The rebuild of the Boston Red Sox has reached an important chapter. What will the Red Sox do in the offseason to complete an already strong core? With the Red Sox 2023 season playoff chances going down to very minimal odds, many people wonder what the future looks like for Boston. With a robust farm system and many good young players at the significant league level, building the team for the 2024 season should be an exciting offseason. Here, we’ll break the team into three parts: infield, outfielder, and pitcher.
Red Sox Future Breakdown
Infield
The infield should have a few changes going into 2024, as you have some talented players on the corners in Rafael Devers and Tristian Casas. You will have a hopefully healthy Trevor Story for an entire season at shortstop. The big concern for Devers and Casas is their defense, as they will look to improve from some lackluster defensive play in 2023. At second base, they have options with a right-handed hitting Luis Urias, who they acquired at the trade deadline, or left-handed hitting second baseman Enmanuel Valdez, who has produced offensively at times but has also had some struggles defensively.
The utility infielder will probably be Pablo Reyes, who has been a bright spot on this year’s team. Connor Wong has been solid at catcher and will probably backed up by Reese McGuire. An intriguing name is 1st round draft pick Kyle Teel, who might be major league-ready at some point next season. Overall, the infield is a strength for the Red Sox future, especially if they have some defensive improvement.
Outfield
The outfield is more up in the air next season, as they could go with plenty of combinations. You would think when healthy, Jaren Duran will play center field, but other than that, everything seems flexible. Alex Verdugo has had a solid season, but he could be a potential trade piece in the offseason. Masataka Yoshida will return to the lineup but could be as the designated hitter because of some defensive struggles in left field. Wilyer Abreau and Ceddanne Rafaela are two young prospects getting some major league experience.
They could be in the mix next year. Adam Duvall is another name to watch. Rob Refsnyder is the other outfielder under contract. He hasn’t produced much and will fight to make the roster. The outfield is more up in the air than the infield. There are expectations of Boston to try and bring back Duvall or look at other right-handed bats in free agency.
Pitching
Here is where to expect the Red Sox to be aggressive in free agency, especially the pitching department. Brayan Bello, a bright spot this season, will return as a top-of-the-line starter. Chris Sale will also be back but can’t be counted on anymore as an ace because of health issues. Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford are the other two returners who could compete for jobs in the starting rotation.
The Red Sox will need one top-of-the-line starter from this list and probably another innings eater. Another intriguing option not on the list is Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will be a free agent. Bullpen-wise, they should return their strongest arms to Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin. Garrett Whitlock and Josh Witkowski should be other options. They could use an upgrade in the bullpen to find more high-velocity arms, as the Red Sox only have a few. It will be an interesting offseason pitching-wise for the Red Sox.
Overall, it is an exciting time to be a Red Sox fan, as they have many options with a good farm system and a young core that can hit.
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