BOSTON -- It was on June 12 when Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy couldn’t help but be frank in a radio interview about his underachieving team. Plan A was to be buyers at the Trade Deadline. Plan B was in the process of being implemented.
“Let's be honest, unless things change dramatically, we may have to pivot here from what our initial planning was,” Kennedy said that day. “It just wouldn't be responsible to do otherwise."
Perhaps just in the nick of time, things have changed dramatically.
Thirteen days after Kennedy’s candid words, the Red Sox started a run that took them into the All-Star break on the strength of a 14-2 run and a nine-game winning streak.
- Record at the break: 46-48 (Third in AL East, 10 games back)
- Record at the break last year: 53-45 (Third in AL East, 3 games back)
- Playoff odds: 40.5% per FanGraphs
- Remaining strength of schedule: .501 (12th hardest in MLB)
A season that seemed lost has possibly been found, and the Sox can thank a watered-down American League for the grace period that allowed them to come back so swiftly from a rough start that once had the team 14 games under .500 and 6 1/2 games back in the AL Wild Card standings.
They can also thank their own in-season surge, which has been impressive.
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With less than three weeks to go before the Trade Deadline, Boston is now a mere half-game back in the AL Wild Card standings.
Now, all eyes will be on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s reaction to his team’s rejuvenation.
“For us, we need to play baseball and keep getting better,” said team leader and All-Star Willson Contreras. “And besides that, the front office, hopefully they're gonna do whatever they think is better for the team, and we have to respect that.”
The Red Sox have controlled what they could control the last couple of weeks, and the hope is that the message has been received by the front office.
“I think going to the Trade Deadline, those are things as a player, we don’t control,” said center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. “I believe 'Brez' and everybody in the front office will go out there and get what they think we’re missing. Personally, I believe in the whole group and I believe in what we have. Of course we want everybody to stay together at the Trade Deadline. [Continuing to] win ballgames, that will mean a lot.”
Biggest need: Another right-handed bat. Contreras is having a breakout season, belting 20 homers before the All-Star break. But the lineup could use another right-handed bat who could thrive at Fenway Park. The Red Sox have played much better on the road (29-21) this season than at home (17-27), and another righty bat could balance things out.
Biggest chip: The Red Sox have built a lot of pitching depth in the farm system since Breslow, now in his third season, took over. While Anthony Eyanson, the team’s No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 52 overall, might be close to untouchable, the Sox have plenty of other arms who could attract rebuilding teams, including Kyson Witherspoon and Marcus Phillips, two SEC righties who were taken ahead of Eyanson in the 2025 Draft.
Key players for second half: While a lot of the roster has come together during the 14-2 hot streak, the player the Red Sox miss most is Roman Anthony, who hasn’t played since May 4 due to a partially torn tendon in his right hand/wrist. If Anthony can turn a corner soon and be back for the last six weeks or so, it could have a big impact on a Boston team that has relied heavily on pitching for most of the season. And as stellar as that pitching has been, the return of injured ace Garrett Crochet -- even if not until September -- could give Boston a big boost.
Determining factor: As much as the Sox have given themselves a chance to be a factor in the playoff hunt on the strength of their recent roll, they can’t afford to fall back now. And coming out of the break, Boston has the ultimate test with the AL East-leading Rays coming to Fenway for a four-game series that opens with a day-night doubleheader. An impressive showing in that series could put even more wind in the club’s sails, while a setback could derail some of the momentum that has been built.