Opening Day has finally arrived, and with it comes the bane of every print reporter's existence -- the dreaded special section. The good ones add context and understanding to the upcoming season while overwhelming the reader. The bad ones include a 45-cent stamp to streamline the mailing-it-in process while underwhelming the reader in paragraph-quote-paragraph-quote format.
Here at WEEI.com, we choose a third path. Because we must allocate our resources wisely (aggregation doesn't write itself . . . yet), we present our special section in a format most easily consumed by today's mobile readers on the go, who are too busy rappelling down canyons and owning the stock market to peruse something as 20th century as a newspaper. Which is another way of saying you can scroll through it in like 90 seconds between games of Candy Crush while Twitter refreshes.
If you're here to learn something, best to recalibrate your expectations in a southerly direction. If you seek entertainment, may I suggest that GIF of a zoo animal smoking a cigarette?
But if you want to know what happens when a couple of former newspaper writers (myself and Rob Bradford) free themselves from the shackles of the standalone baseball preview, then you've come to the right place.
Behold WEEI.com's Fourth Annual (Unless We Change Our Minds At Some Point) Not-So-Special Section.
What will we be saying about Alex Cora by the end of the season?
@jtomase (John Tomase): Reinventing the Red Sox isn't as easy as we thought. A looser atmosphere doesn't change the personalities involved.
@bradfo (Rob Bradford): 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays was a whole lot easier to listen to.
@RyanHannable (Ryan Hannable): Remember this is his first year managing in the big leagues, there's more than just creating a more outgoing culture.
@KeroseneKen (Ken Laird): After a wild year of Cora blowing up at Dave Dombrowski, Dale Arnold, a few fans and firing hitting coach Tim Hyers, Cora got it together and used his emotion to bring the clubhouse together.
What is your predicted order of finish in the AL East?
@jtomase: Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays
@bradfo: Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays
@RyanHannable: Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays
@KeroseneKen: Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles
How many games will the Red Sox win?
@jtomase: 94, but I've consistently overestimated this for the last three years.
@bradfo: 93, just because.
@RyanHannable: 91, I loved Marc Savard.
@KeroseneKen: 97 (99 for the Bombers).
Who is your Red Sox MVP?
@jtomase: J.D. Martinez's WAR won't reflect it because he's not much of a fielder, but let it never be said again that middle-of-the-order thunder doesn't matter.
@bradfo: Mookie Betts. He will also be the MVP of his league, as well.
@RyanHannable: Chris Sale, did you not watch last year?
@KeroseneKen: David Price.
Will David Price be a good citizen?
@jtomase: Good enough. I still believe he wants out of here via his opt-out, and the only way that happens is if he dominates on the mound, stays healthy, and doesn't insult anyone.
@bradfo: Yes. Good performance, coupled with not being mad at the world (his words) will push him to the backdrop.
@RyanHannable: Probably, because he's going to win at least 17 games.
@KeroseneKen: Yes, en route to an ALCS MVP and an opt-out after a loss in the World Series to the Dodgers
Does anyone care who we think the AL Cy Young and MVP will be?
@jtomase: Definitely not.
@bradfo: No (but maybe because I just told everyone who was going to win the MVP).
@RyanHannable: Yes, so they can alert @OldTakesExposed.
@KeroseneKen: They're still reading, so yes. Price. 20 wins, 300 strikeouts.
So you're not gonna tell us?
@jtomase: No.
@bradfo: Consider it a professional tease.
@RyanHannable: Definitely not.
@KeroseneKen: Now you're making me look bad.
Who is your Red Sox X-factor?
@jtomase: I love the X-factor construction. I've probably applied it to half the roster. But if I had to pick one guy, it's Price. If he's an All-Star again, there isn't a better 1-2 punch in baseball than Chris Sale and Astro's dad.
@bradfo: Carson Smith. Somebody will have to close when Craig Kimbrel comes in for the seventh inning.
@RyanHannable: Rick Porcello. Don't you know how important starting pitching is by now?
@KeroseneKen: Hanley Ramirez. And whether ownership will get out of the way and allow his 2019 contact to vest if he has the hot start I expect.
Will we miss John Farrell at any point this season?
@jtomase: It's too soon for that, Angry Lou tells me, but give it time. Farrell's tenure will be remembered more fondly as the years pass. If there's one area where Cora could suffer by comparison, it's organization. Farrell was detail-oriented. Cora's more about the big picture.
@bradfo: We can't ignore how many extra-inning games the Red Sox won last year. Let's see if that was the players or the managers.
@RyanHannable: If you're a fan of Angry Lou, yes.
@KeroseneKen: This will be the last time his name is mentioned in 2018, GBGR (good bye, good riddance)
Because it's not a special section without league-wide predictions, give us your division winners, wild cards, and World Series.
@jtomase: Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Yankees, Twins in the AL. Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers, Brewers, D'backs in the NL. Cubs over Astros in World Series.
@bradfo: Red Sox, Twins, Astros, Yankees, Indians in the AL. Nationals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Dodgers in the NL. Brewers over the Twins in the World Series.
@RyanHannable: Yankees, Indians, Astros, Red Sox, Twins for AL. Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Brewers for NL. Yankees over Dodgers in World Series.
@KeroseneKen: Yankees, Indians, Astros, Red Sox, Angels. Nats, Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals, Rockies. Dodgers over the Sox in the WS.
Who will hit more home runs: Giancarlo Stanton or J.D. Martinez?
