Post by Commissioner Erick on Jan 16, 2024 15:44:46 GMT -5
Boston’s title team is very interesting compared to past winners. There aren’t tentpole big-money superstars on the club anchoring a bunch of good role players, but the team also hasn’t been a draft and development factory allowing for a ruthlessly cheap, efficient roster either. Boston’s also a rare team that actually goes out and pays sizeable contracts to import free agent relief pitching, something few title winners have done in the past.
What Mike Ball has built is a deep, balanced roster, accumulated primarily through elite draft picks from the club’s barren times, plus a few past veteran-for-prospects trades from the same era. With the Red Sox contenders, they supplemented things by aggressively building up their bullpen in free agency, saving budget space to sign talented free agents sitting on the market well into the season, and pushing prospect capital to acquire three elite players to produce an elite October team. The model Boston follows the closest may be Minnesota’s 2023 championship squad in that the best players were mostly either homegrown, or acquired in-season when a shot at a title was clear.
Players
Draft Picks
Steve Hartman (2021, Supplemental Round, 39th overall. $10 million contract in 2031)
Joel McCabe (2022, 1st round, 8th overall. Minimum contract in 2031
Juan Inzunza (2022, 2nd round, 5th overall. $1.9 million contract in 2031)
Andy DeShaw (2022, 9th round, 271st overall. $9 million contract in 2031)
Joe Taylor (2024, 1st round, 4th overall. $25 million contract in 2031)
Jonathan Annis (2024, 2nd round, 43rd overall. $1.9 million contract in 2031)
Brock Paradiso (2026, 1st round, 5th overall. Minimum contract in 2031)
John Lacy (2027, 3rd round, 100th overall. Minimum contract in 2031)
John Pfeiffer (2030, 1st round, 32nd overall. Minimum contract in 2031)
The Red Sox were picking in the top 10 of the first round basically since 2019, and their draft record from 2020 on has been pretty strong. Though Chris Berson isn’t on the team anymore, and the Joe Caulder saga was a ridiculous one, Boston has largely nailed its early picks.
Joel McCabe, Joe Taylor, and Brock Paradiso are multiple-time All-Stars. Boston had a chance to get star talent early in the draft and hit on three players between 2022 and 2026. The fastest way to successfully rebuild is to have early round draft picks and actually get All-Stars with them.
Steve Hartman was a Supplemental Round pick in 2021 and became the team’s Closer in 2025, leading the league in Saves in 2026. He’s been one of the league’s best relievers since then, and another successful pick.
Juan Inzunza was a second rounder, who has largely been a role player who has struggled in a larger role. But as a more part-time player, he’s hit doubles and he’s manned Center Field. Jonathan Annis also wasn’t a first round pick, and while his defense has kept him from being incredibly valuable, he’s hit .295 or higher every year with doubles power and a low strikeout rate. The Red Sox hit on stars in the first round, and supplemented them with good role players in round two.
Third round pick in 2027, John Lacy, emerged out of nowhere to be an offensive superstar. He hit 38 home runs during the year, set the all time single-season RBI mark, and will likely be the AL’s Rookie of the Year. Sometimes you need a little bit of development good fortune to build a champion.
With injuries wrecking Boston’s middle infield, and a deep offense elsewhere, Boston called up John Pfeiffer in late April to be a starting middle infielder. Injuries kept him in the lineup throughout the year, and he both hit and fielded just well enough to be a good player in the regular season. He also brutalized Seattle in the ALDS and didn’t make many mistakes in the LCS or World Series.
Free Agents
Mark Patterson (12/16/27—signed 2-year, $5.5 million contract. $2.8 million contract in 2031)
Daniel Flores (1/18/29—signed 4-year, $80 million contract. $20 million contract in 2031)
Luis Contreras (1/23/29—signed 5-year, $40 million contract. $8 million contract in 2031)
Vlashi Buzoku (1/28/30—signed 3-year, $19 million contract. $6.4 million contract in 2031)
Stephen Marchant (2/14/30—signed 1-year, $1.2 million contract. $1.2 million contract in 2031)
Bobby Spong (1/6/31—signed 2-year, $25 million contract. $12.5 million contract in 2031)
Josh Butler (1/17/31—signed 1-year, $9.5 million contract. $9.5 million contract in 2031)
Jonathan Guarneros (1/22/31—signed 1-year, 750K contract. $750K in 2031)
Nonie Williams (3/30/31—signed 1-year, $4.7 million contract. $4.7 million contract in 2031)
Bobby Witt Jr. (5/14/31—signed 1-year—$10.6 million contract in 2031. $10.6 million contract in 2031)
Luis Torribio (6/18/31—signed minor league contract with $110K signing bonus. Minimum contract in 2031)
Ralph Porter (7/10/31—signed 1-year, $4.8 million contract. $4.8 million in 2031).
