Red Sox End of Season Press Conference: Rotation, Power, Defense, and More

Main Takeaways from Monday’s Red Sox End-of-Season Press Conference

Crochet, Then Who?

Questions on starting pitching arose from a rotation that crumbled late outside of ace Garrett Crochet. The staff posted a 3.70 ERA overall, good for third in the American League. Crochet dominated with a 2.59 ERA over an MLB-leading 205 innings. Yet depth faltered. Brayan Bello had his best season yet (3.35 ERA), but struggled in September with a 5.40 ERA. Lucas Giolito did his job, posting a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings, but will likely not be back in 2026. Breslow addressed the need for a true No. 2 starter. He said, “I think we want to build the best rotation we possibly can.” Breslow added, “You can’t only rely on the pitching you have in-house as well.” Cora highlighted Boston’s young arms’ promise. He said, “The thing that excites me is the pitching. What we have in player development now is real.” The group vowed aggression in the trade market, as well as free agency. Postseason woes fueled the urgency. Starters outside of Crochet yielded five earned runs in six innings against New York. 

Defense Questions Highlight Another Error-Plagued Season

Defense talk surged at the press conference since the Red Sox led MLB with 112 errors. Since 2022, Boston has ranked first in errors with 418. Trevor Story’s loss of range limited him defensively, logging a negative eight run value and negative nine outs above average, both career lows. A fourth-inning nightmare in Game Three of the Wild Card emphasized a need to address this ongoing issue. Breslow stressed avoiding complacency. He said, “There’s no guarantee that they pick up where they left off. Don’t want to assume steps forward and be complacent.” Cora outlined fixes. He said, “We’ll work on fundamentals in spring. Our errors hurt us badly.” The duo linked it to Alex Bregman’s steady glove. Breslow praised the third baseman. He said, “The significance would be having a great player (Bregman), a proven winner, a strong defender, and someone who fits this market really well on a roster.” 

Power Inquiries Driven by Slugging Shortfalls

Power concerns boiled from a middling offense. The team slugged .421 and hit 162 homers, 22nd in MLB. Trevor Story led with 25 blasts. Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela added 16 each. But clutch hitting tanked. Boston batted an abysmal .198 with runners in scoring position in the playoffs. Just one homer came in the three-game Wild Card Series. Breslow has his eyes set on boosting power. He said, “Other teams that are still alive right now hit the ball out of the ballpark more than the Red Sox do, and that is how teams score in the postseason.” He added that Boston is open to trying everything to increase home run power. First base, a position tied to power, came up, and Triston Casas’ name along with it. Breslow would not commit to Casas being his first baseman in 2026, but he didn’t say they would necessarily look elsewhere either. Sluggers like Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, former Red Sox infielder Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso are set to be free agents this winter. 

Payroll Discussions Sparked By Opt-Out Drama

Payroll chatter stemmed from various opt-out candidates. Bregman will certainly opt out of his three-year, $120 million pact. He can void $80 million over the next two years. Trevor Story has $55 million and two years left. A healthy and dominant season makes insiders question if he’ll look for a new contract. After the Game Three loss to New York, Story gave MassLive’s Chris Cotillo the latest on his thoughts on the looming opt-out option. He said, “It’s not at the top of mind. I’m not gonna speak on that right now… But I came here to be here for a long time.” Bregman answered differently, “It was an honor to put on this jersey.” 

At this moment, Boston has an adjusted payroll total of $178.4 million for the 2026 season. Removing the contracts of Bregman ($25 million), Story ($25 million), Giolito (mutual option, $19 million), and Liam Hendriks (mutual option, $12 million), the payroll dissolves to $97.4 million. That would rank 29th of 30 at the end of the 2025 season. Breslow will have huge checks ready for the impending free agent class. Red Sox free agents after the World Series consist of Steven Matz, Justin Wilson, Rob Refsnyder, and Dustin May. The rotation, slugging, and depth will be the top priorities. 

Seeds of Optimism Amid the Critique

Hope flickered through the talk on Monday. Boston’s young core thrilled despite injuries. Cora beamed at the young future. He said, “Our young core has fight. We just need tweaks.” Breslow added, “We’re building on 89 wins. The foundation is solid.” The postseason return broke a four-year drought. Youth mixed with vets like Bregman is the foundation for building a contender for years to come. Kennedy called 2025 “a great step in the right direction.” The three on the podium stressed tweaks over overhauls as an insight as to what will come before spring training. 

Offseason Roadmap Takes Shape

The path forward demands action for the Red Sox. The rotation needs a reliable arm behind Crochet. Abysmal defense must be accounted for, while the search for slugging may be addressed first. Ironic. The press conference provided vague information about what’s to come, but this is just the beginning of a new era in Boston. The fun begins five days after the conclusion of the World Series, when deadlines on Bregman and Story’s opt-outs are due.