"We blew it": Red Sox eliminated from MLB playoffs for third straight season
BOSTON -- There will be another baseball-less October in Boston. The Red Sox were officially eliminated from postseason contention Wednesday night, marking the third straight season that Boston will not be participating in the MLB playoffs.
The Red Sox were able to stave off the inevitable for a few days thanks to four straight wins. But their tight-rope walk ended Wednesday with a 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays in Toronto, paired with a Kansas City Royals win over the Washington Nationals.
Now the Red Sox officially have an "e--" next to their name in the standings. Very few -- if any -- picked Boston to make the playoffs before the season, but when the team held a two-game lead for the last Wild Card spot in the American League at the All-Star break, the expectations shifted a little bit.
The opportunity was right there for Alex Cora's club, but they folded in the second half yet again. It's a disappointing end, considering the Royals and Minnesota Twins have both struggled down the stretch.
The Red Sox were just better at playing inconsistent baseball and losing games in the second half of the season than Kansas City and Minnesota.
"Outside our walls here, nobody expected us to play meaningful games all the way until now," Cora said after Wednesday night's defeat, via RedSox.com. "But our goal was to make it to the playoffs. It didn't happen, but it's a good learning experience for those kids over there. I mean, at one point it felt like we were a playoff-caliber team, and then we missed the opportunity. Let's put it that way. You look around, you look at the teams that are fighting, we had it right there and we blew it."
Cora said it was quiet in the Boston clubhouse on Wednesday, which he took as a good sign. Unfortunately, Fenway Park is going to be a pretty quiet place once again after three now-meaningless games against the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend.
Another second-half collapse by the Boston Red Sox
With a 54-43 record at the All-Star break, it looked like the Red Sox were a legit playoff contender. It quickly unraveled out of the break.
Boston lost seven of its first 10 games after the Midsummer Classic. They had another stretch where they lost six of 10, and then 10 of 13 in late August. They were swept by the Diamondbacks and Astros at home, and the Mets on the road. They lost three of four to the Yankees in New York just a few weeks ago. That sweep included a 5-4 loss courtesy of an Aaron Judge go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning off Cam Booser.
When the Red Sox had to play their best baseball, they played their most mediocre. Before that sweep by the Diamondbacks, Boston sat at 67-60 on the season. They went 13-18 since that series started on Aug. 23, and just 27-36 overall after the break.
What happened? The team's overworked starters began to run out of steam, and the bullpen was simply atrocious. Boston relievers had a 5.66 ERA after the All-Star break, which was by far the worst in all of baseball. The Twins had the second-worst bullpen in the second half, with an ERA of 5.02.
Boston's offense was pretty solid, though it stopped getting timely hits in the second half. Rafael Devers faded as he dealt with a shoulder injury that ultimately had the team shut him down last week. Trevor Story has played in just 24 games because of an August shoulder injury, and it's a miracle he's back out there at the moment. Triston Casas ended up taking more mental swings than actual swings, with a rib injury limiting him to just 60 games.
Boston's lefty-heavy lineup struggled all year against southpaws, going 17-26 against lefty starters and hitting .245 against lefties overall -- ranking 14th in MLB.
The Red Sox had a four-game win streak heading into Wednesday's loss, which was their longest win streak since early July. Even with those extra Wild Card spots, that isn't going to get it done for a team hoping to play in October.
"I think we play these games to make it to the postseason, win the World Series," said CBO Craig Breslow. "So falling short of that, it should be a disappointment. I want it to be a disappointment. I want it to hurt. That doesn't mean we can't find things that we did well, or things that are encouraging or reasons for optimism, but at the end of the day, you play these seasons to win games and get to the postseason."
There were some positives from the 2024 Boston Red Sox
This is the Boston Red Sox, so missing the playoffs is never acceptable. Missing the playoffs for three straight seasons is inexcusable.
But given the lack of moves in the offseason and the low expectations coming into the year, Boston getting to 80 wins shows some progress. It's a baby step, but winning more games than the last two seasons is a small silver lining. No one should celebrate if the team finishes at .500 or above, but again, it's a baby step.
There were bigger silver linings on the diamond from individual players. Jarren Duran emerged as a legitimate star, giving the Red Sox a dynamic player out of the leadoff spot. His All-Star Game MVP will remain one of the high points of the season.
He's not the only outfielder who shined for Boston in 2024. Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela both turned in excellent rookie seasons, with Rafaela making some truly electric plays in centerfield. Tyler O'Neill was a big hit at the dish, launching a team-high 31 homers -- a few of which still haven't landed.
And the return of Story shouldn't be overlooked. He was initially thought to be done for the year on April 9 after having to undergo surgery to repair a fracture of the glenoid rim in his left shoulder. But he made a late-season return and his impact on the team was evident. He still strikes out a ton and is mostly boom-or-bust at the plate, but Story remains a solid defensive player at shortstop and brings a calming, veteran presence to the clubhouse. For a team that had another disastrous season in the field -- ranking last in the AL and 29th in baseball with a .981 fielding percentage -- he helped weather the storm in the middle of the infield.
There is also hope for Boston's young pitching staff, with Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello all reaching 30 starts for the season. Crawford was the best pitcher in baseball over the first month (he was just 1-1 but had a 1.35 ERA over his first six starts) and Houck was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the first half, with a 2.54 ERA at the break. If pitching coach Andrew Bailey can figure out how to get that kind of success from his starters for a full season, the Red Sox could be cooking in 2025.
Boston's stars of tomorrow also had incredible seasons in the minors, with Roman Anthony now the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball and Kristian Campbell named the Minor League Player of the Year. They could be wearing Red Sox uniforms -- and not the Worcester version -- in the very near future.
What's next for the Boston Red Sox?
Cora received a three-year extension during the season, so now it's up to Breslow to improve the Major League roster this winter. He has to land a front-line starter to lead this staff, whether it's through free agency or via a trade. It would cost a lot to land a No. 1 guy, but the Red Sox have the assets to do so.
And while he's at it, Breslow should sign another starter. Lucas Giolito coming back off a lost season shouldn't be counted as a free-agent addition for the 2025 team.
Breslow also needs to solidify the back end of the bullpen. Kenley Jansen is heading toward free agency, and while Liam Hendricks is an option as closer, it shouldn't stop Breslow from adding another guy who is capable with putting up zeros in the ninth. Setup man Chris Martin will also be a free agent this winter, so if Boston doesn't bring him back, the team will need a stable veteran to pave the road to whoever is closing.
Given the team's struggles against lefties, adding some right-handed pop to the lineup is also high on Boston's to-do list this winter. Where they fit that righty into the mix is a big conundrum for Breslow, but anything should be on the table.
A third straight season without any playoff games at Fenway Park should give Red Sox ownership all the motivation in the world to do something big this winter. If it's not investing through free agency, Breslow needs to get creative with trades to improve the overall talent on the Major League roster.
Despite the disappointing finish, the Red Sox don't seem too far from getting back into the postseason mix. But it's going to require some moves and some creativity to keep up with the Yankees and the Orioles in the AL East.
Otherwise, the Red Sox will be looking at their first four-year playoff draught since the early 1990s.