On November 2, shortly after MLB free agency officially opened, the league and the Baseball Writers' Association of America presented the finalists for its annual awards. Two Boston Red Sox are finalists in different categories.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy is a finalist for the American League Manager of the Year Award. Kevin Cash, manager of the World Series runner-up Tampa Bay Rays, and Will Venable, skipper of the endlessly entertaining Chicago White Sox are the other two finalists. The winner will be announced on November 10.
Tracy's spot among the top three is well deserved. He took a team, formerly managed by the same person for seven years, and turned its season around. The Red Sox were 10-17 on April 25, when Alex Cora and five other coaches were dismissed, and they hit .500, 48-48, on July 17 under Tracy.
Red Sox's Chad Tracy named finalist for Manager of the Year following incredible turnaround in Boston
Late in the first half, going into the All-Star break and after it, Tracy led his team on a 15-game winning streak and a 32-5 midsummer stretch to catapult into playoff contention. The Red Sox didn't look back and coasted into the playoffs.
Despite the Red Sox's incredible turnaround, Tracy's competition in the MOY race is fierce. Cash is a perennial contender for what he's able to do with the Rays' minuscule payroll. Venable is the top competition for the award — he took the 2025, 102-loss White Sox and turned them into a second-place, 84-win team with electric offense.
Red Sox starter Payton Tolle one of three finalists for AL Rookie of the Year Award following stellar season
Payton Tolle has been named a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. Tolle has gained recognition across the league for his personality, talents on the mic and antics on and off the field, but he also deserves props for his pitching. He posted a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 171 strikeouts and 40 walks over 148.2 innings.
Like Tracy, Tolle is also up against some strong competiton for ROY. Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers and Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians. Both had incredible seasons — McGonigle slashed .278/.376/.430 with 28 doubles, five triples and 18 home runs over 156 games and Messick, also a Cy Young Award finalist, posted a 2.56 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, 161 ERA+,193 strikeouts and 49 walks over 186.1 innings.
Sonny Gray misses out on Cy Young finalist-status for performance with 2026 Red Sox
Red Sox 2026 ace Sonny Gray didn't make the cut to be a Cy Young finalist. Messick, Cam Schlittler or Dylan Cease will go home with the honor. Schlittler is the most obvious choice for the win after he logged a 1.95 ERA, 215 ERA+, 0.919 WHIP, 239 strikeouts and 49 walks over 193.2 innings.
But Gray's work in his age-36 season was too good to be ignored. He clocked a 2.72 ERA, 1.148 WHIP and a major league-leading 18 wins over 169 frames. Even though he didn't land in the top three, Gray will land down ballot Cy Young Award votes.
Red Sox re-sign fan favorite minor league pitcher Yordanny Monegro
Minor league free agency opened on November 2 alongside its major league counterpart, and the Red Sox reunited with Yordanny Monegro, a minor league pitcher who briefly entered free agency.
Boston signed Monegro as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2020, but he didn't develop into a top prospect-like arm until 2023. He tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery in the middle of the 2025 season. He pitched only 6.2 innings between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland in 2026.
Monegro could stick as a reliever in the big leagues and it's nice to see him return to the Red Sox organization when he's so close to Triple-A. Monegro is not only a talented pitcher, but he pitches with so much energy and confidence that he's an incredible watch.
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