Boston acquired a lot of talent via free agency, but with the exception of Daniel Flores, most players acquired were relievers, spare parts, or veterans unsigned after free agency.
Daniel Flores was their big get. A power-hitting Catcher for Washington, he had a rough half-season in 2028 for Washington, and a strong second half in Oakland didn’t completely rehabilitate his full-year numbers. Boston signed him for the four years of his prime at $20 million a pop to replace Keibert Ruiz. Flores had a strong first two seasons in Boston, then a massive 2031 where he hit .305 with a .927 OPS. Boston paid for a high-end Catcher and got high-end production.
Mark Patterson was a weird case of Boston signing Patterson, cutting him, then re-signing him to fairly cheap contract. His first significant playing time came in 2029 where he hit .357 with 17 extra base hits in 20 starts and 123 plate appearances. He hit .319 with 29 doubles the following year in 301 plate appearances, then .308 with an .872 OPS in just 23 starts this year. He’s come off the bench more often than he’s started, but he’s hit no matter what. Boston never got him on a minimum contract though because of their weird cutting of him in 2027.
Luis Contreras was an elite reliever foolishly miscast as a starter. Back in the pen in Boston at a reasonably priced $8 million a year, Contreras turned back into a strong reliever, even if he never reached his St. Louis heights. He’s had a 3.03 ERA with Boston.
After a promising start to his career in Washington, Vlashi Buzoku began to flounder as the team reached its nadir. Mike Ball signed him to a fairly pricy contact for someone coming off a combined -0.2 WAR in two years, and Buzoku has rewarded him with two seasons with an ERA under 3. He’s a quality arm and one of many pitchers providing elite depth to Boston’s bullpen.
Stephan Marchant was signed after a career exclusively in the minors. He was given a cheap deal, but a chance to pitch in the majors. He mostly served as Pawtucket’s closer in 2030, but eight games with a 1.50 ERA with the big club showed that he was ready for prime time. His contract autorenewed for 2031, and he had 0.9 WAR for Boston despite spending half a year in Triple-A. Marchant didn’t allow a homer in the regular season, and while that changed dramatically in the postseason, he only allowed a single walk in the playoffs. He was a postseason workhouse though, appearing in nine games with a 2.77 ERA.
Bobby Spong, Josh Butler, and Jonathan Guarneros were signed before this year, Sponge Bob and Genghis Khan to sizeable contracts. Spong hadn’t been as effective as he was during his peak Dodgers days during the season, but his playoffs was splendid as he posted a 1.93 ERA. Butler was a serviceable starter during the year and pitched a fine Game 4 of the World Series. Guarneros debuted during the postseason as a roster replacement and had a 2.70 ERA in three games.
With Arturo Reineri moving on in the offseason, Boston tried many different options to fill in their middle infield after the season started, often just to watch those replacements get injured and need to be replaced themselves.
Nonie Williams was the first option. Signed for a touch under $5 million, he played strong defense and hit for power before going down in late July. Bobby Witt. Jr. was signed in late May to a decent one-year contract. He had the same year he always has offensively, but needed to play mostly Third Base after Alan Medina went down in August.
Luis Torribio was given a minimum contract to be another infield option. He was called up in late June and played 64 games with complete offensive incompetence, before getting hurt and needing to be replaced in the postseason.
In the end, John Pfeiffer played Shortstop in the playoffs, with Joel McCabe and Jon Lacy the primary options for Second Base.
The final player Boston signed as a free agent was Ralph Porter. Wanting to upgrade their outfield after Joe Taylor’s injury, Porter’s $4.8 million contract turned out to mostly cost $2.4 million pro-rated. He had 14 homers and 11 doubles in about a third of a season, then had six doubles and five homers in a very productive playoffs.
The Red Sox used their spending power to build up a really strong playoff bullpen, to get a star Catcher, and to try to puzzle together a starting middle infielder. By keeping their powder dry, they were able to pick up a former Platinum Stick winner essentially for free and plug him into the starting lineup. It was a bit unorthodox, but with an already deep pool of talent, using their money to handle the late innings, to get a rare offensive Catcher, and to prioritize flexibility to handle injuries turned out to be a wise approach.
