ITPV » Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesThe Boston Red Sox captured

their ninth World Series title Sunday night http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium.Red Sox manager Alex Cora unexpectedly called on David Price instead of Chris Sale to start the fifth game of the Fall Classic, and the gambit paid off, as Price pitched seven-plus innings, allowing one earned run and striking out five batters.Boston hitters roughed up Clayton Kershaw en route to an 8-4 win in Game 1, and they had Kershaw's number again. The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner surrendered four earned runs in seven innings.Steve Pearce bookended the Red Sox's run-scoring. He hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put them ahead 2-0 and then had a solo homer in the eighth to add another insurance run.David Price Rewrites October Narrative with Another Dominant StartEven casual baseball fans were probably aware of David Price's5.03 postseason ERAentering the playoffs; the subject had been discussed a lot both this year and amid the fallout from last season's American League Division Series exit.It looked like history was going to repeat itself when Price gave up seven runs in his first two starts of the 2018 playoffs. Then he allowed just three earned runs over 19.2 innings in four appearances (three starts) to close out his first World Series title.Beyond just how good he was on the mound, Price's flexibility was vital for Boston.Buster Olney Buster_ESPNDavid Price started Game 2. Pitched in relief in Game 3. Warmed up in Game 4. Starts in Game 5 and has controlled the Dodgers -- 1 run in 6 innings.Matthew Pouliot matthewpouliotDavid Price in Bostons last 7 games:ALCS Game 4: Warmed up for over an inningALCS Game 5: Six scoreless in winWS Game 1: RestedWS Game 2: Six innings, two runs in winWS Game 3: Two outs in reliefWS Game 4: Warmed up in ninthWS Game 5: Seven innings, one run (so far)The five-time All-Star seemed to know exactly what was on the line. He wasn't just pitching to get the Red Sox another title; he was attempting to exorcise the ghosts of Octobers past. And in the space of a few weeks, Price has immortalized himself forever in Boston.Chris Cotillo ChrisCotilloDavid Price is fired up. This story is one of redemption, my friends. Six outs away.Chris Mannix ChrisMannixYSAs redemption stories go, David Price is authoring a tremendous one. Has been a target since he signed that $217 million contract. Will be beloved in Boston for life if he closes this thing out.Ian Browne IanMBrowneDavid Price makes John Lackeys 2013 transformation from fan villain to fan favorite look almost insignificant. This is like nothing Ive seen.It's somewhat ironic Price's redemption came at the expense of Kershaw, who allowed nine earned runs in his two World Series starts. There's an alternate reality in which Kershaw is hailed as the postseason hero, heaping further misery upon Price.Prior to the start of the 2018 season, some Red Sox fans were probably hoping Price would opt out of the remaining four years and$127 millionon his contract. Now, those same fans will be worried the veteran left-hander might see just how much his World Series performance is worth on the open market.Dodgers' Championship Window Rapidly Closing Ahead of Pivotal OffseasonTwo or three years ago, the Dodgers appeared to have the strongest foundation of any team in baseball. They had a roster capable of winning a title and afarm systemthat was flush with budding stars.Now, the franchise has lost in the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, and, more importantly, Los Angeles is facing a murky future.Manny Machado is headed for free agency, and the Dodgers will assuredly have strong competition from the New York Yankees for his signature.Kershaw canopt outof his contract, and, while he seems a surer bet to return, his days as the best starter in MLB may be over. His disappointing playoffs capped off a year in which he had hishighest FIP(3.19) and hisfewest strikeouts(8.6 per nine innings) since his rookie season, per Baseball Reference.Likewise, Kenley Jansen had theworst FIPof his career (4.03) in the regular season and is owed$56 millionover the next three years.Jansen was dominant in the playoffs, though Dustin Pedroia Jersey , which will ease some of the pressure he would've otherwise faced.And nobody will receive more criticism in the offseason than Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.Chad Jennings chadjennings22Loud boos when Dave Roberts name was just announced pregame. The Dodgers faithful seem to have lost some faith.Abbey Mastracco AbbeyMastraccoI dont know what to make of Dave Roberts right now. It seems like he managed this series like it was the regular season. Meanwhile, Alex Cora managed very aggressively.The Dodgers aren't in dire straits. Corey Seager will be back healthy in 2019.Julio Urias and Walker Buehler are 22 and 24, respectively.Justin Turner is the only key position player over the age of 30. And the franchise can continue to maintain one of MLB's highest payrolls.But there are tough questions Los Angeles will have to answer.Losing Kershaw or having him continue to slowly decline will have an impact on the rotation, and the same goes for Jansen and the bullpen if he doesn't return to his usual self in 2019.Losing Machado would hurt the lineup. The