The Boston Red Sox are Most Like the...2011 Toronto Blue Jays?

Think back to the year 2011. Boston Red Sox fans had high hopes for a team that won 89 games the previous season. Ownership felt as if they had the game’s best organization, constantly producing championship caliber teams finishing in the top half of the division.

Now picture yourself during this time as a Toronto Blue Jays fan. Having put together a young, up-and-coming team, the 2011 season was the Blue Jay’s time to finally break free. Break free from the cellar, from constantly finishing last or near last in the division. Nearly 20 years since the team last made the playoffs, the Blue Jays had their target, only to fall flat with an 81-81 record, good for fourth in the American League East.

2012 comes around and Toronto had fixed their problems. They had the best home run hitter in all of baseball in Jose Bautista. Edwin Encarnacion finally caught up to his potential, along with promise from young guys like Brett Lawrie, J.P. Arencibia and newcomers Yunel Escobar and Colby Rasmus were to effectively produce.

For Blue Jays fans, 2012 definitely was Toronto’s year. They had it all. But once again, the team fell flat, only mustering up 73 wins, finishing fourth in the American League East for the fifth year in a row.

This story sounds eerily similar to the Boston Red Sox as of late.

After a 2013 World Series win, 2014 could only get better for the organization. They would integrate their young talent with their veterans. Rookie Xander Bogaerts would receive the starting shortstop position after a phenomenal playoff performance. Rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. would command center field as well. However, the two underperformed, as did the entire team, and the 2014 Boston Red Sox had a fire sale at the July 1 trading deadline and would go on to win only 71 games.

So far 2015 has been no different.

After handing out generous contracts to Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, as well as adopting the “We do not need a true ace” philosophy, Red Sox fans had high hopes for the team, only to watch them become the second worst team by record in the American League and fourth worse in baseball.

Their story does not just sound the same as the 2011-12 Toronto Blue Jays, these teams were built in similar fashion.

Both guided by manager John Farrell, along with a similar coaching staff comprising of Brian Butterfield and Torey Lovullo, the teams have general managers with similar philosophies. Toronto had a general manager in Alex Anthopoulos who emphasized player development and building from within. He would hold onto his prospects a little too long and when they underperformed, their trade value diminished exponentially, explained through prospects Kyle Drabek, Travis Snider, J.P. Arencibia and others. Anthopoulos used the “We do not need a true ace” philosophy in 2011 as well. Each year’s rotation consisted of overpaid, mediocre pitchers that displayed potential to improve, but in the meantime, the team would have to win games to the tune of eight runs scored to seven runs given up.

Sound familiar?

The Red Sox have held onto their prospects in hopes that each reaches their potential, only to miss the mark and lose their trade value. It seems as if Bradley Jr. will never see the major leagues again, while invested prospect Wil Middlebrooks was traded for pennies on the dollar. Bogaerts has improved greatly since last year, but remains a step or two away from reaching his projected potential.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has a similar rotation. Each starter had potential to rebound from a poor season. The front office and fans alike had reason to suspect improvement. However, the rotation as well as the lineup has failed and now consists of overpaid duds.

Guided by a poor front office and manager, both the Red Sox and then Blue Jays fell to the bottom of the division, gasping for any air they can get to climb out. Guided by hypothetical projections and possible potentials, neither quite hit their mark. As John Farrell managed both squads, it makes it all that much worse.

Frankly, I would laugh each year as the Blue Jays would expect to reach the playoffs, knowing that the team had no chance. Now, I sit back and realize this Red Sox team follows suit. They have become the 2011 Toronto Blue Jays. Yikes.