Felt like just a few weeks ago the Red Sox were wrapping-up 2024 with an 81-81 record after winning their season finale against the Rays (Yes, I’m still upset over the draft pick implications). Somehow, it’s already the start of 2025 and we’re only 6 weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting down in Fort Myers and everyone obsessing over Garrett Crochet’s first outing in Red Sox threads. Truth is, Craig Breslow and the rest of the front office STILL has a decent chunk of work to do, especially if they were being genuine with their goal of winning the AL East in 2025.

Without a doubt, the additions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler has given the Red Sox rotation a ceiling that hasn’t existed since 2019. Not to mention, with Lucas Giolito/Kutter Crawford slotting in as a potential 6th starter and Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester, and Hunter Dobbins offering depth at Triple-A, there’s a solid floor if a significant injury pops up or the results aren’t there. Can’t forget Patrick Sandoval being an option down the stretch either. You should be able to avoid bullpen games, Josh Winckowski pretending to be a starting pitcher, or another Matt Dermody situation, even if you run into some bad luck over the course of 162.

At this point, it’s hard to see any other additions to the Red Sox rotation. Maybe the outlook of their depth changes a bit if Kutter Crawford is being moved in a deal, but he offers some unique flexibility with his history in the bullpen. That puts the focus on finally finding the right-handed bat they’ve been talking about all offseason and adding an arm that can help at the backend of their bullpen.

Earlier this week, Craig Breslow touched on both during his first media session since the Buehler signing. “I think in a perfect world, we’re getting elite-level production from a right-handed bat out of the middle of the lineup… But I also think that that production could come from a number of places. There are guys internally that may be able to take a step forward… Right-handed bats that we feel could play well at our park are certainly of interest to us and we remain engaged on a number of fronts.” You want to hope they’re chasing after that elite righty to put between Rafael Devers and Triston Casas, but the end of that quote sounds a lot like Hunter Renfroe, Adam Duvall, and Tyler O’Neill.

• Right now, the Red Sox are at $214.31 MM in terms of their luxury tax calculations for 2025. That leaves just under $27 MM before the first CBT threshold, which Sam Kennedy said ownership was willing to do in order to reach their goal of winning 90-95 games and the AL East for multiple years to come. You could easily approach or surpass that number by signing Alex Bregman or trading for Seiya Suzuki and paying Jeff Hoffman, but the question is whether they’re willing to extend that far after not making an offer to Teoscar Hernandez and not being viewed as a front-runner for Bregman.

  Some have taken Kennedy’s comments as a promise the Red Sox were willing to go over that first CBT threshold. I wouldn’t frame it that way, but considering their goals for 2025 and the emphasis on turning the dial from the future to the present, there isn’t room to have an incomplete roster anymore. You need to handle business in terms of balancing your lineup and fixing a bullpen that imploded on a nightly basis in the second-half last season.

  Bregman seems like the easiest and most simple solution. He only costs money and you’ve yet to sign a free agent that had a qualifying offer attached, so sacrificing a pick after the second round shouldn’t hurt very much with Nick Pivetta turning down the QO. Despite Bregman’s OPS+ dropping from 134 to 122 and 118 the last 3 seasons, he’s maintained a K% in the 94th percentile and a Whiff% in the 98th percentile, which goes a long way for an offense that accumulated the 3rd-most strikeouts in the sport last season.

  On defense, he’s coming off his first Gold Glove and has continued to be a stud at the hot corner, which creates a bit of an awkward fit with Devers, Casas, and Yoshida all on the big league roster. I was hesitant to bring in Bregman if it meant putting Devers at first base or trading Casas, but I like the idea of him sliding over to second base at least for a season. He spent very limited time at the position early in his big league career, but has handled shortstop in the past, and Cora seemed more than confident he’d be great up the middle during the Winter Meetings.

