Red Sox 2025 Roster Projection: How Boston Could Tackle Huge Offseason

The Boston Red Sox need to shake the struggles of three seasons and make a postseason run in 2025.

Alex Cora wanted his team to be “greedy” and hunt the American League East crown. Craig Breslow knows the “time is now” to deliver a contender to Boston after a three-year postseason absence.

So, what could that look like?

Boston needs to add pitching this offseason to bolster the improved base of the staff. The Red Sox do that with an impact starter and reliever in this scenario while promoting prospects to balance the lineup and bring back another right-handed power bat.

The MLB playoffs started this week. There’s a lot that can and will change as the offseason goes on. For now, Boston’s clear needs pave the path to this first roster projection of the fall and winter as the Red Sox prepare to contend in 2025.

Let’s begin.

CATCHERS
Kyle Teel
Connor Wong

Wong took tremendous strides offensively and gained Cora’s trust throughout the season. He’s the incumbent starter moving into 2025 and provides stability for Teel, Boston’s catcher of the future, to learn from early on after an aggressive promotion to the big leagues to start 2025 for the Red Sox.

INFIELDERS
Triston Casas
Rafael Devers
Trevor Story
Kristian Campbell
Chase Meidroth
Romy González

Casas and Devers supply the power as the primary left-handed run producers as cemented starters as the corners. Kristian Campbell flourished in an unforeseen surge through the minor leagues in 2024. His right-handed impact bat and versatility make him the clear option to finally fill Boston’s long-time hole at second base.

Even if he’s an average bat in 2025, Story’s elite defense at shortstop and clubhouse leadership as an established veteran make him incredibly valuable to the Red Sox.

Meidroth also makes the roster with a rare ability to get on base at a league-leading clip and plays multiple positions well. González proved the Chicago White Sox wrong for letting him go and played into Cora’s innate ability to mix and match to guide the Red Sox to wins.

OUTFIELDERS
Roman Anthony
Jarren Duran
Ceddanne Rafaela
Rob Refsnyder
Tyler O’Neill

Duran and Rafaela established themselves for the long term with their unique elite tools. Duran’s speed changes the offense for the Red Sox while Rafaela excels with the best of them in center field. Baseball America’s top prospect Anthony makes the team out of spring training. He smashed baseballs left and right all year in the minor leagues and showed the Red Sox why he’s ready to swing it at the big-league level.

Refsnyder’s clubhouse impact pushes Boston to re-sign him while also pursuing a reunion with O’Neill, who hit 31 home runs in 2024, to lead at-bats at designated hitter and mix into the outfield when needed for the Red Sox.

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STARTING PITCHERS
Tanner Houck
Brayan Bello
Lucas Giolito
Kutter Crawford
Logan Gilbert

The progress, headlined by 30 starts each in 2024, from Houck, Bello and Crawford establishes the core of the rotation for the Red Sox. Giolito returns from a season-ending spring training injury as Andrew Bailey gets the chance to turn the right-hander back into one of the better arms in the American League.

Boston also gets its ace to finish the rotation with a daring trade with the Seattle Mariners. Gilbert adds elite stuff, durable innings and a top-level arm to properly lead the group for the Red Sox.

BULLPEN
Liam Hendriks (Closer)
Tanner Scott (LHP)
Josh Winckowski
Justin Slaten
Zach Penrod (LHP)
Luis Guerrero
Garrett Whitlock
Richard Fitts

Finally healthy, Hendriks takes over the closer role in Boston where he made a name for himself with the White Sox and the Oakland Athletics. Justin Slaten continues his rise with great stuff and Tanner Scott’s signing brings true swing-and-miss stuff to the bullpen.

Whitlock returns to the role that brought him the most success in his big-league tenure. Fitts starts in a long-relief role and the first option for a spot start. Guerrero and Penrod showed flashes of potential in September that should benefit the Red Sox next season.