On Wednesday, all was calm in the Boston Red Sox training. While the second string played an exhibition game on
the opposite side of the state, the regulars collected fly balls at JetBlue Park. Lucas Giolito threw a bullpen, Kenley
Jansen saw hitters, and Garrett Whitlock walked into the clubhouse sweaty from his workout. The day was over by
noon.
That level of silence has become the norm.
According to most reports, the Red Sox have had a good first two weeks of spring training. The atmosphere around
camp are excellent, except for the noticeable irritation that the team hasn’t done more to improve.
But it’s tough to overlook that component, especially because potential rotation boosts are still available on the free-
agent market. In a 20-minute radio interview with WEEI on Wednesday, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy attempted
to address the team’s current situation. It was occasionally mildly combative and rarely provided particularly new
information, but because Kennedy was giving a well-known firm line, his comments were worth dissecting. Let’s look
at some of the key topics from Wednesday’s interview and attempt to figure out what Kennedy and the team are truly
saying about where they are and where they’re going.
So, evidently, the team does not believe it is prepared to take the next step. Or, at the very least, it lacks the
conviction to fully commit to this specific group of young players. Brayan Bello and Triston Casas are undoubtedly
part of a long-term plan. Jarren Duran, Connor Wong, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Vaughn Grissom may also be present.
It’s possible that three-fifths of the Red Sox rotation will be homegrown.
