NEW YORK — The Purple Sox took an vital step ahead this season, overcoming a litany of accidents to achieve the postseason for the primary time since 2021.
However because the New York Yankees made painfully clear this previous week, the Purple Sox nonetheless have a methods to go earlier than they are often thought-about true championship contenders.
The offseason got here abruptly for the Purple Sox, who misplaced the ultimate two video games of the AL Wild Card sequence after initially taking Recreation 1. Defensive miscues, poor situational hitting and a few dangerous breaks doomed the membership, which should now re-tool over the winter to make sure subsequent yr’s group is healthier geared up to make a deep run.
The Purple Sox could have the remainder of the postseason to replicate and regroup, however as soon as the World Sequence is over Craig Breslow and firm could have an extended to-do checklist to deal with over what ought to be a pivotal winter for the franchise.
Will Bregman, Story return?
The primary order of enterprise for the entrance workplace will likely be determining whether or not or not Alex Bregman and Trevor Story will likely be again in 2026. Each gamers can decide out of their present offers this offseason, and if neither returns the membership would have a large void to fill in each the left aspect of the infield and within the clubhouse as a complete.
Final spring Bregman signed with the Purple Sox on a three-year, $120 million deal that included decide outs after every season. His affect within the clubhouse was past something the membership might have hoped for, however the season didn’t come with out its bumps for the veteran third baseman.
After a purple scorching begin Bregman suffered a quad harm that sidelined him for 43 video games, and upon his return his manufacturing dipped. Previous to the harm the 31-year-old was batting .299 with a .938 OPS, however following his activation he batted .250 with a .724 and slumped badly over the ultimate month.
On condition that, will Bregman move on the chance to make $40 million in 2026 to try to land a longer-term deal as an alternative? If he does will the Purple Sox play hardball and danger shedding him to a different franchise? If that occurs the membership would have a gaping gap at third base, and there are few choices — inner or exterior — who might come near filling it.
Story’s state of affairs can be fascinating.
Coming off three injury-plagued seasons, Story returned to type in 2025, main the group in dwelling runs (25), RBI (96) and stolen bases (31). The 32-year-old has two years, $50 million remaining on his contract, so it’s not a stretch to think about he might decide out and attempt to beat that on the open market.
The Purple Sox might attempt to preempt that by providing an extension, or they may re-sign him in free company, however with Marcelo Mayer ready within the wings and Kristian Campbell presumably nonetheless within the membership’s plans someplace, it’s potential the Purple Sox might determine to let Story stroll if he opts out.
Perhaps there could be some benefit to that, however Story was one of many membership’s best all-around place gamers this season, and shedding him would create one other large gap the Purple Sox must fill.
All opt-out selections are due 5 days after the World Sequence ends.
Some other returning free brokers?
Along with Bregman and Story, the Purple Sox have 4 gamers set to hit free company plus two with mutual choices who’re certain bets to hit the market as properly.
The free brokers are Steven Matz, Dustin Might, Justin Wilson and Rob Refsnyder, with Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks holding the choices.
Matz and Wilson have been each stable lefties out of the bullpen who might conceivably return, and Refsnyder has been one of many membership’s most vital bench gamers and veteran leaders since his arrival in 2022. He has excelled in his position as a lefty killer and fourth outfielder, however with Romy Gonzalez (.331 common, .978 OPS vs. lefties) probably returning to a utility position in 2026, Refsnyder’s future in Boston is unsure.
Giolito is a very difficult case.
The suitable-hander bounced again from a season misplaced to harm and emerged as one among Boston’s most vital starters. He topped 140 innings and was a key motive why the Purple Sox made the playoffs, however his elbow started bothering him once more down the stretch and he in the end wasn’t obtainable for the playoffs.
Can the Purple Sox rely on him to carry up in 2026? Will any membership supply him a multi-year deal given his current harm historical past? His well being standing will warrant shut monitoring because the offseason progresses.
Deal with 40-man crunch
Purple Sox at present have 10 gamers on the 60-day IL, most of whom must be added again to the 40-man inside 5 days of the top of the World Sequence.
These are Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins, Luis Guerrero, Tanner Houck, Patrick Sandoval, Josh Winckowski, Triston Casas, Vaughn Grissom, Mayer and Hendriks.
The Purple Sox additionally want to create space for any Rule 5 eligible prospects they wish to shield from being poached, with right-hander David Sandlin the most certainly addition.
Between the 4 pending free brokers plus Giolito and Hendriks, the Purple Sox have not less than six spots opening up. From there they must designate a number of gamers for project, with probably candidates to start out together with Jose De Leon, Isaiah Campbell, Jovani Moran and Winckowski.
