Oh, What A Circus!

The Red Sox have chartered an awfully big bus. After all, it has to be big enough to fit everyone connected with the organization who has been thrown under it in the weeks following the Epic Collapse. It's one thing to hold the team and certain individuals accountable; it's quite another to trash everyone left and right. Principal owner John Henry, who needs a gag order placed on him (and that includes Twitter), even went as far as expressing his opposition to the Crawford signing. And that's not supposed to alienate the Sox left fielder for the next 6 years how? If Mr. Henry didn't approve of the signing, then WHY did he let his GM spend his money? Something just doesn't add up here. Are the Red Sox becoming the American League version of the Dodgers before our eyes?

I'm as embarrassed as any fan about what happened to this team in September, but the dirty-laundry circus going on in October may be even more embarrassing than the 7-20 record in the final month of the season. The question now is how long will it take for the Red Sox to dig their way out of this mess. Having new blood in the GM and manager positions, as long as they aren't too similar in style and philosophy to Epstein and Francona, may help. Cherington, if he is indeed the next GM, is a disciple of Epstein and that worries me. It's not enough of a change in philosophy to set the team back on the right track. As for the manager, that has yet to be decided, but this team needs a strong leader to change the culture in the clubhouse and ensure the team's preparation coming out of Spring Training. No more Fort Myers Country Club!

The Red Sox have a long offseason ahead of them and an enormous amount of work to do. First order of business: A GM (if it hasn't already been decided) and a manager. Ownership needs to get its act together yesterday.