One by one, the Boston Red Sox have come to spring training with the same stubborn message.
From Eduardo Rodriguez – “Don’t Sleep with Us” – to Chris Sale – “We Plan to Make Noise” – there is optimism in the team complex despite the 24-36 record of the pandemic season that the left behind in the AL East.
“2020 wasn’t how anyone wanted it,” said baseball chief Chaim Bloom, who in his first year changed AL 2018 MVP Mookie Betts, hired and fired a manager and tackled the outbreak. of COVID-19.
“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 Sunday. “This is a time for hope, for renewal … I know we just had a long, cold winter. But it’s important that we take the time to breathe, that we’re lucky that we do that. And see all the possibilities “.
Three days of pitcher and catcher exercises can’t erase everything that went wrong in 2020. But Bloom said so far everything has gone well this year, especially compared to last spring.
“The more trouble-free, the better,” he said.
After playing just 60 games last year, preparing again for a full season has introduced uncertainty into spring training. Among the questions: what’s the best way to prepare pitchers for a full load a year after you’ve made no more than a dozen starts and pitched less than 65 innings.
“Everyone who thinks they can tell you what it means last year … I don’t buy it. We’re all just using the best information we have, using all the information we have,” Bloom said. “There’s going to be a little bit of art in that, it’s not just science.”
Rodriguez, who was lost all of 2020 due to a heart problem resulting from his coronavirus infection, has already undergone a bullpen session and is “about” to continue.
“We have to make sure we take care of him,” Bloom said. “It’s coming out of something that no one has really experienced, so we need to be aware of that.”
Sale’s recovery from Tommy John’s surgery is also planned, presumably for a mid-season comeback.
“One of the highlights of spring training so far has been watching Chris Sale throw a baseball. We’re waiting to do that for a long time,” said Bloom, who added that the team will be prudent. “We have to do it the right way with him.”
The Red Sox are also optimistic that a more normal season will allow third baseman Rafael Devers out of the defensive struggles that led him to the majors with 14 errors in 57 games. And manager Alex Cora bets (in fact, $ 5) that three-time All-Star JD Martinez will recover from the worst season of his career, when he only hit .213.
“JD got mad at me because a few months ago I only bet on $ 1 that will have a better season,” Cora told reporters. “I’ll increase the bet to $ 5 so you have a better season.”
The team has also not ruled out re-signing midfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who remains a free agent. Bradley hit .239 in eight seasons, though it 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 so until it is resolved.”
After finishing 16 games behind Tampa Bay in the 60-game season (and nine behind the Yankees wildcards), the Red Sox would need everything to do well in the playoffs. Bloom said the World Series title remains the goal, but allowed the season to be a success if it sees progress toward building a long-term candidate.
“I would love to get to the end of this year and be able to see this next core that will be the center of a sustainable championship candidate and see that core take shape,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.