With every new year comes a new baseball season and the chance for fans to turn the page. But for the last few campaigns, the Boston Red Sox have remained on the same one.
The Red Sox haven't posted a winning season since 2021 and they've been strikingly mediocre since. The 2024-25 offseason has already brought some improvements to the rotation and bullpen, but there is still work to be done before Boston can claim a division championship, as the front office hopes.
Before the new slate starts, plenty of reporters offer their predictions for the upcoming 162 games — or more of the Sox play their cards right. Chris Cotillo of MassLive believes Boston will make the playoffs and be expedited early, but a few of his other in-season projections caught our eye, including one that could come true quite soon.
Cotillo believes that designated hitter Masataka Yoshida will not be a member of the Red Sox by the time the regular season begins. Boston has tried to shop Yoshida to open a spot for a righty slugger in its lefty-heavy lineup, but it's been hard-pressed to find a team to take him on.
Yoshida doesn't excel defensively in the outfield and his contract price doesn't match up with his playing time and skillset that potential suitors have seen with the Sox. He also underwent shoulder surgery this offseason, and although Boston expects him to be ready for Opening Day, the procedure could lessen his trade value even more.
Red Sox insider's 2025 predictions feature some interesting (and unlikely) outcomes
Cotillo did not predict whether Yoshida would be part of a salary dump trade or designated for assignment to clear the roster, but the former is preferable — the Sox should hope to get something in return for dishing him elsewhere, but that may not be a possibility, given Yoshida's perceived value.
Cotillo also predicted that the upcoming 2025 season will be Trevor Story's last with the Red Sox. The first three years of his contract have hardly gone to plan, as he's played just 163 games in that time, but Cotillo theorizes that Boston could trade him at the deadline or the shortstop could exercise one of his opt-outs if he has a bounce-back season.
Story's trade value is negligible at this point and it's hard to believe he'd get a better contract elsewhere post-opt-out. But if Cotillo's prediction is right, a young shortstop from Boston's farm system could become a staple in the lineup sooner than fans thought possible.
Boston has plenty of young shortstops on deck if Story does depart, like Marcelo Mayer, Vaughn Grissom, Kristian Campbell and Ceddanne Rafaela. Cotillo predicts Rafaela may spend some time in the minor leagues after the Sox's top prospects reach the majors.
Rafaela flashed excellent defense last season in both the outfield and shortstop, but his 151 strikeouts could benefit from improvement. Maybe he could benefit from an offensive readjustment in Triple-A, so long as Boston's defense doesn't suffer in the process.
Cotillo's predictions hinge on some daunting variables, like the Red Sox finding a trade partner for Yoshida, Story falling injured again or having a bounce-back year, and Boston's prospects succeeding when they make it to the big leagues. Some feel less likely than others — the prospect of a Yoshida trade comes to mind — but fans will be keen to see which of these theories becomes reality. We may see a couple come true or fall through in a few short weeks when spring training begins.