  Tyler Milliken ⚾️ on X (formerly Twitter): "Alex Cora discussing how he always envisioned Alex Bregman playing in the middle of the diamond. Couldn't show him enough love for what he does defensively.Interesting timing with the rumors of Bregman being an option at 2B today...🎥: @_abigaiiiil pic.twitter.com/T3kg8DKWKY / X"

  Alex Cora discussing how he always envisioned Alex Bregman playing in the middle of the diamond. Couldn't show him enough love for what he does defensively.Interesting timing with the rumors of Bregman being an option at 2B today...🎥: @_abigaiiiil pic.twitter.com/T3kg8DKWKY

• What sticks out to me with this path is that it raises the ceiling of your team for 2025, doesn’t risk upsetting Devers after his agent has made it clear he’s expecting to be a third baseman next season, and doesn’t force you to sell low on Casas to make all the pieces fit. Even for those who love Kristian Campbell, there’s a pathway for him competing to win the left field job, where you put Jarren Duran in center field and Wilyer Abreu in right field. Things do get a little bit murky when it comes to finding room for Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela (super utility role?), but there’s always room for an injury to reshape the picture or you can sell high on Abreu after winning a Gold Glove in right field.

  While I’m not confident that the Red Sox will sign Bregman, I do think the longer this thing drags on, the better it is for their chances. The Tigers seem like the most dangerous team in this conversation, with Bregman having the chance to reunite with A.J. Hinch. I assume the Blue Jays are standing there with the most money, but nobody wants to take it since the organization could be completely blown up a year from now.

  As Sean McAdam reported last month, Cora and Kennedy are big fans of Bregman with Breslow being more hesitant. That doesn’t surprise me a ton with Cora looking for the best lineup in 2025 and Breslow having to worry about what the end of a 6 or 7-year deal might look like. If the Red Sox can swoop in and offer a high AAV deal over the course of 5 years, I’d be all over it, because I think Bregman knows Fenway Park will offer him the best chance to stay productive throughout that contract.

  Scott Boras is currently chasing $200 MM for Bregman and nobody has been willing to reach those heights yet. I don’t see that changing unless the Phillies move Alec Bohm and Dave Dombrowski starts getting crazy. Maybe things play out like they did with J.D. Maritnez where the Red Sox wait things out and get their guy on their own terms, but that carries its own risk, and will only cost you more as options on the market dwindle.

  theScore on X (formerly Twitter): "The Tigers have been unwilling to meet Alex Bregman's $200M asking price, but notable progress has been made over the last month. 👀 https://t.co/wL0eWJefNK pic.twitter.com/7kIFYGwVa3 / X"

  The Tigers have been unwilling to meet Alex Bregman's $200M asking price, but notable progress has been made over the last month. 👀 https://t.co/wL0eWJefNK pic.twitter.com/7kIFYGwVa3

• On the trade market, Seiya Suzuki would be my first choice. It doesn’t seem like the Cubs are in a rush to move him after acquiring Kyle Tucker and shipping Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, but they have a full outfield, which means Suzuki would be doing a lot of DH work. His agent Jim Wolfe has already told Jed Hoyer that he wasn’t interested in doing that, so I’d offer him a similar role to Tyler O’Neill a year ago, and see if that could get him to waive his no-trade clause.

  Suzuki is on the books for 2-years, $38 MM, which is even cheaper than what Hernandez signed for and doesn’t come with the long-term worries of a Bregman contract. He slashed .283/.366/.482/.848 with 21 homers in 132 games last season for a 138 OPS+. That’s 6% better than the 132 OPS+ that Tyler O’Neill posted in 2024, with a K% that’s 6.2% lower.

  If you’re looking for a younger, more explosive version of Bregman, Carlos Correa might be the perfect match. It was rumored the Twins were listening in on him during the Winter Meetings, but he has a complicated contract with 4 club options from 2029-2023 that might appeal to the Red Sox. If his medicals aren’t a disaster, adding a 152 OPS+ bat that Cora absolutely loves would make a ton of sense, especially since it’d be another opportunity to add some money to the books.

  Another trade candidate is Taylor Ward of the Angels, who doesn’t have the ceiling of someone like Suzuki, but would be a lefty masher (.325/.377/.496/.873) that should hit 25-30 homers at Fenway Park. He’s also on the books for two more seasons, but is in the midst of arbitration, where he’s expected to get $9.2 MM for 2025 (MLB Trade Rumors). Not the sexiest option, but someone who would be a fine replacement for O’Neill and can handle himself defensively in a corner.

  On the free agent market, Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar, and Randall Grichuk come to mind. Santander was connected to the Red Sox a few weeks back, but there hasn’t been much smoke there with things heating up between him and the Blue Jays. It’s been quiet on the Profar front, but Alex Speier did note the Red Sox were checking in on Randal Grichuk in December.

