They have some quality pieces. They also have 2 guys under contract for big $$ the next 4-5 years who should both be playing DH. To make matters worse, Ortiz will probably play DH full-time for at least another season.
They have some decent young pitchers, but none of them looks like a top of the rotation guy. They have a lot of OK arms, but none of them especially reliable or at all dominant.
It's not a bad place to be. Betts, Bogaerts, Swihart, Rodriguez, Owens, maybe Shaw. Those are some young, cost-controlled, talented, and likely productive players. Dombrowski has his work cut out for him though.
if Ortiz can continue to hit RH pitching AND be willing to platoon against LHers, then i dont see how this is a negative. his slash line against RHers is .280/.395/.567 with an OPS of 962. 20 out of his 26 HRs are against RHers. This is a very,very good line.
next, on the pitchers, i agree with you, but it is nice to have rotation slots 3-5 filled with quality as good as this. the rub, as you imply, is slots 1 & 2. without addressing this, the team is in trouble.
but let's see whether dombrowski et al can finally solve the bull pen woes of the sox. the bull pen has been terrible season long and uehara cant be counted on in the long run. the bull pen has coughed up too many leads. remember the last time the sox were ahead by 3+ runs and you felt secure? neither do i.
as far as everyday players, they are VERY strong up the middle and if JBJ breaks out as a hitter and is consistent, he is automatically an all star....IF, IF, IF!
the interesting sss player to watch is shaw, who hails from kent state, my old employer.
no one thinks he can continue to bat .370 and slug .681. his MiLB pedigree argues against this. but if he can hit well on the road and not turn into a pumpkin, he will be at least good depth. heck, he MIGHT be an everyday major leaguer, but way to early to tell.
mookie, JBJ, castillo, xander, swihart, vasquez all look to be major leaguers, and good ones. i dont see anyone there with great power, but there is speed, OBP, and defense.
needed are:
- a pair of good/great starters
- corner outfield with power, or hanley becoming old hanley
- a corner infielder, or sandoval becoming old sandoval
- and 2-3 relievers
this is a LOT to ask for, but not impossible. they have cheap, good core of young players. so we shall see what dombrowski does with it all.
oh, and just to look really far down the pike, moncada, devers, and margot will be knocking on the door in 2-3 years. should be fun.