BOSTON -- Playoff baseball is out of the question for the Red Sox in 2024, however, that won't stop the club from putting its best foot forward this weekend at Fenway Park to officially end the campaign and head to the offseason.
The odds were heavily stacked against Boston to finish off its final road series in Toronto against the Blue Jays, despite riding a four-game winning streak. Playing catch-up in the first-feasible and then-improbable American League wild-card hunt caught up to the Red Sox quickly. Boston's 27-36 record since the MLB All-Star break didn't help as the bullpen woes and offensive slump both dragged the team beyond reach of contention, making the final three games -- against the Tampa Bay Rays -- feel "different" upon returning to Fenway Park for Friday night's series opener.
"100 percent, it feels a lot different," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said pregame. "We just gotta make sure -- we've done this well the last two years. We're gonna show up these last few days and we're gonna play hard. You can talk about the bullpen struggling, the rotation struggling, not hitting, the defense sucks, whatever, but you cannot say that we don't play hard. We're gonna do that the next few days. ... There's gonna be three different lineups, probably, pinch-hitting here and there. We're not trying to win the game, win the series. That's what we're supposed to do. But it's different. Real different."
Cora added: "I cannot explain it to you, but it's different. It's very different."
Boston fought as hard as it could, for as long as it could. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow pinpointed starting pitching, relief pitching and right-handed hitting as the club's three primary needs heading into July's trade deadline, necessary to keep hopes of avoiding a third consecutive postseason miss alive and well. Breslow delivered James Paxton, Luis García, Lucas Sims and Danny Jansen via trade and also picked up free agent Rich Hill to enhance Boston's depth, but it didn't pan out. Paxton suffered a season-ending calf injury after throwing 11 innings while Hill was designated for assignment following four appearances of relief.
Although counted out by many at the start of the season, the Red Sox never treated 2024 as anything other than an opportunity to chase October baseball. Cora established that precedent and regardless of injuries, woes, or needs for roster improvement, Boston maintained its focus on playing competitively for as long as possible. The front office now has its work cut out this upcoming offseason as primary contributors Tyler O'Neill, Kenley Jansen and Nick Pivetta hit the open market this winter, opening the door for potential newcomers whether through trade or free agency for 2025.
