The Boston Red Sox closed the chapter on their 2024 season after another roller-coaster year. The season ended with a record of 81-81, good for third in the AL East, but there’s a lot to unpack about this season’s squad.
This year marked breakout seasons for outfielder Jarren Duran and starting pitcher Tanner Houck as both made their first all-star games. Rookie outfielders Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu entered the lineup as solid defenders and reliable bats alongside offseason trade acquisition Tyler O’Neil who had a bounce back year at the plate.
“I’m surprised people are not talking about [Rafaela] in the conversation of Rookie of the Year because what he’s done throughout the season is amazing,” Alex Cora, Red Sox manager, said in an interview with NESN. “[He’s] playing elite defense in centerfield. Playing great defense at shortstop.”
The Sox’s hiring of new pitching coach Andrew Bailey from the San Francisco Giants proved to be a success. While the overall production value from the bullpen slightly decreased by one spot compared to last year, the starting rotation showed improvement as they increased their value from 23rd to 11th, according to Fangraphs WAR.
The top three starters in the rotation, Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello, became the first trio of homegrown starters to all pitch at least 150 innings in a season since the mid-80s, another testament to the improvements made by Bailey’s change in pitching philosophy and approach.
Despite the growth by the pitching staff this season, many players missed time due to injury. Shortstop Trevor Story and first baseman Triston Casas missed significant time starting in early and late April, respectively. This led to the team having to rely on moving players like Rafaela and shortstop David Hamilton around the infield and signing veteran first baseman Dom Smith. This meant the Sox never had a cohesive lineup that could consistently build familiarity with each other.
With the constant rotation of players all around the field, the Red Sox yet again finished with one of MLB’s worst defenses with an astonishing -18 outs above average, one of the most all encompassing stats to measure defense.
What’s been hurting the Sox for the last half-decade cursed the team this season yet again: a post All-Star Game break record that doesn’t come close to the first half of the season. At the break, the Red Sox held a record of 53-43, a solid five games above .500, in play for their first postseason berth since 2021. The second half became 27-36, the third worst post All-Star break record in the American League.
It wasn’t playoffs or nothing for this young team, but playing in Boston for any sport means the fans expect a competitive team that tries its hardest to make it there. If there isn’t any presence of a “win” culture, then missing the playoffs becomes the norm and making them becomes this huge spectacle. That’s not the standard that this next group of prospects should be coming into.
The big four prospects currently in the Red Sox farm system are worth looking forward to. Shortstop Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony, and catcher Kyle Teel are the main three that most analysts point to. All of them are producing well in triple-A and have expected promotions to the big league roster in 2025.
The fourth, second baseman prospect Kristian Campbell, put up a .330/.439/.558 slash line for a .997 OPS. His call up is expected in 2026, but could quickly become next season if he keeps producing results like these.
Looking ahead to the offseason, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has some decisions to make regarding roster construction, in terms of re-signing familiar faces and bringing in some new ones.
Breslow hasn’t been clear yet about what direction the front office will take when it comes to bringing in talent from outside the organization or calling prospects up.
“I feel like when opportunities to improve our team exist—and we should be aggressive in trying to find those opportunities—we take them to ownership. I think we’re going to have the support to do that,” Breslow told The Athletic. “But, it’s kind of premature right now to say exactly what that will look like outside of everyone in this organization is excited about what we believe is going on and happening here.”
The notable Red Sox with expiring contracts include the aforementioned O’Neil alongside pitchers Kenley Jansen, Nick Pivetta, Chris Martin, and catcher Danny Jensen. Some of these veterans can be replaced, as some pitchers return from injured reserve like Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks, but after the year O’Neil had, it would be tough to see him leave Boston.
There are some big names in the mix of this winter’s free agency class such as outfielder Juan Soto and pitchers Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, but the fans will have to wait to see if Sox owner John Henry will finally cash out this year since payroll is down from what it historically has been ranked.
One of the biggest needs for the Red Sox heading into 2025 is finally getting their bonafide ace of the rotation, one they’ve lacked since 2018 in Chris Sale. Someone like Burnes or the Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty could fill that role, but fortifying the bullpen or the middle infield would be a worthwhile investment.
Spring Training kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 20, but Boston sports fans can look forward to the Celtics beginning their title defense in October alongside the Bruins’ and Patriots’ seasons.
