Boston Red Sox Have a Roster Construction Problem

Apr 6, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) celebrates a three run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals with designated hitter Rafael Devers (11) during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The tension between Devers and the organization he called home since he signed as a 16-year-old only continued to grow when the team asked their star to once again change positions in the wake of Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury. Devers told the media that Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow should "do his job" and acquire a new first baseman, and that he would not be changing positions again.

The tension would reach a breaking point when Devers was shockingly traded to the San Francisco Giants in a deal that amounted to little more than a salary dump. All the while, Campbell became one of the worst hitters in baseball, forcing the Red Sox to option him back to Triple-A Worcester.

Jun 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) greets new teammate Willy Adames before taking on the Cleveland Guardians at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Fast forward to November, and Breslow entered the offseason with a clear path to build on Boston’s first playoff appearance since 2021 and turn a young and talented, yet inexperienced group into a true title contender. The team’s needs are defined by one word: certainty.

That certainty began with the re-signing of Bregman, who, with the Devers trade, became the team's new face of the franchise. Instead, Breslow whiffed on signing slugger Pete Alonso and Bregman signed a five-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, forcing the Red Sox to pivot to pitching and defense, a formula that worked wonders for the mid-2010s San Francisco Giants. There is only one key difference between Boston and San Francisco: the ballpark.

In 2025, Fenway Park ranked as the second most hitter-friendly park in baseball by park factor, while Oracle Park is notoriously one of the most pitcher-friendly venues in the sport.

In turning to a run prevention roster build, Breslow placed immense pressure on 21-year-old Roman Anthony to be the catalyst for the offense after just 72 games of major league experience, while adding only supplementary piece like 2025 National League Rookie of the Year Finalist Caleb Durbin and veteran first baseman Willson Contreras around him.

Expectations for the Boston offense were low to say the least, as they entered the 2026 season as the only team in baseball to have zero hitters projected to hit 20 or more home runs.

In a less-than-shocking development, the 21-year-old Anthony has hit some speed bumps out of the gate in 2026, hitting just .208 and a .631 OPS, and the Boston offense has struggled mightily. Of course, Anthony's woes at the plate are far from the only reason for Boston's offensive failure; Boston has three everyday players that rank in the bottom 10 in baseball in WRC+: Durbin, veteran shortstop Trevor Story, and outfielder Jarren Duran.

All the while, the absence of Bregman's leadership has been more than apparent both on the field and in media appearances.

When sitting at 10-17, Breslow made the shocking decision to part ways with Cora and seven members of his major league coaching staff. In the wake of Cora's dismissal, CBS Sports' Julian McWilliams cited Breslow's unhappiness with the way players were developing at the major league level. "Why do a lot of players go to other places and get better? Why do other guys come here and get worse?" one source told McWilliams

"From the front office perspective, the program lacked structure and was not conducive to consistent player development." McWilliams writes.

Cora, however, has found himself as an unfortunate scapegoat for Breslow's roster-building failures. It's not often that a 21-year-old with only 72 games played at the major league level can step in and become the MVP candidate that many expect him to become. Baseball is unlike some other sports where top prospects can become plug-and-play superstars. Development isn't linear; plenty of top prospects struggle at the major league level before becoming the players they were expected to be. The only difference is that those players are not asked to be the catalyst for teams with self-proclaimed World Series aspirations.

Through a series of franchise-altering moves, Breslow has turned a Red Sox team seemingly primed to enter a prolonged championship window into a potential top of the lottery roster in just 12 short months.

The Red Sox sit at 12-19 and in last place in the American League East. They will welcome the Houston Astros to Fenway Park to open a three-game series on Friday night. Rookie Jake Bennett will make his major league debut opposite Mike Burrows for Houston. First pitch from Fenway Park set for 7:10 p.m. ET.

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