  Jesse Rogers on X (formerly Twitter): "News: Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki's agent, Joel Wolfe, said Jed Hoyer informed him just last night which teams are interested in him. (He has a full no-trade clause). Wolfe also made it pretty clear Suzuki does not want to be a DH which is where he finished last season: "It's a small... / X"

  News: Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki's agent, Joel Wolfe, said Jed Hoyer informed him just last night which teams are interested in him. (He has a full no-trade clause). Wolfe also made it pretty clear Suzuki does not want to be a DH which is where he finished last season: "It's a small...

• Grichuk carries the least excitement of any of the names mentioned above, but he could be an intriguing platoon candidate with Yoshida. He posted a 140 OPS+ in 2024 after going bonkers against left-handed pitching with a line of .319/.386/.528/.914. Yet, he feels somewhat redundant with Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez teeing off against southpaws last season.

  Lane Thomas is another potential trade candidate that feels like a lesser version of Ward or Grichuk. It was reported earlier this offseason that the Guardians were willing to listen on him. He’s a free agent after 2025 and hit .302/.386/.492/.878 against lefties despite a miserable finish to the season.

  It just feels like the addition of Bregman or taking on Suzuki’s contract could be the difference between making the playoffs as a fringe Wild Card team or being one of the best teams in the American League. It’s not about just throwing money out the window, but there’s a chance the Red Sox could make a serious push in 2025 before Campbell, Anthony, and Mayer have their feet fully entrenched in the big leagues. The last few years we’ve continued to highlight a move or two that could have put them in October, but the conversation has changed with the improvements made to the rotation, so now it should be about how far they can possibly go.

  Based on the Red Sox messaging at the start of the offseason, they should be willing to extend in that way. If not, they’re going to get slammed for it. At some point, you have to match your words and get uncomfortable a bit, which isn’t something that happens when you’re bidding on generational talents in their Mid-20s.

  On the bullpen side of things, the signings of Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson have strengthened a major weakness from the left-side. I’d be shocked to see the Red Sox cough up $20 MM for each of the next 4 years for Tanner Scott, who is another lefty with big strikeout stuff that comes with its fair share of walks. Jeff Hoffman seems like a perfect fit from the right side, where he won’t demand as much money but also comes with elite velocity, strikeout stuff, and command.

  Tyler Milliken ⚾️ on X (formerly Twitter): "pic.twitter.com/UQy5Lh9Sl1 https://t.co/9iFvR9ayDG / X"

  pic.twitter.com/UQy5Lh9Sl1 https://t.co/9iFvR9ayDG

• Just one look at Hoffman’s Baseball Savant page and it’s easy to see why teams have been drooling all over him. Despite the reliever market being slow to develop, there was plenty of smoke about him potentially signing as a starter before Clay Holmes agreed to a deal with the Mets. He’s exactly the type of high-leverage arm the Red Sox could use in the 8th inning right now, and they could even promise him a shot at the closer role with Liam Hendriks still working his way back from Tommy John surgery.

  Kirby Yates and David Robertson feel like possible pivot options if the Red Sox aren’t looking to hand out a multi-year deal. Both posted ELITE strikeout numbers (12.4 K/9) despite being in their late 30s, with Yates finishing 8th in Cy Young voting due to a ridiculous 1.17 ERA. Carlos Esteves is another potential path on a multi-year deal, but won’t be as expensive as someone like Hoffman with their stuff heading in opposite directions.

  Along with finding a way to add in both of these areas, it’d be nice to bring a veteran catcher in on a MiLB deal that has some strong defensive tools. It’s clear the Red Sox are high on Carlos Narvaez, but he still should have to compete for the back-up job with his limited big league experience. Elias Díaz makes a lot of sense after ranking in the 77th percentile for CS Above Average and Framing, so maybe you could entice with an opt-out at the end of spring training.

  It’s more than fair to give Breslow credit for handling business with the rotation, but there’s still a ways to go for him to put together a strong offseason. Between the options still out there in free agency, having plenty of money to spend, and even some fascinating trade options, there’s no excuses not to nail the finishing touches on the big league roster. The goal is to win the American League East in 2025, now show us a roster that is capable of doing that.

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