As we head into the ultimate days of 2025, it gained’t be for much longer earlier than the baseball world turns its consideration squarely to the upcoming season.
With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report back to spring coaching in lower than two months, now is a good time to replicate again on the yr that was earlier than we flip the web page to 2026.
The Herald’s Crimson Sox reporters, Mac Cerullo and Gabrielle Starr, focus on.
Favourite second of 2025
Mac Cerullo: Glad New 12 months, Gabrielle! It’s loopy to suppose one other entire Crimson Sox season has handed. Earlier than we dive too deep into what’s to come back, what was your favourite second from this previous yr?
Gabrielle Starr: Glad New 12 months, Mac! There have been so many nice moments – Garrett Crochet’s complete-game shutout and the 10-game profitable streak earlier than the All-Star break, for instance – however I can’t consider something higher than Ceddanne Rafaela clinching the primary Crimson Sox postseason berth since ‘21 with a Friday evening walk-off. What was your favourite?
MC: That was No. 1 on my top-10 record from final week and I feel it’s fairly arduous to dispute that was the season’s excessive level. However purely from a private standpoint, being in Toronto for that final highway collection was actually cool. It was my first time ever visiting town, and between exploring Toronto and attending to expertise a playoff-caliber Rogers Centre crowd, it was undoubtedly a reminiscence I gained’t quickly neglect. So far as the season goes, clearly the membership fell in need of its final aim and wound up getting bounced within the first spherical, so after we look again at 2025 how do you suppose this season will likely be remembered?
GS: Chaotically. That’s how I feel it is going to be remembered. From the Rafael Devers drama and commerce, to the Triston Casas and Tanner Houck accidents, to Garrett Crochet’s unbelievable first season right here, to all of the Fenway Greens walk-offs, to their temporary postseason run, this was probably the most chaotic Crimson Sox seasons in my lifetime. We’ve used the time period ‘curler coaster’ on a couple of event in these segments, however I feel it’s particularly apropos for 2025. What do you suppose?
MC: I feel this season will likely be remembered as a prologue to no matter comes subsequent. It was an apparent step ahead from the forgettable 2022-24 stretch, however no person hangs banners in Boston for Wild Card appearances resulting in a first-round exit. If 2025 winds up being a blip adopted by extra mediocrity, like 2021, then folks in all probability gained’t suppose a lot of it in any respect. But when subsequent yr represents the membership’s true return to kind, then final season’s crew might be just like the 2015 Cubs, who weren’t fairly prepared however who everybody may see was on the verge of kicking down the door.
Remaining offseason to-do record
MC: So regardless that we’re about to show the web page to 2026, the offseason isn’t over but. What do you suppose the Crimson Sox will do to spherical out the roster within the upcoming weeks?
GS: Add one other bat. Alex Bregman, maybe? In addition they want to determine how they’re going to stability Masataka Yoshida, 4 beginning outfielders, Casas (in some unspecified time in the future) and Willson Contreras, as a result of they solely get one designated hitter spot per sport and this roster is wanting crowded.
MC: I feel their subsequent transfer will inform us quite a bit about what the roster will in the end appear to be. If Bregman re-signs then they’ll have their full lineup coated and at that time it’ll be on Craig Breslow and Alex Cora to determine tips on how to make the items match. But when Bregman lands elsewhere, possibly the following bat may also come by way of commerce? I nonetheless don’t perceive how the Crimson Sox may make this outfield state of affairs work for one more yr, so till we get to Opening Day and Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu are each penciled in I really feel like one in every of them is ultimately going to get moved. With Casas at the very least the Crimson Sox have time on their aspect, which is one purpose why I’m fairly assured at this level Yoshida will likely be again. If he’s wholesome and efficient he can nonetheless be a productive DH, and if Casas begins pushing the envelope then that may turn out to be downside to have down the highway.
GS: There’s little question in my thoughts that Yoshida is usually a productive DH, even when he hasn’t hit for a lot energy the final two years, however as a result of the Crimson Sox don’t need him taking part in the outfield they will’t do as a lot rotating via the DH spot as different groups. It definitely made issues tough the final two seasons, however there’s nothing we will do about that. I’d wish to see them re-sign Bregman, not solely as a result of he’s a wonderful match, however as a result of it will imply they lastly paid a free agent.
