What needs do the Red Sox have in the MLB offseason?
For the first time in 15 years, the Red Sox had to watch their eternal rival, the Yankees, reach a World Series. Not to be left behind, those led by Alex Cora could spend big during the winter.
In recent years, fans of Boston Red Sox They have seen how the team has gotten rid of talents like Mookie BettsXander Bogaerts and Chris Salewho have found new homes with teams that regularly compete for the postseason. Boston, for its part, has reached the playoffs once since 2018, the year of its last conquest of World Series.
“Our priority is 90 to 95 wins, and winning the division for many years,” he said. Sam Kennedypresident and CEO of the Red Sox last week in New York. “There is extreme urgency within the club to compete for the division crown and to go to the postseason in 2025, without a doubt,” he continued.
To accomplish this, Kennedy met in California with Juan Sotothe Dominican who will surely unleash offers of more than $500 million for his services, and who is also linked to the two New York teams, as well as the champions Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jayswho competed until the last moment for the signing of Shohei Ohtani the previous year.
With Kennedy’s words, the Red Sox are communicating to their fans that the lean season is about to end, and to compete for a title again, they must meet the following needs:
Soto or Sasaki? A big name as an anchor
Signing Juan Soto would be an especially hard blow for the New York Yankeesafter they acquired him via trade last year to seek the Major League crown. The 26-year-old Dominican says he will announce his decision in January 2025, so Red Sox fans will have to wait a little longer to find out if they keep the desired player.
If Soto does not arrive as the bombshell, it could be the Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who is also in the plans of several teams, including the New York MetsLos Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Sasaki, at 23 years of age, promises to break the pitching market after becoming available after several extremely effective seasons in Japanese baseball.
Both players fill major needs on Boston’s roster: Soto would fill the spot presumably left by Tyler O’Neill, the left fielder who played with the Red Sox last year, and Sasaki would be placed at the top of the starting rotation alongside Tanner. Houck, giving the team the ace it needs to truly compete with the rest of the American League titans in 2025 and beyond.
In the unlikely event that Boston ends up signing both, the total investment could be between $650 and $900 million, a huge amount but similar to what the Dodgers spent in 2024 to sign Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Red Sox would do this if they are assured of the result that Los Angeles had last year after signing that pair – winning the World Series.
A bat of power and help for the starters
If the Red Sox fan both Soto and Sasaki, there are a variety of talented elements that can become Fenway Park Next season they will contribute a lot to the club, despite not being the most sought-after stars by most clubs looking to strengthen themselves for 2025.
The Mets first baseman, Pete Alonso has been mentioned as a possible reinforcement. Alonso is also desirable because he bats from the right side, and would help balance the ninth. Another latent option is that of Alex Bregman, of the Houston Astros, who would reach third base for the Red Sox, forcing them to Rafael Devers switch to being a designated hitter or first baseman.
Max Fried or Corbin Burnes are the two arms that follow Sasaki in terms of interest from teams looking for star starters. Burnes, 30, has already been linked to the Red Sox on multiple occasions, including several months ago, when the Milwaukee Brewers entertained offers for him before sending them to the Baltimore Orioles.
Fried is the only one who has no experience as part of an American League team, but he maintains a 15-3 record with a 2.01 ERA against AL teams throughout his career.
Arms, arms and more arms
Even if Boston manages to sign one of the aces available on the market, they will most likely need more to compete with the rotations of teams like the Yankees and Orioles (even with the possible departure of Burnes). The team’s bullpen also needs a pair of effective arms, taking into account that the closer Kenley Jansen will return to the free agency market.
Walker Buehler, the talented but fragile pitcher who emerged from the Dodgers’ system, Nathan Eovaldi, the former Texas Rangers pitcher, and Shane Bieber, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, are very attractive options for the Red Sox to reinforce the rotation and support existing elements such as Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford.
It is assumed that Jansen, who had 27 saves last season, will no longer be with the team in 2025, leaving the closer position open. The players with the greatest cachet who could replace him are Tanner Scott, who played with Miami and San Diego last season, Blake Treinen, who served as closer for the Washington Nationals before leaving for the Dodgers, Cuban Aroldis Chapman who saved 14 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, or even Clay Holmes, former closer for the rival Yankees.
