I forget what it feels like to be a fan during the summer while covering the Red Sox. As a reporter, I don’t have any real stake in wins and losses. Sure, it’s more fun to cover a team that is winning. More people read your work and it’s always a privilege to cover postseason baseball.
But wins and losses don’t have any real impact on my life. My focus is finding stories you fans want to read.
Then when the fall comes around and Syracuse basketball begins its season (lifelong fan here), I remember how maddening it is to be a fan of a team that keeps losing and doesn’t do what is needed to fix it.
The once historic program is about to miss March Madness for a fourth straight year and has been blown out 15 times the past year and a half; yet, they probably will run it back with the same coach (Adrian Autry) next year. Throughout this winter, I have often said to myself, “This must be how Red Sox fans feel. They deserve better than an unserious team.”
You know which other team also last made the postseason in 2021? Yep, your Boston Red Sox. If they miss it again this year, that will mark a fourth straight year. That has never happened during the John Henry ownership era.
The root of their issue the past three years has been the roster — not putting enough talent out there for manager Alex Cora.
Boston has made changes the past couple of years to the coaching staff to get more out of their players. But we’re talking about a big-market franchise with loads of cash to spend that charges tons at the gate and concession stands and that won four World Series from 2004-18. They have the resources to get it done. Yet in recent years, the Red Sox have faded into irrelevance, the last place you want to be.
Boston fans should be maddened. They should accept nothing short of a playoff berth this season. This organization needs to show they are serious again.
Boston has been outscored 2,310-2,258 (negative-52 run differential) during this current playoff drought. That’s unacceptable.
Since 2019, the Red Sox have gone .500 (218-218) at Fenway Park after posting a 57-24 record (.704 winning percentage) there during the 2018 regular season. They went 38-43 at home in 2024.
Unacceptable.
Sure, the Red Sox have more World Series championships (4) than the rival Yankees (1) this century. But New York has missed the postseason just five times since 1995.
Boston has missed the postseason five times since winning its last World Series in 2018. Again … unacceptable.
I’m maddened with Syracuse because college basketball is a sport where you can turn a program around in one offseason thanks to the transfer portal. Louisville first-year coach Pat Kelsey turned around the Cardinals in one offseason and several other coaches have done the same.
In the NFL, the Washington Commanders also did it in one offseason (hey, looking at you, 2025 Patriots).
In baseball, big-market teams can orchestrate as fast of a turnaround just by spending some money — or in other words: simply trying.
It doesn’t always work but the good organizations at least try.
The Red Sox were an absolute dysfunctional disaster in 2012. They then won the World Series in 2013.
Why is this rebuild going on four years? This isn’t a small-market team. It’s the Boston Red Sox.
You don’t have to try as hard as the otherworldly Dodgers. You just have to put in an effort like the 2013 Red Sox when they added Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster, Koji Uehara and Jonny Gomes in the offseason, then Jake Peavy at the trade deadline.
“We still have work to do and we’re working hard on that but where we sit right now, we’re very optimistic about this group having the ability to win 90-plus games and win that division and get in the postseason,” team president Sam Kennedy said at Fenway Fest on Jan. 11. “We’re really pleased with our position but recognizing there’s still work to be done.”
The Red Sox have tried this offseason unlike the offseason between 2023 and ‘24 when they brought back almost the same rotation (except Lucas Giolito who ended up missing the season because of elbow surgery).
This offseason, the Red Sox have traded for Garrett Crochet (a potential ace) and signed Walker Buehler ($21.05 million guaranteed), Aroldis Chapman ($10.75 million), Patrick Sandoval ($18.25 million) and Justin Wilson ($2.25 million).
They got uncomfortable by trading two of baseball’s top 100 prospects — Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery — for Crochet. That’s something they haven’t done in a while to improve the roster. That’s trying. Give them credit. Boston has arguably the most starting rotation depth it has had in years. It has likely fixed that area, which arguably was its biggest weakness when nine different relievers started 21 games over the past two seasons.
But have the Sox tried enough? They still have spent just $52.3 million in guaranteed money in free agency this offseason and their 2025 payroll, as of now, sits well below the $241 million competitive balance tax base threshold.
They have yet to add a right-handed bat after losing Tyler O’Neill to the Orioles in free agency. Even with O’Neill (31 homers), Boston went 17-26 against left-handed starters and ranked 12th in the majors in slugging percentage vs. lefties (.409) in 2024.
The offseason isn’t over. The Red Sox have made it clear they don’t have until spring training begins about three weeks from now to complete their roster. They have said they will look to keep adding during the spring before Opening Day (March 27).
They need to complete the job though. Free agent Alex Bregman is still out there and a perfect fit for Fenway Park, where, as mentioned, the Red Sox have played just .500 baseball since the start of 2019. Bregman has gone 30-for-80 (.375) with a .490 on-base percentage, .750 slugging percentage, 1.240 OPS, seven homers, nine doubles, 15 RBIs, 24 runs, 16 walks and 17 strikeouts in 21 regular season games at Fenway Park.
Add a right-handed hitter and another reliever with closer experience. Those are two areas they still need to improve.
Kennedy was asked at Fenway Fest if the Red Sox have spent enough money to convince fans they are being as aggressive as they promised when the offseason began.
“The fan base will let us know,” Kennedy said. “It’s not for me to decide that. But there is real belief in this group of guys. Brez (chief baseball officer Craig Breslow) was incredibly aggressive down at the Winter Meetings. If you would have told me that we were going to walk out of there with Garrett Crochet on the way down, I wouldn’t have believed you. It was an extraordinary few days. Our recipe for success here in the quarter century now that we’ve been here, you’ve got to have somebody at the top of that rotation who’s a lockdown true No. 1. And I think we got him.”
It’s time. Fans shouldn’t have to wait any longer. They have waited too long. They should accept nothing short of a postseason berth in 2025.
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