BOSTON -- With the temperatures in the low 80s on this unseasonably warm Monday at Fenway Park, the Red Sox could have been holding a workout and press conferences in preparation for Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday.
That, in itself, served as a reminder of the fact the club reached part of its goal (getting back to the postseason), but not all of it (making a substantial run).
Instead, Monday was the annual post-mortem press gathering with team president/CEO Sam Kennedy, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora.
By snapping a three-year postseason drought, the group struck a more optimistic tone this time, but it was accompanied by the acknowledgement that improvements need to be made.
It should be a busy Hot Stove season for a club that won 89 games, but would love to get into the mid 90s and win the American League East in ‘26.
“I think we've talked a lot about how this window of contention is upon us,” Breslow said. “We’ll take stock of the roster, and we'll think about opportunities to improve that could come through multiple paths.”
A No. 2 starter and a power bat could get the club to that next step. Perhaps a combination of internal and external factors will help the Sox fill those needs.
Another frontline starting pitcher (external)
Boston’s top need at the Trade Deadline was acquiring a No. 2 pitcher to back up ace Garrett Crochet in the starting rotation.
Breslow made a bid for Joe Ryan, but the offer fell short of what the Twins were looking for.
“No one will sit in the seat and say that there's enough pitching in the organization,” said Breslow. “I think we saw that in the second half, and we could list out the pitchers that were on the IL. And it just means that depth is so critically important. So like I said, when we talk about pursuing opportunities to improve the team, bringing in pitching is certainly one of them.”
Improving starting rotation (internal)
For the first time in years, the Red Sox have excitement about their young core of pitching in the upper levels in the Minors. Payton Tolle and Connolly Early, the club’s No. 2 and No. 6 prospects per MLB Pipeline, both helped the club in September and both got their feet wet amid the intense pressure of Yankee Stadium in the playoffs. In particular, Early (2.33 ERA in four regular-season starts) could get a chance to win a spot in the 2026 rotation.
In Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series, Early fired three scoreless innings before Boston’s defense let him down in a four-run fourth inning that was the difference in New York’s 4-0 win in the clincher.
“After Game 3, I saw that kid in the dugout and I had no doubt this guy is going to contribute in the future,” said Cora. “We talked a little bit after the game. The goal is to get stronger and to keep getting better. He had a taste of what it is to pitch in October and in Yankee Stadium in a win-or-go home game. What better experience for a kid to have? Moving forward he’s going to be better and I’m excited about his future.”
A power bat (external)
Particularly after the June 15 trade of Rafael Devers, Boston’s lack of power became an issue. It became more noticeable when Roman Anthony was lost for the season to a left oblique injury on Sept. 2. The Red Sox hit 186 homers, which ranked seventh in the AL.
Two pending free agents, in particular, could fix that issue in Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber.
One thing that’s clear is that power plays in October. Trevor Story had the only homer in the three-game Wild Card Series against the Yankees.
“While scoring runs … this is kind of a zero-sum game, and it doesn't really matter how you score -- but in the postseason, a lot of runs come via the home run because the pitching is so dominant. So I think that's a consideration” said Breslow.
More power (internal)
Triston Casas looked like a blossoming power bat when a strong finish propelled him to 23 homers in 502 plate appearances in his rookie season of 2023. However, Casas had major injuries in each of the last two seasons, limiting him to 16 homers in 355 plate appearances.
Can the Sox bank on Casas as the first baseman for next season?
“I don't think it makes a ton of sense on October 6 to say someone is or isn't our first baseman. We'll see how things play out,” Breslow said. “Unfortunately, Triston has missed a significant amount of time over the last two years. We've also seen what he's capable of doing when he’s healthy.”
Wilyer Abreu also had a health issue (left oblique) that took him off the field from Aug. 28-Sept. 20 and limited his production when he returned. But he hit 22 homers in just 373 at-bats, meaning a 30-homer season isn’t unreasonable to project going forward. Anthony had eight homers and an .859 OPS in his first 257 career at-bats, making a projection of 20 homers reasonable going forward.