A Look at the Offseason for the Champs

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by: Aaron Young | Facebook

With the 2018 season over in baseball, it’s time to look ahead to 2019. 

Not a whole lot is happening, but there is some intrigue when it comes to the offseason. 

The Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in five years and they are the champions. However, that doesn’t stop them from improving, although I’m not sure what there is to change.

Then again, I am only a writer, and who I am to say anything. 

Matter of fact, I remember the phrase, “There is always room for improvement.” With that being said, the Red Sox are already making moves to make sure they get back to the World Series and repeat.

First up looks to be the bullpen. 

They re-signed reliever Heath Hembree to a one year, $1.93M contract. Hembree was impressive during last year’s rodeo and finished with a 4-1 record. Having pitched 60 innings and struck out 72 batters, the Sox avoided arbitration and locked up this reliever for the 2019 season.

Another reliever the Sox are looking at is Rockies right-handed machine Adam Ottavino. Ottavino is coming off his best year ever, boasting an ERA of 2.43 and WHIP of 0.99, and made over 110 batters frustrated having struck them out. He seems to be on many team’s crosshairs because the Yankees and White Sox are also targeting him as well. Time will tell if the champs can improve their bullpen with this stud.

On New Year's Eve, the Sox brought back pitcher Carson Smith to a minor-league deal. Smith didn’t have much time on the mound last year. The 8th round draft pick pitched only 14 innings and had a 3.77 ERA. This wasn’t the plan all along though as he was given the chance to test free agency, but nothing came about and Smith finds himself back on the Red Sox.


It seems that the Red Sox have confidence in getting back to the World Series, or at the very least, winning the division. We will have to wait and see how their season pans out but given how solid their roster is and the performance they put on last year, Red Sox fans should be ecstatic when the first game comes around.

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What do you think Sox fans? Has the team helped their chances of repeating in 2019? What do you hope to see happen before Spring Training in a few short weeks? Let us know in the comments!