Dodgers may not be able to count upon Max Muncy to slug .582 again either. Opposing teams seemed to figure out Chris Taylor a little more after his breakout in 2017.For a team that has been so singularly focused on winning the World Series, next season could represent a step backward.Red Sox Clear World Series Favorites in 2019 After Legendary SeasonWinning 108 games is probably out of the question in 2019, but the Red Sox have everything required to repeat as champions.The Price opt-out decision will linger throughout the offseason. Beyond that, the spring should be pretty much drama-free for the Red Sox.Craig Kimbrel is Boston's most notable free agent, and the team may be comfortable letting him go. Finding another closer would be better than having to pay Kimbrel between$15 million and $20 million, which is the going rate for proven free-agent closers.Pearce, Joe Kelly and Nathan Eovaldi all played a role in Boston's title triumph, but none of the three is irreplaceable.More than anything, the Red Sox's best players are in the primes of their careers.Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers are all 26 or younger. Betts is likely the American League MVP, and teammate J.D. Martinez should finish in the top five.Chris Sale delivered another Cy Young-caliber season, while Price and Rick Porcello have settled into their roles as the secondary aces to the left-hander.Manager Alex Cora also handled the postseason like an experienced vet in his first year.The Red Sox followed up their last World Series win by finishing with 71 victories in 2014. This team is different. Whereas that championship was a bit of an outlier, Boston had been building to this for years. What's Next?The Red Sox will open their spring training schedule Feb. 22 against the Northeastern Huskies. The Dodgers will take on the Chicago White Sox on Feb. 23. Boston and Los Angeles will play one another in the 2019 regular season, as the Red Sox host a three-game series July 12-14. With the best farm system in baseball and Manny Machado signed to a mega-deal, should we start worrying about the Padres?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Scaling the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceSB Nation's MLB PreviewNL West ReportRockies Season PreviewMLB preview 2019: San Diego Padres are a looming threat in the NL WestNew,20commentsWith the best farm system in baseball and Manny Machado signed to a mega-deal, should we start worrying about the Padres? MLB preview 2019: San Diego Padres are a looming threat in the NL WestWith the 2019 season just around the corner, it’s time to catch up with the other teams around the division. Instead of trying to figure out what we need to know about them ourselves, we thought it would be a good idea to ask our friends at our neighbors here at SBNation to help catch us up.We asked Roy Thomasson, formerly of of Gaslamp Ball,to answer a few questions for us about the upcoming San Diego Padres season. You’ll find his answers below, edited for length and clarity.What went right for the Padres in 2018? What, ultimately Babe Ruth Jersey , went wrong?A lot of things have to go wrong to lose 96 games, but Padres fans are used to looking for silver linings. Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer established themselves as major league starting pitchers, and the bullpen was among the best in baseball. The team leveraged Adam Cimber and Brad Hand’s strong first halves into a trade for catching prospect Francisco Mejia. Franmil Reyes broke out and was the team’s best hitter by midseason, and the team saw improvements at the plate from Hunter Renfroe and Austin Hedges. Down on the Farm, Fernando Tatis Jr established himself as one of the game’s top prospects and Chris Paddack dominated his way through Tommy John rehab to become a surprise candidate for this year’s Opening Day starter.As I said above, a lot went wrong last year. Eric Hosmer had his worst season to date at the plate. Wil Myers, Hunter Renfroe, and Austin Hedges all lost significant time to injuries. The starting rotation was worse than expected, and it wasn’t expected to be good. Chase Headley was dreadful and the team never found an answer at third base. The team fired yet another hitting coach. A player was caught complaining about the manager on a live Fortnite stream. Like I said, a lot went wrong.Last year I asked you if Eric Hosmer was the difference, and you offered a cautious no. Is Manny Machado the difference?Heck yeah, for $300mm he’d better be, right? But seriously, one player can’t do it all on a baseball diamond, no matter how many WAR he produces. He represents a change in direction for a franchise that has been shunning the word “tank,” hopefully turning a corner toward contention. I can say that this preseason feels different than the last few. The roster feels much deeper, and the positions are more settled. There’s the hope that a couple of veterans can lead a group of talented kids to become an interesting team. There are plenty of weaknesses, but it’s not hard to see better times in the very near future for this organization.Last year you said contention would happen probably around 2020 or even 2022. Does Machado move that timeline forward in an appreciable way?The team is investing in the on-field product in a big way. is widely regarded as the best in baseball, perhaps one of