers, and wouldn't you know, he actually exceeded expectations.

After arriving at spring training with a cracked vertebrae, Verdugo shut it down and rehabbed throughout quarantine. He looked overmatched right up until the games started, but once he turned it on about two weeks into the season, he never stopped.

He ended up hitting .308 with an .844 OPS while ranking among the top 10 American League hitters in WAR. More than that, though, he played with an infectious energy that would've fit right in with the Dirt Dogs of 2003 or the Idiots of 2004. He also showcased a tremendous all-around game by leading AL left fielders with six assists. In short, the 24-year-old did everything the team asked, and now he's an essential piece of the future.

"Playing in Boston, I love it," Verdugo said. "Coming to Fenway, seeing the park and all that, it's still special. It's still fun. It's one of those things, I can't wait to see the ballpark filled with fans. My style of play is I give it everything I got. I just play hard and let everything else sort itself out. I don't want to sit back and say, 'What if I did this? What if I ran harder?' I play hard and whatever happens, happens."

4/11

We'll leave his deteriorating defense at third base for another day, but for what he does at the plate, Devers belongs among the handful of best young hitters in baseball.

It won't be as apparent this year as it was last, because his second straight slow start guaranteed depressed overall numbers. But Devers still ended up leading the Red Sox in homers and RBIs, and considering that he's only 23, he should continue improving throughout the rest of his 20s.

When Devers is locked in, as he was from mid-August forward, he's one of the toughest outs in baseball, capable of covering the entire plate and then some. From Aug. 18 through Sept. 17, he hit .376 with nine homers, 31 RBIs, and a 1.148 OPS.

Someday soon, he's going to find himself in the MVP conversation. Maybe even next year.

5/11

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was supposed to be the ace of the staff after a 19-win breakthrough in 2019, but he tested positive for COVID at the start of spring training and never threw a pitch. He was instead diagnosed with myocarditis, inflammation around the heart that in his case was caused by the novel coronavirus, and sidelined for the summer.

Only last week did he finally receive clearance to start walking on a treadmill, and he's by no means out of the woods yet, especially since scientists still don't understand COVID's long-term impacts.

For now, however, the Red Sox believe he'll be ready for spring training, and his return would hugely boost a beleaguered rotation.

6/11

Speaking of Cy Young candidates in the rotation, we shouldn't discount Sale's return in time to make an impact. He underwent Tommy John surgery in the early days of the pandemic and could be back in the big leagues by early next summer.

Sale recently began playing catch, and he's determined to justify the five-year, $145 million contract extension that contributed to Dave Dombrowski losing his job. There's precedent for a pitcher of Sale's caliber returning to form after Tommy John, the most recent example being Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish, the NL Cy Young favorite this year after going under the knife in 2015.

Of course, we're talking next year for Sale, not 2025. But at least he's on the right path.

7/11

If "Moneyball" taught us anything, it's to zig when everyone else zags. That's how Billy Beane's A's first came to prioritize on base percentage and then advanced fielding metrics in their quest to find market inefficiencies.

There's a massive inefficiency looming this winter, and the Red Sox are one of only a handful of teams in a position to exploit it -- and that's to spend.

With a shortened season and lack of attendance decimating bottom lines across the game, free agent spending projects to drop this winter. That opens the door for a deep-pocketed club like the Red Sox to spend aggressively while remaining under the luxury tax, but also potentially landing a big-ticket item like slugging Astros center fielder George Springer.

It also creates possibilities on the trade market, where the Red Sox could eat salary to facilitate the acquisition of prospects. Either way, the Red Sox may have just finished last for the fourth time in nine years, but that doesn't mean they've stopped being a have in a sea of have-nots.

8/11

Maybe Alex Cora will make his triumphant return, though that doesn't feel likely. Maybe Jason Varitek will finally agree to slide behind the bench. Maybe it's an as-yet unknown candidate who will hit the way that Kevin Cash did in Tampa Bay.

With all due respect to the departed Ron Roenicke, the Red Sox are in the market for a managerial upgrade, and this decision gives Bloom a chance to put his stamp on the organization by deciding who his daily partner will be in establishing the direction of the franchise.

The Red Sox know how much a managerial change can pay dividends. They saw it in 2013 when the stable John Farrell replaced the chaotic Bobby Valentine, and they witnessed it again five years later when Cora replaced Farrell and opened new lines of communication with the team's young stars.

"It really comes down to having someone who can be a leader in this organization and a leader for our clubhouse and our players and put them in positions to succeed and bring the best out of them," Bloom said.

9/11

By winning five of their final seven games, the Red Sox slipped to fourth in next year's draft -- provided commissioner Rob Manfred doesn't alter the order, which he reportedly doesn't feel inclined to do.

That will be Boston's highest pick since selecting right-hander Mike Garman third overall in 1967. Choosing that high represents an opportunity to add a future All-Star, whether it's UCLA infielder Matt McLain, Georgia high school slugger Brady House, or someone who bursts onto the scene next spring.

While rebuilding clubs often get credit for shrewd management, virtually all of them also benefited from top-five draft picks. Perhaps the Red Sox will join their ranks.

10/11

The slugging DH finished a disappointing season with a two-run homer in Sunday's finale vs. the Braves. Though he hit just .213, a healthy Martinez remains the most important hitter in the lineup. He can opt out of the final two years of his contract this fall, but admitted over the weekend that he's unlikely to do so.

"Given the situation and everything, I'm probably not leaning that way," he said.

That's great news for the Red Sox, who should count on a return to form after this lost season. Martinez chafed at the inability to consult in-game video, which disrupted his routine and may have mentally contributed to his struggles. He'll need to get over that next season, but assuming he returns, he should once again anchor a fairly deep lineup.

11/11

During the early days of Theo Epstein's tenure, members of his front office wore t-shirts that said, "We don't know (expletive)," as a reminder that they must never believe their own press clippings. If the Red Sox thought their (expletive) didn't stink after winning it all in 2018, the events of the two years since have forced them to reach for the Febreze.

From missing the playoffs to firing their president of baseball operations to trading a former MVP to losing their manager in a cheating scandal to finishing last again, it's been nothing but humble pie.

That kind of attitudinal recalibration is essential for what comes next, because previous trips to the basement have been greeted with unwise expenditures (Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez) and a panicked application of spackle when what's really called for is a full remodel.

The Red Sox have gotten that message, which means that Bloom should be allowed to rebuild the right way and maybe even turn the next great Red Sox team into something sustainable.

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