AJ: Theo Acknowledges Reality

Red Sox fans can breathe a collective sigh of at least partial relief.   General Manager Theo Epstein, in a televised interview, finally acknowledged having some “concerns” about the Red Sox offense for the upcoming season. 

Until now, Epstein has harped so much on “run-prevention” that it seemed he was in denial about the gaps in the team’s 2010 hitting lineup.  The team has lost its most productive hitter, Jason Bay,who hit 36 HRs and knocked in  119 RBIs and will soon trade away Mike Lowell, who had 75 RBIs in just 119 games.   The team’s hitting was a real weakness by the end of the 2009 season.      

I find it a bit reassuring when, even if I totally disagree with the Red Sox, the GM shows he’s not living in fantasyland. 

Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet New England (CSNNE) asked Epstein, if, he had any concerns about the offense, without Bay, being good enough offensively.

Theo Epstein, in the Jan. 8th interview, replied as follows:

“Sure we have concerns…Always have concerns about different elements (of) the club going into the spring — I think there’s a recognition that we couldn’t be perfect – That we couldn’t get our pitching, our defense, and our offense all up to where we wanted them to be at a premium level to start the year.  But, there’s one thing that’s easier to fix during the year – It’s usually the offense –  The last two trade deadlines, we’ve added big bats – in Jason Bay and Victor Martinez  That type of player is a little easier to find during the year than a “top-of-the- rotation” starter and certainly easier than reorganizing your defense.

“That said, Epstein continued, “we have six of our nine starters (who) are guys who have hit 25 or more HRs in the big leagues – We have nine such players out of our of 13 position spots, so I think we have some power – we’re threats – We’re still are going to have a way better than league average on-base percentage.  I think if we’re a top five offensive club - with our run prevention, that should get us where we need to be.  Whether we can accomplish it remains to be seen……”

At least, Theo, in this interview, is admitting the uncertainty about the hitting AND the team’s definite interest in potentially adding a bat at the trading deadline, if necessary.

Epstein, who introduced Adrian Beltre at a press conference yesterday, said he thought Beltre might find more hitting success in Fenway Park rather than Seattle’s Safeco Field, where he played all his home games last year.  Most agree with him on that;  the question is:  how much better will Beltre hit?  Also, will Mike Cameron do at least a little more hitting at Fenway and will Marco Scutaro add some punch as well?  If these three hit at least to some extent and David Ortiz can improve from last year, Epstein hopes the team will do OK offensively in 2010.  If not, and Adrian Gonzalez is available at the deadline, the Red Sox will likely match any team’s offer to add Gonzalez.

Like I’ve told you, Big Mike, the first step in a team improving is for its managers to face the truth and share it with the media and public.

If the 2010 Red Sox cannot hit enough, Theo is indicating he won’t sit back and do nothing.   Fans like me appreciate hearing that publicly.

AJ: Theo’s Trying Hard to Sell “A Bridge”

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein apparently has stressed to baseball reporters that his team is in a “bridge” period – a transition.  He’s saying the team has a few promising young players coming up, but they won’t be ready for the big leagues until the 2011 or 2012 seasons.

“We like our young players a lot,” Epstein told Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet New England. (CSNNE)  “but they’re not going to immediately impact the organization.  They’re still developing…We still think if we push the right buttons, we can be competitive at the very highest levels for the next two years,” Epstein told McAdam, who reported the GM’s remarks today on his CSNNE blog from baseball’s winter meetings.  “But we don’t want to compromise too much of the future for that competitiveness during the bridge period. ”

Theo is trying  to lower fans’ expectations for the 2010 season.  He began this “pitch” as soon as the 2009 season ended.   The Sox long-term deals with David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett will end after 2010 and the team is poised to get younger and add new talent.

Yet, Sox fans - including me – worry that Theo’s “bridge” may turn out to be a “bridge to nowhere” – to quote an incredibly over-rated, phony, right-wing female politician from Alaska.  Since when are Red Sox fans – especially those of us now accustomed to fielding competitive teams every year – going to accept Theo’s message, which seems to be “Hang in there – We’ll be getting better in a year or two.” 

It may be a rougher-than-usual year for fans and media in 2010.  Let’s face it:  We’re all spoiled as Sox fans in recent years.   The team has been very good year after year since 2003 or so.    The management team has been on a terrific run.  Are they due for a setback?  Maybe — but, I think the problem for owner John Henry, executive Larry Lucchino and Theo is that fans and media believe the Red Sox have some money to throw around right now.   The Sox recently raised ticket prices again, by the way.

No fans around here will soon forget the Mark Teixeira deal.  Instead of the Red Sox geting Teixeira, long coveted by Theo Epstein, he went to the Yankees, who simply outbid the Sox.  Now, maybe Teixeira’s wife wanted them to go to NY;  no one will probably know the whole story, but, in Boston, all that matters is that Teixeira was a KEY to the Yanks winning it all in 2009 — while his absence in Boston might have kept them from taking the titile.  Talk about a pivotal transaction for both teams! 

Where is all that Sox money not used to get Teixeira?  They got Victor Martinez for a lot less last summer, but the Sox haven’t made a big acquisition for some time.  Fans are still waiting for a big deal.

So, while the Yanks got Curtis Granderson, the word from the winter meetings is that the Sox are not going to get Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego; they’re extremely unlikely to get Miguel Cabrera from Detroit and, they’re unlikely to get Roy Halladay from Toronto.  The Sox are expected to get free agent Jason Bay back, or, if not, perhaps free agent Matt Holliday of St. Louis.

The Sox are reportedly talking to teams about trading Mike Lowell, but, it’s all speculative, and, really, is anyone they get in return likely to be a real hitting upgrade to Lowell, who can’t run well anymore, but, still hit last year.

In the end, McAdam told his CSSNE TV audience late last night he thinks it’s very possible the Sox will end up only with getting Jason Bay back — without any other big move.

Theo Epstein may be talking about his “bridge” during the entire summer of 2010.