The Boston Red Sox finished last season with 81 wins and 81 defeats for a symmetrical .500 record, not quite enough to reach the playoffs after a three-year absence. One of the reasons we failed to disrupt the October hegemony was our poor record within the division. Despite some notable victories over the hated Yankees, we ended up with a losing record within the division to all but the anaemic Blue Jays.
| Opponent | Record | Win percentage | Run differential |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 8-5 | 61.5% | +1 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 6-7 | 46.2% | -3 |
| New York Yankees | 6-7 | 46.2% | -8 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 5-8 | 38.5% | -12 |
Of course, for most teams, outside of the Dodgers, Major League baseball is a story of team building, steady progress and occasional success. And for many Red Sox fans, the 2024 season has been categorised as one of steady progress with the hope of further improvement in 2025.
So what has Craig Breslow and the front office done to improve the squad in the offseason?
Pitching, Pitching, Pitching
With injuries to Lucas Giolito for the duration of the 2024 season and Garrett Whitlock for all but the first two months, there was a lot of pressure on a young pitching corps headed by Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello.
And despite an impressive start to the 2024 season, which resulted in an All-Star call-up, Tanner Houck’s form fell away in the second half of the season as he finished with a 9-10, 3.12 ERA record.
Kutter Crawford was plagued with giving up the long ball all season, but he impressed in stretches to finish with a 9-16 record and an elevated 4.36 ERA.
Brayan Bello, the team’s Opening Day starter, faired better, finishing with an impressive 14-8 record but an ERA of 4.49.
During 2024, Nick Pivetta settled into the fourth starter role, winning six games with an ERA of 4.14, but has since been traded to San Diego.
The bullpen, bolstered by closer and future All-Star Kenley Jansen, was also erratic with injuries and variable performances in high-leverage situations, hindering the team.
In 2024, the Red Sox seemed to blow so many winnable games that nail-biting became compulsory and stupefying disappointment an art form. The late-season bullpen acquisitions of Lucas Sims and Luis García from the Reds and Angels, respectively, were certainly much needed but not enough to tip the balance in the ever-competitive AL East.
For 2025, veteran Justin Wilson was acquired from the Reds, and Jansen traded to the Angels. So, for the front office headed by Craig Breslow, the priority this offseason was to improve our pitching unit.
On 11th December, the Red Sox acquired much-vaunted and American League Comeback Player of the Year leftie starter Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. Crochet made 32 starts for the White Sox in 2024, posting a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts across 146 innings pitched.
Boston gave up four prospects, including highly-rated minor league catcher Kyle Teel in the trade.
Crochet will certainly strengthen Boston’s starting corps, which may begin the season as a six-man rotation, depending on the health of Giolito and Whitlock.
Manager Alex Cora remains cautious about overusing his starters, and that should help Crochet, who was worn down by the White Sox at the end of their disastrous 2024 campaign.
The starting rotation was further bolstered by the trade for Walker Buehler on 28th December 2024. Buehler signed a one-year deal for $21.05 million guaranteed, plus incentives.
Red Sox fans are praying that we see the 2024 postseason version of Buehler, not the 1-6, 5.38 era pitcher the Dodgers faithful witnessed during his injury-ravaged ‘24 regular season.
Further reinforcements arrived in the form of another southpaw starter, Patrick Sandoval, who has had injury issues but arrived from the Angels on a two-year contract deal for $18.25 million and is looking to get his career back on track.
Turning to the bullpen, Justin Slaten, a 26-year-old who posted an impressive 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 2024 and Greg Weissert, who went 4-2 with a 3.13 ERA, along with left-hander Brennan Bernardino and right-hander Josh Winckowski, are expected to carry the load out of the bullpen in 2025.
In 2024 the Red Sox led the entire American League with 31 blown saves. Only the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins had lower save percentages across MLB last season.
So for 2025, the Red Sox have turned to returning-veteran Liam Hendriks and newly acquired Aroldis Chapman to close out games and replace Kenley Jansen. Hendriks is returning from injury, whereas Chapman and his 100+ mph fastball arrived from Pittsburgh; it will be interesting to see how the long relief/closer situation develops into and throughout the 2025 season.
At last, Bregman!
For most of the 2024 offseason, there had been persistent rumours that Astros two-time All-Star, 2024 Gold Glove winner and World Series-winning third baseman Alex Bregman was going to be acquired by the Red Sox. Although pull hitter Bregman had an average season in 2024 by his standards, posting a .260/.315/.453 slash line with the re-building Astros, he is viewed across baseball as a stable, professional and consistent hitter.
The advantages were numerous, including the addition of a much-needed right-hand bat to the lineup, excellent defensive metrics, a reunion with Cora, and an offer by Bregman to move to second base, thus leaving Rafael Devers’ power bat at third, and offering a winning veteran presence in the clubhouse.
However, on 31st January, it was reported by Bob Nightingale of USA Today that two teams were in prime position to sign Bregman “the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox loom as co-favorites for 3B Alex Bregman with no movement in Astros talks.”
The picture only got murkier over the next few weeks, as multiple sources reported that the Cubs were also in talks to sign Bregman and had offered him a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract.
Then, on 13th February, with just over a week until the Grapefruit League got underway, news broke that Alex Bregman had signed a three-year, $120 million deal to play for the Red Sox. The deal includes opt-outs after 2025 and 2026 and some deferrals.
