After making the playoffs for the first time since 2021, the Boston Red Sox front office is ready to take the next steps toward building a World Series contender.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow pointed to multiple deficiencies that led to Boston's early playoff demise. A lack of home run power, struggles with runners in scoring position and decimated pitching depth are just a few of them.
The lack of pitching depth down the stretch isn't entirely Boston's fault. Injuries to Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Dustin May and Lucas Giolito doomed their rotation to turning to top prospects in huge moments.
But had the Red Sox used their resources better during the offseason and at the trade deadline, they may not have been in that situation. There's a clear solution to minimize some of their pitcher troubles: sign or trade for recently proven players and not rehab candidates. Red Sox reporter Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe agrees (subscription required).
"The front office also should do its part and use the money saved in the Rafael Devers trade — roughly $270 million — to bring in impact free agents instead of reclamation projects like Walker Buehler.
"Team president Sam Kennedy has been adamant the trade was not a salary dump. Ownership has to prove that’s true because there are a lot of doubters.
"They could do that by stepping up to retain Alex Bregman, bringing in Pete Alonso to play first base and DH, or signing a pitcher such as Michael King or Framber Valdez."
The Red Sox need to stop signing rehabbing pitchers if they want to be serious contenders in the postseason
The Red Sox inked Buehler and Giolito at a discount because the two pitchers sought to rebound their careers. Boston signed Giolito before the 2024 slate and he missed the entire first season and the first month of 2025 due to a UCL reconstruction and additional injuries. He also struggled out of the gate after his Sox debut and he'd posted a 6.42 ERA through his first seven starts. Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and hasn't been the same pitcher since. He posted a 5.40 ERA through 22 starts, and he was demoted to the bullpen before the Red Sox released him.
Boston also signed Patrick Sandoval and Liam Hendriks as rebound projects. Sandoval was non-tendered last offseason by the Angels after he underwent Tommy John surgery. The Red Sox expected him to be able to pitch by the second half of this season, but of course, his recovery was delayed. Hendriks underwent a UCL reconstruction during the 2023 season, and recovery and a few other injuries limited him to just 13.2 innings pitched in his Red Sox career.
Had the Red Sox used all the resources they used to sign rehabbing pitchers elsewhere, they could've signed one of the top free agent pitchers in the 2024-25 class to complement Garrett Crochet at the top of the rotation. Boston has too much talent in its lineup to hope it can get by with unproven, rehabbing pitchers.
The Red Sox front office seemingly has a renewed desire to spend money as evidenced by its signing of Alex Bregman and inking Crochet and Roman Anthony to extensions. Boston's money is better spent on pitchers who can perform at their best for their entire Red Sox tenure (barring any injuries during the season, which are uncontrollable). In order to contend for a World Series, the Red Sox need to take their next pitching reinforcements as seriously as they take the rest of their roster.