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      Nick John

      The Boston Red Sox continue to be aggressive with the promotion of their young prospects, as Franklin Arias was promoted from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland Tuesday afternoon.

      Arias, the team’s No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, joins his third team of the season after starting the year with Single-A Salem. In 106 games between Single-A and High-A, Arias slashed .279/.343/.383 with 25 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 58 RBIs. He also walked 38 times while striking out just 47 times.

      Arias, who entered the season known for his amazing defensive skill at shortstop, broke out offensively by hitting .346/.407/.397 before his promotion to Greenville. He began his time with the Drive continuing to hit before struggling in June, where he slashed just .169/.228/.265 in 20 games. His numbers have slowly climbed since then, culminating in him hitting .253/.380/.337 in 22 games in August.

      Arias, who won’t turn 20 years old until November, will be one of the youngest players in all of Double-A for the remainder of the season. Boston hopes he can respond to the increase in competition and prove why many prospect lists have him ranked as the best player in their farm system.

      Nick John

      As spring training gets closer to concluding, the Boston Red Sox have continued to shape their Opening Day roster. On the first day of March Madness, the team optioned and reassigned multiple players to the minor leagues.

      The team wound up optioning two players, including one member of last year's roster in Nick Sogard. He was joined by Tsung-Che Cheng. Sogard appeared in 30 games last season for Boston, providing defensive versatility for the organization while also securing a few clutch hits at the plate. Overall, he hit .260/.317/.344 with eight doubles and nine RBIs. Sogard also played a big role in the Red Sox's Game 1 win over the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.

      Cheng, who was selected off waivers from the Nationals, is only 24 years old and made his debut last season with the Pirates. He went hitless in seven at-bats. Cheng was never expected to compete for a roster spot and instead will serve as depth in Triple-A.

      Players who were reassigned to minor league camp include utility players Max Ferguson and Tyler McDonough, infielder Mikey Romer, outfielder Allan Castro, and first baseman and catcher Nathan Hickey.

      Nick John

      The Boston Red Sox continue to add to their infield depth, as they signed Brendan Rodgers to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training as first reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

      Rodgers is the second veteran infielder that Craig Breslow has brought into the organization in the past 24 hours, previously signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year contract. Rodgers, who won a Gold Glove in 2022, will compete for a roster spot in spring training.

      The veteran infielder spent most of his career for the Colorado Rockies where he played in 452 games from 2019 until 2024. In that time, he hit .266/.316/.409 with 92 doubles, eight triples, 45 home runs and 197 RBIs. Rogers spent the 2025 season with Houston where he appeared in 43 games and struggled offensively. Overall, he slashed .191/.266/.278 with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.

      Offensively, Rodgers has a lot of swing and miss in his game and doesn’t walk enough to make up for it. In his short run with the Astros, Rodgers put up career highs in both walk percentage and strikeout rate at 8.6% and 35.9%, respectively. In 2025, his approach changed slightly as he began to pull the ball more in the air than he previously did in his career.

      The Red Sox are no strangers to bringing in veteran players on minor-league deals and getting production out of them. Amidst a gaggle of veterans competing for time at second base, Rodgers could emerge as a key contributor in 2026.

      Nick John

      The Boston Red Sox made a move to continue their attempts to stockpile pitching depth, as the team agreed to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with left-handed pitcher Alec Gamboa. The signing was first announced by Will Sammon of The Athletic.

      Gamboa was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2019 and made it to Triple-A by 2023. He would go on to spend all of 2024 and open the 2025 season in Triple-A before being released to pursue an opportunity overseas. In 53 appearances at Triple-A, Gamboa tossed 133 1/3 innings while striking out 106 batters.

      Signing with the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization league, Gamboa would make 19 starts and go 7-8 with a 3.58 ERA. He also struck out 117 batters in 108 innings.

      Should Gamboa make the major league roster, his salary would increase to $925,000.

      Nick John

      The Boston Red Sox stayed busy Sunday afternoon after sweeping the Houston Astros as they promoted their top pitching prospect Payton Tolle to Triple-A Worcester per Beyond The Monster’s Andrew Parker.

      Tolle is Boston’s top pitching prospect and has pitched for both Greenville and Portland. Now he will face the highest level of minor league baseball with the possibility of being added to Boston’s roster at some point in September.

