Wily Adames taking part in for the Milwaukee Brewers; CC by License 2.0
The Crimson Sox have been pretty disappointing over the previous few years. Since 2020, they’ve made the playoffs solely as soon as. They’ve been constantly underneath .500, ending this 12 months with a wonderfully balanced report of 81-81. It’s time to shake some issues up, because the Sox trustworthy is starting to change into stressed with the mediocrity that has been on show at Fenway for the previous couple of seasons. Luckily, the group has the most effective farm methods in baseball and a few money to spend this low season. Let’s dive into a number of the potential strikes that they might make.
Juan Soto, OF, 26 years outdated
One of the best participant accessible on this free company is among the finest gamers within the sport in Juan Soto. After a monster season within the Bronx in 2024, he’s formally an unrestricted free agent and is about to signal doubtlessly the biggest contract ever. The Crimson Sox are at present projected to be $110 million underneath the aggressive stability tax for 2025, and whereas they could have the funds to accumulate a participant of Soto’s standing, current tendencies throughout the entrance workplace and possession might recommend that they received’t be prepared to pay as a lot as say Steve Cohen and the Mets. Nevertheless, if there have been ever a time to take action, that point can be now. The Sox are getting ready to coming into their first championship window in current reminiscence with 1 / 4 of extremely touted prospects set to make their debuts in 2025 in Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel. Including the most effective gamers on the planet to this group might open up a world of prospects.
Corbin Burnes, RHP, 30 years outdated
Burnes, a former member of the Baltimore Orioles, suits the invoice for the robust push the Crimson Sox are making to accumulate a real ace this offseason. The membership lacked any true frontline pitching in 2024, however they appear intent on acquiring one earlier than the beginning of the 2025 season. Burnes can be a wonderful match for Fenway as he retains the ball on the bottom to the tune of a 48.8 floor ball fee final 12 months. Whereas the stuff has seen some minor regressions in recent times, it’s nonetheless actually high quality sufficient to put him on the high of this Crimson Sox rotation. If his bidding will get too excessive, nevertheless, I’d think about and hope that the Sox would bail out earlier than making a dangerous transfer. A front-loaded shorter-term deal seems like the proper value to pay for Burnes with the stuff regressions talked about above.
Garrett Crochet (by way of commerce), LHP, 25 years outdated
The Crimson Sox have been certainly one of many groups linked to the White Sox standout this offseason. In his first season as a starter, Crochet pitched to the tune of a 1.07 WHIP with 209 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched. A real energy pitcher, Crochet throws nearly solely fastballs, alternating between his four-seam and cutter. Whereas this doesn’t align very neatly with the Crimson Sox’s philosophy of throwing minimal fastballs, Crochet’s fastball is comfortably an outlier pitch and has proven that it may be uber-successful in limiting injury and gathering whiffs. It’s rumored that the White Sox are concentrating on Wilyer Abreau because the headline piece for a commerce between the golf equipment. Abreau had a stable marketing campaign in 2024, however with Roman Anthony greater than doubtless headed to Boston subsequent 12 months, I’d be fully snug with giving him as much as purchase Crochet. Boston has what some might confer with as a humiliation of riches of their farm system, and now would be the time to unload a few of them to make an actual playoff push for 2025.
Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, 34 years outdated
Whereas Eovaldi might not match the standards of an ace, his addition to the pitching employees might add some a lot wanted depth in 2025. Just like Burnes, Eovaldi does an awesome job of protecting the ball on the bottom and away from the Monster in left discipline. Whereas he’s on the older finish, his efficiency and stuff have remained pretty sharp over the previous few years. In 2024, he was 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA and a stable .291 wOBA. He limits injury and retains the ball out of the air, two obligatory qualities to have when pitching at Fenway Park. Eovaldi has been a member of the Crimson Sox earlier than when he performed a significant function within the 2018 World Sequence win. Followers would like to see him again in Boston, and he can be a very stable pickup for the rotation.
Willy Adames, SS, 29 years outdated
Adames is certainly one of my private favourite gamers accessible in the marketplace this offseason, and he would fill a gap on the left facet of the Boston infield. Final 12 months with the Brewers, Adames put up a triple slash of .251/.331/.462 with 32 dwelling runs and 21 stolen bases. The vast majority of his swings produce a fly ball, and he will get it to the pull-side at a 43.9% fee. Each of those ought to carry him success with the short-porch Monster out in left discipline. Defensively, Adames has performed a really stable shortstop for the Brewers the previous few years, posting a 16 outs above common (OAA) in 2023 from the place. Nevertheless, he’s indicated that he’s prepared to play third as nicely. If the Sox need to stick to Story at quick and Campbell at second, Adames might simply slide into the recent nook and take over for Rafael Devers, who struggles with the glove. The extra positional versatility and offensive explosiveness ought to entice the Crimson Sox entrance workplace and hopefully be sufficient for them to get a deal completed.
