We are just months away from the start of the 2026 MLB season. That also means we are just four years and a few months away from the start of the 2030 MLB season. While the 2026 Boston Red Sox roster is still being finalized, some members of the 2030 roster are likely already here.
Due to Craig Breslow's affinity for signing players to pre-arbitration contracts, there are already five players with guaranteed money on the books for the 2030 season. Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Ceddanne Rafaela, Garrett Crochet, and Brayan Bello are all under contract through 2030 or beyond.
There are also plenty of players who are currently on the 40-man roster who haven't reached arbitration yet and are under team control through 2030. Marcelo Mayer, Carlos Narváez, Connelly Early, and Payton Tolle are just a few of those players.
While not every player under team control, or top prospect who will likely debut by then, or even the players with guaranteed money, will be around in 2030 due to trades or not living up to expectations, it's safe to assume that a good chunk will be. Let's look forward four years to the start of the next decade and predict who will be in the opening day lineup and rotation for the 2030 Red Sox.
Predicting the Red Sox's 2030 Opening Day lineup and starting rotation
Lineup - C: Carlos Narváez, 1B: Justin Gonzales, 2B: Franklin Arias, SS: Ezequiel Tovar, 3B: Marcelo Mayer, LF: Kristian Campbell, CF: Ceddanne Rafaela, RF: Roman Anthony, DH: Brent Rooker
Some of these are pretty self-explanatory. It's highly unlikely that Narváez, Anthony, or Mayer are going anywhere. With Alex Bregman in Chicago, Mayer seems like an easy shoo-in to take the hot corner, and it may help his long-term health as well.
The Sox seem to be making Campbell a full-time outfielder for 2026. His long-term deal also makes him extremely difficult to move, even if he bounces back to what everyone thought he could be. And if he does, why would they move him? While there has been some smoke about Rafaela being shopped, the Sox will likely keep him around through the remainder of his contract because of how cheap he is and the elite defense in center.
Before 2028, Boston will trade for Tovar to be their next shortstop. Trevor Story has a club option for 2028 — his age-35 season — that will likely be declined. The Sox use their pitching depth to trade for Tovar from Colorado, who will have four years left on his contract, ages 26-29, at just under $14 million AAV. They trade for Rooker in either 2029 or 2030. Rooker's deal has a vesting option for 2030, and this regime has shown that they will take on an aging player on a close-to-expiring deal.
Gonzales is currently the Red Sox's No. 7 prospect according to soxprospects.com. While he is listed as an outfielder, he split time at first base in his age-19 season. If he bulks up more, his 6'4'' frame likely plays better at first for Boston. Arias is Boston's No. 2 prospect. He is currently a shortstop, but Mayer will be holding that position down, likely sliding Arias to second base.
Rotation: Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Kyson Witherspoon, Connelly Early, and Marcus Phillips
The rotation is where there will likely be more continuity by 2030. Crochet and Suárez are under contract and they aren't going anywhere, barring any surprise trades. Witherspoon currently ranks as the Sox's No. 4 prospect. Coming out of the draft, the projections were high on him, and the way Boston develops pitching, he'll be a staple by 2029.
It's unlikely that both Tolle and Early are on the team by 2030 — one is likely to be traded before that, most likely being Tolle. If they are both in Boston by 2030, Tolle also has more reliever risk if he can't lock down his secondaries. In this exercise, Tolle is either in the bullpen or with another organization.
Early showed real promise in 2025, and Breslow was already unwilling to trade him at the deadline, meaning he's going to be in Boston for a while. Phillips was targeted by the Red Sox front office in the 2025 MLB Draft. He fits everything the current front office loves in a pitcher, and it would be a shock if he isn't in Boston's rotation in 2030.
The biggest question is, where is Brayan Bello? He is under contract until 2030; shouldn't he be here? In this prediction, he is in Las Vegas, and he was swapped for Rooker. Both players' deals expire in 2030, and the A's are always in need of pitching. While it would likely be Rooker and prospects for Bello due to the age difference, it is a deal that makes sense for both sides. The A's get much-needed pitching, the Red Sox get a veteran DH to finish their lineup.