The Red Sox enter every season as one of baseball's superpowers. But their status among the game's elite teams has maybe never been more magnified.
Coming off two consecutive divisional titles, the Red Sox are one of the prohibitive favorites in a league that's become a complete separation of the haves and have nots. Only seven teams –– Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers –– look like serious contenders. Everybody else is either mediocre or tanking. The game's middle-class hasn't been this barren since the introduction of revenue sharing.
In 16 years under principal owner John Henry, the Red Sox have reached the playoffs nine times and captured three World Series titles. They've carried one of the five highest payrolls in baseball 15 times, landing in the top three on 12 occasions. This year, for the first time ever, they're No. 1.
The Red Sox read this offseason perfectly. The market moved at a glacial pace, thanks to an industrywide recognition of free agency's futility and executives' newfound willingness to punt seasons for the sake of securing top draft picks. The Cubs and Astros each spent a few years at the bottom of the league, amassing 100-loss campaigns and high first-round selections. They've won the last two World Series, and appear poised to rule the league for the better part of the next decade.
Roughly a dozen teams are following the teardown model. This widespread disparity means it pays to try to win now. That's where the Red Sox find themselves, with David Price, Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel all able to leave within the next two years. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. are nearing free agency, too. Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers are entering their primes.
Early on, the Red Sox targeted slugger J.D. Martinez in free agency. After finishing last in the league in home runs, the need for a power bat was clear. They eventually showered Martinez with $110 million, including three opt-outs in his five-year deal. It's a contract that gives the player nearly all of the power. But it allowed the Red Sox to secure the best power bat on the free agent market, catapulting them right to the top of the AL.
It's been 13 years since the Red Sox and Yankees faced off in a postseason series. But that could likely change this season. With Giancarlo Stanton now bearing pinstripes, and hitting alongside Aaron Judge, the Yankees possess the most powerful 1-2 punch in baseball. They also have maybe the game's best bullpen, deploying David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman at the end of the contests.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, have a chance to possess the best rotation in the American League. On paper, no team boasts a better pair of aces than Sale and Price. Rick Porcello, the 2016 AL Cy Young winner, slots in at No. 3.
For the last several years, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been intent on resetting the team's payroll below the luxury tax. That means he largely held onto his hoard of prospects, building one of the deepest farm systems in baseball. Now, the Yankees are ready to pounce. There should be a bevy of sellers across the league this season. Expect the Yankees and Red Sox to be linked to the biggest prizes.
After a period of dormancy, the Red Sox-Yankees arms race is back on. It will take more than a lame Apple Watch scandal to stoke the flames of animosity, but that typically comes with competitive games and high-profile matchups. There should be plenty of those this season.
Despite winning 186 games over the last two years, the Red Sox have failed to capture hearts and minds around here. Some of that has to do with the team's perceived malevolence, beginning with Price. Their back-to-back first-round playoff exits also factor into the apparent apathy that's fallen over Red Sox fans.
Maybe those problems will continue to persist. It's far too early to tell. But on Opening Day, the Red Sox are better and fielding baseball's most expensive team. They look as ready for a heavyweight bout as they have in a long time.