      In six games since his promotion to Portland, Tolle made five starts and pitched out of the pen in a piggyback role once. He tossed 27 innings and had a 1.67 ERA to go along with 37 strikeouts to just seven walks

      Drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Tolle throws four pitches: a fastball, cutter, slider and changeup. He is also currently ranked 49th on Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list.

      Do you think it’s too early for Tolle to be promoted? Should he have just been promoted alongside fellow pitchers David Sandlin and Connelly Early last week? Could he make it to Boston before the end of the year? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments.

      Alex Mayes

      According to Matthew Crory on X, Marcelo Mayer’s sprained wrist is more serious than originally thought. He received an anti-inflammation injection in the wrist on Saturday, August 2 that will take up to three days to see if it works according to Alex Cora. He said that after those three days Mayer will start doing baseball activities and the team will see how he responds to those. 

      Bob Nightengale of USA Today went a step further, saying that season-ending surgery is on the table for Mayer. Obviously, this is the worst case scenario as the Red Sox currently are in sole possession of the second AL Wild Card spot and only four games behind the AL East leading Toronto Blue Jays. Something to note is that Mayer sprained this same wrist in 2022. He didn’t require surgery at the time. 

      We’ll have to keep an eye on the next few days for Mayer and see how he responds to the anti-inflammation injection as the Red Sox hope that he can be a contributor later this season.

      Nick John

      UPDATE: Johan Oviedo is hitting the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Anderson; Tyler Samaniego is being optioned to the minors to clear a spot on the active roster.

      Original post as follows.

      In need of bullpen assistance after Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Jack Anderson from Triple-A Worcester, per Ari Alexander of 7News Boston.

      Anderson, who was a selection in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft back in 2024, spent most of 2025 with the Portland Sea Dogs before making three late season starts for Worcester.

      2026 has been an up-and-down year so far for the 26-year-old after pitching for Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic. Since the minor-league season began, he’s made two starts for Worcester tossing 9 2/3 innings. In that span, he’s allowed four runs on eight hits (one home run) and three walks. He also struck out nine.

      There has yet to be a corresponding roster move; both the active roster and the 40-man roster are currently full and will require reconfiguring to make room for Anderson.

      Alex Mayes

      The Boston Red Sox are calling up their number two ranked prospect, LHP Payton Tolle, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Tolle has been on an insane rise through Boston’s system after being taken in the second round of the 2024 draft out of TCU. Tolle made three starts for Triple-A Worcester before his call up.

      Tolle’s first taste of WooSox action was less than desirable, but he has rebounded and shown enough that the Red Sox feel comfortable lining him up to start opposite Pirates’ phenom Paul Skenes on Friday at Fenway Park. The organization is showing a ton of confidence in the young hurler and he looks to slot in behind Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito as the fourth arm on the starter depth chart.

      Should Tolle dominate at the major league level the way he has at every level of the minors, then the Red Sox have added another long-term keeper to their starting rotation. That should help them to kickstart their championship window, possibly as soon as this year.

      Nick John

      The Boston Red Sox have announced important dates for spring training. as the team stated pitchers and catchers will report to Fort Myers on February 10.

      Pitchers and catchers will hold their first workouts before the rest of the team arrives; Sunday. February 15 will be the first full squad workout for the team before spring training swings into full motion.

      Before players arrive, however, the yearly tradition known as Truck Day has to take place. The team announced that the festive day will take place February 2.

      The team also announced that spring training tickets will be available for sale on Thursday, January 8. The Red Sox will play an exhibition game Friday, February 20 against Northeastern University before opening spring training play against the Minnesota Twins the following day.

      Nick John

      The Boston Red Sox and right-handed pitcher Kutter Crawford have come to an agreement on a one-year deal for the 2026 season. The contract, which allows both sides to avoid heading to an arbitration hearing, is worth $2.75 million, which is the same amount Crawford made in 2025.

      Crawford, who missed the entire 2025 season due to various injuries, has been part of the Red Sox's pitching staff since making a spot start in 2021. The right-hander has bounced between the bullpen and rotation, but in 2024 was a key member of the rotation as he made 33 starts and tossed 183 2/3 innings. While home runs were an issue for Crawford in 2024, he provided the rotation with an arm that could provide innings every fifth day.

      It's uncertain what Crawford's role will be in 2026, but he should be one of the top candidates for the final job in the rotation behind Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and Johan Oviedo.

