FORT MEYERS, Fla. (WHDH) — No single player can replace what David Ortiz provided the Boston Red Sox and the players on the team understand it will have to be a team effort.
“We’ll find a way to overcome his absence and do the best we can,” Dustin Pedroia said.
Big Papi is gone and there’s no turning back, but the Red Sox have a mixture of veteran and young talent they will rely on.
“We’re all after the same goal. Everyone is focused on helping each other get better every day and winning,” Pedroia said.
The Red Sox fell short of their ultimate goal last season, but for young guys like Xander Bogaerts, consistently getting postseason experience boosts confidence.
“It’s not easy or something you can do annually. The Patriots do it, but they’re football. We just got to go out there and keep competing and trust in our coaches,” Boagaerts said.
He also trusts his teammates to help lead the team.
“Hanley, position wise. David Price, Chris Sale, Rick Porcello. There’s a lot of guys who can step up, just not one guy who we can look up to,” Bogaerts said.
Bogaerts has the potential to become one of the best shortstops in the league, and he’s not complacent with last year’s results.
“Us doing the same thing or even better and making it again deep in the playoffs is number one. As I said, the organization made some big trades so it’s up to us now to do the job,” Bogaerts said.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)