What Should the New Director of Baseball Ops Focus On First?

[absintheofmalaise]

We're all very aware of the deficiencies of the 2023 and 2022 teams. I thought this would be a good place to talk about the things the organization needs to focus on when the new person is hired. I'm only going to start with a couple so others can add theirs. Please add the reasons for what you list.
These are in no particular order.

1. Focus on defensive and baserunning fundamentals starting at the lowest levels of the organization and in Boston. Know what you're going to do in all situations before it happens.
There were too many instances of mental errors on the bases, not taking the extra base when the odds of success were high and trying to take the extra base where the runners were thrown out by a foot or more.
Way too many times where the cut off man was overthrown or the ball was thrown to the wrong base. Hit the cut off man. Quit letting teams take the extra base.

2. Discipline in the batters box.
The hitters need to work on grinding out more at bats. I know that it's always going to happen, especially with the way some umps were calling balls and strikes, but there were still too many bad pitches swung at.
Stress going with the pitch. Use the entire field. When teams get a reputation for going opposite field the defense stops shifting as much as they are still able to and it opens up more holes. Plus, it helps get to the pen faster. This doesn't matter as much as it used to before the 5 inning start became standard, but it helps.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Developing young starting pitchers.
This starts with identifying arms in the draft, but with the firing of the AAA pitching coaches, it appears the organization recognizes that the problem goes beyond that.
Bloom's drafts focuses on everyday players, and we might well reap benefits from that over the next few years. But Bello is the first starting pitcher with above average potential (unless Houck figures out his third-time-through issues) since who ... Papelbon?
Young starters are a valuable resource, even if they are used to bring back other assets in trade.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Please keep the FA signings ideas and trade talks in the other threads.

 

[Just a bit outside]

I will add figuring out which young guys to extend, which to get 5-6 years out of, and which to use as trade pieces. Bloom improved the system and it looks like we will have a pipeline of guys coming to the majors in the next few years. Self scouting and knowing your own players will be key for the Sox to improve.

 

[FlexFlexerson]

1. Poll SoSH on whether Alex Cora should stay or go. (I kid)

2. I'd love to see the new head honcho audit and look for improvements in our medical conditioning. We've had a few seasons now where fairly significant injuries wreaked havoc on our roster. There's obviously a lot of noise and luck at play here too - and I'm not even sure if we're that out of line with other teams in terms of days missed overall by players - but all the talk about increasing pitching injuries has struck me that the medical side of things could be a new area to attain an edge over other teams, potentially. I guess if further break out "medical" to mean: evaluations of potential talent, strength and conditioning, and effectively treating actual injuries.

Again, not sure what the room for actual improvement is here, but given the trend on the pitching side this seems like something a forward thinking front office would spend some real brainpower on.

 

[simplicio]

Finding a pitching coach that can get the staff through more than 4 innings reliably.

Figuring out a conditioning plan or whatever to get Masa through a full productive season.

 

[YTF]

We're all very aware of the deficiencies of the 2023 and 2022 teams. I thought this would be a good place to talk about the things the organization needs to focus on when the new person is hired. I'm only going to start with a couple so others can add theirs. Please add the reasons for what you list.
These are in no particular order.

1. Focus on defensive and baserunning fundamentals starting at the lowest levels of the organization and in Boston. Know what you're going to do in all situations before it happens.
There were too many instances of mental errors on the bases, not taking the extra base when the odds of success were high and trying to take the extra base where the runners were thrown out by a foot or more.
Way too many times where the cut off man was overthrown or the ball was thrown to the wrong base. Hit the cut off man. Quit letting teams take the extra base.

2. Discipline in the batters box.
The hitters need to work on grinding out more at bats. I know that it's always going to happen, especially with the way some umps were calling balls and strikes, but there were still too many bad pitches swung at.
Stress going with the pitch. Use the entire field. When teams get a reputation for going opposite field the defense stops shifting as much as they are still able to and it opens up more holes. Plus, it helps get to the pen faster. This doesn't matter as much as it used to before the 5 inning start became standard, but it helps.

Just going with what you have here, all of the above and all of it instituted as a total organizational philosophy from day one. Roster construction has to fall in line with this as well. It's understood that certain players on the current roster aren't going anywhere anytime soon and aren't going to make great strides moving forward, but there are still small improvements that they can work toward. Players that the team are targeting to bring in need to fit into the team philosophy and players promoted from within need to be exposed to it as they rise through the ranks. The difference between the Sox of the past 2 seasons and the teams that repeatedly contend for and appear in post season play is focus and discipline.

 

[Heating up in the bullpen]

2. I'd love to see the new head honcho audit and look for improvements in our medical conditioning. We've had a few seasons now where fairly significant injuries wreaked havoc on our roster. There's obviously a lot of noise and luck at play here too - and I'm not even sure if we're that out of line with other teams in terms of days missed overall by players - but all the talk about increasing pitching injuries has struck me that the medical side of things could be a new area to attain an edge over other teams, potentially. I guess if further break out "medical" to mean: evaluations of potential talent, strength and conditioning, and effectively treating actual injuries.

Again, not sure what the room for actual improvement is here, but given the trend on the pitching side this seems like something a forward thinking front office would spend some real brainpower on.

