Tag: Sox

Dustin Pedroia is Back!

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On Thursday afternoon, for the first time in 281 days, Dustin Pedroia saw some live action for the Red Sox!

Granted, it’s only spring training. And he did only get one at bat. BUT that at bat resulted in a nice base hit to left field and a run scored. Welcome back, Pedey:

So what does this all mean? Well, not much really. We already know that Dustin Pedroia is being given the chance to revive his career this season, battling it out with Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez to be the team’s starting second baseman. After years of serving as the team’s heart and soul, winning two World Series and a league MVP award in his first nine seasons, things haven’t gone so well for him over the past few years.

Since 2014, Pedroia has played in a total of 490 regular-season games, including all of three last year. He’s dealt with ailments ranging from a freak thumb injury while sliding into a base to a much more serious degenerative knee condition, which many believe will make it quite difficult for the 35-year-old to make a comeback in 2019, no matter how much the scrappy veteran may want to prove the haters wrong.

Regardless, today was a great way to start the attempt, and it was good to see No. 15 back out on the diamond.

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And apparently, he’s been ready to go for quite a bit now. Dave Dombrowski mentioned at the beginning of February that Pedroia had been running and working out in Arizona for months before spring training even began. Then, there was this little clip from Mass Live the other day, proving that he’s still got that signature swing and lion-esque confidence we’ve seen him display throughout his entire career (SOUND ON – and wait for the last line at the end):

There’s the Pedey we all know and love! It’s nice to know that, even through it all, he still believes the Laser Show is ready for business once more:

Again, Sox Nation will need to temper expectations. After all, he was in for less than a third of the game today, and we still have a long way to go before the regular season even begins. The team has already stated that he’s very unlikely to be an every-day player anymore, and 125 games is the benchmark the team’s brass is apparently aiming for this season.

But if anyone in the world can overcome the doubt and succeed on pure hubris and determination alone, it’s this guy. He’s done it his entire life. “Too small. “Too slow. “Not enough power.” Etc., etc., etc. He’s always been the little engine that could.

I’m not saying that he’s going to chug along the tracks like he used to in his prime, but it’s just nice to have the old conductor back. And today was a pretty solid way to start making his way out of the station.

So Apparently Eduardo Rodriguez is Gonna Win the Cy Young This Year

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OK. I’ll admit the headline is pure yellow journalism, at its finest, but I’m not exaggerating at all when I say the Sox’s young lefthander has been getting a lot of attention in spring training so far. Like A LOT.

Last week, the team held its first official workout, and it’s still incredibly early to start making any real predictions for the upcoming season. But that hasn’t stopped coaches, teammates, and writers alike from gushing about the 25-year-old, who is apparently in “the best shape of his life”:

After a breakout rookie campaign four years ago – during which he posted a 3.85 ERA with 10 wins across 121.2 innings – Rodriguez posted a combined 4.42 ERA over the next two seasons, leading some to believe his first go-round was a fluke. Yet the southpaw battled back to post a 3.82 ERA as a back-end starter in 2018, and he also saw his K/9 increase for a fourth season in a row, settling in at a more than respectable 10.1 by season’s end. He did miss all of August and most of July with an ankle issue, but overall it was a solid year.

E-Rod had a rough postseason run, though, finishing with an 8.10 ERA across 10 frames. Sadly, the lasting image of him from last season was the mini-hissy fit he threw on the mound in Game 4 of the World Series after giving up a meatball home run to Yasiel Puig, which put the Dodgers up 4-0 in the game. The Sox eventually ended up winning the game – AND the series! – and I still think that he might’ve taken too much heat for the reaction. But it only furthered the notion that perhaps the young fella didn’t have everything he needed between the ears to take the next step in his development.

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That wasn’t a great moment for the kid, but he’s already over it, and we all should be too.

That is, until this spring.

Seriously, just Google the name “Eduardo Rodriguez,” and you’ll be treated to a PLETHORA of articles about how great he’s looked so far. Not only does he look more trim, but reports are that he also wowed his fellow teammates during his first live batting practice session on Tuesday.