Trades
Alan Medina (11/11/24—Traded from Tampa Bay for Mike Foltynewicz. Minimum contract in 2031)
Luis Espinoza (12/16/24—Traded from Kanas City, along with Mike Fitzgerald, Curt Habeck, and Ricardo Ventura for Juan Betancourt. $3.5 million contract in 2031)
Sergio Murillo (6/28/27—Traded from Houston for Pedro Martinez and Jeff Pigg. $2 million contract in 2031)
Chris Donelson (6/9/31—Traded from Pittsburgh for Eddie Rentmeester, Luis Palafox, Rick Shanley, Joe Winship, Mark Ward, and Eric Carillo. $10.9 million arbitration contract in 2031)
Sergio Navarro (6/9/31—Same Trade as above. $3.8 million arbitration contract in 2031)
Luis Morales (7/14/31—Traded from Philadelphia, along with $3.7 million, for Jerrod Early, Chris Kozisek, and Kiyoshi Furukubo)
Six Boston players were acquired by trade, a couple when Boston was shipping veterans for prospects while rebuilding, and a trio to elevate their roster in-season.
Mike Foltynewicz was a serviceable fifth starter for most of his career, but for some reason, Tampa Bay traded a future Top 10 prospect in Alan Medina for him. Tampa won 76 games in 2023 and 75 games in 2024, and in acquiring Foltynewicz, they won 75 games in 2025. Medina had an .895 OPS in 2030 and was having a disappointing, but stlll solid sophomore year with a .731 OPS this year before he got hurt in August. He only started one games in the playoffs, but should still be the team’s starting Third Baseman of the future. What a steal of a trade.
The Red Sox traded Juan Betancourt the next offseason for an impressive haul. Betancourt was an impressive reliever and fringe starting pitching prospect who had an impressive rookie year for Boston. He was shipped to Kansas City, had bone spurs in his elbow, and the surgery caused him to lose some juice in his arm. Betancourt never developed into a starter and only played 29 games for Kansas City before languishing in Triple-A for a half decade, then popping up in Mexico and dominating the Mexican League.
The Red Sox were able to get Luis Espinoza, Mike Fitgerald, Curt Habeck, and Ricardo Ventura for him. Fitzgerald was unprotected in the Rule V draft two weeks later and poached by San Diego, Habeck has been a Quad-A power-hitting outfielder who earned an All-Sar nod with Chicago in 2030 as the best of a horrendous roster, and Ventura just reached Triple-A this year as a slow developing prospect who’ll likely top out in Pawtucket. Espinoza, though, was an elite middle reliever his first full year in 2028 and has been an outstanding starter since. He won 18 games last year, plus one more in the playoffs, and is only 29. Boston sold high on a PBA player, even one who was very young, and was able to get a key piece of their 2031 title team from it.
The Red Sox acquired Sergio Murillo after the 2027 season. Murrillo was previously famous for being a terrible pitcher on Houston’s Wild Card team in 2026, inexplicably getting the nod to start the Wild Card Game against Seattle that year, then inexplicably shutting down Seattle in a random, dominating blowout to propel Houston eventually to the ALCS. After following up his terrible 2026 regular season with a terrible 2027, Boston sent out Jeff Pigg and Pedro Martinez to acquire him. Injuries resulted in Pigg developing into just a replacement level Triple-A-caliber arm, while Doorbell Martinez keeps pressing the button for hits, but they haven’t come in his PBA career. Murillo has developed into a competent swingman, and Boston didn’t give up much to get him.
With Boston seeing the rest of the AL East floundering, they made a pair of in-season trades to take their team to an elite level. In June, they acquired two aces from a Pittsburgh Pirates team not putting it together. Sergio Navarro was excellent for Boston in the regular season and exceptional in the playoffs, posting a 2.04 ERA in five starts. Chris Donelson had some tough BABIPs in the regular year, but didn’t allow a homer in the playoffs on the way to a stellar 3-1 mark with a 2.41 ERA. Those two arms were huge reasons why Boston won the World Series. The team ended up parting with five (!) top 100 prospects in Eddie Rentmeester, Luis Palafox, Rick Shanley, Joe Winship, and Eric Carillo, plus 2030 31-homer hitter Mark Ward, to acquire the aces, but it was well worth it. The aces are young enough to continue to provide value, and the prospects don’t have a surefire superstar among them yet. Besides flags fly forever.
Boston also acquired Stud Luis Morales in July with cash to cover his salary. The Platinum Stick winner was having a down year for a down Phillies team, but turned things around with Boston. He had a huge postseason with a .956 OPS to terrorize opposing pitchers during Boston’s playoff run. The Red Sox parted with their first round pick in the 2031 draft, Jerrod Early, their second round pick, Chris Kozisek, and depth pitcher Kiyoshi Furukubo. The Red Sox traded future production for current stars who could help get them over the hump—and it paid off in a huge way.
