The Boston Red Sox are holding onto their 2024 postseason hopes closely. Every pitch, every swing, every out, every inning holds more and more significance as the year moves forward.
There are many factors at play for how Craig Breslow and Co. proceed moving into 2025. Health, absolutely. Shaping the 40-man roster. Prospects rising and falling.
The Red Sox, surprisingly, are keeping pace with their 2023 record here in mid-August. Even factoring in the potential for a 2024 free-fall, the Red Sox will undoubtedly end this year’s campaign with more optimism in the sense that they could easily assemble a dangerous contender with the pieces they already have along with the resources and brainpower Breslow possesses.
It’s conceivable that Tampa Bay catches Boston and the Sox tumble down in the division. Toronto could as well, but that seems farfetched at this point. All that being said, the Red Sox look poised to get off the last-place schneid. That’s progress.
The sustainability model that Chaim Bloom sought so voraciously looks to be bearing fruit sooner rather than later. The young, standout position players are here to stay, and entering their theoretical prime. Whether it’s Jarren Duran, Triston Casas, Connor Wong, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, or David Hamilton, they all are calling Fenway home for a long time.
Trevor Story is looking for redemption, maybe sooner rather than later. Tyler O’Neill, Kenley Jansen, and Rob Refsnyder could all be in the mix, given what they have shown thus far. All with Rafael Devers, the lone beacon of a championship winning past, manning the cleanup spot.
The 2025 model might have looked eerily similar to 2024 if this season went sour early. What if Tanner Houck did not establish himself as an All-Star and full-time starter? What if pitchers like Justin Slaten and Kutter Crawford did not find success? The building blocks of run prevention of run production are presently constructed, and need to be amplified with more star-power this offseason.
The 2024 winter was comprised of fringe moves (many via trade) and assembling controllable, below-market contracts. Moving forward, how can Breslow NOT make bigger splashes? To be clear, pretty much every signing Breslow made exceeded the money value associated with them originally. The Red Sox front office is no stranger to momentous moves, and the days of massive free agent signings could (and should) be back.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal seems adamant that Corbin Burnes will leave the division-rival Orioles after the year. Should Burnes depart, the Sox look way more attractive than they did last offseason coming off of another tumultuous campaign. What about Max Fried? Or Yusei Kikuchi? Maybe a big-name reliever like Paul Sewald, Kirby Yates, or Carlos Estévez? There will be plenty of pitchers that the Red Sox can finally go all-in on, rather than just be linked to.
Alex Cora is starving for a loaded major league roster comprised of established, reliable, win-now players. How about instead of another projected season of sub- to mid-80s wins, the Sox give the newly extended manager what he’s wanted for some time now? The original plan for 2025 was to stay the safe course, build around the margins, and see how things play out.
Now, the play on the field should allow for more financial risk moving forward. The old way. Time to make it happen, John Henry.