![]() That’s where we find ourselves with Carson Smith. How can we call a pitcher that didn’t give up a run all season a disappointment? Well, when he falls short of tossing three full innings all year, that would qualify. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Seattle, WA, USA Seattle Mariners pitcher Carson Smith (39) throws during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field. Myers in decent shape then he’ll get another shot at a position that none of the other options were able to run away with this season. His shoulder will be healed and he appears to have lost a significant amount of weight. Looking ahead to 2017, expect Sandoval to be back in the mix. Boston struggled to fill the starting role at the hot corner heading into the postseason, ultimately settling on Brock Holt. It was great when Shaw was hitting in the first half, but when he fell apart in the second half we found ourselves wondering if Sandoval could have provided some value if he were healthy. Not that we would ever wish for any player to get hurt, but banishing Sandoval to the disabled list allowed Shaw to take over third base without having the specter of the high-priced veteran lurking behind him. Despite spending very little time on the field, Sandoval still managed to find a way to injure his shoulder, which inevitably resulted in season-ending surgery.Īt the time it seemed that the injury was a blessing in disguise for the Red Sox. He appeared in only three games, going 0-for-6 at the plate with four strikeouts and a walk. When the regular season rolled around we barely caught a glimpse of Sandoval. Manager John Farrell made a bold statement that the size of a player’s contract wouldn’t dictate playing time, it had to be earned. Sandoval quickly fell out of favor, losing his starting job to Travis Shaw. Based on what we saw last spring, it seemed Sandoval spent his winter hibernating rather than dieting, exercising or swinging a bat. Sandoval’s work ethic was called into question and there was even a debate over whether or not the team asked him to lose weight. It was hard to fathom how Pablo Sandoval could get any worse than his dismal debut season in Boston last year, yet he somehow managed to sink even further.įirst, the rotund third baseman affectionately referred to as “Panda” showed up to spring training in such poor condition that it washed away any endearing qualities the nickname had. ![]() ![]() Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports Instead we are going to look at players that performed well below expectations, as well as some that were expected to be key pieces to the puzzle that ultimately contributed next to nothing.Toronto, Ontario, CAN Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) throws his helmet away after being forced out at second base in the seventh inning against Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. They added several new pieces to improve the roster and saw several breakout performances from budding stars. While this falls short of the ultimate goal, this franchise is clearly trending in the right direction. The Red Sox bounced back from consecutive last place finishes to reclaim the AL East title and return to the postseason for the first time since 2013. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsĪ three-game sweep in the American League Division Series was a brutal ending to an otherwise promising season for the Boston Red Sox.Īny season that doesn’t end with a championship parade is considered a failure in this city, but when viewed through a realistic perspective there are many reasons to consider 2016 a success. Petersburg, FL, USA Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. ![]() The Boston Red Sox went from worst-to-first in a competitive AL East, but not every member of the roster had what we can consider a successful season.St. ![]()
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