Officially eliminated from '23 postseason consideration, and unofficially gone weeks ago, the Red Sox have only won three times in their last 15 games. With a chance to surprise many heading into September, a culmination of all the things that hampered Boston throughout the season (and some that didn't) sealed the team's fate.
In what was mostly a season playing above expectations, the Red Sox (75-78) are on track for a fourth or fifth place finish in the A.L. East. Their GM Chaim Bloom has been let go and the Red Sox have holes to fill before 2024.
On the bottom of that list is an offense that was solid in '23.
Boston Red Sox offense
Behind a core of Rafael Devers, Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, and Masataka Yoshida, the Red Sox are in a good place for 2024.
Getting a full season from Trevor Story will help and hopefully Connor Wong will continue to get better. Tossing in a return of Justin Turner, who has a player option for next season, at DH will also cement an offense that was on the better scoring teams in '23.
Turner is finishing up one his better seasons, hitting .280 with 23 home runs and 95 RBI.
Casas, whose season ended prematurely September 14 with a shoulder injury, turned in a fine rookie season. Struggles early on gave way to a season in which Casas was one of the best hitters in baseball the last three months.
Back in June, Casas was only hitting .197 but he went on to finish the year with a .263 batting average. He hit with power to all fields, finishing with 24 home runs, 65 RBI, and 21 doubles.
Yoshida, for a while, flirted with the league lead in batting average and currently sits at .285 in his first MLB season.
Devers has had fits of hot and cold throughout the season but leads the team in home runs (33), RBI (98), and hits (152)
The future looks bright at the plate, with Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu both getting playing time and good at-bats the last month or so. And next season should see the arrival of shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who currently tops Boston's top-30 prospect list.
Some questions do remain, especially with Alex Verdugo, who has one more season left on his contract. And there's also the pursuit of Shohei Ohtani to consider, which would alter things for the Red Sox if Boston were to acquire him.
Ohtani or not, the future on offense looks in prime position to again carry the team in '24. Now, if only they can shore up their rotation and defense.
Pitching struggles
Dreams of having a deep starting rotation all playing to the best of the capabilities did not come to fruition. Corey Kluber was rocked from the start. Chris Sale started decently, was injured again, and was hit-and-miss after his return but with indications he can still help this team.
Injuries sidetracked the development of Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock, with the latter moved to the bullpen. And there was no real help to be sought from the minors.
There were bright spots. Kutter Crawford was no ace but provided the Red Sox with consistency. James Paxton (7-5) made 19 starts in his triumphant return before fatigue set in.
The 2023 season did give the Red Sox the ace of the future (and the now) in Brayan Bello.
Bello is 12-10 with a 4.11 ERA and 129 strikeouts. He has given up 17 runs in four September starts and has had a few hiccups the last couple of months. But Bello's ERA was near 3.00 in early July and has all the makings of a top notch pitcher for seasons to come.
Bullpen wasn't too much of an issue and a highlight for the pitchers. Injuries did keep things interesting at times and overuse to set in down the stretch. Special shoutout to Chris Martin (1.07 ERA, 2 saves) who has not allowed a run in 19 straight appearances, dating back to a July 28 game against the San Francisco Giants.
A rotation comprised of fourth-and-fifth starters spelled doom for Boston. Surprises might occur from top minor league pitchers for the Red Sox but they will be best served tracking down a top free agent or two to try to balance things out. Bello will be there but the main question remains as to who he will be surrounded by.
Finishing out this season strong to reach .500 is still in sight. The task is tough, however, with six of their nine games against Tampa Bay and Baltimore, two teams heading to the playoffs. Even if that .500 mark isn't reached, there is a lot to take away from this season to build on in turning this franchise into a World Series contender once again.
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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