If obligatory the membership can even decline to tender a few of its arbitration-eligible gamers a contract. The most certainly non-tender candidate is Nathaniel Lowe, who’s in line to earn greater than $10 million regardless of an underwhelming season that noticed him launched by the Washington Nationals earlier than touchdown in Boston for the stretch run.
Clear outfield logjam
Past determining if Bregman and Story will likely be again, the subsequent most pressing matter for Breslow to type out is who will comprise the outfield subsequent season.
At full well being the Purple Sox have extra beginning caliber outfielders than they’ve spots within the lineup, and whereas the issue sorted itself out organically through the season as soon as Wilber Abreu and Roman Anthony went down with accidents, the state of affairs isn’t sustainable long-term.
Roman Anthony clearly isn’t going anyplace, however Breslow will probably want to maneuver one among Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela or Wilyer Abreu, plus presumably Masataka Yoshida as properly. Duran was thought-about the most certainly of the group to be moved on the commerce deadline — he’s the oldest of the bunch and has the fewest years of group management remaining — and by transferring him the Purple Sox might additionally tackle a few of their different wants.
Add one other front-line starter
From a depth perspective the Purple Sox are in nice form. With out making another strikes the Purple Sox might go into subsequent season with a projected rotation that features Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and a few mixture of Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Connelly Early, Kyle Harrison and Payton Tolle.
That’s lots of arms to work with, however as we noticed within the postseason, the membership nonetheless wants a confirmed workhorse to pair with Crochet if it hopes to compete for a championship.
By way of free brokers, the highest choices in the marketplace this winter embrace Framber Valdez, Michael King, Dylan Stop, Ranger Suarez, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, amongst others. None of them will come low-cost, however with a homegrown basis in place and the membership squarely in a aggressive window, there is no such thing as a motive why the Purple Sox ought to draw back after they may genuinely be one or two gamers away from changing into a title contender.
If not one of the free brokers are interesting, the Purple Sox might additionally revisit the commerce market.
Boston reportedly made a push for Minnesota ace Joe Ryan on the commerce deadline however couldn’t get a deal over the end line. Maybe the second time may very well be the attraction?
It labored out properly for the Purple Sox with Garrett Crochet final winter, that’s for certain. Touchdown Ryan or one other arm of his caliber ought to be a high precedence for Breslow this offseason.
Discover one other energy bat
When the season started the Purple Sox anticipated to have Rafael Devers and Triston Casas as the ability threats anchoring the center of the lineup. Casas was misplaced for the yr early on with a devastating knee harm and Devers wound up being traded in June following months of drama and discontent.
Casas might nonetheless return and make an affect in 2026, however even when he does the membership remains to be going to want extra pop.
This previous week uncovered simply how poor the Purple Sox offense had develop into from an influence perspective. The place the Yankees had guys up and down the lineup who might plausibly hit one out on any given pitch, the Purple Sox needed to string two or three hits collectively in the event that they wished any shot, which isn’t going to work whenever you’re going through one of the best of one of the best in a playoff sport.
Luckily there are two free brokers who’d match the invoice completely.
The primary is Mets slugger Pete Alonso, who is predicted to decide out of his deal and check out his luck in free company once more this winter. Alonso is coming off a season during which he hit 38 dwelling runs with 126 RBI, and thru his first six 162-game seasons he’s by no means hit fewer than 34 homers.
The opposite is Kyle Schwarber.
Letting Schwarber stroll after the 2021 season has confirmed to be a expensive misstep for the Purple Sox, who spent three years rebuilding whereas Schwarber helped lead the Phillies to a brand new period of playoff glory. The slugger has hit 187 dwelling runs in 4 years with the Phillies, together with a career-high 56 this previous season.
He’ll in all probability end among the many high vote-getters for Nationwide League MVP.
The Purple Sox might simply accommodate Casas and one among Alonso or Schwarber — one might play first base and the opposite DH — however piecing the puzzle collectively could be simpler if the membership additionally moved on from Yoshida. The 32-year-old got here on sturdy on the finish of the yr and was the membership’s finest hitter down the stretch, however even at full energy he’s nonetheless a DH who doesn’t hit for energy.
Perhaps Casas received’t be prepared for Opening Day, and perhaps at full well being Yoshida’s finest days in Boston might nonetheless be in entrance of him. Both means the Purple Sox can’t stand pat, and if the Opening Day lineup subsequent March isn’t meaningfully improved, the Purple Sox will danger squandering the progress they made this season.
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