FT. MYERS, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 14: Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow of the Boston Red Sox addresses the media during a press conference during a spring training team workout on February 14, 2024 at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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After a season of ups and downs, the Boston Red Sox have a long winter ahead of them.
The team struggled amid some internal drama before cutting ties with franchise slugger Rafael Devers in a trade to the San Francisco Giants. After that trade, though, the team seemed to benefit from the change and made a surge in the standings. The Red Sox made the playoffs, then fell in the first round to the rival New York Yankees.
Now the team seems poised to make a deeper run to the World Series if the front office is able to orchestrate the right kind of offseason.
Decisions on a potential return for Alex Bregman or additions like Pete Alonso will take some time. But the Red Sox face a more immediate deadline of Friday to non-tender any arbitration-eligible players. The team could go in several different directions to cut down its 40-man roster by then, but executives have reportedly already decided to keep a polarizing pitcher.
“Don’t expect Boston to clear a roster spot by cutting bait with a homegrown former All-Star,” Chris Cotillo wrote for MassLive. “At this point, Boston is unlikely to non-tender injured righty Tanner Houck, multiple sources said Monday.”
Fans are divided on Houck and the merit of keeping him around next season. Though he is a homegrown pitcher who enjoyed a strong 2024 season, Houck might also seem like an ideal non-tender candidate ahead with the roster crunch coming.
After his All-Star season last year, he started just nine games this past season, posting a harsh 8.04 ERA amid injury issues. Now he is projected for a $3.95 million salary next year even though he will miss most of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He also might not play in 2027, given the potential for a labor lockout. Then he is set to become a free agent ahead of the 2028 campaign.
Despite that uncertainty, though, Cotillo reported that the Red Sox “plan to tender him a contract.”
With Houck set to remain on the roster, the Red Sox will almost certainly non-tender Nathaniel Lowe, who they acquired last year.
“Lowe might be the most obvious non-tender candidate in the majors,” RJ Anderson wrote for CBS Sports. “Boston has no need for another non-elite corner player … and especially not one slated to clear more than $13 million through arbitration. Lowe ought to land on his feet with another team, his fourth since Opening Day 2024.”
With their mind made up on Houck and with Lowe headed out, the Red Sox will likely tender the other seven arbitration-eligible players on the roster. But they could cut some younger players to make room for additional changes to come this winter.