Three biggest offseason questions facing the Red Sox

Although still early in the offseason, the Boston Red Sox have been one of MLB's most talked about teams, with the rumor mill connecting the franchise with everyone from Juan Soto to Corbin Burnes.

Coming off an 81-81 campaign, Boston is in a position to spend money to improve the lineup and pitching, with Spotrac estimating the Red Sox currently having just under $110M on the books committed for the 2025 season. With the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) set at $241M for the 2025 season, there is room for the Red Sox to spend this winter ... and all indications are that Boston will do just that.

So what areas could be spending targets for Boston? Let's dive into that and more in our three offseason questions surrounding the Red Sox.

Who will be Boston's top pitcher?

The Red Sox have options for the middle and back end of the rotation, including Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford, but Boston still needs an ace to lead its starting pitching. That's why Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell and other free agents have been connected to the Red Sox already this offseason.

Boston is expected to land a big name to be the face of the rotation, and perhaps that could come with a trade with the Chicago White Sox for Garrett Crochet rather than through free agency. The possibility of a trade leads to the next question.

Will Boston trade from its farm system?

At the end of last season, Boston's farm system was ranked third among MLB's 30 teams by Bleacher Report. Three of Boston's prospects are among MLBPipeline.com's most recent top 10 and four are among the top 25, so Boston's minor league system is stacked.

Certainly prospects are always a part of future plans for any franchise, but could Boston sacrifice some of those prospects to land Crochet or another trade target? If the Red Sox flip into "win now" mode, some of those coveted prospects could be on the move.

How will Boston improve the offense?

Among the top items on the wish list this offseason is a right-handed bat that can add some power to the Boston lineup. No, Soto doesn't fit that description, but if the Red Sox could add him as a long-term weapon, Boston fans would likely overlook another lefty in the lineup.

If the pursuit of Soto doesn't go Boston's way, look for the Red Sox to focus on the right side of the batter's box. That could include bringing in Teoscar Hernandez, a free agent the franchise chased last offseason before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, or signing Alex Bregman as was suggested by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

A move like that would potentially push Rafael Devers to first base, bringing a big shakeup to the infield as well as the batting order.

While Boston's pitching should be a focal point this offseason, it's also clear that the offense can't just revolve around Devers and Jarren Duran, especially with the potential loss of Tyler O'Neill to free agency.