The Boston Red Sox made a big splash by signing Alex Bregman to a free-agent contract. The signing propels the Boston Red Sox to likely finish over .500. They are now a solid team that can compete with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees to win the American League East. With deep pockets, they should compete in the American League East every year, but they have shifted back and forth from last place. They will not finish in last place in 2025. How many games do you think the Boston Red Sox will win this season?
Boston Red Sox Starting Rotation
The starting rotation for the Boston Red Sox is good, but it is reasonable to wonder if they will get what they need from the starters. The Boston Red Sox signed Garrett Crochet to be their No. 1 starter. Walker Buehler, a former 16-game winner with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is trying to get his career back on track after undergoing two Tommy John surgeries.
Tanner Houck will return to be the third starter for the Red Sox. Brayan Bello will also return for Boston and likely will be the fourth starter. He hopes to be as good as he was in 2023. Kutter Crawford may be Boston’s fifth starter, but he led major league baseball in losses and home runs surrendered last season. Patrick Sandoval, fresh off a Tommy John surgery of his own, may compete for a spot in the Red Sox starting rotation.
Key Bullpen Pieces
The bullpen for the Boston Red Sox has improved from a bad 2024, but how much? Liam Hendricks will serve again as the closer, but he is returning from Tommy John surgery. Aroldis Chapman returns to the American League East, and though he will be 37 years old on Opening Day, still throws 98 miles an hour.
Henricks and Chapman give the Red Sox power at the end of the game, but the question is, who is going to get the ball to them? Justin Slaten and Greg Weissert will also be in the Red Sox bullpen, but there are bullpen spots open to those who pitch well in Spring Training.
Red Sox Catcher
Connor Wong, the only remaining returnee from the Mookie Betts trade of five seasons ago, is the catcher. He is average but durable, as Wong played 126 games for the Red Sox each of the previous two seasons. However, that means there are about 40 games of backup duty at catcher. That spot is open to competition for the Red Sox in Spring Training.
Red Sox Infield
The Boston Red Sox made a big splash by signing Bregman to a three-year $120 million contract. Bregman is already at Spring Training and moving from third to second base. He needs repetitions there in Spring Training to get comfortable but should secure that position. Trevor Story is the shortstop. He looks to use the spring to catapult himself to a better season than he had last year.
It seems superstar Rafael Devers will move to first base for the Red Sox. The infield is a strength for the Boston Red Sox. Devers can still hit, but his defense at third base has suffered. That move leaves incumbent Red Sox First Baseman Triston Casas without a position. Look for him and Devers to alternate at designated hitter. Third base, vacated by Devers is a bit of a black hole. A Spring Training competition will determine that position. With so many players shifting defensive positions, the Red Sox will need Spring Training to gel.
Red Sox Outfield
All-Star Jarren Duran will occupy left field for Boston. He has become a star. Center Field will again be occupied by defensive wizard Ceddanne Rafaela. His bat is subpar, but he makes up for it with an elite glove. The right fielder is Wilyer Abreu, who is also an excellent defender. All three outfielders have great throwing arms and cover lots of ground. The outfield for Boston is more set than the infield.
Red Sox Designated Hitter
Masataka Yoshida is the incumbent designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox. He is under contract for three more years after coming over from Japan. He lacks power but is a good contact hitter. Look for the Devers/Cases combination to get some at-bats here.
Red Sox Management
Alex Cora is an excellent manager for the Red Sox. That is good as he has his work cut out for him in 2025. Craig Breslow, the General Manager has done a nice job of bringing in talent and shown a willingness to spend money, as shown by the big contract for Bregman.
Conclusion
The Red Sox have upgraded. Nevertheless, there are many Spring Training questions, especially in the infield and starting rotation. The Red Sox will likely not compete for the American League East crown and may not even make the playoffs. If they do make the playoffs, Cora finally could win manager of the year in the American League.
