The Boston Red Sox improved on their 2023 season by being completely average. The 81-81 Sox were in playoff contention with four games remaining and finished above their record of 78-84 in the past two seasons.
The Red Sox's record sat at .500 25 times this season. They began the season average, and it ended that way. But that doesn't mean there weren't some outstanding performances in the mix.
Jarren Duran's season is worthy of MVP consideration. Rafael Devers was on the way to one of the best campaigns of his career before his shoulder injuries flared up. Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford all took steps toward becoming staples of Boston's pitching staff by making at least 30 starts each. Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu posted great rookie seasons, with David Hamilton not far behind. Rob Refsnyder posted a breakout campaign at 33 years old and Tyler O'Neill reinvigorated his career.
The Red Sox needed all of those unlikely things to happen to get to .500. They could've been much better if their bats and pitchers played well simultaneously — one often made up for poor performances of the other. Through the ups and downs of the offense and pitching staff and horrendous defense all season, Boston's severe lack of capable, big-league-ready depth became clear. It'll need more experienced players to get anywhere near the postseason in 2025.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, CEO and president Sam Kennedy and manager Alex Cora seemed keen to address the team's deficiencies at the end-of-season press conference held on Sept. 30.
"I think, where going is gonna be fun and I've been saying it all along the last two weeks. . . I truly believe this is the last struggle," Cora said. "I think this is it. There were some positives, there were a lot of negatives, but I think where we're going as an organization, it's going to be fun again."
John Henry, January 16, 2002:
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) September 30, 2024
"Win a World Series? That’s not my choice, it’s my role, it’s my obligation to New England."
Sam Kennedy today:
"There's nothing like October baseball, and that's our responsibility and our obligation to the best fans in baseball."
Cora mentioned "the promise of winning" as a reason for his contract extension in Boston. Hopefully, the front office will put in extra effort and funds to honor its promise to Cora and Sox fans everywhere after the latest three years of disappointment.
"There's nothing like October baseball, and that's our responsibility and out obligation to the best fans in baseball," Kennedy said. "We fell short of that this year, but we're going to work tirelessly to get us back where we belong in the American League East. . . Talk is cheap right now, words are hollow, but that's what we're gonna work on this offseason."
A reporter asked Kennedy if he thought ownership gave the Red Sox enough resources to succeed in 2024 and he answered with a resounding "no." Increased resources from ownership will be critical to any winning the Red Sox hope to do next season. But Kennedy's right — talk is cheap, and Red Sox ownership needs to act on its promises this year.
After the Red Sox missed the playoffs yet again, the front office has more promises for next season. It should actually execute them.
Breslow and Kennedy emphasized the need to improve the team through every possible avenue. No one promised excessive spending, but free agency and trades were both mentioned as necessary options for improvements to the club. They also made sure to clarify that no one, specifically, is off the table when it comes to trades, but values need to match up for a deal to be done. Unfortunately, that's the hard part of making trades.
The Sox have one of the youngest rosters in the league, and the farm system has become a huge asset to the club. Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester rose to the occasion in their major league and Red Sox debuts. Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Kristian Campbell are expected to be big-league-ready next season, maybe as soon as spring training. But a group of 20-year-olds won't make a difference right away, and the roster will need to be reinforced with experience for the Red Sox's young talent to thrive at the big league level. Boston has an excess of other young, capable talent to make trades with, and it should absolutely take advantage of its farm's depth.
The Red Sox are running out of time to make good on their promises. Last season's "full throttle" fiasco had fans desperate for big free agent signings as they looked down the barrel of the fifth year of a rebuild. Almost a year later, Boston has missed the playoffs again for the fifth time in six seasons.
Before the 2024 campaign, the front office focused on fielding a "competitive team." Now, Breslow, Cora and Kenney all seem on the same page — the goal is to play baseball in October. The 81-81 Red Sox almost got there without much of the help ownership promised before the season, and they've proved they're worth spending on.
It's time for Fenway Sports Group to put up or shut up. Players like Devers are wasting the prime of their careers playing under an ownership group that doesn't seem to care about the product on the field. If Red Sox management sticks to its word, Boston should be more than just competitive in 2025.