The Red Sox have a 41-42 record and are 4.5 games out of a wild card berth as the calendar flips to July, so it remains to be seen whether or not the team is truly a contender for the postseason. In the opinion of Sox team president/CEO Sam Kennedy, “we definitely believe that this group can string a run together and get us back in this thing,” but Kennedy admitted to MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam that “this is obviously not where we want to be. It’s sort of been a tale of two teams, given the streaky nature of our play….Every time we have a great stretch we seem to then falter and fall down.”
With this in mind, Kennedy said that Boston’s first order of business is just to play some consistent baseball, before considering any next steps. “No one’s thinking about the trade deadline right now. We’re just thinking about trying to put ourselves in a position where we’re looking to add to this team,” he said.
Kennedy’s comments are similar to those made by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom earlier this week, and Kennedy reiterated that upper management has “no concern” over Bloom’s ability to improve the roster, and that Bloom “will have full authority to do what is in the best interest of the organization, short-term and long-term.”
Bloom’s future with the Red Sox has been a topic of some controversy given the team’s relative lack of results over his three-plus seasons in charge of the front office, and the potential end of his contract. According to McAdam, Bloom’s deal is thought to last through at least the 2024 season, which would indicate that Bloom received a five-year contract when he was initially hired by the Sox after the 2019 campaign (unless Bloom has since signed an extension). The Red Sox are 235-232 during Bloom’s tenure, with a trip to the ALCS in 2021 sandwiched between last-place finishes in 2020 and 2022. The Sox are currently in last place again in the AL East, though with the caveat that the club plays in baseball’s hardest division.
Money is apparently not an issue for ownership, as Kennedy stated that “if we’re in position to add to this team as we approach the deadline, there won’t be any hesitation or reservation about” spending beyond the luxury tax line. As per Roster Resource, Boston’s luxury tax number is just shy of $221.3MM, and thus under the $233MM Competitive Balance Tax threshold. Of course, while Kennedy didn’t address this possibility, one would imagine that the Sox might look to stay under the threshold if they do indeed fall out of contention over the next few weeks, given how Bloom’s attempts to both buy and sell at last year’s deadline resulted in a roster that finished with both a losing record and a tax bill.
August 1 is not just deadline day, but also the first day that Chris Sale would be eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list. Initially played on the 15-day IL on June 2 with right shoulder inflammation, it was soon announced that Sale was suffering from a stress reaction in his shoulder blade, and was facing yet another lengthy IL stint.
The good news is that Sale has been cleared to start throwing, after undergoing another MRI on Thursday. The plan is for Sale to throw every other day for the time being, with the southpaw throwing from 60 feet but not at max effort. Beyond these first steps, Sale’s timeline is still largely undetermined.
“This isn’t a very common issue,” Sale told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey and other reporters. “We had a couple guys who were reference points from the past, but again how many times am I going to stand up here and say something freak happened? So obviously, could have been worse, and [I’ve] been through worse. Just happy for today to be able to start this process and get back to doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora also updated reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham) on several other injured players. Yu Chang and Richard Bleier will each start a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland this weekend, while Pablo Reyes’ rehab assignment is slated to begin on Tuesday. John Schreiber has thrown a pair of bullpen sessions and could be nearing a rehab assignment of his own, once he faces hitters during a live batting-practice session.
Zack Kelly also started a throwing program yesterday, which is particularly notable considering that the right-hander underwent an ulnar nerve transposition revision in his right elbow back in early May. There was some optimism at the time that Kelly might be able to return before the end of the season, and while there’s much to be done before this becomes a reality, it’s certainly a good sign that Kelly is already throwing in some limited capacity.
