At least, that’s what the Red Sox front office is saying this time.
After getting throttled by the fanbase last year for yet another offseason that prioritized the undefined future over the present, the Red Sox brass is singing a (slightly) different tune this year. “We can no longer ask our fans to look to the future, to think about a Red Sox team that’s capable of winning the division and capable of making a deep postseason run,” Craig Breslow told Alex Speier. “We have to talk to decisive actions that we’re taking right now to put a better team on the field in 2025.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Until we actually see the Red Sox in action in the market, though, everything is just sound and fury, signifying nothing. Take, for example, the world salad Sam Kennedy offered up in order to avoid telling fans that ticket prices are going to rise. (Steve Buckley, The Athletic)
As for the future: it’s here. MLB.com’s latest prospect rankings include a whopping three Red Sox players in the top 10. Of those three — Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell — both Anthony and Campbell have viable paths to starting jobs straight out of spring training. (Sam Dykstra, MLB.com)
Getting back to the playoffs sure would be nice! But there are plenty of former Red Soxers out there, including Xander Bogarts, who homered for the Padres last night against the Dodgers (Sean McAdam, MassLive), and Kyle Schwarber, who homered for the Phillies and became their all-time leader in postseason home runs. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
And, lastly, if you’re already missing Joe Castiglione, you can remember him through song. Local band Dalton & The Sheriffs has released a track in his honor. (Sanjana Mishra, Boston.com)