They're in a delicate position with the fandom. They offloaded Mookie Betts and then spent this offseason adding virtual no-names.
It's going to come down to the W's and L's, I guess.
700 is the not the only one who is deeply pessimistic about the '21 Sox, and Bloom, and the general state of the franchise, I found out after reading Shaughnessy's article this morning and the comments section.
I largely agree. It was the same with Clemens, then with Beckett when he was at his best, and now with Sale. Guys like these have huge value that goes beyond their own stats.
To me the 1998 team was the team that broke a skein of 13 postseason losses in a row, but then promptly lost 3 more. They were also part of a more hopeful period for Sox fans (largely due to Pedro) that culminated in 2004.
Skepticism in Pivetta is certainly warranted. We got him for virtually nothing, so it would be a bonus if he contributes. He did pitch two decent games for us last year.