The Boston Red Sox are already facing some brutal roster decisions, even though the World Series just wrapped up. They technically have 47 guys on their roster, but they need to slash four of them in just five days as their offseason officially kicks off.
The Offseason Begins With A Roster Disaster
You might be scratching your head, wondering how a team finishes the season with too many players on its 40-man roster. Well, it’s a combo deal for Boston: a super rough season riddled with injuries, some truly quirky MLB roster rules, and, surprisingly, not enough Red Sox free agents heading out the door. See, when guys get put on the 60-day Injured List, they don’t count against that 40-man limit while games are being played. The Red Sox totally used this loophole all summer as the injury bug kept biting. But now, five days after the World Series ends, that 60-day IL magically disappears.
Those seven guys who were chilling on the 60-day IL? They gotta come back onto the 40-man roster. Normally, this isn’t a huge deal because impending free agents would also roll off the roster at the same time. But Boston? They’ve only got three free agents hitting the market: Sonny Gray, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Patrick Sandoval. That’s a seriously thin group heading out compared to who’s coming back in.
Who Gets The Axe?
So, let’s talk numbers. The Red Sox have seven guys returning from the 60-day IL: Tristian Casas, Kutter Crawford, Zack Kelly, Johan Oviedo, Eduardo Rivera, Justin Slaten, and Eli White. With only three free agents leaving the 40-man, that means a net increase of four players they need to remove, and they have to do it by the middle of next week. This ain’t just a simple decision, either.
Sure, there are a few names that jump out as likely candidates for the chop, like Eduardo Rivera and Raymond Burgos, who was just pitching in the eighth inning of their final game against Cleveland. But the actual decisions are super complex. The Red Sox front office has to weigh who they might be able to sneak back into their minor league system without losing them entirely. This isn’t just some minor housekeeping, folks; this is the very first real, tough call of their offseason. It sets the tone, and every move from here on out will be watched closely.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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