MC: The truth that Breslow has made 10 trades however not signed a single free agent is form of wild. What’s attention-grabbing is that regardless that they haven’t spent in free company, they’ve nonetheless added fairly a little bit of payroll this offseason. They’ll pay Grey $21 million this season and Contreras $17.25 million, which in response to Crimson Sox Payroll on X/Twitter places them just under the $244 million Aggressive Stability Tax threshold. So including Bregman would put them properly over the primary threshold and presumably the second, which might be an incredible indicator to hesitant followers that possession actually is all-in on profitable this time.
Expectations for 2026
GS: Let’s begin broad after which zoom in. I feel it’s secure to say the Crimson Sox have extra beginning pitching depth than ever earlier than – knock on wooden – however are they at the moment a greater crew of their different areas of want, and on the identical stage as their AL East foes? I don’t essentially consider so. Toronto and Baltimore have had productive offseasons, significantly the Orioles, who acquired precisely what Boston wanted in slugger Pete Alonso. The Crimson Sox might be a Wild Card crew once more, and possibly they’ll even go previous the primary spherical this time, however has Breslow constructed a World Sequence crew with these offseason strikes? I don’t suppose so.
MC: As at the moment constructed I feel this yr’s crew is about nearly as good as final yr, which is to say a playoff contender however probably not a championship contender. The Rays are in all probability a transparent last-place crew, however the Orioles took a giant step ahead and the Blue Jays and Yankees ought to each be good once more. If the Crimson Sox add one other bat and possibly one other reliever or two, that may make an enormous distinction, in any other case the membership will actually be relying on Roman Anthony to make the leap from promising rookie to respectable star.
GS: I agree, and that’s the issue: not sufficient carried out to enhance the offense, and much an excessive amount of stress on Anthony. I feel he’s higher outfitted to deal with it than the common rookie star, however that’s not the purpose. The Crimson Sox have spent years saying they’re ready for him and all of this different younger expertise to achieve the majors, and right here they’re. Management needs to be constructing aggressively to enrich them.
MC: Pitching-wise I feel the Crimson Sox are in an incredible spot. Crochet is clearly a beast and I feel I’m greater on Sonny Grey than most. Brayan Bello should still have one other stage to achieve and Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford have each been efficient MLB starters earlier than. Between these guys and fewer skilled choices like Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, the Crimson Sox ought to have among the finest rotations in MLB. The bullpen might be elite too, however there are extra query marks and I feel the membership actually wants so as to add a veteran lefty arm or too as properly. Going into spring coaching with Jovani Moran and Tyler Samaniego as the one non-closer lefty relievers on the 40-man roster appears dangerous.
GS: Agreed, particularly on the Grey entrance. However they might want to do no matter they will to maintain Crochet wholesome, as a result of the depth they’ve is incomparable to what he brings to this equation. The Chris Sale parallels have been eerily glorious thus far, with each main the majors in strikeouts and both MLB or the AL in innings of their first Crimson Sox seasons, and ending runner-up to an AL Central pitcher for the Cy Younger Award. From right here on out although, the one approach I need Crochet’s Crimson Sox tenure to reflect Sale’s is a World Sequence championship.
Too-early predictions
GS: We’re in the beginning of ‘26 right here, however let’s attempt to predict the way it will finish. The ‘25 Crimson Sox had been 89-73 this yr and completed third within the AL East and misplaced the Wild Card spherical 2-1 to the Yankees. I’m going to say 91-71 and third within the division once more in ‘26 – second if Anthony has the season we expect he’ll – however they make it to the ALDS earlier than dropping in 5 video games. What do you suppose?
MC: With the caveat that the offseason isn’t over and we don’t know precisely how all of the groups will look, I feel this yr’s crew takes one other step and wins the AL East. The Crimson Sox actually weren’t that far behind both the Blue Jays or the Yankees final yr, and their pitching remains to be higher than the Orioles’. The Blue Jays could have peaked and so they may probably lose Bo Bichette in free company, and the Yankees have loads of their very own questions, particularly in relation to their protection and bullpen. I’ll say the Crimson Sox end 93-69 in a extremely aggressive division and lose in six video games to the Mariners within the ALCS.
