Sorry to be blunt, but the Red Sox are not going to turn it around any time soon. This is not the same team that executed a seemingly improbable worst to first turnaround last year.

The fried chicken, beer and gum-spitting manager of 2012 was replaced by beards and a calm presence in the locker room in 2013.

However, the undeniable allure of last year’s team has disappeared along with Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Stephen Drew.

This year’s squad, which can’t seem to eclipse .500, simply does not have the power nor the speed needed to make it to the postseason. Fortunately for the Sox, the AL East is the weakest it has been in recent memory. If the Red Sox do manage to make the playoffs, it will be because of their defense, bullpen and a little bit of luck.

Here is my last buy low, sell high list for the year. It’s been real.

Buy low:

Cliff Lee (SP-PHI)- Lee put forth one of the best overall seasons from a starting pitcher in the last decade, when he managed 22 wins, three losses and a 2.54 ERA in 2008 . Four years later, he had six wins and nine losses despite starting 30 games. Lee is pitching well again, but the stats just do not reflect it. His ERA is significantly lower than his career average, and he is on pace for over 200 strikeouts. If the Phillies can start giving him some run support, he should be able to regain his elite fantasy status.

Eric Hosmer (1B-KC)- The hype surrounding Hosmer coming out of the 2008 amateur draft seemed to be somewhat misguided after he hit just 29 home runs in three years in the minors. However, Hosmer proved the naysayers wrong by batting .293 and belting 19 home runs in his first full season in the majors. Since then, he has displayed a rare combination of speed and power. His one home run and zero stolen bases through mid-May is not consistent with what he has shown thus far in his major league career. Expect him to bounce back.

Sell high:

Charlie Blackmon (OF-COL)- The 27-year-old has gone from utility outfielder to an elite fantasy starter in just under a year. Blackmon has come out of nowhere, surprising everyone in the process. Never before in his career has he eclipsed 260 at bats. Last year, he hit nine home runs in Triple A and the MLB combined. Already, this year, he has matched that number. On top of that, he is batting .331 with 30 RBIs and 8 stolen bases. Talk about a fluke.

Victor Martinez (C/DH-DET)- Since 1996, when Victor Martinez was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent, he has never exceeded a .333 batting average, which is what he is at currently. Martinez is also on track for over 30 home runs, despite never having gone deep more than 25 times in a single season in his career. The chances of him having a career year at the age of 35 are very slim.

Seth Coven can be contacted at [email protected].