Spring training is days away and the 2025 MLB season is coming into view. As of this writing, the Boston Red Sox’s lineup will be strikingly similar to last season’s.
The Red Sox added Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Patrick Sandoval, Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman to bolster their pitching staff, specifically to bring the starting rotation to a new level. But the team’s offense remains the same — overwhelmingly left-handed and in need of some pop.
Not only has Boston avoided spending more than $21.05 million on any single free agent transaction this winter, but it hasn’t extended any players since April of last year when it inked Ceddanne Rafaela to an eight-year deal. Comments from Red Sox CEO and president Sam Kennedy from Feb. 3 suggest that may change soon.
At the Red Sox’s “Truck Day” festivities before spring training, Kennedy told reporters that extension conversations with players are happening and could pick up speed during spring training, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Boston used a similar timeline to discuss extensions with players last year — it signed Brayan Bello to a six-year deal in the early weeks of spring training and Rafaela one month later. The organization tabled negotiations with players early in the 2024 campaign to focus on the season.
Sam Kennedy reports Red Sox are in extension discussions with a few players
Sam Kennedy weighs in on the Red Sox offseason so far and leaves the door open for further additions:https://t.co/0JyKkY21ZS
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 3, 2025
The news of extension conversations has excited jaded Red Sox fans, who, once again, expected a big offseason the front office hasn’t delivered. Rumors surfaced soon after Boston traded for Crochet that the team has begun extension conversations with the lefty, but no updates have been given on their progress. Kennedy did not mention any other players the Sox are currently negotiating with, but it had preliminary extension talks with Tanner Houck before his breakout 2024 season, which makes a contract all the more important for one of Boston’s only homegrown starters.
Extending Crochet, in particular, will be critical before the 2025 campaign. He posted a 3.58 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with 209 strikeouts over 146 innings in his first season as a starter, and each year he improves, he only becomes more expensive. Boston traded four top prospects — including Kyle Teel, whom the team envisioned as its starting catcher of the future — for Crochet, and the organization needs to make the deal worth it by inking him long-term.
Extensions will also be key to boosting fan morale before the season. Sure, the Red Sox made the blockbuster trade of the winter by acquiring Crochet, but the euphoria of said move has worn off after a month-plus with no reinforcements to the offense. Extending Crochet, Houck and others will be a must for Boston in the weeks before the season begins, especially if it has no plans to add any new players to the roster.