Scouting Discoveries
Juan Alaniz (6/11/20—Scouting Discovery out of Colombia. $6.4 million contract in 2031)
Juan Alaniz was discovered during Robert Savard’s tenure as Red Sox GM. A fringy prospect when discovered, Alaniz started to throw harder after being called up to the Gulf Coast League, putting himself on the PBA radar. He eventually ended up as a Top 100 prospect, and after a strong showing for Colombia in the 2026 WBC, got called up to nine games that year. Alaniz evolved into a swingman, then a starter, and has always allowed more runs than you’d expect. However, he limits homers and has been done in by less-than-stellar defense. He was solid in the postseason and is a development win for the Boston staff.
Waivers
Jimmy Shead (4/30/30—Claimed off Waivers from Pittsburgh. $1.1 million contract in 2031)
Sean van der Steen (1/4/31—Claimed off Waivers from Tampa Bay. Minimum contract in 2031)
The Red Sox plucked a couple of people off waivers the last two years to round out their roster. Jimmy Shead didn’t pitch much in the playoffs, but he had a 2.95 ERA in the regular season. He’s another reliever Boston went out and got, though Boston saw that there was a better arm than what Shead’s ERA’s above 6 were showing in Pittsburgh.
Boston also claimed Sean van der Steen off waivers in January and had him serve as the team’s backup Catcher. Van der Steen wasn’t good—but he also didn’t play in the postseason and sucked up innings during the regular year. Boston may have wanted a better performer, but at least they didn’t spend any resources on perhaps the least important position in baseball.
Rule V
Joe Seale (12/24/26—1st round 17th pick, 17th overall from New York Mets. $2.4 million contract in 2031)
Joe Seale was the last piece of the Boston player puzzle. He didn’t pitch after June 4, despite having almost 2 WAR to that point. He was getting wrecked by BABIP and was demoted to Triple-A. He put up 1.9 WAR in 13 starts though, and had been a respectable fifth starter during his Boston tenure. He was acquired for free when the Mets left him exposed in the Rule V draft prior to the 2027 season and Boston got a free depth arm as a result.
Staff
Assistant GM: Paul DePodesta
Scouting Director: Steve Rodriguez
Trainer: Kevin Harmon
Bench Coach: Shemar Shillow
Hitting Coach: John Mabry
1B Coach: Jesse Bosnik
3B Coach: Brandon Taylor
Boston prioritized continuity with their coaching with every position but pitching coach being accounted for by the same guy since 2026. With Boston seeing marked progress that year and winning 100 games the next three, Ball didn’t see a need to change up the staff, even after 2030’s disappointing September. That continuity paid off in the end.
While Paul DePodesta’s had the easiest job in the world, and been handsomely paid for it, he helped build Toronto’s 2024 title team and helped build Boston’s. He has an Outstanding reputation as a person who gets things done.
Scout Steve Rodriguez was hired in 2025 right after Mike Ball took the job. Rodriguez is elite at scouting amateurs and the minors and helped identify the right draft picks Boston could use to rebuild. His hard work early in his tenure paid off down the line. Trainer Kevin Harmon isn’t an elite trainer, but he’s proficient in every area. He helped Boston avoid disaster, and Boston’s depth helped replace the handful of players who did go down. Perhaps Harmon is replaceable, but there’s rarely an elite trainer available on the market.
Bench Coach Shamar Shillow has been with the team for the duration of Ball’s tenure. He’s a conventional manager who is good at getting non-elite talent to develop above their potential, perhaps a reason why players like John Pfeiffer did so well this year. His main personality trait is his balance, and how exceptional he is in the clubhouse. Not great at teaching and developing stars, he’s always juggled a deep roster and kept guys pointing in the right direction and the team adores him. Sometimes vibes are the most important trait a manager can provide.
John Mabry is an excellent hitting coach who commands respect by how well he works with others. He preaches contact, a good approach for Fenway Park, and is beloved in the clubhouse, even among Boston’s pitchers. He’s another manager who keeps Boston’s clubhouse one of the best in the game.
The base coaches balance each other well. First Base Coach John Bosnik is loved in the clubhouse and works well with runners and Catchers. Third Base Coach Brandon Taylor isn’t quite as good in the clubhouse, but he’s elite teaching outfielders defense.
Pitching Coach: Koji Mise
Pitching Coach is the one manager who hasn’t had a lengthy tenure with the team. After working well with Cincinnati’s Arizona Rookie League team and the Rome Braves, Ball signed him in 2028, mainly based on reputation. Mise isn’t the best teacher, but he’s worked really well with Boston’s veterans, especially Navarro and Donnelson, and gotten the team pulling together in the clubhouse, another data point of interpersonal dynamics mattering when building a championship team.
