In many ways, the future is now for the Boston Red Sox. Stuck between a false sense that they can contend and a complete rebuild, the Sox entered Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals with an American League worst 11-22 record.
Boston will spend the next 24 hours or so surveying the market ahead of Monday’s trade deadline with the hopes of selling off veteran players for more young talent.
However, the Red Sox did take to the future ahead of Sunday’s game against Washington. They called up No. 3 overall prospect Bobby Dalbec from the team’s alternate site. This comes after Boston traded veteran Mitch Moreland earlier on Sunday.
Many in Boston were upset that Dalbec didn’t break camp with the team. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick is seen as a franchise cornerstone moving forward. He hit 27 homers and drove in 73 runs while posting an .816 OPS in between two minor league stops last season.
In just his second plate appearance in the Majors, the first baseman gave Red Sox fans a huge glimpse into the future. This included a 373-foot opposite field homer off Nationals pitcher Javy Guerra. It was not a cheap shot, either.
Needless to say, those watching the game from the confines of their homes had some reactions to Dalbec’s first career homer in just his second plate appearance.
Despite not having much to cheer for this season, Red Sox fans can look forward to a bright future. They acquired top prospects Jeter Downs and Alex Verdugo from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts trade. Both should be regulars in Boston’s lineup within the next year.
Add in what we saw from Dalbec on Sunday, and that looks like a nice core group moving forward. It’s now going to be all about finding starting pitchers. That could come ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline.