03-24-2024 MLB Preview - Flipbook - Page 20
MLB ’24 AL EAST PREVIEW BOSTON RED SOX
Sunday, March 24, 2024 20
2023: 78-84, fifth place | Manager: Alex Cora (fourth season of second stint with team, sixth season overall) | Opening Day: March 28 at Seattle
OVERVIEW
TOP HITTERS
OF Masataka Yoshida (.289, 15, 72),
SS Trevor Story (.203, 3, 14 in 43
games), OF Jarren Duran (.295, 8,
40), 1B Triston Casas (.263, 24, 65).
ONE TO WATCH
3B Rafael Devers (.271,
33 HRs, 100 RBIs)
PROJECTED ROTATION
RH Brayan Bello (12-11, 4.24 ERA),
RH Nick Pivetta (10-9, 4.04), RH
Tanner Houck (6-10, 5.01), RH
Kutter Crawford (6-8, 4.04), RH
Garrett Whitlock (5-5, 5.15).
KEY RELIEVERS
RH Kenley Jansen (3-6, 3.63 ERA,
29/33 saves), RH Chris Martin (4-1,
1.05, 3 saves), RH Josh Winckowski
(4-4, 2.88, 3 saves).
OUTLOOK
The Red Sox appear to be on track
for their fourth last-place finish
in five years. After trading Chris
Sale in the offseason, their top
free-agent acquisition was Lucas
Giolito. But he got hurt in spring
training and is expected to miss
the entire season following elbow
surgery. There are few options
for the rotation. The lineup is also
diminished, with Adam Duvall and
Justin Turner leaving as free agents
after spending one productive year
in Boston. Alex Verdugo, the centerpiece of the trade that sent Mookie
Betts to the Dodgers, also was
traded away, netting little major
league-ready talent. Chief Baseball
Officer Chaim Bloom was fired last
year and replaced by another Yalie,
ex-Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow,
but ownership has conceded the
team’s payroll will likely go down
after last year’s fifth-place finish.
— Associated Press
ELSA/
GETTY
HE’S HERE
SS Vaughn Grissom, LF Tyler O’Neill, RHP Lucas Giolito.
HE’S OUTTA HERE
LHP Chris Sale (left), OF Alex Verdugo, OF Adam Duvall, LHP James Paxton, RHP Corey Kluber, 3B Justin Turner.
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