Apparently, the key to his success has been adding a much more refined slider to his repertoire. He’s always possessed a pretty lethal fastball/changeup combo, but his inability to master a third pitch has held him back. Now, after working with staff ace Chris Sale, he’s ready to unveil a whole new arsenal to the world in 2019:

“I worked with Sale and most of the guys, asked everyone the way they throw the curveball and slider and how they finish,” Rodriguez said. “But mostly Sale, because he has the best (expletive) slider in the game, so that’s how we do it.” (h/t Boston Herald)

Obviously, anyone outside of Fort Meyers has yet to see the new pitch, but the kid seems pretty freakin’ fired up about.

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Eddy is ready!

Sale himself added to the praise by saying that E-Rod has displayed some noticeable “drive” this offseason, and Nathan Eovaldi added, “I feel like he’s taken it to a whole new level.”

So, after what had to be the most boring offseason in Major League Baseball (or even major professional sports) history, we finally have a little something to get excited about for the upcoming season. Especially for a rotation that does not come without its questions and concerns, the early news out of camp about Rodriguez is extremely encouraging. Fingers crossed!

The Sox are set to kick off the preseason campaign on Friday against Northeastern before a showdown with the Yankees on Saturday afternoon.

Three Burning Questions for the Red Sox on First Official Day of Spring Training

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With most of us still flying high from the Pats’ big victory just a week and a half ago, it might be pretty easy to forget that our other reigning champion sports squad is set to begin work on their title defense this week.

On Wednesday morning, your world champion Boston Red Sox held their first official spring training practice down in Fort Meyers. (Even though a lot of players arrived last week and have already been practicing – including Chris Sale, who has been “cleared to have a normal spring training,” according to Dave Dombrowski [h/t ESPN Boston]. That’s big news for the lefty after last year’s late-season injury woes.)

After an offseason where the Sox literally made zero noteworthy moves besides resigning Nathan Eovaldi, we’re pretty much going to see the same team this year. Gone are Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel (who is still a free agent, however, and could potentially return at the right price, per The Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham):

But other than that it’s going to be the same dudes you rooted for throughout all of last season. That’s certainly not a bad thing.

Still, that does not mean that this team comes without questions or concerns. Yes, we haven’t even passed Valentine’s Day yet, and the season is still over a month and a half away, but there are definitely some things that Cora & Co. need to figure out before the real action begins in Seattle on March 28:

(Who’s Going to Replace Kelly and Kimbrel?)

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To be honest, even though Joe Kelly had one of the most dominant posteason runs any Red Sox reliever has ever had (11.1 IP, 1 ER, 13 Ks), he’s actually been a pretty lackluster bullpen guy for most of his career otherwise. After he signed with the Dodgers in mid-December, I let you all know that I wasn’t really that worried, and there’s definitely enough already in tow to replace him and his 4.39 ERA from last season.

But Kimbrel? Sure, I laughed at the fact that he thought he was worth $100 million when he first hit free agency. And yes, he also had a horrible 2018 postseason and is prone to meltdowns every now and then. But besides an abnormal 3.40 ERA in 2017, the man has posted sub-2.75 ERAs in every other season in his nine-year career. Overall, his career ERA is actually 1.91, and he has lead the league in saves four times. So, not only do I think the Sox should try to resign him at what should now be a much more reasonable price, but if they don’t then they are going to be missing a pretty big piece at the end of games this year.

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The team’s got some decent bullpen depth from which to draw, especially after the emergence of guys like Ryan Brasier last year and the low-risk re-signing of Carson Smith (a move I made sure to highlight and highly endorse), with the former being my choice to replace Kimbrel if he doesn’t come back. And, there was also this from ESPN’s Dave Schoenfield earlier today:

“Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the team’s plan to replace Craig Kimbrel as closer will be ‘somebody internal.’ He said — at the risk of sounding old-fashioned — that he does prefer one guy rather than a bullpen by committee approach and mentioned Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Tyler Thornburg and Steven Wright as possibilities. As for the chance of still signing Kimbrel: ‘I can’t get into the conversations with free agents.'”

This will remain the biggest question throughout all of spring training, and we may not get an answer for quite a while.

(Can We Trust the Rotation?)

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Considering the Red Sox as a team led the league in pretty much every notable batting category last year, it should be no surprise that the second question featured here also has to do with pitching.