What Mike Ball has built is a deep, balanced roster, accumulated primarily through elite draft picks from the club’s barren times, plus a few past veteran-for-prospects trades from the same era. With the Red Sox contenders, they supplemented things by aggressively building up their bullpen in free agency, saving budget space to sign talented free agents sitting on the market well into the season, and pushing prospect capital to acquire three elite players to produce an elite October team. The model Boston follows the closest may be Minnesota’s 2023 championship squad in that the best players were mostly either homegrown, or acquired in-season when a shot at a title was clear.
Players
Draft Picks
Steve Hartman (2021, Supplemental Round, 39th overall. $10 million contract in 2031)
Joel McCabe (2022, 1st round, 8th overall. Minimum contract in 2031
Juan Inzunza (2022, 2nd round, 5th overall. $1.9 million contract in 2031)
Andy DeShaw (2022, 9th round, 271st overall. $9 million contract in 2031)
Joe Taylor (2024, 1st round, 4th overall. $25 million contract in 2031)
Jonathan Annis (2024, 2nd round, 43rd overall. $1.9 million contract in 2031)
Brock Paradiso (2026, 1st round, 5th overall. Minimum contract in 2031)
John Lacy (2027, 3rd round, 100th overall. Minimum contract in 2031)
John Pfeiffer (2030, 1st round, 32nd overall. Minimum contract in 2031)
The Red Sox were picking in the top 10 of the first round basically since 2019, and their draft record from 2020 on has been pretty strong. Though Chris Berson isn’t on the team anymore, and the Joe Caulder saga was a ridiculous one, Boston has largely nailed its early picks.
Joel McCabe, Joe Taylor, and Brock Paradiso are multiple-time All-Stars. Boston had a chance to get star talent early in the draft and hit on three players between 2022 and 2026. The fastest way to successfully rebuild is to have early round draft picks and actually get All-Stars with them.
Steve Hartman was a Supplemental Round pick in 2021 and became the team’s Closer in 2025, leading the league in Saves in 2026. He’s been one of the league’s best relievers since then, and another successful pick.
Juan Inzunza was a second rounder, who has largely been a role player who has struggled in a larger role. But as a more part-time player, he’s hit doubles and he’s manned Center Field. Jonathan Annis also wasn’t a first round pick, and while his defense has kept him from being incredibly valuable, he’s hit .295 or higher every year with doubles power and a low strikeout rate. The Red Sox hit on stars in the first round, and supplemented them with good role players in round two.
Third round pick in 2027, John Lacy, emerged out of nowhere to be an offensive superstar. He hit 38 home runs during the year, set the all time single-season RBI mark, and will likely be the AL’s Rookie of the Year. Sometimes you need a little bit of development good fortune to build a champion.
With injuries wrecking Boston’s middle infield, and a deep offense elsewhere, Boston called up John Pfeiffer in late April to be a starting middle infielder. Injuries kept him in the lineup throughout the year, and he both hit and fielded just well enough to be a good player in the regular season. He also brutalized Seattle in the ALDS and didn’t make many mistakes in the LCS or World Series.
Free Agents
Mark Patterson (12/16/27—signed 2-year, $5.5 million contract. $2.8 million contract in 2031)
Daniel Flores (1/18/29—signed 4-year, $80 million contract. $20 million contract in 2031)
Luis Contreras (1/23/29—signed 5-year, $40 million contract. $8 million contract in 2031)
Vlashi Buzoku (1/28/30—signed 3-year, $19 million contract. $6.4 million contract in 2031)
Stephen Marchant (2/14/30—signed 1-year, $1.2 million contract. $1.2 million contract in 2031)
Bobby Spong (1/6/31—signed 2-year, $25 million contract. $12.5 million contract in 2031)
Josh Butler (1/17/31—signed 1-year, $9.5 million contract. $9.5 million contract in 2031)
Jonathan Guarneros (1/22/31—signed 1-year, 750K contract. $750K in 2031)
Nonie Williams (3/30/31—signed 1-year, $4.7 million contract. $4.7 million contract in 2031)
Bobby Witt Jr. (5/14/31—signed 1-year—$10.6 million contract in 2031. $10.6 million contract in 2031)
Luis Torribio (6/18/31—signed minor league contract with $110K signing bonus. Minimum contract in 2031)
Ralph Porter (7/10/31—signed 1-year, $4.8 million contract. $4.8 million in 2031).
