Boston’s Big Bet: Are the Red Sox Now AL East Favorites After Blockbuster Offseason?
The 2025 MLB season is just around the corner, and the AL East Division is expected once again to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, as all five teams have made notable offseason additions to bolster their rosters. The Boston Red Sox, in particular, are looking to return to the top of the division after recent years of struggles. Over the last five seasons, the Red Sox have only made the playoffs once, in 2021, when they advanced to the ALCS but ultimately fell short of the World Series. Coming off a third-place finish in the division last season, marking their third straight year of missing the postseason, the Red Sox front office has had a busy offseason. With Opening Day now two weeks away, Red Sox fans are excited about the new season following their team’s active offseason moves.
The Red Sox made several major offseason moves, starting with the free-agent signing of former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, who inked a three-year deal. Bregman is coming off his most productive offensive season, belting 26 home runs, the most since his career-best 41 homers in 2019, when he won his first Silver Slugger Award. The Red Sox also focused heavily on improving their pitching for the upcoming season, signing Walker Buehler, Patrick Sandoval, and Aroldis Chapman to free agent deals in hopes of bolstering their starting rotation and bullpen depth. Their biggest pitching addition came with the trade for former Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet in December 2024. Heading into 2025, the 25-year-old is expected to become Boston’s newest ace, as the left-hander is coming off his best season yet, recording 209 strikeouts, the seventh-most in MLB last year.
These offseason additions have addressed key weaknesses from last season, most notably on the mound. The Red Sox ranked 17th in team ERA at 4.04 and allowed the eighth-most runs in the league with 747. With the influx of pitching talent this winter, the Red Sox should see their performance on the mound improve significantly, led by Crochet at the top of the rotation. Additionally, Bregman’s addition further strengthens an already potent Red Sox lineup, headlined by Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, and Connor Wong. With these significant roster upgrades, the Red Sox are projected to finish second in the AL East with an 85-77 record, according to FanGraphs, putting them in contention for a division title or a potential Wild Card spot. Following their active offseason, the Red Sox have positioned themselves for an exciting 2025 season as they aim to return to the playoffs.