      The Red Sox have four arbitration-eligible players yet to agree to a deal. The team has until Thursday to come to an agreement with Triston Casas, Tanner Houck, Johan Oviedo, and Romy González.

      Nick John

      On the day before the team’s much celebrated Fenway Fest, Craig Breslow remained busy as he brought in more depth to the organization through a minor-league contract. Per SoxProspect’s Andrew Parker, the team has signed right-handed pitcher Seth Martinez. The deal also includes a non-roster invite to spring training.

      The 31-year-old provides Boston with another experienced arm as insurance for the bullpen that will most likely be kept in Worcester to begin the season. Martinez, who was drafted in 2016 by the then-Oakland Athletics, has spent parts of five seasons in the majors. The bulk of his time came from 2021 through the 2024 seasons as he appeared in 111 games out of the bullpen for the Houston Astros, tossing 137 1/3 innings.

      2025 was a rough year for Martinez, as he bounced around on waivers going from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Miami Marlins to the Seattle Mariners and then back to the Marlins all before the start of the season. Martinez spent most of the year in Triple-A pitching for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before getting added to the roster on August 27. In total, he made six appearances and tossed 6 2/3 innings. Miami would go on to designate him for assignment on September 11 and Martinez became a free agent on September 13.

      Nick John

      After a busy morning of finalizing roster decisions, the Boston Red Sox continued to whittle down the roster heading into the final day of spring training. Among the group were Zack Kelly, Tyler Uberstine, and Payton Tolle. Tommy Kahnle was also reassigned to minor league camp.

      Of those optioned, Kelly seemed to be a lock for low-leverage innings in the bullpen up until the signing of Danny Coulombe. With the announcement that Ryan Watson had made the team, it seemed likely that Kelly was going to be sent to Worcester, especially after the team said they might keep one of Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early or Tolle as a reliever to open the season.

      Uberstine was another player once considered for a long reliever role in the bullpen but instead was optioned back to Worcester where he will likely pitch out of the rotation. Tolle will join him there also pitching from the rotation as the duo will provide depth for the organization should injury or inconsistency hit.

      Kahnle, on the other hand, was reassigned to minor league camp, having joined the team on a minor-league contract. The organization must have felt he needed a bit more time to catch up with the other pitchers despite playing in the World Baseball Classic. Kahnle is a veteran of 11 seasons and has an assignment clause on May 1 and an opt-out on June 1.

      It is now all but guaranteed that both Early and Oviedo will have spots on the Opening Day roster.

      Brandon Glick

      The Boston Red Sox have finally started shaving down their major-league roster, optioning or re-assigning eight players to minor-league camp on Monday, March 9.

      Jake Bennett is the most notable name on that list as a member of the 40-man roster and one of the team's top prospects. Still, he's got a long way to go before making his MLB debut, as he's still behind Payton Tolle and Connelly Early on the organizational depth chart.

      Three of those pitchers (Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, and Vinny Nitoli) are either hurt or have been delayed in their ramp-up for the regular season. Both catchers (Nate Baez and Ronald Rosario) are projected to open the season in Double-A as depth behind Triple-A options Jason Delay and Mickey Gasper. The other two arms (Devin Sweet and Jeremy Wu-Yelland) are intriguing bullpen options who struggled mightily in their limited spring training action.

      Expect more rounds of cuts in the coming weeks, especially as the team's 15 representatives at the World Baseball Classic make their way back to camp.

      Matthew Lenz

      Earlier this week baseball America updated their top 100 prospects for the month of June. The Boston Red Sox, who had five players make the list in May, now lead baseball with six players ranked inside the top 100.

      Roman Anthony, who should have reached the big leagues by now, is tagged as the best prospect in baseball. Meanwhile, Marcelo Mayer (#7), Franklin Arias (#65), Peyton Tolle (#88), and Brandon Clarke (#90) remain on the list from the May release. Kristian Campbell, previously ranked as the best prospect, has graduated from the list.

      Jhostnyxon Garcia debuts on the list coming in as the 98th rated prospect in all of baseball. Garcia, who earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester last month, has been debating the top level of Minor League Baseball. He is slashing .364/.386/.673 with four home runs in 57 plate appearances.

      With the big-league club in shambles, how long will it be until we see some of these names at Fenway? Join the conversation in the comments.

