After an 81-81 finish last season, in which the Boston Red Sox missed the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years, the team made several key additions this offseason. While the Red Sox added Alex Bregman in free agency, the team primarily improved its starting rotation with the additions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler.
Although pitching is expected to be a strength for the Red Sox in 2025, things are not off to an ideal start as manager Alex Cora announced that two members of the starting rotation are dealing with injuries, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on X. Kutter Crawford may not be ready to pitch by Opening Day and young righty Brayan Bello is also behind in his recovery.
The Red Sox’s rotation is dinged up ahead of Opening Day
Bello reported shoulder soreness when he arrived at spring training earlier this month. The team rested the fourth-year starter, hoping to avoid a major setback. While Bello’s imaging didn’t reveal anything troubling and he’s resumed throwing in an effort to get on track for the start of the season, Cora’s characterization that Bello is “behind” is less than encouraging for the Red Sox.
Crawford, on the other hand, is dealing with soreness in his right knee. It’s an issue that affected him for the majority of the 2024 season, leading to a step back from his promising 2023 campaign. Crawford actually set an unfortunate MLB record last season, allowing 12 home runs over three consecutive starts. He ended up leading the majors with 34 homers allowed in 2024.
Even with Bello and Crawford dinged up ahead of Opening Day, the Red Sox are expected to have a bounce back season in 2025. The team landed Bregman, who is expected to switch to second base to accommodate Boston’s third baseman Rafael Devers. Additionally, the Red Sox pulled off a huge trade with the Chicago White Sox, adding prized starter Garrett Crochet to the rotation.
Finally, the team pried Walker Buehler loose from the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreeing to a one-year, $21.04 million deal with the 30-year-old hurler. Buehler hopes to regain his dominant form from 2021 – his last fully healthy season in the majors.
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