It feels like it’s been ages since the Red Sox have been in the spotlight. Despite winning four World Series championships in a 14-year span from 2004-2018, it’s recently felt like Boston’s beloved ball club has only attracted media attention for reasons of failure and underperformance. It’s not uncommon for sports dynasties to go out with a whimper, but the Red Sox’s inexplicable decision to trade franchise cornerstone Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in 2020 felt like a death knell to a king that still had a few more years left in him. For the past five years, life has been sucked out of Fenway Park, and the Red Sox appeared doomed to fade into obscurity like all fallen empires eventually do.
That is, until recently.
For the past few months, the Sox seem to have finally begun to turn it around. Team owner John Henry, perhaps tired of constant scorn from fans and media alike, decided that it was time to reopen the checkbooks and bring the squad back to its former glory. Led by new Chief Baseball officer (and former player) Craig Breslow, team management responded with one of their most aggressive off-seasons in recent memory, acquiring the top pitcher on the trade market, Garrett Crochet, in exchange for a haul of prospects. Crochet, now free from a White Sox team that just set the record for most losses in MLB history, will have the opportunity to lead a rejuvenated Red Sox pitching staff along with Lucas Giolito, a former all-star who is returning from an injury suffered before last season. The team also signed World Series hero Walker Buehler, who will look to stay healthy and continue to build on his impressive resume at just 30 years old.
On the offensive front, the Red Sox made a late offseason splash by signing star third baseman Alex Bregman away from his longtime home with the Houston Astros. Bregman’s signing solidifies Boston’s lineup as one of the strongest in MLB and gives the team a two-time World Series champion to lead the locker room into the future. While both fans and pundits have praised the move, perhaps no one was happier than Henry himself, whose wife took a celebratory photo of him with a cigar minutes after the signing was announced. This is trademark big-spender arrogance— the Red Sox are back.
Perhaps the biggest question currently surrounding the Red Sox’ coming season is one coming from the mound. How will the Sox’ rotation shape up for 2025? One thing is certain — Garrett Crochet is the bonafide ace of the staff. Despite limited innings in 2024, the 6’6 lefty posted a disgusting 12.9 Strikeouts per nine innings, showcasing his nearly inhuman ability to miss bats on the way to making his first All-Star appearance. Crochet’s filthy stuff has earned him an early nickname on his new team, “The Pig,” thanks to the efforts of current broadcaster and former Red Sox player Lou Merloni.
Taking the ball behind him will be Tanner Houck, a breakout pitcher for the Sox in 2024 who also made his first All-Star appearance. Houck displayed his ability to finally shoulder a full 30 start workload, good for 178.2 innings. Beyond Houck, things get tricky. Walker Buehler is likely to be third, followed by some combination of Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford. Joining sometime midseason will be another free agent signing in Patrick Sandoval, who had a solid 2022 season but has largely struggled with injury since. While many of these players have posted impressive seasons in the past, team chemistry will be paramount for this talented staff to reach its potential.
It’s not just the free-agent signings that finally have fans excited again. For a few years now, the Red Sox have boasted a minor-league farm system that few other teams can hold a candle to. Despite losing two of their best prospects (Braden Montgomery and Kyle Teel) in the blockbuster trade for Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox farm was still ranked #1 of all 30 teams by Baseball America — the league-wide standard for excellent prospect rankings. The greatness of this reshaped farm, mostly thanks to the drafting and development process of former CBO Chaim Bloom, is one of both immense depth and stud talent.
In terms of national media attention, perhaps the most shocking is the widespread acknowledgment of the Red Sox’ “Big Three” prospects — Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer. Just a few weeks ago, acclaimed baseball writer Jeff Passan penned an article for ESPN heavily praising the Big Three throughout. He examined how the Red Sox top-tier hitting philosophy and prospect development tools have rocketed an already talented trio to the top. Though the Red Sox farm is position player heavy, pitching help is on the way and should be a focus in the next MLB Draft.
For the first time in a few years, the Red Sox have a solid bid for being legitimate contenders in a hyper-competitive American League East. Currently, the Red Sox betting odds to take the AL East crown hover around +400 on most betting sites, with the Baltimore Orioles slightly ahead. The New York Yankees are favorites to repeat as division champs, coming off a World Series run in 2025. The Red Sox finally have the ammunition to get back in the race. Can they capitalize in 2025?
Contact Mac Ribner and Ben Petteruti at ribner@oxy.edu and petteruti@oxy.edu