      Brandon Glick

      Sometimes when playoff rosters are announced, there's a surprise or two that gets the fans buzzing.

      The Red Sox have opened no such door for us this time around. Their Wild Card Round roster was just announced prior to Game 1 against the New York Yankees, and it's gone to chalk.

      PITCHERS (12): Brayan Bello, Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Crochet, Connelly Early, Kyle Harrison, Zack Kelly, Steven Matz, Justin Slaten, Payton Tolle, Greg Weissert, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Wilson

      CATCHERS (2): Carlos Narváez, Connor Wong

      INFIELDERS (4): Alex Bregman, David Hamilton, Nathaniel Lowe, Trevor Story

      OUTFIELDERS (4): Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder, Masataka Yoshida

      INFIELDER/OUTFIELDERS (4): Nate Eaton, Romy Gonzalez, Ceddanne Rafaela, Nick Sogard

      The big name missing is Lucas Giolito, though it was already previously announced that he'd miss the series with an elbow issue. The fallout will be if a Game 3 is necessary, as the Red Sox will need to figure out who will start that contest.

      What do you think of the Red Sox's playoff roster? Are you surprised by any decisions made by Alex Cora and the front office?

      Nick John

      All offseason, the Boston Red Sox were looking for a left-handed reliever to add to their bullpen, and with the regular season just two weeks away the team has signed one. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report that the Red Sox and free-agent reliever Danny Coulombe came to an agreement Thursday night on a one-year deal. The contract is said to be a major-league deal, meaning he'll join the 40-man roster. The contract is worth $1 million according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

      Coulombe had a season of two halves in 2025. Beginning the season with Minnesota, the reliever was one of the best left-handers in the game as he appeared in 40 games and tossed 31 innings. In that span, he allowed just four earned runs on 21 hits and nine walks. He also struck out 31 batters. However, after getting traded to Texas at the trade deadline, he didn’t perform as well. Appearing in 15 games, he struggled in 12 innings as he allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and nine walks.

      Prior to 2025, he spent two seasons in Baltimore where he was once more a dominant bullpen arm. In 94 games with Baltimore, he tossed 81 innings and allowed just 23 earned runs. He also walked just 17 batters and struck out 90 in that span.

      With the Red Sox's 40-man roster full, the team is placing Romy González on the 60-Day Injured List to open up a spot.  

      Nick John

      While the Boston Red Sox weren’t the World Series champions in 2025, the team still managed to bring home some hardware in the form of two Gold Glove awards thanks to some amazing defense from their outfield.

      Winning his second consecutive Gold Glove award in right field was Wilyer Abreu, as the outfielder managed to put on a defensive display despite being limited to just 104 games in right field this season. In 847 1/3 innings, Abreu wound up with 215 putouts and seven outfield assists. He also started three double plays. In total, he finished the season with a .978 fielding percentage while putting up 15 Defensive Runs Saved, eight Outs Above Average, and a Fielding Run Value of eight. Of all right fielders in the majors, Abreu’s DRS was tied for second, his OAA was tied for second, and his FRV was second. He also led all right fielders with a 5.8 FanGraphs' defensive value.

      Joining Abreu is Ceddanne Rafaela, as the center fielder won his first Gold Glove after appearing in 141 games at the position. In 1167 1/3 innings, the walking highlight reel made 319 putouts while also earning eight assists. For the season he finished with a .985 fielding percentage at the position. Though, that may be an understatement of just how good he was in center. Out of all center fielders, Rafaela led all of the majors with 20 DRS, a good five runs above second place which belonged to Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs. His 22 OAA just barely allowed him to pass Crow-Armstrong for first, as did his Fielding Run Value of 22. Rafaela also led all center fielders with a defensive value of 18.7. Rafaela had previously been named the 2025 Fielding Bible Award winner for center field back near the end of October, being the first-ever Red Sox center fielder to win the award, though Abreu had won it in 2024 for right field.

      Carlos Narváez was also a finalist for a Gold Glove award for catchers, but the award instead went to Dillon Dingler of the Detroit Tigers

      Part of the Red Sox's success in 2025 was due in part to the great defensive effort of the outfield, and now two of the main contributors to that are being recognized with their rightfully owed awards.

      Nick John

      In what was an expected outcome, the Boston Red Sox have declined Liam Hendriks' $12 million option for the 2026 season. Hendriks will instead receive a $2 million buyout. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported the news first.

