Fundamentally unsound Red Sox need a change, and other thoughts

Boston Globe

4 hours ago

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow knows something has to change, but is it personnel or process?
'I think we're trying to identify precisely what that is,' Breslow said. 'If you come out here before [batting practice], we're working on fundamentals every day — and in a way that I think is focused and targeted and intentional.
'At some point it's up to the players in the game to execute.'
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Breslow is right, the Sox do plenty of pregame work and the players are ultimately responsible for how they play. That raises the question of whether the players are being taught correctly in the minors.
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Some of the worst offenders are players who were first drafted or signed by the Sox.
'These types of mistakes have caused us to look systematically at how we're developing and teaching defense,' Breslow said. 'We need to ask ourselves: are we calibrated in the right way? It's great to be able to get the balls, but if you're not turning them into outs, it doesn't matter.'
That brings scouting into question. Talent is what matters, obviously, but being able to make a great throw isn't worth much if you're always throwing to the wrong base.
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'We've talked a lot about the teaching moments [and] the opportunity to introduce more team elements and team defense,' Breslow said.
'So much of baseball and skill acquisition is individual, targeted work. Maybe we haven't spent enough time thinking about interactions of players with each other and getting the group together.'
That Breslow acknowledges the Sox have a systematic issue to correct is the first step. The organization has to devise a way to fix those issues.
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Something to file away: When asked about how well Marcelo Mayer has been playing third base since being called up, Alex Cora praised the rookie's sense of timing on the field and said he could play all four infield positions. 'I bet he could play first base,' Cora said.
Alex Bregman is progressing more quickly than expected from his quad strain. Once he returns, moving Mayer to first base is clearly an option.
▪ Masataka Yoshida is getting an interesting honor.
Starting on Monday, Major League Baseball will begin installing custom manhole covers at locations in Japan to celebrate the 12 Japanese players in the league.
A graphic of the manhole cover in Japan honoring the Red Sox' Masataka Yoshida.
MLB
The covers, designed by different artists, will tell each player's history and reflect their style. They will be located in an area associated with the player.
For Yoshida, the cover will be in his hometown of Fukui and is set to be installed on June 26. It features a cartoon-type painting of Yoshida swinging a bat at Fenway Park with the expression, 'Yuiitsu muni.' It means one of a kind.
'It's not something that has been done before, so it's really interesting,' Yoshida said. 'Having that in my hometown is really huge.'
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After helping Japan win a gold medal in the 2020 Olympics, a mailbox outside a post office in his hometown was painted to recognize his achievement.
As for baseball, Yoshida has not played all season while he rehabs his surgically repaired right shoulder. He is able to hit and believes he could help the team in that way, but the Sox want him able to play the outfield before he is activated.
With Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder on the roster, it's hard to see where Yoshida would fit.
▪ Chris Murphy last pitched for the Red Sox on Sept. 27, 2023. The lefthander blew out his elbow in spring training of 2024 and had Tommy John surgery.
He is now on a rehab assignment and has appeared in six games, topping out at two innings. Murphy has allowed two runs on eight hits over eight innings and struck out nine with four walks.
The Sox are preparing Murphy as a reliever. Beyond Aroldis Chapman, the Sox have lefties Brennan Bernardino, Zach Penrod, and Justin Wilson on the 40-man roster.
▪ Jhostynxon Garcia, a 22-year-old outfielder, got off to a hot start with Triple A Worcester, hitting .346 with a 1.054 OPS, six home runs, and 13 RBIs in his first 19 games.
'The Password' is a physical presence at 6 feet, 225 pounds, and brings righthanded power to the table.
▪ Rafael Devers was one of 14 players who started every game for their team going into the weekend. Of that group, only Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso have a higher OPS.
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Peter Abraham can be reached at