A recent exercise reflected just how much the Boston Red Sox bolstered their roster last offseason.
Boston made several key acquisitions entering the 2025 season. MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan recognized three of them when ranking the top-10 offseason additions.
Harrigan placed the Aroldis Chapman signing ninth, which some fans may argue is too low amid the closer’s dominant stretch. Alex Bregman resides one spot higher, and Harrigan named Garrett Crochet the No. 1 offseason move.
Crochet drew the top spot over the New York Mets signing Juan Soto, the San Diego Padres signing former Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta and the Chicago Cubs trading for Kyle Tucker.
Boston sacrificed a bounty of prospects to acquire Crochet, sending Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez to the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox have received a Cy Young Award-caliber season from the left-handed ace, who wields a 2.67 ERA and 218 strikeouts in 28 starts.
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“Even with Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito exceeding expectations, it’s hard to imagine Boston would be in playoff position without Crochet’s contributions,” Harrigan wrote.
Bregman could rank higher if he hadn’t missed significant time with a quad injury. The third baseman is batting .281/.362/.482 in 97 games with 16 home runs and his highest weighted on-base average (.364 wOBA) since 2019.
His three-year, $120 million deal includes an opt-out after the 2025 season, so Bregman could test free agency for the second straight offseason.
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Chapman won’t join him on the open market, as the 37-year-old signed a one-year, $13.3 million extension to stay in Boston next year. The star southpaw hasn’t allowed a hit or run since July 23, giving Chapman an absurd 1.00 ERA and 0.65 WHIP in a resurgent season.
Carlos Narváez didn’t appear alongside his three All-Star teammates in Harrigan’s rankings, but the starting catcher represents another fruitful offseason move.
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