This was not the collapse some of the economists have been predicting. But it felt as devastating. The team that had the best record in May-August utterly fell apart. They went from leading the division to not making the playoffs in the course of a month.
There are plenty of people pointing fingers. I’ve read some ridiculous statements. I’m going to try and put all this together so it makes sense- not sensationalistic headlines.
Issues of payroll are utterly irrelevant. I don’t care how much a guy is being paid, if he’s hurt he can’t help the team. So the size of the Red Sox payroll is ultimately irrelevant in this discussion. You also can’t look at the roster on paper. You have to see the roster that can actually suit up.
I refuse to point the finger at Theo or Francona. At the trade deadline the Sox were in an enviable position. People were largely singing their praises. Only hindsight is 20/20, so don’t blame them for not having the gift of prophecy.
The seeds of the collapse were sown in Spring Training with Felix Doubront showing up out of shape. The team had high hopes for him, and he was positioned to be the spot starter like Lester and Buchholz had been before him. His job was to be ready. He wasn’t, and suffered a number of injuries. The depth they had at pitching took its first hit. And a big hit since they would be forced to rely on the inconsistent Miller and overmatched Weiland. This would cost them critical games.
It's lonely when you lose
Ryan Kalish’s injury was also pretty big. Reddick was the guy who ended up filling in for the injured Drew. He’s streaky, the book says, and he proved it. He was on fire when he came up. But down the stretch he struggled horribly. A healthy Kalish, the heir apparent to right field before the season, would have made a big difference. But it was not to be (and THAT, my friends, is part of what A-Gon was trying to say).
Diva-K’s injury seemed like a boon at first. He was horrible! But if his arm wasn’t messed up, he would’ve been better. Instead we got a loveable but too old Wakefield and his quest for 200 wins. It became a source of instability in the rotation. Combine that with John (S)lackey’s ever deteriorating performance and the 4th and 5th spots on the rotation gave the Sox next to nothing. Not even innings since no one when deep into games.
Cavman Considers 