After a disappointing end to the Red Sox season, the questions already arise: Where does this team go from here and how do they move forward in a post-David Ortiz world?
The Sox have a great young core in Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Andrew Benintendi. They also have a solidified top of the rotation in David Price and Rick Porcello, as well as a prominent closer in Craig Kimbrel.
So where do the Sox need to improve to avoid a first-round playoff exit in 2017?
Well you have to start with trying to replace Ortiz….so small task considering Big Papi hit nearly 40 homers and drove in 130 runs this season. That type of production is irreplaceable but you have to look at slotting Pablo Sandoval into that spot. He will be back and hopefully in better shape and utilizing Sandoval at DH could help keep Travis Shaw at third base.
Furthermore, in the free agent market the Sox could lose Koji Uehara, Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa. Uehara is on the other side of 40 and Ziegler is 37, so the Sox have to look to get younger although they could bring them back on lesser deals, but the performance of those two dictates a better contract than that.
The Sox need to address the middle and late innings out of the bullpen and that should help when you get back hard-throwing righty Carson Smith next season as he returns from Tommy John surgery. They also need to shore up the middle infield depth as Aaron Hill will be gone in free agency. Perhaps that’s where Yoan Moncada fits in…
