Coming into this winter, it was imperative that the Boston Red Sox make not one, but multiple impactful moves following a disappointing end to the 2024 season. And with the Yankees making several key pivots following the departure of Juan Soto, Boston’s inactivity for another offseason was not an acceptable option.
Well, slowly but surely, the Red Sox are putting together a solid offseason and starting to look like a team that’s serious about returning to the postseason in 2025.
The Red Sox’s biggest changes have occurred in their rotation, where they have had a serious renovation. Adding starting pitchers was the top priority for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, and the Red Sox were able to add arguably the best starter on the trade market in Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox. But it takes more than one starter to get through 162 regular season games.
The Red Sox then added left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and solidified their veteran presence on Monday by adding right-hander Walker Buehler on a 1-year, $21.05 million deal. Buehler, who was ranked No. 23 on Yahoo Sports’ list of the top 50 free agents this winter, brings to Boston’s rotation a veteran arm who has pitched on baseball’s biggest stages and experienced plenty of success. His 18 postseason starts are by far the most on Boston’s roster.
Buehler had other offers, including some multi-year deals, sources told Yahoo Sports. But the adjustment and opportunity to play for a franchise like the Red Sox as it continued to rebuild its value after a strong postseason run was hard to pass up, and now the pairing is a win for both parties.
At this point, the Red Sox rotation looks like a combination of Crochet and Buehler, followed by 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck, Bryan Bello and Lucas Giolito, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock are also real options to start for the Red Sox. As the Dodgers demonstrated en route to their World Series championship, you can never have too much pitching depth, and that depth will now be a strength for Boston.
With the rotation solidified, the Red Sox’s biggest need for the rest of this winter is a right-handed bat. So as we close out 2024, the question now is which bat? Boston missed out on Juan Soto and several top free agents on the position player market, but there are still some impact players who would fit. Case in point: Teoscar Hernández, Anthony Santander and Alex Bregman are still available.
Bregman looks like the player who would make the Red Sox offseason feel more complete. The two-time World Series champion is unlikely to return to Houston after the team signed first baseman Christian Walker, and Fenway Park would be a great fit for Bregman’s offensive profile. It’s not hard for fans to imagine Bregman in Boston, where he could harness his drawing power again.
What’s more, Bregman could play second or third base, which would give Boston flexibility to decide if they really want to move forward with the plan to move Rafael Devers to first base and trade Tristan Casas or if they prefer to keep Devers at third. and Casas at first and that Bregman plays at second for the first time in his career.
The Red Sox’s place in the American League pecking order has definitely improved this offseason, particularly with teams like the Astros and Guardians, two of the league’s best teams in recent years, reshuffling their rosters and the Orioles of Baltimore relatively inactive until now. . If one or two more moves come together for the Red Sox, it’s reasonable to expect them to make a significant jump in the standings next season.