I'm astounded by the number of hamstring injuries baseball players get. I know they have to start and stop quickly, but are hamstring injuries inevitable or is there a conditioning/stretching regimen that can minimize those?

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

This is probably impractical and too big, but it's something I've been thinking about, so what the hell.

I would love to see a really progressive approach to developing a pitching staff. Is max effort/short innings truly mandatory these days? It's obviously all the rage, but it also seems to lead to every pitcher breaking down. Wouldn't Tom Glavine or Catfish Hunter or Bert Blyleven(just three that popped into my head) still be extremely successful today? There were 5 starters in all of baseball who threw at least 200 innings this season, with the leader at 216. Just 10 years ago, there were 34, with the leader at 241. Why can't complete games be a thing again? Again, likely not practical, but it would be a lot of fun to follow an organization that changes the paradigm.

Otherwise, make defense a damn priority. Run prevention isn't just pitching.

 

[Bergs]

First, I'm trying to unload Masa if I can get good value. He is never going to be a good defender, and we have enough future DH's on the roster already.

I am then getting Raffy to start microdosing shrooms. Dude gets in his own head way too much.

I am then making defensive fundamentals one of the top measuring sticks for if a player is helping the team or not. Not everyone can be JBJ, but everyone can hit a fucking cutoff man.

Lastly, I would try to trade the entire organization for ATL's. Or maybe LAD's.*


* After accomplishing this, I would go ahead and cure cancer.

 

[Reverse Curve]

I agree 100% with the most important tangible focal points referenced in the first couple of posts above:

- Defense / baserunning fundamentals and hitting discipline, in my mind are of course critical, but maybe more organic and long term in a sense, as these skills begin and are developed through a combination of innate ability and effective coaching from a young age, and continue over time.

- Developing young starting pitchers (specifically identifying young arms prior to the draft) is an area that I believe a new 'baseball overlord' perhaps has more direct influence.

One area of focus that is most important, but more nebulous, and impossible to quantify, is the culture building that great baseball ops folks just seem to be able to grow success on...Building that young management and scouting group, bringing in the right players, not just stats based but role based. I know Theo ain't walking through that door, but it seems incumbent on ownership to mine that gold, wherever it may be, to build that new tree.

 

[streeter88]

This is probably impractical and too big, but it's something I've been thinking about, so what the hell.

I would love to see a really progressive approach to developing a pitching staff. Is max effort/short innings truly mandatory these days? It's obviously all the rage, but it also seems to lead to every pitcher breaking down. Wouldn't Tom Glavine or Catfish Hunter or Bert Blyleven(just three that popped into my head) still be extremely successful today? There were 5 starters in all of baseball who threw at least 200 innings this season, with the leader at 216. Just 10 years ago, there were 34, with the leader at 241. Why can't complete games be a thing again? Again, likely not practical, but it would be a lot of fun to follow an organization that changes the paradigm.

Otherwise, make defense a damn priority. Run prevention isn't just pitching.

This is my favorite post so far on this topic. I don’t understand why nobody can even go 6 innings reliably anymore. The Red Sox were 25th in average innings per start at 4.8, vs >5.4 for all the remaining playoff teams. This has to change if they’re to contend going forward.

And I bolded the best line as well.

 

[Rovin Romine]

There are upgrades to be had in almost every area. Starting pitching going deep into games seems to be the most key though. (But as BMHH pointed out this may be a matter of approach, not superman effort on every pitch in the pursuit of 20Ks a game.)

After that defense/baserunning. Making fundamental plays well - running the bases, if not intelligently, with some semblance of a plan.

After that hitting/situational hitting.

***
To do all that I'd fire the staff. Bush/Febles seems to be moving in the right direction re: my list.

 

[Bergs]

There are upgrades to be had in almost every area. Starting pitching going deep into games seems to be the most key though. (But as BMHH pointed out this may be a matter of approach, not superman effort on every pitch in the pursuit of 20Ks a game.)

Improved defense alone will add length to starters.

 

[Rovin Romine]

The Red Sox were 25th in average innings per start at 4.8, vs >5.4 for all the remaining playoff teams. This has to change if they’re to contend going forward.

It would be nice if the Sox had a soft-tossing lefty AAA call-up that totally baffled an opposing team for 6 innings. While they take a soft tossing lefty AAA call-up out to the woodshed.

Like, once in awhile.

 

[Rovin Romine]

Improved defense alone will add length to starters.

I'm sure it will help here and there. But numbers.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Lastly, I would try to trade the entire organization for ATL's. Or maybe LAD's.*


* After accomplishing this, I would go ahead and cure cancer.

That's been tried before, but it didn't work:

Astros General Manager Paul Richards sparks controversy when news leaks out during the Winter Meetings in Houston that he had offered the team's entire 40-man roster plus $5 million dollars for the 40-man roster of the Milwaukee Braves. Richards claimed to have had the backing of owners Bob Smith and Roy Hofheinz, but the Braves shoot down the idea as a joke that got out of hand. Had it been consummated, future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro and Eddie Mathews could have been Astros.

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/214237706/

 

[Jimbodandy]

1. Major league starting pitching
2. Minor league starting pitching

This team has bats in the minors, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to find reasonably-priced hitters. But there's dearth of starting pitching in the organization.