Chris Sale, David Price, and Nathan Eovaldi came up huge in the postseason last year. Rick Porcello, too, was very solid, allowing just two runs in 11.1 innings outside of a rough Game 4 in the ALCS. But each one of these guys did not come without their struggles during the regular season last year:

  • Sale suffered his late-season shoulder issues, which caused him to be shut down or severely limited over the last two months of the season. (He pitched a total of 14 innings from July 27 through the end of September.)
  • Price may have finally exorcised his big-game demons last October and has posted sub-4.00 ERAs in each of the past three years. But still, ya never know with this guy.
  • After winning the Cy Young Award in 2016, Porcello has two straight seasons of ERAs over 4.20.
  • Eovaldi is another unproven guy who really didn’t shine until September (and, of course, October). He had pretty much been a flame-throwing mid-4.00-ERA type of guy for most of his career before coming over from Tampa Bay last season.
  • And, even though he’s not mentioned above, this is also a huge year for lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. The 25-year-old pitched to a solid 13 wins and 3.82 ERA last year, but had been wildly inconsistent – both physically and emotionally – beforehand, so he’s no guarantee yet. However, apparently he’s now “in the best shape of his life,” so that’s a good start.

I don’t think there’s necessarily a ton to worry about as of right now, but things could take a turn for the worst pretty quickly here if things don’t go right. Adding a little more depth in this area would be a smart move if Dombrowski can make something happen this spring.

(What’s Up with Dustin Pedroia?)

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Remember this guy??!! Ya know, the diminutive little spark plug who used to be the heart and soul of the franchise? He’s also a four-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman who won Rookie of the Year AND a World Series in 2007. He then won the MVP award the following season, before also helping the team win another World Series with another All-Star season in 2013.

But after playing in just three games last season, and only 105 the year before that, it seems as though he’s almost been forgotten entirely. (Your team achieving a record-setting, championship season without you being involved whatsoever can do that to a guy, I guess.) In fact, many people I’ve talked to have just assumed he was “done.”

If you know anything about Pedroia, though, you know there was just no way he was going out like that. And if anyone can come back and prove all the haters wrong at 35 years old, it’s this dude.

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However, if we’re being honest, it’s not going to be easy. It’s not as though Pedroia is dealing with some freak knee injury he got sliding into second base; rather, it’s an issue with the cartilage that was originally only supposed to keep him out for just a few months last season. Let’s just say things didn’t work out according to plan. Dombrowski also added this little tidbit on the subject this week:

“We’re still not looking at a 150-game player. We’re hopeful that he’s a 125-game player at this point. We do feel we have some people who are solid and can fill in. To fill in if (Pedroia) plays 120, guys like (Brock) Holt, a guy like (Eduardo) Nunez coming over there. Even some depth with Tzu-Wei Lin in our organization we like a great deal. They are also capable of playing more games, that combination. But we’re hopeful that Pedey will be the guy. The main guy.”

Fortunately for him, the second base job still seems to be his for the taking, and he’ll get every chance to reclaim his rightful spot on the field with a solid spring. But as alluded to in the quote above, he’ll face some stiff competition. Yet if he can get the Laser Show going again, it’s going to be tough for anyone to stop him.

There are very few players in Red Sox history I love more than Pedey. Here’s to hoping he bounces back with some great spring ball down in the Sunshine State.

As far as the rest of the team goes, I’d say there are very little questions on offense with this loaded lineup, and I’ll save all the upcoming contract talk for another time. I’m sure some more questions will pop up along the way this spring, but for now let’s just enjoy the fact that the champs are back in action and good weather is just around the corner. Baseball is back, baby!

Red Sox Smartly Bring Back Carson Smith on Minor League Deal

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On Sunday night, it was announced that the Red Sox re-signed reliever Carson Smith to a minor-league contract – and it could truly end up being one of the league’s most underrated moves this offseason:

Some of you out there may not be too familiar with the 29-year-old righty, and for good reason – since being traded here from Seattle before the 2016 season, Smith has pitched in a total of just 31 games.