@jtomase: Stanton. He's a monster. No park can contain him.
@bradfo: Stanton. But Martinez will hit more than Judge.
@RyanHannable: Stanton, not even close.
@KeroseneKen: Tied with 35.
Will this launch angle crap make a difference?
@jtomase: I'm fascinated to see if swinging up at contact instead of down -- as detailed in Alex Speier's excellent Globe Special Section story -- will be an easy fix for guys like Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts. Seems like a pretty wholesale change, but the Red Sox need more home runs.
@bradfo: If Sam Travis has 15 homers by July 15 in Triple A, I will say yes.
@RyanHannable: After finishing dead-last in the AL in homers last year, anything will help.
@KeroseneKen: Only until Cora fires Hyers in May.
When the trade deadline arrives, the Red Sox will be in the market for . . . ?
@jtomase: A starting pitcher. I worry about the health of Drew Pomeranz, Steven Wright, and Eduardo Rodriguez, not to mention Price. Their internal depth options are uninspiring.
@bradfo: A late-inning reliever, because they always need a late-inning reliever.
@RyanHannable: Doesn't everyone go for another starter?
@KeroseneKen: Starting pitcher for sure. Jay Groome goes for Michael Fullmer, Matt Harvey, or Cole Hamels.
What will Dustin Pedroia bring to the table once he returns?
@jtomase: More of the same. Productive player on par with 2016 when he's healthy, but enough broken body parts to safely say he won't avoid another injury.
@bradfo: If they manage to bring him back at the right time he will be productive.
@RyanHannable: A very solid early-season addition, especially if Cora can convince him to take days off to maintain his health.
@KeroseneKen: A timeshare with Eduardo Nunez, better defense but worse offense that Nunez as he works back to normalcy.
2018 Rick Porcello: Good Porcello, or bad Porcello? (And no copping out with "somewhere in between.") Pick a side.
@jtomase: Bad Porcello. He has picked the worst possible time to become a fly-ball pitcher, thanks to emphasis on launch angles and trading strikeouts for home runs. He'll be a homer-a-game again.
@bradfo: Somewhere in between!!!!!!!!
@RyanHannable: Good. He won me over on the Bradfo Sho podcast from Twin Peaks.
@KeroseneKen: Good. If I can't cop-out, then put me down for 35-0.
Will Chris Sale figure out how to stay healthy through October?
@jtomase: It's asking a lot. This process may require baby steps. Sale's numbers traditionally dip in August. Let's at least get him into September, which might be enough to earn him his first Cy Young.
@bradfo: I think he will, but only because there will be a disabled list stint along the way.
@RyanHannable: Yes, he learned a lot from last year.
@KeroseneKen: No, and I already blame Cora for stripping away his binky Sandy Leon.
Mookie Betts finished sixth in the MVP race last year. Will he finish higher or lower this year?
@jtomase: Higher. He's got some swagger to him and he's the total package on the field. WAR loves him, and a return to 30-homer power will impress more traditional voters.
@bradfo: Is first higher than sixth?
@RyanHannable: Definitely higher, especially if he can actually hit for power.
@KeroseneKen: Higher, huge year for Mookie coming. Maybe 40-40.
Are we done yet? Can I go home?
@jtomase: Almost.
@bradfo: I've been saying that for the last seven weeks of spring training.
@RyanHannable: This is the best not-so-special-section in history, I don't want it to end.
@KeroseneKen: I was just thinking that. It's 10:15 p.m. and my wake-up is 3 a.m. Bradford said this would be quick.
More games played at first base: Hanley Ramirez or Mitch Moreland?
@jtomase: Hanley! He's got something to play for if he wants his option picked up, and Martinez is going to gobble up a lot of DH at-bats. I'm probably being stupidly optimistic.
@bradfo: Hanley. It's all about the bands.
@RyanHannable: Hanley. Cora told me his defense is better than people think.
@KeroseneKen: Moreland. Ownership mandate to prevent Hanley from vesting that contract.
Blake Swihart's biggest impact this season will be . . . ?
@jtomase: Trade bait. The offensive upside is still there, but he remains blocked all over the diamond, and it's unclear if he's really a big league catcher defensively.
@bradfo: I agree with Tomase. He will be in another organization by the end of the season.
@RyanHannable: 1-on-1 interviews with Dan Roche.
@KeroseneKen: Pinch-runner. I think Bradford wrote about that, but I didn't read past the headline.
Will Rafael Devers experience a sophomore slump?
@jtomase: Yes. He has power to all fields that can't be taught, as well as a decent understanding of the strike zone, but there's a learning curve for everyone. That said, he could still hit 30 homers.
@bradfo: Yes, but only because my concern regarding his pliability.
@RyanHannable: Yup, the book is out on him.
@KeroseneKen: Of course. Defense could be Pablo-vian this year. Offense will stay.
And finally, give us your boldest prediction for 2018.
@jtomase: Aaron Judge will hit fewer than 40 homers, the Yankees will struggle to find consistent starting pitching, and the Red Sox will win their third straight division title with relative ease.
@bradfo: Jimmy Buchanan becomes chapter chairman for the Boston BBWAA.
@RyanHannable: @NBCSCameraGuys will eventually have more Twitter followers than @EvanDrellich.
@KeroseneKen: 18-22 start for the Sox, Cora melts down after getting swept in the Bronx in May and stabs Bradford in the eye with a pen. This sparks .600+ ball the rest of the way and Bradford writes Chasing Steinbrenner 2.