Boston acquired a lot of talent via free agency, but with the exception of Daniel Flores, most players acquired were relievers, spare parts, or veterans unsigned after free agency.
Daniel Flores was their big get. A power-hitting Catcher for Washington, he had a rough half-season in 2028 for Washington, and a strong second half in Oakland didn’t completely rehabilitate his full-year numbers. Boston signed him for the four years of his prime at $20 million a pop to replace Keibert Ruiz. Flores had a strong first two seasons in Boston, then a massive 2031 where he hit .305 with a .927 OPS. Boston paid for a high-end Catcher and got high-end production.
Mark Patterson was a weird case of Boston signing Patterson, cutting him, then re-signing him to fairly cheap contract. His first significant playing time came in 2029 where he hit .357 with 17 extra base hits in 20 starts and 123 plate appearances. He hit .319 with 29 doubles the following year in 301 plate appearances, then .308 with an .872 OPS in just 23 starts this year. He’s come off the bench more often than he’s started, but he’s hit no matter what. Boston never got him on a minimum contract though because of their weird cutting of him in 2027.
Luis Contreras was an elite reliever foolishly miscast as a starter. Back in the pen in Boston at a reasonably priced $8 million a year, Contreras turned back into a strong reliever, even if he never reached his St. Louis heights. He’s had a 3.03 ERA with Boston.
After a promising start to his career in Washington, Vlashi Buzoku began to flounder as the team reached its nadir. Mike Ball signed him to a fairly pricy contact for someone coming off a combined -0.2 WAR in two years, and Buzoku has rewarded him with two seasons with an ERA under 3. He’s a quality arm and one of many pitchers providing elite depth to Boston’s bullpen.
Stephan Marchant was signed after a career exclusively in the minors. He was given a cheap deal, but a chance to pitch in the majors. He mostly served as Pawtucket’s closer in 2030, but eight games with a 1.50 ERA with the big club showed that he was ready for prime time. His contract autorenewed for 2031, and he had 0.9 WAR for Boston despite spending half a year in Triple-A. Marchant didn’t allow a homer in the regular season, and while that changed dramatically in the postseason, he only allowed a single walk in the playoffs. He was a postseason workhouse though, appearing in nine games with a 2.77 ERA.
Bobby Spong, Josh Butler, and Jonathan Guarneros were signed before this year, Sponge Bob and Genghis Khan to sizeable contracts. Spong hadn’t been as effective as he was during his peak Dodgers days during the season, but his playoffs was splendid as he posted a 1.93 ERA. Butler was a serviceable starter during the year and pitched a fine Game 4 of the World Series. Guarneros debuted during the postseason as a roster replacement and had a 2.70 ERA in three games.
With Arturo Reineri moving on in the offseason, Boston tried many different options to fill in their middle infield after the season started, often just to watch those replacements get injured and need to be replaced themselves.
Nonie Williams was the first option. Signed for a touch under $5 million, he played strong defense and hit for power before going down in late July. Bobby Witt. Jr. was signed in late May to a decent one-year contract. He had the same year he always has offensively, but needed to play mostly Third Base after Alan Medina went down in August.
Luis Torribio was given a minimum contract to be another infield option. He was called up in late June and played 64 games with complete offensive incompetence, before getting hurt and needing to be replaced in the postseason.
In the end, John Pfeiffer played Shortstop in the playoffs, with Joel McCabe and Jon Lacy the primary options for Second Base.
The final player Boston signed as a free agent was Ralph Porter. Wanting to upgrade their outfield after Joe Taylor’s injury, Porter’s $4.8 million contract turned out to mostly cost $2.4 million pro-rated. He had 14 homers and 11 doubles in about a third of a season, then had six doubles and five homers in a very productive playoffs.
The Red Sox used their spending power to build up a really strong playoff bullpen, to get a star Catcher, and to try to puzzle together a starting middle infielder. By keeping their powder dry, they were able to pick up a former Platinum Stick winner essentially for free and plug him into the starting lineup. It was a bit unorthodox, but with an already deep pool of talent, using their money to handle the late innings, to get a rare offensive Catcher, and to prioritize flexibility to handle injuries turned out to be a wise approach.
