Columnists, Sports

The Beantown Buzz: The Red Sox and the balancing act of staying competitive

Thanks to young talent like Xander Bogaerts, the Red Sox have stayed competitive and avoided the rebuilding phase. PHOTO COURTESY KEITH ALLISON/ FLICKR
Thanks to young talent like Xander Bogaerts, the Red Sox have stayed competitive and avoided the rebuilding phase. PHOTO COURTESY KEITH ALLISON/ FLICKR

The trademark of any great sports franchise will always be defined by sustained longevity. Repeated success is found on the ever-delicate balance beam of the “win now” mentality and the development of young talent for the future.

The Boston Red Sox are on pace to win 90 games for the 10th time since 2002. The only other team with as many 90 win-seasons in that span is the Yankees. Not bad company for a team supposedly that was still cursed 12 years ago.

Undeniably, a big reason for the Sox’s continued success is the consistent production over the past decade from David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia. However, Ortiz is retiring and Pedroia is becoming more of veteran role player in the emergence of overwhelming young talent.

In a sport without a hard salary cap, it is a luxury for the Red Sox to be able to throw money at the league’s top free agents every winter. Free agent signings can help a team get over the hump, but aren’t enough to annually field a competitive team. The wake of expiring free-agent contracts and the foreseeable departure of star players can be overwhelming and distracting for franchises.

This can happen to big-money teams as well. Just look at the Yankees. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera’s retirements, combined with the expiring contract of Mark Teixeira and retirement of Alex Rodriguez, have rushed New York’s rebuilding process as it’s on pace to miss that 90-win mark for the fourth consecutive season.  

But this is not the case for the Red Sox as their commitment to building a stable farm system has produced eye-opening talent that will allow them to contend for years to come. The fortitude of Boston’s front office deserves more credit, especially when you consider all the changes at the general manager position in the last five years.

The David Ortiz farewell tour has taken a backseat as the Sox emerge as potential American League favorites poised to win their fourth World Series in 12 years. Ortiz will be greatly missed both as a city icon and as one of the most clutch hitters in the history of the game.  

With their success these past 10-plus years, Boston has successfully turned one of the league’s top farm systems into the best offense in the American League. The Sox this season have scored 32 more runs than the next closest team, the Colorado Rockies.

Sox management at 4 Yawkey Way has avoided the dreaded rebuilding process. Unless you count finishing in the basement of the AL East two consecutive seasons as “rebuilding,” the club has managed to remain a threat to compete for the World Series while developing homegrown prospects.

Centerfielder Mookie Betts, only 23 years old, will receive votes next month for American League MVP. The Sox’s fifth-round selection in a very successful 2011 draft has taken the league by storm and his electric bat speed — combined with a flashy glove — makes him a stellar centerpiece for this club moving forward. Draft class counterparts Jackie Bradley Jr., Blake Swihart, Matt Barnes and Travis Shaw all played big roles this year for the Sox.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts continues to develop this season with a .298 average, 20 homers and close to 90 RBI. Undrafted free agent Sandy León has gone through the minor league ranks with the Sox, and has turned his doubters into supporters as the new fan-favorite leads the team in batting average at .339 in 69 games.

The prospect that might have the most potential is Andrew Benintendi. He skyrocketed through the minor league system in just over a year, and after returning from injury, the 22-year-old should play a big role in the Red Sox’ playoff push. Six of the nine everyday starters for the Red Sox were all homegrown talent with no more than three years of big league experience. Outside of the pitching staff, the team’s Achilles’ heel, the only true free agent acquisition that is an everyday player is Hanley Ramirez.

It is extremely difficult to build such a young team that is ready to win titles so soon. It is even more rare to see a big money team like the Red Sox have success in this small-ball approach, but boy, is it working.

The patience and drafting decisions made by the Red Sox front office is the main reason this team is turning into a legitimate threat to bring home another banner to Boston. Frankly, this year is more about the explosion of young talent and less about Ortiz’s success at the ripe age of 40 years old.

Youth has given this city a darn good chance at a ring this year and an even better chance at more in later seasons.

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