However, he is a very talented relief guy, who relies primarily on a nice slider/sinker combo that’s helped him compile a really impressive 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings over his career. He’s not necessarily a flame-thrower, but he has a slightly deceptive side-arm delivery that helps keep opposing hitters off balance. Also, his stat line from his last fully healthy season in 2015 reads like this: 70 innings, 2.31 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 11.8 K/9.

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Smith gave up a total of just 18 earned runs in 78.1 innings while in Seattle from 2014-2015.

Those are some pretty lights-out numbers, but those are also from three years ago. As I said, some may be surprised to hear that Smith’s actually been on the team’s roster so long, but two injuries – one being due to chance and the other being due to his temper – have kept him on the shelf for most of his time in The Bean.

Smith missed all but three games in what was supposed to be his first season in a Sox uniform due to Tommy John surgery, and he did not return until late 2017, the following year. He then only played in eight games that season, but gave up just one run and struck out seven across 6.2 innings of work. He did also pitch 1.1 scoreless innings in the postseason that year, giving up just two hits.

Therefore, the team was pretty excited to have him in the bullpen at the beginning of 2018. However, it didn’t go as well as planned; after giving up four earned runs across his first four appearances, Smith was eventually able to settle down toward the end of April. But then, after a rough outing in mid-May, Smith suffered a subluxation in his shoulder after aggressively throwing his glove on the ground in the dugout (no, but really), which then ended up costing him the rest of the year. (Even worse was the fact he basically blamed Alex Cora for the injury due to “overuse,” an excuse for which Cora then called out his reliever publicly. Yeah, it wasn’t a great look for anyone involved.)

Regardless of what has happened in the past, it seems as though the Sox are willing to take the chance on him with a low-risk, prove-it deal, and I am totally on board. During an offseason in which the Sox are a bit cash-strapped and don’t really have the capital to bring in one of the bigger names left on the free-agent market, this was exactly what they should have done. They truly can’t lose here; in fact, they may just end up with one the biggest steals in the game by season’s end.

So here’s to letting bygones be bygones and hoping that Smith can rediscover his previous form. Fingers crossed, Sox Nation.

REAL TALK: It’s Time to Trade Jackie Bradley Jr.

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Before I’m accosted by all the pink hats and loyal-to-a-fault Sox fans out there, I’m not trying to bash JBJ here. That’s not my intention!

But there’s no denying that baseball, like any other sport, is a business. And, as in any business, one must constantly remain on the lookout for timely opportunities to sell on particular assets which, while it may be unpopular in the short term, can have immense benefits in the long run.

Such is the case with Jackie Bradley, Jr.

JBJ has become a fan favorite over the past few seasons, and rightfully so. Not only does he make highlight-reel catches in center field at least once or twice a week, but the guy was also the ALCS MVP this year and came up with a huge home run in Game 3 of the World Series. He also took home his first Gold Glove award in 2018.

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The guy is pretty special to watch out there in center.

But otherwise? He’s a career .238-hitter with some decent pop who is capable of playing some pretty stellar defense.

He’s also incredibly streaky. At times, he can go on runs where he produces like one of the very best hitters in the game; one needs to look no further than his career-best 2016 season, during which he was an All-Star and finished the year with an impressive total (and extreme career outlier) of 26 home runs. But some forget that after a rip-roaring start to that season – which saw him go on a monstrous tear from mid-May through the end of June – Bradley Jr. finished the year by batting just over .230 in the second half. Every season before or since has also seen similar peaks and valleys.

Even if you look at his supposedly great postseason run this year, you start to realize that many out there might be looking at his “epic” performance with rose-colored glasses. Here’s a full breakdown of JBJ’s performance from each series this past October:

  • ALDS vs. the Yankees: .133, 0 HR, 0 RBI
  • ALCS vs. the Astros: .150, 2 HR, 6 RBI
  • WS vs. the Dodgers: .200, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Yes, the very few hits he had this postseason were indeed big ones, but it’s still pretty amazing to see a guy who hit ONE-FREAKIN-FIFTY in a series win that particular round’s MVP award.

But again, my goal is not to tear down JBJ. I’m just pointing out that we need to SELL HIGH on the 28-year-old, because his value will never be better than it is right now. Moving him could be instrumental for both the team’s continued success and, more importantly, the long-term future of the franchise.

