Let’s hope so!
It’s been almost eleven months since Craig Breslow’s introductory press conference, in which he identified pitching, improved defense, and right-handed hitting as the Red Sox’ primary needs. As the 2024 season winds down, it’s clear that none of those three areas were sufficiently addressed. So what’s in store this offseason? Breslow spoke with the Boston Globe and noted that, with cheap, homegrown corps of position players emerging, the Red Sox now have the ability to be “a bit more aggressive in looking for elite major league talent.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
As for the major league talent that’s already here, it could take another injury hit this week. Outfielder Rob Refsnyder is dealing with some right wrist discomfort that could land him on the injured list. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
While Ref could go down with injury, a Red Sox pitcher could come back from one. Lucas Sims pitched in a rehab assignment with AAA Worcester yesterday (Rotowire)
But let’s face it: none of these injuries really matter anymore. This was the weekend in which we said goodbye to meaningful baseball in 2024. (Jon Couture, Boston.com)
Of course that doesn’t mean we still won’t have some interesting baseball. This weekend’s series against the Yankees was filled with intriguing subplots, including Alex Cora’s unusual admission that the Red Sox tried to intentionally hit Aaron Judge in retaliation for Gerrit Cole throwing at Rafael Devers. (Adam London, NESN.com)
And even though both Cora and Judge said that it’s time to move on, this might not be the last we hear about this fracas. MLB is investigating the incident. (Mark Sanchez, New York Post)