Off Season Chatter

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted in about a week and a half.  The reason- not a lot has happened.  We're in the off season, which can be almost as exciting as during the season (almost).  My youngest brother tells me that the off season is his favorite part of baseball because it's more the business aspect of the game.  I wouldn't say that it's my favorite of baseball, but it can be exciting.

Photo from MLBDailyDish

The GM has to get the pieces of the puzzle to make the whole team complete.  Last off season, Cherington was able to bring in players like Napoli, Victorino, Gomes, Ross, and Dempster.  This off season, the Red Sox have Napoli, Saltalamacchia, Ellsbury, and Drew hitting the free agent market.

It's already been reported that Drew will not be coming back to the Red Sox, as he's seeking a multi-year deal, and the Red Sox offer that to him (Bogaerts will/should be taking over at shortstop).  My guess is Ellsbury won't be returning either, as he's represented by Scott Boras.  It's been reported that Boras is seeking a Carl Crawford-like deal for Ellsbury, and there's a slim chance the Red Sox will be doing that again.

The Red Sox are said to be in negotiations to bring Salty back, the hold up being in the length of the contract.  The Red Sox would like a 2 year deal, while Salty's seeking 3-4 years.  The Red Sox don't seem to see Salty as a long-term catcher for the organization, with prospects Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart in their system.

If I had to put money on any of these four free agents coming back, I'd bet Napoli would be the one back next season.  The Red Sox originally wanted to sign Napoli to a multi-year deal last year, but when questions surfaced about Napoli's hips holding up, it was reduced to a single-year deal.  There have been reports that the Red Sox have extended a multi-year deal to Napoli, but those reports have been discredited (at this time).

Photo from Wikipedia

We're upon the time of year when "mystery teams" and "multiple suitors" are the words showing up in many reports when it comes to free agents.  If I wrote about all the rumors that are surfacing regarding the Red Sox and free agents, I would be writing non-stop.  Instead, I've been tweeting and retweeting a lot of the rumors on my Twitter account.  You can either follow it on the right side of the blog or follow me on Twitter: @BornIntoItInIA.  When credible or definitive information is reported, I will write about it in the blog.

In other news:

• Ben Cherington was named Executive of the Year.  He received 15 votes from a panel of 31 Major League executives.  The last Red Sox GM to win the award was Dick O'Connell in 1975.  
• Terry Francona beat out John Farrell for Manager of the Year (Farrell was second).  There was some negative comments being made about Francona winning when Farrell took the Red Sox all the way to win the World Series.  Personally, I think Francona did a fantastic job with the Indians, who weren't supposed to do well at all this season and made it to the Wild Card game.

Red Sox After Season Awards

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am going to do my post season awards (not postseason awards). These are the players I think deserve the after season awards on this Red Sox team.  These are all based on my own thoughts; so if you disagree, certainly you can explain who you think should win and why in the comments.  Now, here's the awards:

MVP: David Ortiz

Photo from Bleacher Report

David Ortiz hit .309 during the season with 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, and 28 doubles.  Those numbers are great, but you need to add it to what he meant to this team.  Ortiz made his now famous post Boston Marathon speech in April, and that seemed to be the catalyst for this team to strive for the top.  Yes, they had a point to prove after last season, but they also wanted to lift the City of Boston on their shoulders.  Ortiz was the man to make the speech and bring this team back to greatness.

Of course, in the World Series, he was dominant.  He hit .688 with 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 11 hits, and 8 walks (with only 1 strike out).  He now has 3 World Series rings and 1 MVP award in his career.

Cy Young: Jon Lester

Photo from NESN

This season, Lester went 15-8 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.294 WHIP.  Some people may be asking how he can by Cy Young with those good but not great numbers.  I chose Jon Lester because he was the workhorse the Red Sox needed this season.  He pitched 213.1 innings, when the next closest was John Lackey with 189.1 innings.  After the All Star break, Lester seemed to improve with every start.  His ERA fell from 4.58 to 3.75 for the season, almost an entire run.

This postseason, Lester made a name for himself as an ace.  In the World Series, he had 2 winning starts, pitched 15.1 innings, and only gave up 9 hits, 1 run, 1 walk while striking out 15.  His World Series ERA was 0.59.

Rookie of the Year: Xander Bogaerts

Photo from USAToday

This one was a little hard for me, as there wasn't a Rookie that made a season-long impact on this team.  There were players that had been up and down in the minors for the past couple years (Daniel Nava, Will Middlebrooks), but I don't think any player made more of an influence on the team than Xander Bogaerts.  During the season, he hit .250 in 18 games with 11 hits, 1 home run, and 5 RBIs.  Defensively, he showed he was capable at both shortstop (his natural position) and third base (the position he eventually took over for Will Middlebrooks in the postseason).

In the World Series, Bogaerts started all 6 games, batted .238 (which was surprisingly the third highest on the team behind Ortiz and Ellsbury) with2 RBIs and 5 hits, including a triple.

Comeback Player of the Year: John Lackey

Photo from ESPN.GO

John Lackey didn't pitch at all in 2012 because he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Tommy John surgery is serious, but I think it was a blessing in disguise for Lackey.  In 2011, many Red Sox fans cast Lackey as a villain, as the post child for everything that went wrong with the team in September.  He heard more boos than cheers, and the media seemed to be against him as well.  He took 2012 off to recover from surgery.

When he came back this season, no one knew what Lackey would bring.  He looked healthier, physically thinner and stronger, than he had in recent years.  He had a presence to him that showed confidence, and he pitched with confidence.  He had a 10-13 record, but that was because he couldn't get the run support.  He completed the year with a 3.53 ERA (it was 6.41 in 2011), 189.1 innings pitched, and a 1.157 WHIP.

This World Series, Lackey pitched in 3 games (2 starts), had a 1-1 record, and a 2.57 ERA.  He gave up 14 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and struck out 11.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Nava

Photo from YawkeyWayReport

No one can argue that Daniel Nava had an incredible season.  If you recall, Nava made headlines in 2010 when he hit a grand slam on the first pitch he ever saw in the minors.  He was the guy who didnt make his college baseball team right away and was the team manager for two seasons.  Then, he played in the Golden Baseball League, and his contract was bought by the Red Sox for one dollar.  In 2011, he was buried in the minors and designated for assignment without any other team showing interest.  In 2012, he hit only .243 in 88 games.  Many thought he was just a good story, but he wrote another chapter this season.

Daniel Nava hit a career high .303 this season with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs.  He played 134 games, platooning with Jonny Gomes and filling in for Victorino when needed.  He was a presence at the plate, but he wasn't one of the over-the-top players that seemed to flood the media this season.  He was grounded, and he will certainly be back in the Majors next season.

That's it for me today.  Tomorrow, I will be attending the Red Sox World Series parade, so make sure to check back early next week for photos and commentary.  It's been a great and intense season, but you can't be upset about the outcome.