Five Red Sox Questions With 100 Days To Go Until Opening Day

The Red Sox hope to break out of their rut and return to October baseball, but multiple questions must be addressed before Opening Day.

Boston missed the postseason in four of its past five seasons. The Red Sox finished last in the American League East in three of their past four seasons. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was brought in this offseason to help Boston return to glory and reestablish itself as a highly competitive team in Major League Baseball.

Breslow made multiple trades this offseason to bolster the team’s bullpen depth. Alex Verdugo was traded to the New York Yankees, which opens up a position for multiple young players hoping to break out in 2024.

There still are needs for Breslow and his staff to address, and these five questions will be top of the mind with 100 days to go until Opening Day.

Can Boston bolster its starting pitching rotation?
One of the top needs Breslow wanted to address with the Red Sox was starting pitching. Boston’s starters were bottom five in innings pitched last season, which put a heavy strain on the bullpen. Chris Sale and Brayan Bello are penciled-in starters, but the rotation could be upgraded. The Red Sox reportedly are among multiple teams pursuing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who scouts and analysts believe has the qualities to be a No. 1 starter. Boston also has been linked to Jordan Montgomery, who is taking his offseason residence in the state. If the Red Sox secured one or both of the top pitchers on the market, that would give them a strong footing for improvement next season.

Can the defense improve?
Boston was among the worst defensive teams last season. Kiké Hernández at shortstop was a disaster, and team errors did the pitching staff no favors. For as good of a bat as Rafael Devers was, the 27-year-old took a step back defensively. Masataka Yoshida was inconsistent in left field, but perhaps his time in the World Baseball Classic prevented more practice reps from getting acclimated to MLB. The loss of Verdugo means Alex Cora will need to find someone who can replace a Gold Glove finalist in right field. Wilyer Abreu could slot into that role, but he will need to prove it defensively to be a complete player if his offensive output from the final stretch of the 2023 season continues into next year.

Who pairs with Trevor Story in the middle infield?
Story’s return helped calm down the flood of middle infielders the Red Sox trotted out last season. Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez are the only second baseman on the 40-man roster as of Tuesday morning. Boston has been linked in the trade market to multiple second basemen, and while Reyes and Valdez were fine last season, an upgrade could help solidify the lineup. Ha-seong Kim would be a fantastic addition, especially with his strong defensive skills. Whit Merrifield also would help get the job done.

Can Ceddanne Rafaela reach his full potential?
Going back to the outfield, the Red Sox traded for Tyler O’Neill, who can play either center field or left field. Yoshida appears to be trending toward as the team’s designated hitter, and Rob Refsnyder purely is a situational player. Unless the Red Sox add another outfielder, it appears right field is Abreu’s job to lose. That leaves two open spots. Cora openly prefers Rafaela at center field rather than second base. The 22-year-old flashed the ability he can bring to the lineup, but his discipline at the plate is something that he needs to work on to be an everyday player. If Rafaela can be the two-way star Boston hopes he can be, he should start at center, and Jarren Duran can start at left field.

Will breakout players stay consistent?
Speaking of Duran, the 27-year-old was enjoying a breakout season before he was shut down with a toe injury. Before his season-ending injury, he showed how valuable speed can be, and he showcased some power with eight home runs and a 121 OPS+. Triston Casas solidified himself as the team’s starting first baseman. His power at the plate was a bright spot for Boston with his 24 home runs on a 129 OPS+. Connor Wong established himself as the catcher of the future for the Red Sox. He was top-five in MLB in putouts, and he was fourth among catchers in defensive runs saved. Chris Martin earned himself a Cy Young vote with a 1.05 ERA in 51 1/3 innings. These players proved to become valuable assets for Boston, and they will need to prove 2023 wasn’t a fluke and continue their breakouts next season.