As one bullpen arm walks out the door, another may be on the way.
It’s the coldest day of the winter in Boston, so let’s start dreaming about the paradise (?) that is Central Florida. The Red Sox have officially announced their Spring Training Schedule. Truck Day will be February 3, which, as everyone knows, is also National Carrot Cake Day; so given the competition, Truck Day might not get as much hype this year as it usually does.
Pitchers and catchers will have their first workout on February 12. The full squad will join them five days later, then they’ll take on the hated Northeastern Huskies on the 21st.
The coolest part of Spring Training 2025 will take place a month later, when the Sox travel to Monterrey to take on Los Sultanes. Monterrey is generally considered to be the epicenter of Mexican baseball (the sport tends to be more popular the further north you travel) and the Sultanes are the country’s biggest club, so that should be fun. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
By the time the Sox get to Mexico, will they finally have found that right-handed bat Craig Breslow said they would add at the start of the offseason? As free agent options continue to come off the board, it’s increasingly looking like they might not. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
We know one guy who definitely won’t be with the Sox in Mexico: Chris Martin. The reliever, who says that 2025 will be his final season, signed a deal with his hometown Texas Rangers. Martin reportedly turned down a bigger deal from the Red Sox. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
With the departure of Martin, are bullpen reinforcements already on the way? The Sox are being called “clear front-runners” to land Tanner Scott, the lefty who posted an ERA+ of 252 with the Marlins and Padres last season. (Jim Bowden, The Athletic)
Thankfully, Martin wasn’t scheduled to be at this weekend’s fan fest at Fenway, or else that would’ve been awkward. But plenty of Sox players will be in attendance: 30 of the 40 players on the 40-man roster will be there, in fact. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)