American League East Preview: Boston Red Sox

Back with a reloaded rotation and lineup filled with more uncertainty than a season ago, the Red Sox will have their work cut out for them in an AL East that looks as competitive as it has been in years. 

If you were looking for one word to describe the 2025 Boston Red Sox season, eventful might just do the trick. Whether it was the breakouts of young stars poised to be the club's future, borderline season-saving performances from faces new and old, a trade that would shock the fanbase to its core, or your regularly scheduled walk-off in the City Connect “Fenway Greens,” last year was a season for the ages. One that was punctuated with an 89-73 record and saw not only the Sox’s first postseason berth since 2021, but their first playoff matchup with the New York Yankees since 2018’s Wild Card series. 

The fun was short-lived, however, as thanks to key late-season injuries, a lack of thump in the lineup, and numerous untimely mistakes, the Red Sox would see their championship hopes cut short in the Bronx, losing the series two games to one. If there was one positive to the quick postseason exit, it was that the offseason plan seemed simple. Acquire a legitimate No. 2 arm behind AL Cy-Young runner-up Garrett Crochet after the rotation’s lack of depth was exposed, supplement what turned out to be another taxing year for the surprisingly strong bullpen with another late-inning arm or two, and bring in a middle of the lineup thumper that would supplement a hopefully returning Alex Bregman. Time to dive in and see just how that plan was executed.

Red Sox Notable Moves

The Red Sox would get to work by attacking the need for more dependable and established rotation arms, acquiring veteran Sonny Gray (3.39 FIP, 201 Ks in 180 2/3 IP), sending prospects LHP Brandon Clarke, RHP Richard Fitts, and the always expendable PTBNL to the Cardinals. For his next move, Breslow concocting a five-player deal with the Pirates that sent a low-risk, high-upside arm in RHP Johan Oviedo and a left-hander bullpen option in Tyler Samaniego to Boston for OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, who was No. 6 in the Red Sox organization at the end of 2025, but was a movable asset due to the abundance of pre-established outfield options. 

The next step was to dip back into the Rule 5 Draft, a spot where Boston has seen recent success with the likes of Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten. This time, however, he opted to go the trade route rather than a straight draft pick, acquiring RHP Ryan Watson from the Athletics, who will seek to carve out a role in Boston’s bullpen.  

Continuing to acquiring talent via trades rather than dip into the free agent market just yet, the Red Sox once again called up the Redbirds to acquire 3-time All-Star and 2016 World Series champion Willson Contreras (.791 OPS, 20 HR, 80 RBIs) in a four player deal, sending another young pitcher from the surplus of depth arms in RHP Hunter Dobbins to join Fitts in St. Louis. When a thought-to-be reunion with Alex Bregman went by the wayside, the Sox pivoted to a superb consolation prize, inking former Phillies all-star southpaw Ranger Suárez (3.20 ERA and 3.21 FIP over 157.1 IP) to a five-year, $130M contract, officially solidifying that bona fide No. 2 option behind Crochet.    

With all of these new pitching additions, Breslow had one more surprise trade up his sleeve, sending the trio of LHPs Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, and INF David Hamilton to the Brewers for 2025’s third place finalist in NL Rookie of the Year 3B Caleb Durbin (.721 OPS, 11 HR, 53 RBI), and depth pieces Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. Two more free agent acquisitions would follow as 2020 Gold Glove winner Isiah Kiner-Falefa was signed to a one-year, $6M contract to help improve Boston’s infield defense, and LHP Danny Coulombe inked a one-year, $1M deal to address Boston’s need for another left-handed option in their bullpen.

Projected Red Sox Lineup (MLB.com) 

1. Roman Anthony, DH/LF 
2. Trevor Story, SS
3. Jarren Duran, LF/DH
4. Willson Contreras, 1B 
5. Wilyer Abreu, RF 
6. Caleb Durbin, 3B 
7. Marcelo Mayer, 2B 
8. Carlos Narváez, C 
9. Ceddanne Rafalea, CF 

This time last year, the Red Sox lineup was projected to be a juggernaut in the making. Featuring a reigning Top-10 MVP finalist in Jarren Duran, a new shiny toy in Alex Bregman to complement Rafael Devers’ 30-100 ability, and the potential of Triston Casas to follow suit. Enter this season, with Duran coming off a somewhat disappointing 2025, the duo of Bregman and Devers gone to the NL, and Casas still rehabbing from his ruptured patellar tendon with no definitive timetable for a return, questions linger on where the thump will come from in this lineup. One that may not even feature a 20+ home run hitter to some. 

While this lineup may lack a true masher who can get the club 30-40+ home runs, to say there is no one who can even get 20 is a bit perplexing. Duran managed to hit 21 two seasons ago in that aforementioned breakout campaign. While it may be a stretch for him to repeat his resurgence, Trevor Story did lead the team with 25 last year. Wilyer Abreu, who saw his season limited thanks to illness and injuries, still saw him slug 22. 

With an everyday role confirmed this spring by Alex Cora, and a fully healthy season, one would think Abreu could get back to 20 easily, if not more. Add in Contreras, acquired as that sought-after heavy hitter and to stabilize a first base position that has felt like a revolving door; he's hit the 20+ mark in four of the last five seasons. And let’s not forget the potential for Roman Anthony (.292/.396/.463, 8 HR, 32 RBI in 71 games) with a full year in the majors and what he just showed off at the World Baseball Classic, 20 doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility for him either.  

While there shouldn’t be a whole lot of doubt about Boston’s one-through-five hitters, six-to-nine are where the questions come into play. Durbin enters as a bit of an unknown coming over from the NL, while Carlos Narváez and Ceddanne Rafaela have shown flashes of being great while also struggling with consistency, and Marcelo Mayer still seemingly needs to get his big league legs under him after his 2025 season was cut short due to a wrist injury after just 44 games. 

One name to watch is the currently positionless Masataka Yoshida, who could provide a much-needed spark off the bench or force his way into the lineup if he’s able to produce like he once again did in the WBC to the tune of a .375/.444/.813 line with 2 HR and 6 RBI in five games for Japan.                     

Projected Red Sox Rotation (MLB.com)

1. Garrett Crochet, LHP 
2. Sonny Gray, RHP 
3. Ranger Suárez, LHP 
4. Brayan Bello, RHP 
5. Johan Oviedo, RHP / Connelly Early, LHP / Payton Tolle, LHP

  
A pitching-heavy focus in the offseason positions the Red Sox with arguably their best rotation in years. However, thanks to the WBC and recent reports, we know they will slowly ramp up Suarez, giving way for Gray to take the reins of the No. 2 spot behind Crochet, and the chance for some early-season impacts from Connelly Early and/or Payton Tolle, depending on who makes the club and what their role will be. 

When the rotation does get up and running at full strength, Brayan Bello will likely slot in as the No. 4 option and comes in looking to build off a career year in 2025, and sporting a newfound confidence as well after not only dominating for the Dominican Republic in the WBC (1 ER, 7 Ks and no walks in 5 IP) but for the Sox since his return to camp (0 ER, 14 Ks and no walks in 11 IP).  

Factor in the possible returns of Kutter Crawford (knee), Patrick Sandoval (elbow) and potentially Tanner Houck (elbow) towards the end of the season and fans may not have to worry about any possible lineup questions and instead, kick their feet up and watch one of the deepest staffs in the league carry this team to another postseason berth that is hopefully a little longer than the last.