Trades
Alan Medina (11/11/24—Traded from Tampa Bay for Mike Foltynewicz. Minimum contract in 2031)
Luis Espinoza (12/16/24—Traded from Kanas City, along with Mike Fitzgerald, Curt Habeck, and Ricardo Ventura for Juan Betancourt. $3.5 million contract in 2031)
Sergio Murillo (6/28/27—Traded from Houston for Pedro Martinez and Jeff Pigg. $2 million contract in 2031)
Chris Donelson (6/9/31—Traded from Pittsburgh for Eddie Rentmeester, Luis Palafox, Rick Shanley, Joe Winship, Mark Ward, and Eric Carillo. $10.9 million arbitration contract in 2031)
Sergio Navarro (6/9/31—Same Trade as above. $3.8 million arbitration contract in 2031)
Luis Morales (7/14/31—Traded from Philadelphia, along with $3.7 million, for Jerrod Early, Chris Kozisek, and Kiyoshi Furukubo)
Six Boston players were acquired by trade, a couple when Boston was shipping veterans for prospects while rebuilding, and a trio to elevate their roster in-season.
Mike Foltynewicz was a serviceable fifth starter for most of his career, but for some reason, Tampa Bay traded a future Top 10 prospect in Alan Medina for him. Tampa won 76 games in 2023 and 75 games in 2024, and in acquiring Foltynewicz, they won 75 games in 2025. Medina had an .895 OPS in 2030 and was having a disappointing, but stlll solid sophomore year with a .731 OPS this year before he got hurt in August. He only started one games in the playoffs, but should still be the team’s starting Third Baseman of the future. What a steal of a trade.
The Red Sox traded Juan Betancourt the next offseason for an impressive haul. Betancourt was an impressive reliever and fringe starting pitching prospect who had an impressive rookie year for Boston. He was shipped to Kansas City, had bone spurs in his elbow, and the surgery caused him to lose some juice in his arm. Betancourt never developed into a starter and only played 29 games for Kansas City before languishing in Triple-A for a half decade, then popping up in Mexico and dominating the Mexican League.
The Red Sox were able to get Luis Espinoza, Mike Fitgerald, Curt Habeck, and Ricardo Ventura for him. Fitzgerald was unprotected in the Rule V draft two weeks later and poached by San Diego, Habeck has been a Quad-A power-hitting outfielder who earned an All-Sar nod with Chicago in 2030 as the best of a horrendous roster, and Ventura just reached Triple-A this year as a slow developing prospect who’ll likely top out in Pawtucket. Espinoza, though, was an elite middle reliever his first full year in 2028 and has been an outstanding starter since. He won 18 games last year, plus one more in the playoffs, and is only 29. Boston sold high on a PBA player, even one who was very young, and was able to get a key piece of their 2031 title team from it.
The Red Sox acquired Sergio Murillo after the 2027 season. Murrillo was previously famous for being a terrible pitcher on Houston’s Wild Card team in 2026, inexplicably getting the nod to start the Wild Card Game against Seattle that year, then inexplicably shutting down Seattle in a random, dominating blowout to propel Houston eventually to the ALCS. After following up his terrible 2026 regular season with a terrible 2027, Boston sent out Jeff Pigg and Pedro Martinez to acquire him. Injuries resulted in Pigg developing into just a replacement level Triple-A-caliber arm, while Doorbell Martinez keeps pressing the button for hits, but they haven’t come in his PBA career. Murillo has developed into a competent swingman, and Boston didn’t give up much to get him.
With Boston seeing the rest of the AL East floundering, they made a pair of in-season trades to take their team to an elite level. In June, they acquired two aces from a Pittsburgh Pirates team not putting it together. Sergio Navarro was excellent for Boston in the regular season and exceptional in the playoffs, posting a 2.04 ERA in five starts. Chris Donelson had some tough BABIPs in the regular year, but didn’t allow a homer in the playoffs on the way to a stellar 3-1 mark with a 2.41 ERA. Those two arms were huge reasons why Boston won the World Series. The team ended up parting with five (!) top 100 prospects in Eddie Rentmeester, Luis Palafox, Rick Shanley, Joe Winship, and Eric Carillo, plus 2030 31-homer hitter Mark Ward, to acquire the aces, but it was well worth it. The aces are young enough to continue to provide value, and the prospects don’t have a surefire superstar among them yet. Besides flags fly forever.
Boston also acquired Stud Luis Morales in July with cash to cover his salary. The Platinum Stick winner was having a down year for a down Phillies team, but turned things around with Boston. He had a huge postseason with a .956 OPS to terrorize opposing pitchers during Boston’s playoff run. The Red Sox parted with their first round pick in the 2031 draft, Jerrod Early, their second round pick, Chris Kozisek, and depth pitcher Kiyoshi Furukubo. The Red Sox traded future production for current stars who could help get them over the hump—and it paid off in a huge way.