Just hear me out…

The Sox were one of two teams to be penalized this offseason due to being over the luxury tax (the other being the Nationals), which meant they had to pay $12 million to Major League Baseball a few weeks ago and move down 10 spots in the draft order next June. That may seem like a drop in the bucket to a team that is valued at over $3 billion, but it’s still $12 million that could’ve been used otherwise.

Bradley Jr. is expected to be one of the top-10 highest paid players on the Sox this year, probably coming in around $7 or $8 million once arbitration is all said and done. While moving JBJ alone won’t even come close to putting the Sox back below the limit, it’s at least a start. Moving his salary, combined with the decision to move on from Craig Kimbrel, would prove to be a step in the right direction for the team’s financial health moving forward – especially with guys like Xander Bogaerts, Chris Sale, and Mookie Betts all hitting free agency within the next two years.

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These two are going to get PAID when they hit the market.

But, in truth, even if the money aspect doesn’t concern you – because, honestly, the team could continue to pay the tax penalty without being crippled – the team’s almost non-existent minor league talent should. Of the top -100 prospects in the game right now, according to MLB.com, the Red Sox have only ONE: Michael Chavis. That’s it.

I’m not mad at Dave Dombrowski for selling the farm (literally) in order to acquire some veterans that helped us bring home the title this year. But, at some point, he’s going to have start restocking. And while I doubt Bradley Jr. brings in any big-time blue chip prospects, a team in desperate need of a defensive upgrade might be willing to part with some decent young talent to bring him in. Bradley’s also arbitration-eligible for the next two years and doesn’t hit unrestricted free agency until 2021.

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Hey Dave, it’s time to start thinking about the future maybeee just a tad more. Even just a little?

Finally, even if the Sox felt it was worth it to continue spending above the limit for 2019, I’d rather see that $7 or $8 million (or even less than that) spent on one of the free-agent relievers that remain on the market. While guys like Adam Ottavino and Zach Britton might be out of the Sox’s price range, someone like David Robertson or Jesse Chavez could be had on the cheap. So, the Sox could save a bit of money AND bring in some much-needed bullpen depth by making the move, too.

Look, while we would be without a few “oooh-ahhh” catches and some timely (but extremely streaky) hitting, the Sox could survive without JBJ next season. At 28 years old and coming off some big postseason swings, he will never look better in the eyes of others around the league than right now, and it just makes too much sense to let this opportunity slip by.

Alex Reimer Sets Record Straight on WEEI’s Red Sox Radio Broadcast Changes

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So it seems like The Boston Globe may have jumped the gun a bit earlier this week when they reported that WEEI planned to change their Red Sox radio broadcast format to more of a talk-show type of deal.

They left it pretty open as to exactly what the hell that even meant, but they seemed pretty damn confident in reporting that it was a real thing that was happening.

After the report was then refuted by WEEI’s Program Director Joe Zarbano, Chad Finn – whom initially reported the “story” – then doubled-down and referred to the email which alerted him to the official job posting for the open Sox play-by-play announcer position. At the same time, Zarbano has held firm in his response:

So, as of Thursday morning, all we had to go off of were a series of “he said/she said” tweets, which meant that either somebody got a lead on something they shouldn’t have, or they were entirely duped by a completely misleading email.

I’m now more inclined to believe it was the latter.

The official job posting from the Sportcasters Talent Agency of America makes ZERO mention of a “talk show format” in any way, BUT Finn did release the text of the industry-wide email promoting the posting, which said the following:

There is an opening on the Boston Red Sox radio play-by-play team following Tim Neverett’s decision not to renew his contract.

The Boston Globe has reported about plans for major changes to this broadcast format. STAA knows these plans to be true. WEEI wants to drop the concept of a conventional radio baseball broadcast to make the call of the game sound more like a talk show.

WEEI [program director] Joe Zarbano is eager to receive applications. However, he tells STAA he doesn’t want to be bombarded with email attachments.

So, to be fair, I totally get where Finn was coming from, but like Zarbano said, maybe, I don’t know, he should’ve checked in with the actual radio station first?

