McAdam: Scouting the Red Sox - Will they be up to snuff?

In all likelihood, there will be things that we can't even imagine impacting the 2020 MLB season.

Beyond the usual assortment of injuries, unlikely heroes and late-season trades, the season could well come down to how teams follow health and safety protocols and thus, go largely untouched by the coronavirus.

But as always, talent will be hugely important. All other things being equal, it will be the performance of players on the major league rosters who determine the pennant races.

So, where does that leave the Red Sox?

In the most obvious sense, the 2020 Red Sox could be summed up thusly -- Offense: very good; Pitching: pretty bad.

It's slightly more complicated than that, of course, so we turned to a few longtime evaluators (scouts, executives) across baseball to assess what the Red Sox have on hand:

STARTING ROTATION

Assessment 1: "The one thing in their favor is playing 60 games. Remember Aaron Small (who came out of nowhere to go 10-0 for the 2005 Yankees)? Maybe (Ryan) Weber could do that. You're not going to see a team two or three times. The guys with lesser abilities could get lucky. I think it works to their advantage for teams not getting long looks. But on the days his command is off, you're done. In the big picture, I don't see the staying power. I like (Nathan) Eovaldi, but with his injury history, he scares me. It's a major concern, especially without (Eduardo) Rodriguez at the start. And when he does come back, can he go seven (innings)? I see it almost like you're managing in the bullpen - Get five from the starter and go to the bullpen, where you have extra guys. Where does Martin Perez fit? If they still had (Chris) Sale, (David) Price and (Rick) Porcello, and he's at the back end, fine. But when he's your No. 2 and he has to match up against the Yankees' or Rays' No. 2s, you're in trouble.''

Assessment 2: "It's weakened, for sure. I don't how much quality they're going to have out there. Can some of these substandard guys overachieve? Is there value in just giving your team some innings going to play up in a year like this? On paper, I would say it's one of the weaknesses. Perez is a hit-and-miss guy to me. He looks like he loses focus at times. His breaking ball is good, but he can overuse it. He should be more successful, but I see him make too many mistakes. I'm a big Eovaldi guy. I just love the way he competes. He's best when he's a little effectively wild and he can get hitters to chase. He lives for the big moment and he has no fear and filthy stuff, But the physical end of it big concern

INFIELD

Assessment 1: "The left side (with Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts), those two guys are fun to watch. That's one of the best left sides of any team in the game. Both young, in their prime guys. What's not to like? (Mitch) Moreland's a pro's pro, just solid. He's lost a step or two, but it looks like he can still get around on a fastball. I think the key there is not overplaying him and managing his health. (Michael) Chavis will give them something, but he's got to learn to layoff that high fastball that gave him so much trouble last year. (At second base Jose) Peraza is a pretty good defender, but Chavis gives you more pop. When do you pull the plug if Peraza isn't hitting? Do you let him try to figure it out? You might in a normal season, but this is different. Where's that line? When do you make the move?''

Assessment 2: Devers can look so good, but then at times, will boot the routine play. If he's maturing, he should get better. He's agile for a big kid and he's willing to work. Bogaerts? I love him. I think he's one of the most underrated players in the game. I don't hear him mentioned enough with the best shortstops. OK, he doesn't have the greatest range, but let's focus on all the other things he does really well. He's the anchor of the whole club and I think he'll take on more of a leadership role this season. I've seen a lot of Peraza at shortstop. Defensively, he should be OK. I think they have to make sure not to over play him. With Chavis, I think they need to turn him loose and find out about him. Who is he? Moreland is still a smart hitter and he can go the other way. Plus, he's a good teammate. In the big picture, he always brings something to contribute.''

OUTFIELD

Assessment 1: "I like it. You're losing (Mookie) Betts, and that's huge obviously. But there's still a lot of talent. (Jackie Bradley Jr.) is streaky as hell and I think we're at a point where you have to accept that this is who he is as a hitter, but I love the defense. I think (Andrew) Benintendi bounces back. He's too good to not be better than last year. As a group, they're solid defensively and offensively. (Kevin) Pillar will be OK in the outfield, but I think he's lost a step or two. He's not the defender he was a few seasons ago.

Assessment 2: "I still like Benintendi a lot. He's incorporated something into his game every year. He needs to just stay on the fastball. He's an instinctive kid; the power will come because he has such a fundamental approach and that got away from him last year. But he's a driven guy. I keep hearing all these defensive metrics about Bradley not being very good and I laugh. He's playing probably the toughest center field in the league and he makes it look easy. You take his 0-fers. I like to see him use the whole field. He's a better hitter than he's shown.  Pillar will be big to give Bradley a breather, especially against lefties. I don't know how much he's slipped speed-wise. He was always diving to make plays and that beats up your body. But he's a good signing for depth purposes. I see Alex Verdugo is a guy who can be a loose cannon, but I think Roenicke is a guy who can help his realize his superb talent. He's driven and their resources should help keep him focused and pointed in the right direction. I'm aware of the concerns with his commitment and maturity but they'll challenge him and then let him go. He's got All-Star level talent. I like the risk-reward.''

CATCHER

Assessment 1: With the state of catching being what it is, (Christian) Vazquez has a little power and still throws good. I keep looking around the league, there's not a lot of great catching and he's at least better than average. Kevin Plawecki is a nice backup option for them.

Assessment 2: Vazquez has always been a dependable guy, but I don't know what the right number for him in terms of games played. Plawecki's defense has some hit-and-miss to it, but when he's healthy, I think he's a platoon-level guy.

BULLPEN

Assessment 1: ''I've always been a (Brandon) Workman fan. He's a great example of how volatile bullpen guys can be. Two years ago, he was flopping around between the big leagues and Triple-A and now he's your closer. For me, figuring out your bullpen is the hardest part (of putting together a team) every year. It's the hardest part of the roster to predict. Name me the set-up guys who've done it for three or four years. And more than ever, bullpens are going to be huge this year. If you have the lead in the sixth, you've got to win that game. So, now it's emptying the bullets every night because every game is so important. I think the best guys are going to get worked to death. I think (Matt) Barnes has finally got it and could be a great eighth-inning guy. He's done it and he's pitched in Boston. I think he's going to be a key guy. His breaking ball is harder than it used to be. But they'll miss those lefties (Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor) in the early part of the season and not having them will make it harder to match up.''

Assessment 2: "If you could put Workman's mindset on Barnes' arm, you'd have the perfect reliever. If I had the game on the line, I'd go with Workman. Every time Matt comes in, you don't know what you're going to get. Workman's on a mission and I think his command will continue to improve. With Barnes, it seems like he's either over-thinking or feeling like he has to make the perfect pitch. I don't question his fastball or his velo, but it's his consistency. One day he's lights out, and then you'll see him two days later and he self-destructs.''