      Hendriks, who signed with the Red Sox as spring training was beginning in 2024, was rehabbing from surgery. While he started a rehab assignment in the second half of the season, Hendriks did not pitch in the majors in 2024.

      2025 was more of the same when it came to Hendriks staying healthy as he opened the season on the injured list die to right elbow inflammation before being activated on April 19. Hendriks would end up back on the injured list with right hip inflammation on May 30 before being transferred to the 60-Day injured list in early July.

      When healthy, Hendriks struggled with the Red Sox, appearing in 14 games and going 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.

      Hendriks, entering his age-37 season will look to sign with another team an in attempt to continue his career.

      Jordan Leandre

      Following their dramatic comeback victory against the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox got right to work returning their roster to full strength.

      According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox expect to activate both right-handed reliever Justin Slaten and outfielder Rob Refsnyder ahead of Thursday's series finale.

      Slaten, who last pitched on May 28 against the Milwaukee Brewers, had been placed on the injured list with a shoulder issue that turned into a nerve problem: a transverse process.

      "It's a little bony thing that comes out of your cervical spine," Slaten told the media earlier this month. "Essentially, that bone in my neck was kind of pushing on nerves, pushing on blood vessels, causing a lot of shoulder soreness specifically..."

      Before hitting the shelf, Slaten had a 3.47 ERA and a 3.22 FIP, along with three saves and four holds, across 23 1/3 innings pitched. After consecutive bad outings to start May, the 27-year-old threw 10 straight scoreless outings, allowing just five baserunners across 11 innings.

      To make room for Slaten, the Red Sox are expected to send down left-handed reliever Jovani Morán. The southpaw was called up to replace the recently injured Richard Fitts, but didn't figure into either game he was on the roster for.

      As for Refsnyder, he's been on the injured list since Aug. 23 with an oblique injury. The 34-year-old was 2-for-his-last-10 before going on the IL, but has a .905 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025.

      Even though he hadn't produced much in his most recent small sample, the absence of Refsnyder was noticeable in Boston's recent stretch of games, as they scored just three runs combined in the two games started by lefties in the Bronx -- going 1-1 in those games. 

      The corresponding move for Refsnyder is the placement of first baseman Nathaniel Lowe on the paternity list. Lowe went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 3-2 win, but still has a .296/.375/.481 slash line with seven runs batted in across nine games with Boston.

      Matthew Lenz

      The Boston Red Sox announced a trio of moves on Tuesday, including selecting reliever Isaiah Campbell from Triple-A Worcester. To make room for Campbell on the 40-man, they transferred Liam Hendriks to the 60-day IL. To make room on the active roster, they optioned Richard Fitts to Triple-A Worcester.

      Campbell's 2024 season with the Red Sox was limited due to injuries, including a shoulder impingement and elbow inflammation. He pitched in 8 MLB games, recording a 0-1 record with a 16.20 ERA and 2.40 WHIP over 6.2 innings, striking out 6. He also had a stint in Triple-A Worcester, with a 2.20 ERA in 14 appearances.

      Campbell has spent all of the 2025 season with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, primarily operating out of the bullpen. In 30 relief appearances he has a 3.89 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and a 12.7% strikeout-minus-walk rate. He will join the low- to -medium- leverage group of the Red Sox bullpen.

      Brandon Glick

      Nothing in baseball is guaranteed.

      Tanner Houck, fresh off a brilliant 2024 campaign where he earned his first All-Star nod and pitched to a 3.12 ERA in 178 2/3 innings, was supposed to be the No. 2 to Garrett Crochet this season.

      Instead, he was miserable in limited action, surrendering a hideous 8.04 ERA in 43 2/3 innings. He was originally placed on the injured list back on May 12 with a strained forearm flexor, and numerous setbacks have kept him from appearing in Boston since.

      Now, according to Chris Cotillo, Houck will undergo Tommy John surgery in short order. The procedure and subsequent recovery will likely keep him out through the end of the 2026 season.

      Houck, 29, is due to be a free agent after the 2027 season. Given his troubling injury diagnosis and the exceedingly-high likelihood of a league-wide lockout in 2027, it's possible we've seen the last of Houck in a Red Sox uniform.

      Brandon Glick

      This isn't our usual type of note or rumor, but as the managing editor of the site, this is perhaps the most important thing I can share with this community.

