The 2020 Red Sox: Reflections on a forgettable (and regrettable) season

Here are a few thoughts on the end of the 60-game 2020 Boston Red Sox season:

Ron Roenicke: The one-and-done manager got a raw deal, though it seemed inevitable that Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom wouldn’t stick with Roenicke after the season unless the team miraculously exceeded expectations by making the playoffs, and even then, he wouldn’t have been a lock to return.
Roenicke, the 2018 and 2019 bench coach under manager Alex Cora, was the consummate gentleman all during this challenging season. The team closely followed the COVID-19 protocols, and didn’t have any major outbreaks under his guidance, and that was to his credit.
But Roenicke was doomed to fail once the Sox traded Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers (Price would later opt out with the Dodgers), and the Sox lost starting pitchers Chris Sale (Tommy John surgery) and Eduardo Rodriguez (COVID-19 and then a serious heart infection blamed on his COVID battle.) 
As a result, Roenicke’s pitching options were limited as the club had to rely on Nathan Eovaldi, who again was sidelined with an injury for about a couple of weeks, and Martin Perez, who had some good outings, including a few that he didn’t win when the bullpen blew leads in late innings, as their main rotation pieces. After that, the Nos. 3-5 spots were rotated among an “opener,” bullpen days and a bunch of minor leaguers and castoffs who wouldn’t have been pitching in the Majors had it been a normal year.
And, part in due to the thin starting pitching, the bullpen was abysmal, and it got worse after Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree were shipped to the Phillies in August. After Workman was traded, Matt Barnes became the closer and his tendency to walk the first or second batter he faced really hurt them as he blew at least a couple of really winnable games. The lack of bullpen depth hurt them on the last weekend of the season, when they blew a pair of extra-inning leads to the Atlanta Braves, who eventually prevailed 8-7.
When you add in the horrible year by JD Martinez, the injury-shortened bad season by outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and the slow start at the plate by Rafael Devers, the offense, after a 13-2 Opening Day win over the Orioles, was slow in clicking – all of which made it quite understandable that the Sox finished 24-36 and in last place in the AL East.
Bright spots: Alex Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts, Devers’ offense (whose defense at third base regressed and was downright atrocious at times), Christian Vazquez, Jackie Bradley Jr. (see below), and the September pitching of 2019 PawSox pitcher Tanner Houck all qualify as bright spots.
Jackie Bradley Jr.: JBJ, with his sterling defense and higher average and power numbers also was a definite bright spot. All the talk is that the Red Sox won’t sign the soon-to-be free agent for 2021 and beyond, but his defense will be sorely missed. He arguably has been the best Sox centerfielder since Fred Lynn.
Alex Cora: The former Red Sox manager (2018-19), who was let go in January after being suspended for 2020 by Major League Baseball for being the ringleader for the 2017 Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, is now being rumored to be the hot choice to return at the helm of the team in 2021. Don’t count on it.
Bloom is determined to bring in someone of his choice to replace Roenicke, and Cora, despite his familiarity with the players, wouldn’t be a good choice. His moves would always be questioned and there’d be a cloud over him, especially since the Sox got a slap on the wrist for breaking the video rules in 2018. Even though Cora wasn’t implicated in that breach of the rules, it’d be hard for the Sox to take the high ground with him in charge. Look for Bloom to hire someone from outside the organization.