Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Red Sox 'Window' Far Narrower Than That Of Evil Ones

John Henry is no dummy. Annoying, maybe, but no dummy. He knows that his baseball team's window of opportunity to 'win it all' again is closing rapidly. And, perhaps more importantly, he also knows that his biggest rivals–The Bronx Embalmers—are far better suited for a long run of success. Why? Well, at the end of this season the following Red Sox players become free agents: Craig Kimbrel, Drew Pomeranz, Joe Kelly and (potentially) Hanley Ramirez. After next season (2019), the potential free-agent losses are: Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, Xander Bogaerts, Mitch Moreland, Brock Holt and Brandon Workman. Then, after the 2020 season, the real crunch comes—deciding how to pay and keep Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Mookie Betts. That looks like a three-year window to us. By contrast, in Baghdad-By-The-HudsonBrett Gardner, Adam WarrenDave Robertson and 150-year-old CC Sabathia are potentially out of the Bronx after this season—not exactly a major hit if all of them leave. After next season (2019), they could lose Didi Gregorius, Sonny Gray, Dellin Betances, Aaron Hicks and Austin Romine. A little tougher, but they would easily survive those losses. The key is that the heart of their young coreAaron Judge and Gary Sanchez—are signed through 2022. That's five more seasons. And, their potential ace—Luis Severino—is signed for four more years. Oh, did we mention that Giancarlo Stanton is locked up through the 2028 season? All we can say is: it's a good thing we have J.D. Martinez for at least the next two years. Then, the window starts to slam shut.