After Saturday’s contest against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, the Boston Red Sox will have four games remaining to play before their 2022 season officially closes. With that being said, next on the agenda — through the collaborative offseason efforts of the front office and team ownership — is getting back to the drawing board in order to return next season as playoff contenders.
However, despite a rough campaign filled with constant injuries among other hurdles to navigate, Red Sox manager Alex Cora remains optimistic about the organization’s intentions to retool for the 2023 season.
“Right now, we’re in last place,” Cora said, as transcribed by Christopher Smith of MassLive. “I bet going into next season, we’re going to be picked to finish last in the division. And it is what it is. You have to live with that, right? But I’ve seen other weird stuff happen in this game. Last year, nobody thought we were gonna make it to the playoffs and we did. This year, everybody thought we were going to make it to the playoffs and we didn’t make it. So the way I put it is we’re going to put (in) work in the offseason. The front office has been very clear — and ownership — that we have to get better in every aspect.”
The Red Sox also have the unaddressed contract situations with elite infielders Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts — both of who have been named American League All-Stars the past two seasons. Devers, 25, is up for arbitration after this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Meanwhile, Bogaerts, 29, has a player option for next season and will likely seek a new contract.
“We’re not closing the door on a lot of these guys,” Cora said. “Everybody thinks everybody is going to be gone. Some of them are going to be here, some of them aren’t going to be here. But from my standpoint, from my seat, what they did in ’18 … that was probably the best team in the history of this organization. … What they did last year was amazing. And the support they gave me in ’20 from afar.”
The Red Sox have one more game against the Blue Jays on Sunday and three back at Fenway Park against the Tampa Bay Rays before the end of their year.
