$Boston Red Sox\'s 5 Biggest Weaknesses Going Into 2016 Spring Training$

Boston Red Sox's 5 Biggest Weaknesses Going Into 2016 Spring Training

By Bryan Zarpentine

After last season, the Boston Red Sox have a long way to go to get themselves back to the top of the AL East, but they certainly appear to be on the rise and have a chance at getting back to the playoffs in 2016. Of course, like every other team, the Red Sox will have some weak points on their roster that the team will have to overcome this season. Here is a look at Boston’s five biggest weaknesses heading into 2016.

$Boston Red Sox\'s 5 Biggest Weaknesses Going Into 2016 Spring Training$

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Youth In Outfield — The Red Sox won't have to worry about Mookie Betts, but Rusney Castillo is coming off a poor 2015 season and is not an established big leaguer, while Jackie Bradley Jr. has to prove he can replicate last year's production. Signing Chris Young is a nice fail-safe, but the Red Sox are still banking on the young outfield taking a big step forward in 2016.

Catcher — Blake Swihart had a nice rookie season, but the Red Sox were still towards the bottom of the American League in offensive production from the catcher position. Ryan Hanigan is an underwhelming backup, so it'll be up to Swihart to take a step forward and become a reliable part of Boston's lineup.

Power Reliance On David Ortiz — Take away Big Papi's home run total from last year and the Red Sox would have had the worst power numbers in baseball. They get Ortiz for one more season and are hopeful he can have one more great year, but the Red Sox need to get him a little more support and get power from other sources.

First Base — The grand experiment of Ramirez playing first base is about to begin, and obviously there are questions about how successful it will be. On top of the obvious defensive concerns, Ramirez is coming off the second worst season of his career offensively. He may no longer be capable of providing the offensive production that's expected of first baseman.

Third Base — Pablo Sandoval had a terrible first season in Boston and his physical appearance at the start of spring training didn't exactly inspire confidence. Based on his contract, the Red Sox are expecting a lot from Sandoval, and on the surface it appears that he won't be able to deliver. If he matches what he did last year, or is somehow even worse, the Red Sox will have a huge hole in their lineup.

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