There was a time when the Boston Red Sox sat at the table of baseball’s elite. This is a franchise with a rich history in a major market, a devoted fan base, and a lot of money to spend. But in the six seasons since Boston last won the World Series in 2018, the franchise hasn’t been the same.
In that span, the Red Sox traded one of the franchise’s biggest superstars, Mookie Betts, to the Dodgers, with whom Betts won two World Series titles and remains one of the game’s biggest superstars. Meanwhile, Boston has missed the postseason in five of six seasons and gone through three different heads of baseball operations: Dave Dombrowski, Chaim Bloom and now Craig Breslow.
Boston’s once-held prestige as one of baseball’s premier franchises had taken a hit, and many around the league wondered if and when the Red Sox would return to prominence.
But as the second offseason under Breslow begins to take shape, it’s starting to feel like the Red Sox are about to make some noise again.
Any time you’re talking about the biggest free agent of the offseason, in this case Juan Soto, it’s proof that you’re serious about improving your team. The Red Sox, who met with the mega free agent last week, could definitely use the kind of star power Soto brings. Star power was once an intrinsic part of the Red Sox brand, with names like Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz, Manny Ramírez, Roger Clemens and even Betts, and it’s something they would surely like to have more of.
Boston has a superstar talent in third baseman Rafael Devers, but since he signed an 11-year, $331 million extension in 2022, the Red Sox haven’t been able to pair him with a player of his caliber to shoulder some of the pressure. outside of it. Devers and Soto would form a duo that would rival anyone in baseball, and with a leadoff hitter like Jarren Durán, Boston’s lineup could be lethal.
Soto is exactly the type of player Boston would look for during the golden eras of Red Sox baseball. But even if they don’t get it, their pursuit of Soto sends a clear message to the rest of baseball that this team is ready to sit at the big-time table again.
As such, many in the industry expect the Red Sox to be serious players in the free agent market this offseason. Not only that, but Boston’s farm system, led by Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell, will also allow the team to participate in the trade market and make a lot of noise there. While the years under Chaim Bloom in Boston were not filled with notable additions, Breslow now has the opportunity as chief baseball officer to leave his mark on the franchise.
Beyond their pursuit of Soto, the Red Sox could be looking for upgrades at second base, left field, the back of the bullpen and possibly the rotation this winter. Which free agents could fit in Boston? For one, the team has shown interest in free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and was interested in the World Series champion last offseason, prior to his signing with Los Angeles.
At the same time, pitching has been an emphasis for the Red Sox under Breslow, who pitched in the major leagues for 12 years. Max Fried, Blake Snell or even Walker Buehler would be strong additions to Boston’s starting rotation, which already has some fundamental pieces in Tanner Houck, Bryan Bello and Kutter Crawford. The Red Sox could also trade for a starter like White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, whom they have the prospect capital to pursue. Adding an elite, high-leverage presence, such as All-Star reliever Tanner Scott, would be the cherry on top of what could be a very productive offseason.
With so much room for improvement and real financial flexibility, this is shaping up to be the offseason in which the Red Sox can become relevant in baseball again. And with their rival Yankees coming off a World Series appearance and an Orioles team led by a new ownership group looking to invest, the Red Sox can’t afford to be left in no man’s land.
The time of sitting and waiting with a closed checkbook is over. Whether it’s shocking the world by signing Soto or making a combination of other impactful moves, the Red Sox have a real chance to win this offseason. They just have to decide that they want to do it.