Why Red Sox Fans should be routing for a Craig Kimbrel reunion

 

Over the course of his three year stint with the Boston Red Sox, closer Craig Kimbrel has compiled a 2.44 ERA over 184.1 innings. He converted 108 out of 119 save opportunities during his tenure in Boston. Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated as his numbers remain elite, and after all, he has been named to the American League All-Star team all three years he’s been on the Red Sox. Ultimately, there is no denying Craig Kimbrel’s greatness. He truly is one of the best closers not just of our generation, but of all-time.

This is the same man that Red Sox fans across New England have no problem letting walk this winter. While his postseason performances have been shaky, he did not blow a single save in the Red Sox 2018 playoff run. People should not be telling the best closer in baseball to head for the hills.

IF the Red Sox plan to make a legitimate run at back to back World Series Championships in 2019 then they need a bonafide stud closer recording the last three outs of their games.  2019 could be the last year with the Red Sox young core intact. Xander Bogaerts, Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello are all hitting free agency after this season.

In the defense of Red Sox fans, the team does have a few options as to what direction they’re going to go in for the closer role in 2019. Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski publicly expressed a great deal of confidence in potential in-house options such as Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes at the Winter Meeting last month in Las Vegas. The free agent market also includes several relievers who remain unsigned, with the Red Sox being most closely linked to right hander Adam Ottavino. He shined last year in hitter friendly Coors field, posting a 2.43 ERA in 77.2 innings with Colorado. There are also a couple of potential reclamation projects available, as Cody Allen and Greg Holland are two free agent closers who were some of the games best just a few years ago. But, with David Robertson and Andrew Miller coming off the board recently, the Red Sox may be running out of time.

Perhaps one reason why Red Sox Nation isn’t rioting down Jersey Street just yet, is because the last time the Red Sox went into the season unsure of their closer, Koji Uehara emerged as one of the better relievers in the game, posting a miniscule 0.565 WHIP and coming in 7th place in the American League Cy Young voting. Of course, it also didn’t hurt that the Red Sox won the World Series that year (2013) as well. But for every star closer who emerges out of nowhere, one “can’t miss” guy falls flat on his face. Historically, relief pitchers have been the most inconsistent position on a year to year basis. One has to look no further than the year prior (2012), when Daniel Bard failed miserably despite being dubbed the closer of the future after the departure of Jonathan Papelbon. This is why a consistent closer is someone you should want to keep around, as they truly are as rare as it gets in baseball.

Red Sox fans should want Craig Kimbrel back as their closer not just this season, but for years to come. In my opinion, recency bias is very much the biggest factor in why supporters of the team are saying good riddance to Kimbrel. Sox Nation will point to Kimbrel’s 5.90 ERA this past October as their defense as to why letting the 30-year-old go is the right move. They’re so quick to forget that he has  a 1.91 career ERA in nine seasons. The flamethrower is a more than solid bet for an ERA under 3 (his career high is 3.40, a massive outlier) and is a lock for over 30 saves every single year. Craig Kimbrel is a future Hall of Famer, and is about as consistent as it gets in baseball in terms of the closer position. Shouldn’t Red Sox fans want him wearing a Boston hat when that inevitable day in Cooperstown comes for Kimbrel?

Yes, the reports that Kimbrel wanted a six-year-deal north of $100M were almost laughable, but that’s how free agency works. A player and their agents typically shoot for the stars, while owners and general managers lowball. They usually will meet somewhere in the middle. The market for Kimbrel now seems almost non-existent, as the other team with the clearest need for a closer, the Philadelphia Phillies, just inked David Robertson. So the Red Sox now appear to be the only team in the running for Craig Kimbrel, which bodes well for them as a return to Boston for Kimbrel seems more likely with each passing day. It is not impossible that the Red Sox sign Kimbrel to a more team friendly four, or even three-year-deal.

Ultimately, Dave Dombrowski has his job because he’s great at what he does. Just like he did with J.D. Martinez last offseason, he will be patient and wait out the Craig Kimbrel sweepstakes, if you can even call it that. I predict that Kimbrel will return to Boston on a four-year-deal in the $60-$70M range in the coming weeks.

Danny Salguero – Contributor – WTF Sports

Editor – Scott Neville

The Price of Victory

David Price has been mocked for years as a pitcher who cannot pitch in the postseason. He joined the Red Sox with the intention of changing that narrative. In his introductory press conference Price said, “I’m ready to be a Red Sox and I’m ready to help this team and this city win.” Three years later Price has accomplished that goal. He was a vital member of the 2018 Boston Red Sox, pitching in the clinching game of the ALCS, as well as the last game of the World Series.

Price has had a lot of up and downs in his career, especially for a player that has a good chance of ending up in the Hall of Fame. His path to victory started as a freshman at Vanderbilt, where Price nearly quit after getting shelled in an intrasquad preseason scrimmage. His plan was to drop out of college and work at a local McDonalds… not kidding.

“It was definitely kind of out there, but I couldn’t laugh because he was so serious,” said esteemed Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin. Corbin was able to convince Price to stay in school, which turned out to be a great call. Two seasons later David Price would be the number one overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Price flew through the farm system and made the Rays MLB roster on Sept. 14, 2008. He was moved to the bullpen as a rookie and was able to throw 2.1 IP of shutout ball. He was pivotal in game seven of the ALCS to beat the Red Sox and reach the World Series.

In the following years David Price would become a household name as one of the best pitchers in baseball. Since his rookie year Price has appeared on five All-Star teams, lead the American League in ERA twice, and took home the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League. He played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, and now resides with the Boston Red Sox. He found success on each team, but had one flaw he could not shake. His inability to perform in the postseason.

Going into the 2018 postseason, Price held a 2-8 playoff record, with a 5.05 ERA. He started game two of the ALDS against the Yankees and got roughed up immediately, giving up three earned runs in only 1.2 innings pitched. It looked like it was going to be another tough postseason for David Price. Writers were calling for his head and demanding he does not enter another playoff game in a Red Sox uniform. Manager Alex Cora wisely ignored the media and stuck with his guy. His trust in the lefty paid off big time the rest of the way. After that rough game in the Bronx Price went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA and closed out two of the biggest games in franchise history, including the last game of the World Series.

Price finally got to celebrate after getting attacked by the media for roughly a decade. This was a major triumph for a guy who had been well regarded as one of the best teammates in the league and nicest guys in the game. In his postgame press conference after Game Five of the World Series, Price talked about having to deal with the hate about his postseason struggles,

“To answer that question, in spring training, day in day out, over and over and over … I hold all the cards now, and that feels so good. I can’t tell you how good it feels to hold that Trump card. You guys have had it for a long time, you’ve played that card extremely well, but you don’t have it anymore. None of you do. And that feels really good.” 

Price has decided to opt-in to his contract, making him a Boston Red Sox through 2022. He finally has proven himself in the postseason and can go into 2019 with all the weight off his shoulders.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports