107 Days Later
Baseball is Back, and the Red Sox Have Questions to Answer
By: Lesley Uhl-Duncan
Baseball has been absent for 107 days since the Dodgers clinched the 2025 World Series. This week marks its return—or at least the start of Spring Training. Hope fills the air, even if your team had a quiet offseason. Fans crave this fresh start. What can we expect from the Red Sox this season?
Anyone following the team this offseason knows Craig Breslow and the front office were not active in acquiring players to boost the Red Sox’s potential. So, what is the plan? How do the Red Sox build a team ready for March 26, 2026, in Cincinnati?
With that in mind, the Red Sox will put their best team on the field, while we hope to recognize injury risks and prepare accordingly. The Sox certainly do not need another first base debacle like last year. While the front office made a few moves this offseason, they did acquire third baseman Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers. This is hugely beneficial for the Sox because not only did their third baseman leave for the Cubs, but Durbin is also comfortable playing second base, opening up the possibility for Marcelo Mayer to play third, something he said he was comfortable doing last season. Versatility is key when assembling this team. Pitching has been a concern for fans in recent years, but signing Ranger Suarez, formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies, fills out the starting five nicely.
Where the Sox have some things to work out, not necessarily in a bad way, is the batting lineup. For instance, Cora recently said that Trevor Story will hit high in the order, Contreras will bat fourth, and Durbin will be sixth. The outfield, meanwhile, could get tricky. Per Cora, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela will be in the lineup when they’re on the field, leaving Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, and Masataka Yoshida perhaps utilized for the DH role. We’ll see how this takes shape as Spring Training progresses.
Regardless of how Cora proceeds with the lineup, the beginning of baseball season for any fan is exciting. Baseball is, in the opinion of this writer, the one sport I cannot live without. It’s a game of failure, where failing seven out of ten times is a good batting average. Unlike others, it is not time-restricted; players cannot run out the clock. Even in a blowout, there’s always a chance for a comeback, a walk-off. Success rarely comes in one grand act—rather, it’s about doing small things better than the other team over the course of a 162-game season.
Fans have thirty-eight days until Opening Day. Baseball is back—a new season, fresh hopes, and endless possibilities. For players and fans alike, it’s time to dream again—the beauty of baseball is that anything can happen. See you in Cincinnati.
Your assessment that "Anyone following the team this offseason knows Craig Breslow and the front office were not active in acquiring players to boost the Red Sox’s potential" is a ridiculous statement.
Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, Caleb Durbin, Willson Contreras, Isiah Kiner-Falefa....
These are all additions that can help the Red Sox win. Plus we are getting back Roman Anthony.
Signing a big name Free Agent for hundreds of millions of dollars is NOT the only way to build a winning team.
F--k Alex Bregman for being a greedy SOB. The Sox offered him a fair deal, and the fact that he was one and done speaks to the type of person he is. Trevor Story could have walked too, but he saw what the Sox are building and wants to be part of it.