Who Saw This Coming?

As the 2012 Red Sox season came to a whimpering close, many fans felt that the upcoming 2013 baseball season was finally the time for a bridge year. The organization certainly mirrored this sentiment, and signed Stephen Drew, a career .264 hitter, to a one-year deal at a whopping $9.5 million. The Red Sox organization overpaid Stephen Drew in order to give Jose Iglesias a little more time to develop in the minors. Similarly, the lack of interest in signing Jacoby Ellsbury long-term gave fans the impression that the organization was leaning towards keeping their valued prospects instead of dishing out mega contracts in free agency. Exhibit A of this philosophy is the continued grooming of Bryce Brentz to become the center-fielder of the future. In years past, top prospects like Bryce Brentz and Xander Bogaerts would have been packaged in trades for veteran All Stars. Now, the organization is standing firm and promoting from within.
As spring training came and went, experts from SI had the Red Sox in last place at a projected 77-85 record. ESPN predicted the Red Sox would finish in last place as well. These low expectations of the ball club were not met with much resistance, as the team dumped three former All-Stars and saved a total of $250 million. With expectations low and the slate wiped clean, the Red Sox brass showed some common sense by ending the infamous sellout streak and stopped promoting the “Buy a Fenway Brick” campaign. The changes in personnel and a new organizational philosophy gave fans an unclear picture of how the upcoming season would play out. Fast forward to late May, and the Sox have sole possession of first place and are overachieving in the eyes of the baseball world. At the beginning of the season, Vegas set the odds at the Red Sox winning the World Series at 28/1. Now in May, the odds have been adjusted to 12/1. What is even more impressive than the faith of the odds makers is that the Red Sox have been winning in spite of Jacoby Ellsbury’s dismal .249 start with just one homerun. Will Middlebrooks hasn’t helped matters either, literally batting below his weight. The future is bright for this group of “scrappy underdogs.” When it all comes together, there will be little doubt to who will be the division favorite.

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