The Boston Red Sox started the season off terribly, having to fire Alex Cora after a 10-17 start.
However, they turned things around with Chad Tracy and made the postseason. Their postseason was cut short after losing to the New York Yankees, and now they must address their flaws in the offseason.
During the team's end-of-season press conference, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged that pitching was the team's strength, but the offense needs some work.
"Our offense was inconsistent," Breslow said to reporters. "We got on base at a decent clip, but we didn't slug, we didn't hit a ton of home runs. I'm not sure if we took advantage of the unique venue that we play in. Naturally, we're gonna spend some time thinking about how we improve our offense and, particularly, how we build a roster that will thrive at Fenway Park."
Adding power was a focus last offseason as well. The team went after players like Pete Alonso and even added a power bat in Willson Contreras. However, they ranked 20th in slugging percentage and 26th in home runs.
The dimensions of Fenway Park actually make it a very hitter-friendly ballpark, but the Red Sox failed to capitalize on that this year. Part of that was because of the injuries the team sustained. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story missed most of the season. Last year, Anthony had a .859 OPS in 71 games and Story hit 25 home runs.
Having those two for the whole season surely would have helped the Red Sox's slugging numbers. However, Breslow made it clear that improving the offense is a focus this offseason. Curtis Mead should also play a role. He had an .851 OPS and is under contract through 2030. The Red Sox acquired him near the trade deadline to be their second baseman, but he only played in one game.
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