The Boston Red Sox aren’t getting the results they want on the field, but that doesn’t mean it’s time for a major shake-up.
That was the message sent by Red Sox principal owner John Henry and president/CEO Larry Lucchino this week, as both offered votes of confidence for general manager Ben Cherington and manager John Farrell.
During an appearance on WEEI’s “Dennis & Callahan” radio show Thursday morning, Cherington expressed his gratitude for his bosses’ support.
“I’m not worried about job security, just worried about trying to win games, so I appreciate what (Henry) said publicly,” Cherington said, via WEEI. “I think it was important for John Farrell, the clubhouse, and as we talk about good clubhouses and good teams having each others’ backs, we’ll try to do that, the rest of the front office too, and there’s no time being spent inside the offices other than just trying to find ways to get better and win games.”
Boston’s anemic offense is a big reason for the team’s early struggles, and star sluggers like David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez haven’t exactly met expectations so far. But Cherington, like Henry and Lucchino, doesn’t believe a few months should dictate any major move.
“I think we’ve got a lot of season to play… and we’re going to need to use guys, and we’re going to need to get the most out of everyone on the roster,” he said. “When you start defining players like that this early, especially guys with track records like that, I’m just not sure that’s the solution. We clearly need to produce more offense, we know that.”
Ramirez’s defense also has been problematic for the Red Sox at times, but Cherington insisted his fielding lapses haven’t come from a lack of effort.
“As far as effort and attitude goes, I think his effort and attitude has absolutely been there,” Cherington said. “We’ve seen times during games where he may be cautious on a play or two, and that’s part of getting comfortable out there, but I don’t see it as an effort or an attitude problem.
“… We signed him, obviously, primarily because we feel like he’s one of the more talented offensive players in baseball. We’ll see how it plays out. I’m glad he’s in a Red Sox uniform and I believe over the next four years, he’s going to help us win a lot of games.”
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