the best we’ve seen in a few years. Who ended up making a difference from the system last year? Who is set to break through this year?As noted above, Lucchesi and Lauer made their MLB debuts and pretty much didn’t leave the rotation. They came into this year’s spring training as the two best bets for the rotation. Robert Stock and Trey Wingenter brought triple-digit heat to the bullpen. Outfielder Franmil Reyes rose from relative obscurity by obliterating AAA pitching and made multiple adjustments on his way to becoming the team’s best hitter late in the season. He also won over the hearts of players and fans with his infectious personality.Second baseman Luis Urias made his MLB debut late in the season, and his future double play partner Fernando Tatis Jr should make his debut early this year. Urias is an athletic fielder who will see time at shortstop this year and has been one of the best contact hitters in the minors. Tatis has superstar potential, combining a powerful bat with aggressive speed on the bases while flashing a premium glove at shortstop and a cannon arm. On the mound, Chris Paddack is blowing away MLB competition in spring training and is making an argument to be the team’s Opening Day starter. His fastball command and devastating changeup already made him a top pitching prospect, and how he’s adding a curveball to his mix. Logan Allen and Jacob Nix are in the mix for the rotation as well, and the bullpen is stacked with power arms hungry to stake a claim for a role on the MLB squad.Who are some unheralded players we should keep an eye on this season? Prospects, role players, free-agent signees http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-dustin-pedroia-jersey , etc.Matt Strahm pitched from the bullpen in a relief role for most of 2018, and now he’s competing for a rotation spot. He has four above-average pitches and the command to use them all to great effect. The former Royals top prospect has avoided the spotlight that guys like Paddack and Lucchesi draw, but you might want to keep an eye on him. Franchy Cordero is buried behind a bunch of talented outfielders, but he has light-tower power and is one of the fastest players in the league. Righty reliever Gerardo Reyes can touch 100mph from an unorthodox sidearm delivery with a wipeout slider. Catcher Austin Allen, LF/1B Josh Naylor, and corner infielder Ty France are three advanced hitters who could shine if an opportunity should open for them.What do you think it would take for the Padres to vault into contention this year in a competitive National League landscape?The veteran group of Machado, Hosmer, and Kinsler need to lead a young roster with sold performances to anchor the lineup. The young rotation needs to stay healthy and avoid rookie struggles. Tatis and Urias need to find consistency and confidence at the plate. Manager Andy Green and new bench coach Rod Barajas need to prove that they can handle a mix of personalities in the clubhouse. It’s a stretch to think that this team might contend for a wild card slot, but the talent is there. The consistency and the chemistry is the hard part.What do you think is a realistic best case scenario for the Padres this year? What’s the worst case scenario? What would a successful season look like for the Padres?A realistic best case is that the team finds itself in the mix for a wild card spot late in the season. That would take 90 or more wins, which is a stretch, but crazier things have happened, right? Worst case is that injuries combine with struggles and regression and we’re looking at another 90-loss season. Success is somewhere around a .500 season, which the team hasn’t done since 2010. If the team wins more games than it loses and the kids take a collective step forward, the fans should be really excited for big things a year from now.The team announced that the brown will be returning officially in 2020. Gaslamp Ball has long been on the #BringBacktheBrown bandwagon, but what was the reaction of the wider fanbase?Padres fans have been clamoring for a change for a long time. The uniforms have become more and more bland ever since the team moved into Petco Park in 2004. Many have loudly demanded a return to brown, while others simply want something that doesn’t look like it was picked out of a generic catalog. Personally, I like that the brown and yellow immediately distinguishes Padres fans in a crowd of caps of varying shades of blue. Overall, people are ready for a change, but what will really sell merchandise is a winning product on the field.What will be the best part of watching the Padres this year? Or, put another way, why should the casual fan (who’s not scoreboard watching) watch a Padres game this season?This team has talent and personality! Fernando Tatis Jr plays with flair and a chip on his shoulder. Once he and Luis Urias are manning the middle of the infield, they will combine with Machado and Hosmer to form one of the most potent infield combos in the game. Franmil Reyes has a smile that’s almost as big as his 6’5” 275lb frame, and he loves to win even more than he loves hitting tape-measure bombs. Catcher Francisco Mejia can put the barrel on any pitch, and his cannon arm makes baserunners shiver in their cleats. Chris Paddack will have a posse following the big Texan into Petco Park for each start, and Logan Allen reminds many of a young Jon Lester.