Red Sox fans have been put through the wringer as the 2024 offseason has not shown any signs of improvement for the team or hope for a better result at the end of the season. Boston has finished last in the division in three of the last four campaigns.
However, a former Red Sox pitcher had some encouraging words for Boston fans and the organization to try and pick them up and provide some hope.
Jon Lester recently sat down with Bob Nightengale of USA Today to discuss the “tough spot” Craig Breslow and the Red Sox find themselves in. Lester is popular among members of Red Sox Nation as helped lead Boston to World Series titles in 2007 and 2013. He and Breslow were Red Sox teammates from 2012 to 2014 with one World Series win under their collective belt.
It’s not lost on Lester that the Red Sox are going through a rough stretch but he believes they’ll be out of the AL East’s basement soon enough.
“But we all know the Red Sox won’t be down for long. They’re too smart over there,” he said.
Lester and Breslow being former teammates may present personal bias on the situation on Lester’s part, but it is nice to see a former Red Sox champion have faith that things will improve in Boston.
Lester seems to have a lot of hope in Breslow and there’s good reason for it. Breslow was key in helping the Cubs change how they develop pitchers during his time as their assistant general manager.
Breslow has already initiated steps to do the same in Boston. He hired Andrew Bailey as the Red Sox’s new pitching coach, Justin Willard as director of pitching, and Kyle Boddy as a pitching advisor to the team.
So while there is a blueprint for a brighter future, there is still a long way to go for the Red Sox to make some noise in the division and avoid another last-place finish. Boston has a young and exciting core of talent but the pitching staff leaves much to be desired.
Boston has traded for some arms this offseason by offloading Luis Urías and Alex Verdugo. It knows pitching needs to be a focus — pitching depth is one of the most important things that a team can have.
Lucas Giolito is the Sox’s biggest free agent signing of the offseason so far and he hasn’t been the best in recent years. Surprisingly, there are still good arms available like Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell so there’s a chance Boston could still add, but don’t bet on it.
The acquisition of Vaughn Grissom through the Chris Sale trade might be the best move made so far. He is a young, controllable talent with a good bat and serviceable defense. He isn’t the savior of the 2024 Red Sox but he will hopefully be a bright spot for fans.
Spring training is under way and fans are a step closer to having baseball back. With a new season comes the opportunity to change the team’s destiny. What the club does in the offseason is important but what matters most is the performance on the field. Here’s to hoping the Sox prove everyone wrong.
