Allen Craig was having a bad season with the St. Louis Cardinals. It has only gotten worse with the Boston Red Sox.
Craig, who was acquired in the trade that sent John Lackey to the Cardinals, entered Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards hitting .114 (8-for-70) with 29 strikeouts in 23 games with the Red Sox. The 2013 All-Star was hitting .217 with a .606 OPS in 120 games overall.
“Obviously, I wish this year went differently as far as my production goes,” Craig told the Boston Herald before Thursday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. “But I felt like I’ve battled and I’ve competed the entire time and I’ve learned in the process, so I feel like I’m in a good spot to go into this offseason and get stronger and get better. I have some things that I know I have to work on, but I’m confident that things are going to improve.”
Craig has a track record of success. He hit .315 with 13 homers, 97 RBIs and an .830 OPS in 134 regular-season games with St. Louis last season. He hit a career-high 22 homers in 119 games in 2012 and posted a career-best .917 OPS in 75 games in 2011. Injuries have been an issue, but it appears the 30-year-old’s struggles this season aren’t health-related.
“I don’t really know, to be honest with you,” Craig told the Boston Herald. “We can talk about a lot of things that contributed to certain things, but I don’t think that matters. Obviously, it’s my responsibility to do a good job, but I feel like where I’m at now, going into the offseason, I feel like I have some concrete, tangible things that I need to work on. That’s all I’m focusing on. The past is the past, and you learn from it, but there’s a point where you’ve got to move on from it.”
Craig is part of a crowded Red Sox outfield picture that could feature some combination of Yoenis Cespedes, Rusney Castillo, Mookie Betts, Shane Victorino, Daniel Nava, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Brock Holt. Boston obviously acquired the slugger with the hope of him adding some pop, but the results simply haven’t been there.
The season ends a week from Sunday, at which point it will be about gearing up for a better 2015.
Photo via Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports Images
