The Boston Red Sox have quite a few holes to fill when it comes to their roster with the latest round of moves (and bad news) coming Wednesday morning.
First, Kyle Schwarber reportedly signed a four-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies ending his brief tenure in Boston after getting traded by the Washington Nationals at last year's Major League Baseball trade deadline.
Then, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced Chris Sale is dealing with a stress fracture in his ribs and won't be ready to start the season. In fact, it will be weeks before the southpaw will begin throwing again.
That certainly was not the way Red Sox fans wanted to start their day.
When it comes to Schwarber, his market grew quite a bit after MLB implemented the universal designated hitter rule. Couple that with his versatility in playing the outfield and, in a pinch, first base, he became an attractive free agent to several more teams.
Schwarber was a nice fit with the Red Sox and played a key role in not only helping Boston get to the postseason, but getting to the American League Championship Series. He embraced the "Kyle from Waltham" persona and seemed to fit seamlessly in the clubhouse.
Bloom has yet to make a big splash since taking over operations for the Red Sox (his biggest contract to date is Kiké Hernandez's $14 million deal), and with first base and the DH spot already filled by Bobby Dalbec and J.D. Martinez, respectively, Schwarber's fit in Boston became slimmer.
Still, it wasn't for lack of trying the Red Sox missed out on Schwarber.
"We stayed in touch with him the whole way," Bloom told reporters in Fort Myers on Wednesday. "Just thought it was to a level that didn't make sense, as much as we love him. He's a great fit for Philly."
The American League East always is a stacked division, but it's becoming more competitive with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees making big moves this week. The Red Sox are pegged to finish fourth in the AL East, and they'll need to bolster their pitching and offense if they want those odds to change.
