After 148 long days, the 2024-25 offseason has ended and baseball has returned. The Boston Red Sox open up the 2025 season on the road taking on the Texas Rangers in a four-game series.
Boston went 81-81 in 2024, finishing 13 games back of the division-winning Yankees and five games back from a wild-card finish. After revamping the pitching staff in the offseason and adding some big-name free agents, the Red Sox suddenly have high expectations following them this season.
While the Red Sox made the moves to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, there are still a few looming questions they will need to answer.
The 3 biggest questions the Red Sox must answer in 2025
Can Alex Cora manage the Rafael Devers situation across a full season?
It seemed like one of the biggest storylines from camp has already put itself to bed, with the Red Sox confirming earlier this week that Rafael Devers will be the Sox's everyday designated hitter while Bregman holds down third base.
The announcement was a welcome one, as trade rumors and rumors of discontent have abounded since the awkward “I play third” moment to kick off camp. Devers may be a fan favorite, but it’s no secret he has struggled playing the hot corner.
Just because Devers has changed his tune and says he is ready to do whatever the team needs him to doesn't mean the issue has disappeared. In the past couple of seasons, Devers has swung the bat well as the DH. According to Fangraphs, he hit .353 with three doubles and two homers in 34 plate appearances, and in 2023, he went 3-7 with a home run.
Those are still small sample sizes though. The 34-plate appearance in 2024 represents Devers's career-high at DH. If Devers struggles to transition into his new everyday role, it could cause difficulties in the clubhouse. For manager Alex Cora, getting Devers prepared for this new role and helping him manage the highs and lows of a long season will be key for the whole offense.
Can the Red Sox keep their pitchers healthy?
Who wins the World Series: The team with the best pitching at the start of the year or the team with the best pitching at the end of the year?
After a strong start for the pitching staff in 2024, injuries and attrition took their toll, and the Sox pitching went from solid to struggling. Heading into 2025, the Red Sox have a highly touted pitching staff. In ESPN’s baseball writers preseason rankings, the Red Sox came in at No. 9, in part because of their offseason additions like Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler. For any of that to mean anything, the Red Sox have to stay healthy, and that’s a challenge in the modern day with arm injuries on the rise.
MLB’s pitcher injury report from December shows that pitcher injuries are more prevalent early in the year, with March being the peak time for injuries. If their staff can get through the early goings of the season, they'll have the best chance to make it to the end of the season healthy. Boston is already struggling, though, with Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Kutter Crawford and Liam Hendriks on the injured list to start the year. Luckily, Bello, Giolito and Hendriks are expected back in action soon.
Can the Red Sox win enough games to keep up in a strong division?
The Yankees are fresh off of a World Series run and the Orioles are finally seeing the fruits of their labor after years of building their farm systems. In 2024, the Birds and Bronx Bombers combined for 185 total wins and a 58-46 record in the division. By comparison, The Red Sox went 25-27 in divisional play, only posting a winning record against the Blue Jays.
For the Red Sox, it won’t just be about being able to edge out the rival Yankees and split against the Birds, it will be about taking care of business against the Rays and Blue Jays as well. The division this season could very well be decided by the first team to 100 wins.