The Boston Red Sox are back in Fort Myers for spring training, and with the 2026 season fast approaching, team president and CEO Sam Kennedy met with the media to lay out where things stand. One thing was clear from his comments: the Red Sox believe they’ve taken a meaningful step forward.
“It was a successful offseason,” Kennedy said. “It was long, arduous, lots of scenario planning, but excited that we improved the club in many ways.”
And he’s not just spinning optimism. The Red Sox were active this winter, and their moves weren’t just about plugging holes-they were about raising the ceiling.
Let’s start with the rotation. A year ago, Boston’s starting pitching was inconsistent, and depth was a concern.
That’s no longer the case. The Sox went out and signed left-hander Ranger Suárez, then doubled down by acquiring Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo via trade.
That trio immediately reshapes the top end of the rotation, giving Boston one of the most balanced and potentially dominant starting staffs in the league. Gray brings veteran savvy and postseason experience, Suárez adds a steady lefty presence, and Oviedo offers upside with a power arm.
That kind of rotation depth is what separates playoff teams from true contenders, and Boston’s brass knows it.
But the upgrades didn’t stop on the mound. First base had been a revolving door, especially with Triston Casas battling injuries the past two seasons.
To stabilize the position, the Red Sox traded for Willson Contreras. While Contreras is known primarily as a catcher, he brings a veteran bat and positional flexibility that could prove valuable, particularly if Casas isn’t able to stay on the field.
It’s a move that adds both insurance and experience to a lineup that needed both.
Defensively, the infield got a serious facelift. Boston brought in a pair of former Gold Glove winners in Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Brendan Rodgers.
That’s a clear signal the front office is prioritizing run prevention, not just run production. Kiner-Falefa’s versatility and Rodgers’ steady glove up the middle should go a long way in tightening up a defense that had its share of lapses last season.
“We said at the end of the year that we wanted to try to take that next step forward with this group in the postseason,” Kennedy said. “We obviously have a number of upgrades and additions. Time will tell, but there’s a lot of optimism in that room, I can tell you for sure.”
That optimism is warranted. The Red Sox were knocked out in the AL Wild Card Round last fall, and they’re clearly not content with just making the playoffs. The front office built this roster with October baseball in mind-adding arms that can win big games and gloves that can save them.
Still, one question lingers: do they have enough firepower at the plate?
The Sox have depth in the outfield and a solid core, but there’s some concern about the lack of top-end power. In a league where home runs can swing a series-and sometimes a season-that’s something to watch. The pitching might be playoff-ready, but the bats will need to hold up their end of the bargain.
For now, though, the tone is hopeful-and grounded in the reality of a much-improved roster. The Red Sox didn’t just tinker this offseason.
They retooled with purpose. And if the pieces come together as planned, this team could be playing meaningful baseball deep into October.
As Kennedy said: time will tell. But the Red Sox believe that time is on their side.