Scouting Discoveries
Juan Alaniz (6/11/20—Scouting Discovery out of Colombia. $6.4 million contract in 2031)
Juan Alaniz was discovered during Robert Savard’s tenure as Red Sox GM. A fringy prospect when discovered, Alaniz started to throw harder after being called up to the Gulf Coast League, putting himself on the PBA radar. He eventually ended up as a Top 100 prospect, and after a strong showing for Colombia in the 2026 WBC, got called up to nine games that year. Alaniz evolved into a swingman, then a starter, and has always allowed more runs than you’d expect. However, he limits homers and has been done in by less-than-stellar defense. He was solid in the postseason and is a development win for the Boston staff.
Waivers
Jimmy Shead (4/30/30—Claimed off Waivers from Pittsburgh. $1.1 million contract in 2031)
Sean van der Steen (1/4/31—Claimed off Waivers from Tampa Bay. Minimum contract in 2031)
The Red Sox plucked a couple of people off waivers the last two years to round out their roster. Jimmy Shead didn’t pitch much in the playoffs, but he had a 2.95 ERA in the regular season. He’s another reliever Boston went out and got, though Boston saw that there was a better arm than what Shead’s ERA’s above 6 were showing in Pittsburgh.
Boston also claimed Sean van der Steen off waivers in January and had him serve as the team’s backup Catcher. Van der Steen wasn’t good—but he also didn’t play in the postseason and sucked up innings during the regular year. Boston may have wanted a better performer, but at least they didn’t spend any resources on perhaps the least important position in baseball.
Rule V
Joe Seale (12/24/26—1st round 17th pick, 17th overall from New York Mets. $2.4 million contract in 2031)
Joe Seale was the last piece of the Boston player puzzle. He didn’t pitch after June 4, despite having almost 2 WAR to that point. He was getting wrecked by BABIP and was demoted to Triple-A. He put up 1.9 WAR in 13 starts though, and had been a respectable fifth starter during his Boston tenure. He was acquired for free when the Mets left him exposed in the Rule V draft prior to the 2027 season and Boston got a free depth arm as a result.
Staff
Assistant GM: Paul DePodesta
Scouting Director: Steve Rodriguez
Trainer: Kevin Harmon
Bench Coach: Shemar Shillow
Hitting Coach: John Mabry
1B Coach: Jesse Bosnik
3B Coach: Brandon Taylor
Boston prioritized continuity with their coaching with every position but pitching coach being accounted for by the same guy since 2026. With Boston seeing marked progress that year and winning 100 games the next three, Ball didn’t see a need to change up the staff, even after 2030’s disappointing September. That continuity paid off in the end.
While Paul DePodesta’s had the easiest job in the world, and been handsomely paid for it, he helped build Toronto’s 2024 title team and helped build Boston’s. He has an Outstanding reputation as a person who gets things done.
Scout Steve Rodriguez was hired in 2025 right after Mike Ball took the job. Rodriguez is elite at scouting amateurs and the minors and helped identify the right draft picks Boston could use to rebuild. His hard work early in his tenure paid off down the line. Trainer Kevin Harmon isn’t an elite trainer, but he’s proficient in every area. He helped Boston avoid disaster, and Boston’s depth helped replace the handful of players who did go down. Perhaps Harmon is replaceable, but there’s rarely an elite trainer available on the market.
Bench Coach Shamar Shillow has been with the team for the duration of Ball’s tenure. He’s a conventional manager who is good at getting non-elite talent to develop above their potential, perhaps a reason why players like John Pfeiffer did so well this year. His main personality trait is his balance, and how exceptional he is in the clubhouse. Not great at teaching and developing stars, he’s always juggled a deep roster and kept guys pointing in the right direction and the team adores him. Sometimes vibes are the most important trait a manager can provide.
John Mabry is an excellent hitting coach who commands respect by how well he works with others. He preaches contact, a good approach for Fenway Park, and is beloved in the clubhouse, even among Boston’s pitchers. He’s another manager who keeps Boston’s clubhouse one of the best in the game.
The base coaches balance each other well. First Base Coach John Bosnik is loved in the clubhouse and works well with runners and Catchers. Third Base Coach Brandon Taylor isn’t quite as good in the clubhouse, but he’s elite teaching outfielders defense.
Pitching Coach: Koji Mise
Pitching Coach is the one manager who hasn’t had a lengthy tenure with the team. After working well with Cincinnati’s Arizona Rookie League team and the Rome Braves, Ball signed him in 2028, mainly based on reputation. Mise isn’t the best teacher, but he’s worked really well with Boston’s veterans, especially Navarro and Donnelson, and gotten the team pulling together in the clubhouse, another data point of interpersonal dynamics mattering when building a championship team.