The Boston Red Sox were one of the most aggressive teams this offseason, but that may not equal a playoff spot.
Boston made the playoffs last season but lost in three games to the New York Yankees in the Wild Card round. Following the playoff exit, the Red Sox got aggressive to further bolster their roster, especially its pitching staff.
Boston acquired starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, while signing Ranger Suarez. The team also traded for first baseman Willson Contreras, but Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs in free agency.
Despite the Red Sox’s active offseason, former MLB general manager and now insider Jim Bowden predicted Boston will finish 4th in the AL East, behind the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles.
“The Red Sox failed in their attempt to bring back Alex Bregman and were unable to sign Bo Bichette as his replacement,” Bowden wrote. “However, they did upgrade at first base with the trade for Willson Contreras and they improved their rotation significantly with the pick-ups of Ranger Suárez and Sonny Gray, as well as depth options like Johan Oviedo and Jake Bennett. Season prediction: Fourth place.”
The Red Sox finishing fourth in the AL East would be a disappointing season for Boston. The Red Sox have hopes of winning the division and going on a deep playoff run, especially with their rotation.
Boston enters the year with the third-best odds of winning the AL East at +310, only trailing the Yankees and Blue Jays. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have odds of -195 to make the playoffs, which implies a 66.1% chance.
Craig Breslow Expects Pitching to be Red Sox’s Key
The Red Sox were aggressive this offseason as the focus was on improving their pitching.
Boston was active as the team’s rotation is now led by Garrett Crochet, Suarez, Gray, Brayan Bello, and Oviedo. Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow expects pitching to be a key part of Boston’s success.
“I don’t think there’s a question anymore that the identity of our team and the strength of our team is going to be our pitching and our ability to prevent runs,” Breslow said on Jan. 21.”I think the improvements we made on the pitching side are significant. It can be difficult at times to fully appreciate the impact of having dominant starting pitching.
“But going into a game feeling like we can just play our game offensively and on the bases because our pitching is going to keep us in the game is such a huge advantage for the team. I think no matter who we’re playing on any given day, we’re going to feel like we’ve got a chance to win.”
The Red Sox did lose Bregman this offseason, which will hurt their offense. But Boston could very well have one of the top rotations in all of baseball.
Boston May Not be Done
Although the Red Sox have been aggressive this offseason, their moves may not be done.
Instead, Breslow isn’t ruling out more moves, whether that’s through free agency or a trade.
“We’ll continue to look at ways to improve the team,” Breslow said. “If that means potentially talking about trading from an area of depth in order to address another roster need, it’s going to be something we’ll be willing to hear out.”
Regardless, Boston is well-positioned to compete for a playoff spot, even though Bowden predicts they will finish fourth.
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