      Our very own @Maddie Landis has been nominated as a SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) Award Finalist! Her piece on Vertical Approach Angle was very positively received on the site, and we knew right away that it was a special piece of analysis. It thrills me to see Maddie's name alongside revered writers and sites like The Athletic, FanGraphs, and Baseball Prospectus.

      If you haven't checked out the piece yet, I encourage you to do so. It's the kind of article that makes you smarter just by reading it, and it'll enhance your appreciation of pitcher analysis by many magnitudes.

      You can see the full list of SABR Award Finalists here.

      Matthew Lenz

      L.A.A.B. - Life After Alex Bregman. That's where the Red Sox are in their offseason after losing out on the superstar third baseman to the Chicago Cubs. While many expect the club to shift its sights to Bo Bichette, Eugenio Suarez, or another impact bat, Rob Bradford of WEEI suggests a different approach.

      In a recent tweet, Bradford suggested that the Red Sox "re-engage with higher-end pitching while still looking to acquire a lower-tier bat." Of course, Bichette and Suarez would not fit in the "lower-tier" category, so Bradford is merely suggesting to bolster the pitching staff's ability to prevent runs rather than the offense's ability to produce runs.

      After acquiring Sonny Gray earlier this offseason, the Red Sox's rotation is the strength of their team. Even with Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck on the shelf for most of 2025, pitchers three through five of the rotation are among the strongest in all of baseball. Additionally, the bullpen will look to continue to be good after a successful 2025 campaign. That really begs the question...just how big of a pitcher do they need to land for it really to make an impact on the outlook of the club? Would adding a #2 starter that bumps Patrick Sandoval out of the rotation really be better than adding a middle-of-the-order bat? Would adding another high-leverage arm that bumps a low-leverage arm like Jovani Moran off the roster or at least to Triple-A Wincester really be better than Bo Bichette? These are all things that the Red Sox need to weigh as they look to get back into the good graces of a fan base left in despair after Bregman bolted for the Windy City.

      Do you think the Red Sox should add pitching or hitting? Let us know in the comments!

      Matthew Lenz

      As the 2025-2026 MLB offseason gets underway, the Boston Red Sox suddenly have a lot of money available to them following the option decisions of Alex Bregman and Lucas Giolito. They also have decisions looming on Jarren Duran and Liam Hendriks, as well as on whether to submit a qualifying offer on Giolito.

      On Tuesday, Rob Bradford of WEEI named Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt, and Bo Bichette as potential offseason targets for the Red Sox to fill the team's newly identified needs. 

      Regarding Bieber and Bassitt, Bradford says, "Boston was the only place Bieber visited during last offseason when looking for a new team...and the 30-year-old certainly continued to help his stock with his postseason performance. Another potentially cheaper option might be another Toronto [Blue Jays] starter, Chris Bassitt, who manager Alex Cora has long been a fan of." While Bieber ended up signing with the Cleveland Guardians, he eventually became teammates with Bassitt in Toronto after a deadline deal. Both pitchers were key contributors down the stretch and throughout the playoffs.

      Though the Red Sox are expected to pursue Bregman, and it's been rumored they're interested in Pete Alonso, Bradford identifies Beckett as another "go-hard-or-go-home" target. Due to injury, Bichette was limited to seven postseason games with a .923 OPS, including a massive three-run home run off of Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series. Across 139 regular-season games, he hit 18 home runs and had a 134 wRC+, cementing himself as one of the game's best shortstops.

      Do you think the Red Sox should pursue any of these names? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

      Matthew Lenz

      The Boston Red Sox will lose one coach looking to climb the MLB ranks, and rumors are swirling that a second might soon follow.

      Rob Bradford of WEEI is reporting that Chris Hess, the Double-A Portland hitting coach, has been hired as the assistant hitting coach for the Miami Marlins at the big league level. This comes days after it was being speculated that Justin Willard is expected to be hired as the next pitching coach for the New York Yankees Mets. Willard has served as the Red Sox director of pitching for each of the last two seasons.

      While that isn't ideal, Bradford has a glass half full perspective, stating "You hire. You develop. You lose good people who get better titles. The Red Sox should take it as a compliment."

      Hess has been with the organization since 2021, most recently working with top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell.

      How do you think this will impact hitting prospects with the Portland Seadogs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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