The 2016 season did not go quite the way the Boston Red Sox hoped it would. The year ended on a sour note Monday night, as the Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep in the ALDS. In the final season of David Ortiz‘s illustrious career, many hoped the team could win the famed slugger one last ring. Alas, it was not to be. Yet, while the Red Sox ultimately fell short of their goal, 2016 offered a lot of positives to take into the off-season. With that, it’s time to do a postmortem, of sorts, on the campaign. Let’s take a look at the good and the bad, and what might come next, in the Boston Red Sox 2016 season review.
Red Sox 2016 Season Review
The Good
First things first: while the Sox will not be hoisting the World Series trophy this season, 2016 still represents a wild success by most measures. After consecutive last place finishes in 2014 and 2015, Boston came surging back to the front of the pack en route to 93 wins and the AL East crown. Yes, the team faltered when it mattered most, but there are numerous reasons to believe they will get another good shot at it next year.
For one thing, the team’s success this year can be attributed, in large part, to the glut of young talent Boston fielded this year. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Andrew Benintendi all contributed significantly to the club this season, and all are still very young and likely to improve with age. Betts, in particular, stormed onto the national stage as an MVP candidate. He ended the year with a .318 batting average, 31 homers, 113 RBI, 26 steals, and an .897 OPS. And he did all that while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field. All three of the “Killer B’s” (Bradley, Betts, and Bogaerts) earned their first All-Star nods this year. It was particularly nice to see Bradley, long considered the best defensive outfielder in the game, finally figure out how to hit at the MLB level. All that talent will be back next year, and for years to come.
The veterans also got in on the act. Hanley Ramirez had a resurgent season after a disheartening 2015. He came into Spring Training slimmer and in much better shape, and was determined to prove to Red Sox nation that he belonged. Boy, did he ever. A move from left field to first base worked wonders on Ramirez. He played his new position as if he’d been there his whole career, and caught fire at the plate. Ramirez was locked in with the bat for much of the second half, and finished the year with 30 homers and 111 RBI. Ortiz also gave fans quite a show, putting together the finest season a 40-year-old player has ever had. In his final year, he crushed 38 home runs, drove in 127 runners, hit for a .315 average, and recorded an other-worldly 1.021 OPS. He hit so well all season that most wondered how he could possibly retire at the end of the year. Sadly, he will be hanging up his cleats, and said goodbye to the fans at Fenway for the last time as a player Monday evening.
Even the pitchers, while still the most inconsistent part of the team, had some positives. Rick Porcello emerged as a true ace, winning 22 games with a 3.15 ERA en route to a Cy Young-level season. Knuckleballer Steven Wright was having a fantastic year before a shoulder injury cut it short, and both Eduardo Rodriguez and David Price looked much better in the second half. Even the bullpen improved drastically after the All-Star break, and remained a bright spot in the ALDS.
The Bad
The Red Sox were just too inconsistent this year. While they statistically had the league’s best offense, they were prone to going cold as a team for extended periods of time. Unfortunately, that kind of team slump struck them at the worst possible time. They stumbled in the final week of the season, backing into the playoffs and losing home field advantage on the final day. Their struggles continued against the Indians, and ultimately cost them the series.
They also have yet to find a true playoff ace to replace Jon Lester. Porcello, for all his fine work in the regular season, faltered in his lone playoff start. Price, as is his custom, was just awful in his. Drew Pomeranz, the All-Star pitcher acquired from the San Diego Padres, failed to even make the playoff rotation.
Boston also still lacks a true third baseman. Travis Shaw had a strong first half but faded miserably down the stretch. Utility man Brock Holt is a solid fill-in, but isn’t suited for everyday work at the hot corner. Perhaps top prospect Yoan Moncada will eventually transition to third, but he’s still very young. His limited MLB experience showed that he may still require some seasoning in the minors.
The Ugly
Questions remain about manager John Farrell‘s leadership and bullpen management. Pitching coach Carl Willis also deserves some criticism for the performance of the rotation in key starts. Front office boss Dave Dombrowski‘s decisions have also earned some flak. While Price didn’t have a terrible year, he did not, by any means, earn the enormous contract Dombrowski handed him. And the decision to give up a top prospect in Anderson Espinoza for Pomeranz looks like a very poor one in hindsight. That deserves a full season to play out, but for now the moment it seems as if the Sox came up short in that deal.
Also, Pablo Sandoval is still on the team. Most fans probably tried their best to forget that, but it’s true. He’ll be healthy again next season, presumably, and the Red Sox will have to decide what, if anything, they can do with him.
Looking Forward
While the off-season has not yet truly begun, there are a few things we already know fans can look for. With Ortiz retiring, Boston needs a new designated hitter. Both Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays will be free agents, and the Red Sox should go after at least one. Encarnacion seems the more likely of the two to fill that role next year. Dombrowski will also be looking for another starter to bolster his rotation. Finally, if the team can’t find a use for Sandoval, it seems likely that he’ll be traded. Finding a trading partner for that deal will be a priority for Dombrowski as well.
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