One by one, the Boston Red Sox reached the spring training sessions that launched the same stubborn message.
From Eduardo Rodriguez – “Don’t Sleep on Us” – to Chris Sale’s “We Plan to Go and Make Some Noise” – there is optimism in the team complex, despite the 24-36 record in the pandemic-shortened season that He left the last one in AL East.
“2020 didn’t go the way anyone wanted,” said baseball chief officer Chaim Bloom, who in his first year traded MVP Mookie Betts in 2018, hired and fired a manager and handled the outbreak. COVID-19.
“I don’t want last year’s stain to have people overwhelmed by the talent we have,” Bloom said in a video call with reporters on Sunday. “This is a time for hope, for renewal … I know we have just had a long, cold winter. But it is important for us to take the time to breathe, to feel lucky to be able to do this. and you see all the possibilities. “
Three days of training for the pitcher and catcher can’t erase everything that didn’t work in 2020. But Bloom said that – so far – everything has gone well this year, especially compared to last spring.
“The more uneventful it is, the better,” he said.
After playing just 60 games last year, preparing for a full season has once again ushered in the uncertainty of spring training. Among the questions: how to best prepare the pitchers for a full load a year after making no more than a dozen starts and throwing less than 65 innings.
“Anyone who thinks they can tell you what last year means … I don’t buy it. We all use only the best information we have, using all the information we have,” Bloom said. “There will be some art in this, it’s not just science.”
Rodriguez, who missed all of 2020 due to a heart problem that resulted from his coronavirus infection, has already thrown out a bullpen session and is a “full test” to continue.
“We have to make sure we take care of him,” Bloom said. “He brings out something that no one has really experienced, so we have to be careful about that.”
Sale’s recovery after Tommy John’s operation is also on schedule, probably for a return to mid-season.
“One of the biggest goals in spring training so far has been to track down Chris Sale by throwing a baseball. We’ve been waiting to do that for a long time,” Bloom said, adding that the team will be cautious. “We have to do it right with him.”
The Red Sox are also optimistic that a more normal season will allow third baseman Rafael Devers to emerge from the defensive struggles that led the majors with 14 errors in 57 games. And manager Alex Cora bets – in fact, 5 USD – that three times All-Star JD Martinez will return from the worst season of his career, when he beat only .213.
“JD got mad at me because I bet just a few months ago on $ 1 that he will have a better season,” Cora told reporters. “I will raise the bet to $ 5 to have a better season.”
The team also did not rule out the re-signing of central player Jackie Bradley Jr., who remains a free agent. Bradley hit .239 in eight seasons – though he was up to .283 in 2020 – but provided a spectacular defense in midfield.
“We love Jackie and we’ve been in touch with him all winter,” Bloom said. “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 go right to run in the playoffs. Bloom said a World Series title remains the goal, but allowed the season to be a success if it sees progress in building a long-term competitor.
“I would love to get to the end of this year and be able to see and see that the next core that will be the center of a sustainable competitor in the championship and see the core take shape,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.