Bregman had an original offer from the Astros to ponder but also an offer from the Tigers for six years and $171.5 million with an opt out after 2026, and an offer from the Cubs for four years and $120 million with opt outs after 2026 and 2027 but he chose Boston’s higher average annual deal.
The acquisition of Bregman has certainly mitigated the loss of outfielder Tyler O’Neill to free agency. In 2024, O’Neill slashed .241/.336/.511 with 31 home runs and 61 RBI in 133 games, and his absence removed a right-handed power bat from the leftie-heavy lineup.
O’Neill started the season with a bang, but as the summer came and went, so did his impact, and many Red Sox fans were not unhappy to see him sign a three-year contract with the Orioles in December.
Further good news for Red Sox fans heading into 2025 is the health of right-handed shortstop Trevor Story. The powerful ex-Rockie endured an injury-plagued 2024 with the Red Sox, contributing a disappointing .255/.340/.394 over 94 at-bats, mostly in September after he was re-activated.
Young Core & Future Stars
Along with O’Neill and Devers’ power, and 13 home run productivity from catcher Connor Wong, the 2024 Red Sox lineup was centred around four young stars with dazzling futures in the game: Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu.
Outfielder Duran was named the All Star game MVP, and apart from a much-publicised and unpleasant altercation with a heckling fan in August, he had a great season, leading the major leagues in plate appearances with 735 and at-bats with 675. Duran mashed 48 doubles, 14 triples, and posted an impressive .285/.342/.492 with 111 runs, 24 home runs, and 75 RBIs.
Rafaela, another outfielder who can also do a job in the infield, batted .246/.274/.390 with 15 home runs and 75 RBIs in 2024. However, there is significant room for improvement as Cedanne only walked 2.6% of the time, the lowest percentage in Major League Baseball!
Casas, our 25-year-old first baseman slugger, has struggled with injuries, which shut down his impressive rookie year in 2023 and continued into 2024. Despite this, Casas’s 2024 season with the Red Sox continued to show progression as he hit .241/.337/.462 with 13 dingers in only 63 games and 212 plate appearances.
Abreu, our regular Gold Glove award-winning right fielder, hit .253/.322/.459 with 15 home runs in 2024. Abreu signed a four-year contract extension, and he has become a fan favourite, given his heroics in the outfield and clutch-batting vignettes.
The talent conveyor belt at Boston is cranked up to maximum heading into 2025, with Baseball America ranking the organisation as number 1 in terms of the farm system. Seriously talented prospects led by 21-year-old outfielder Roman Anthony (MLB #2 ranked prospect), 23-year-old infield/outfielder Kristian Campbell (MLB #7 ranked prospect) and 22-year-old shortstop Marcelo Mayer (MLB #12 ranked prospect) are leading an impressive array of young talent in the farm system.
All three players and possibly one or two more will likely get called up to the bigs in 2025, and it will be fascinating to watch them develop and improve in 2025 and over the next few seasons.
My Prediction
As ever, the American League East is ridiculously competitive again in 2025.
Last year’s pennant-winning New York Yankees have lost Juan Soto but potentially improved with the acquisitions of Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, who is hoping to resurrect his career in the Bronx. Ace closer Devin Williams has also brought his potent screwball to the Bronx from the Brewers.
The Orioles lost ace Corbin Burnes to the D-Backs and Santander to the rival Blue Jays but strengthened the young core group with the additions of veteran Charlie Morton and the aforementioned Tyler O’Neill.
The Blue Jays are intriguing, having been in the hunt for almost every high-profile free agent this offseason, whilst re-signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and then adding outfielder Anthony Santander and veteran pitcher Max Scherzer.
With mercurial shortstop Bo Bichette back from injury the Blue Jays may be poised for a breakthrough in 2025.
And finally, the pitching-rich Tampa Bay Rays, who have made one of the most impressive free-agent signings in the division by acquiring shortstop Ha-Seong Kim from the ailing Padres.
However, in 2025 the Rays are homeless following the damage caused to Tropicana Field by Hurricane Milton. They will play next season at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the Yankees, and there are persistent rumours of relocation.
I guess this means that the 2025 season will be another bun fight in the AL East. I could predict anywhere from first to fourth place for the Red Sox this season, and there are certainly lingering question marks over the bullpen and the health of the starting rotation.
However, I’m going to ignore Pecota and given our improving young core with huge potential coming through, the increase in quality at starting pitching, the signing of Alex Bregman and Cora’s motivational and tactical skills, I will predict a second-place finish and a long-awaited postseason berth in 2025.
Red Sox projected line-up for 2025:
Jarren Duran, LF
Rafael Devers, 3B
Alex Bregman, 2B
Triston Casas, 1B
Trevor Story, SS
Masataka Yoshida, DH
Connor Wong, C
Wilyer Abreu, RF
Ceddanne Rafaela, CF.
Red Sox projected starting rotation:
Garrett Crochet (LH)
Walker Buehler (RH)
Tanner Houck (RH)
Brayan Bello (RH)
Lucas Giolito (RH)
Kutter Crawford (RH).
Featured image of Jarren Duran by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Article by Carl Taylor. You can read more of Carl’s work here.