WEEI’s Alex Reimer then wrote an article early Thursday afternoon, and he said that the misleading information from the STAA email most likely comes from the fact that the station is thinking about adding one more person to the booth in an effort to create more chatter (and apparently rumors about this have been out there for a while). They want it to have a more conversational tone, which allows for more colorful analysis and insight, and above all it should help to add more excitement to what can at times be a very dull platform.

The three-person broadcast team has gained a lot of popularity, across multiple sports, in recent years, and it’s been met with great success. I’m totally on board with this.

So thanks to Reimer for clearing up that weird early-morning B.S. from yesterday, and here’s to hoping WEEI is able to find a solid trio who can get it done and finally bring the archaic station into the future.

Joe Kelly is the First Domino to Fall for Sox This Offseason; Signs with Dodgers

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As we pointed out on Tuesday, it’s pretty safe to say that All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel is likely to be playing elsewhere next season, and last night we learned that another bullpen piece is jumping ship as well. On Wednesday night, it was reported that setup man Joe Kelly will be joining the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $25 million deal.

To be honest, I’m not all that upset, especially considering the amount of dough L.A. is doling out to the electric but all-too-erratic 30-year-old.

While the guy has an absolutely lethal heater that can hit triple-digits and does own a respectable 3.87 career ERA, he did finish the 2018 regular season with a 4.39 mark and walked 4.4 batters per nine innings – numbers that are unacceptable for someone who was supposed to be one of the ones relied upon to hold the fort in the late innings before Kimbrel came in to shut the door.

However, Kelly was then completely untouchable in the playoffs, allowing just one run in 11.1 frames with 13 strikeouts. Unlike Kimbrel, Kelly was probably one of the top reasons the Sox were even able to win the title this year due to his incredible postseason play.

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Seriously, this dude was absolutely DIALED IN two months ago.

But again, inconsistency has always been Kelly’s most glaring issue – posting seasons with ERAs as low as 2.69 and others with ones above 4.50, including a 5.18 mark in 2016 – and maybe his performance this past October finally gave him the confidence he needed to pitch to his full potential going forward. But, with an already enormous payroll – one which the Sox are apparently focused on cutting significantly this offseason – it just didn’t make sense to take that risk at over $8 million per season.

Thanks for everything, Joe, and I’ll never forget your magical October run. Best of luck out in La La Land.

Craig Kimbrel and His Insane Beard Likely on the Way Out of Boston

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So it looks like there’ll be a lot less facial hair and excessive body-leaning in the ninth inning for the Sox next season. (Seriously, though, Kimbrel’s pre-pitch shtick drives me NUTS. I don’t exactly know why, but I’ve always hated it.)

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WHY, though??!!

On Monday, Sox GM Dave Dombroski issued this little nugget about the 30-year-old free agent and the likelihood of him being back in Boston next season:

OK then.

Even though this technically doesn’t mean anything for certain, Dombrowski’s always been pretty direct, and he’s typically not one to beat around the bush. His comments yesterday combined with the fact that Kimbrel is allegedly looking for a six-year deal (LOL!!!) pretty much signals the end for the bearded one’s time in The Bean.

Easily the game’s top closer for the first five years of his career in Atlanta (186 saves and a 1.43 ERA in 289 innings), Kimbrel has been a bit up-and-down since, hovering between above-average and dominant for the past four seasons, the last three of which being with the Sox.

With the Sox, Kimbrel has seen his seasonal ERA go from 3.40 to 1.43 to 2.74, further demonstrating the inconsistency he’s shown ever since leaving the Peach State. Such is the risk you take with most flamethrowers as they get older, and overall his time in Boston was likely more “good” than “bad.”

BUT there’s no denying the fact that he was atrocious this past postseason, sporting a 5.91 ERA and allowing 19 baserunners in just 10.2 innings pitched. (And this was after a season in which he sported the second-highest walk rate and the highest home-run rate of his career.) Somehow, he never technically blew a save in October, but he certainly wasn’t one of the reasons the Sox won the Series this year. In fact, he was probably one of the main reasons why they could’ve just as easily lost.

But again, I’m not trying to tear the guy down on his way out. After all, he was pretty damn good at times here, and when he’s on his game he can be downright untouchable. However, he’s not “six years” or “$16 million per year” good anymore, and I agree that it’s time to part ways.

I’m with ya on this one, Dave. Now who are we gonna get to replace him?