One by one, the Boston Red Sox arrived in spring training, sending the same stubborn message.
From Eduardo Rodriguez – “Don’t sleep with us” – to Chris Sale – “We plan to go and make some noise” – there is optimism in the team complex, despite the record of 24-36 in the reduction of the pandemic season that left them last in AL East.
“2020 was not the way everyone wanted it,” said baseball director Chaim Bloom, who in his first year negotiated AL MVP Mookie Betts 2018, hired and fired a manager and handled the COVID-19 outbreak.
“I don’t want last year’s stain to make people look beyond the talent we have,” Bloom said in a video call with reporters on Sunday. “This is a moment of hope, of renewal. … I know we have just gone through a long and cold winter. But it is important for us to take time to breathe, feel lucky that we can do this and see all the possibilities. “
Three days of pitcher and catcher exercises can’t erase everything that went wrong in 2020. But Bloom said that – so far – everything went well this year, especially compared to last spring.
“The calmer the better,” he said.
After playing just 60 games last year, preparing for a full season again brought uncertainty to spring training. Among the questions: how best to prepare the pitchers for a full charge a year after having played no more than a dozen games and played less than 65 entries.
“Anyone who thinks they can say what last year means … I don’t believe it. We are all using the best information we have, using all the information we have,” said Bloom. “There is going to be a little bit of art in that, it’s not just science.”
Rodriguez, who missed the whole of 2020 due to a heart problem resulting from his coronavirus infection, has already had a bullpen session and is “all set” to proceed.
“We need to make sure that we take care of him,” said Bloom. “He’s coming out of something that no one has really experienced, so we have to be aware of that.”
Sale’s recovery from Tommy John’s surgery is also on schedule, probably for a mid-season comeback.
“One of the biggest attractions of spring training so far has been watching Chris Sale throw a baseball. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Bloom, adding that the team will be cautious. “We have to do this right with him.”
The Red Sox are also optimistic that a more normal season will allow third baseman Rafael Devers to recover from the defensive struggles that led him to lead the top champions with 14 mistakes in 57 games. And coach Alex Cora is betting – $ 5, in fact – that three-time All-Star JD Martinez will recover from the worst season of his career, when he had just 0.213 hits.
“JD got mad at me because I bet only $ 1 a few months ago that he will have a better season,” Cora told reporters. “I will increase the bet to $ 5 that he will have a better season.”
The team also did not rule out the hiring of central defender Jackie Bradley Jr., who remains a free agent. Bradley hit 0.239 in eight seasons – although it was 0.283 in 2020 – but provided a spectacular save in the center field.
“We loved Jackie and stayed in touch with him all winter,” said Bloom. “We will continue to do this until it is resolved.”
After finishing 16 games behind Tampa Bay in the 60-game season – and nine behind the Yankees wild card – the Red Sox would need everything to be successful in reaching the playoffs. Bloom said a World Series title remains the goal, but said the season could be a success if he saw progress in building a long-term candidate.
“I would love to get to the end of this year and be able to look and see the next nucleus that will be the center for a candidate for the sustainable championship and see that nucleus taking shape,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.