A way-too-early 2025 Red Sox roster projection

The 2024 Boston Red Sox are still fighting for a playoff spot with roughly two months left in the campaign. It's a surprising development for a team few expected to be worth their attention after another disappointing offseason.

Even if they don't make it deep into October, this year could mark the start of a Red Sox resurgence. The real fun could come in 2025 when multiple top prospects are expected to debut and make an impact with the big-league club.

There should be plenty of moves to improve the roster in the coming months -- the trade deadline is just days away -- but it's still worth taking a peek at how Boston's depth chart looks for next season. How will the prospects fit into the equation? Which positions need to be addressed, and who will be available in free agency to fill those voids?

Below is a way-too-early 2025 Red Sox roster projection. Note that this post will be updated after the trade deadline, which is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Catcher

1. Connor Wong
2. Kyle Teel

With Wong looking like a future All-Star and Teel skyrocketing up the minor-league ranks, this feels like the end of the Reese McGuire era in Boston. Teel should take over as the second catcher on the 2025 roster and give Sox fans another reason to be optimistic about the future. The No. 3 ranked prospect in Boston's system has the tools to develop into one of the best all-around backstops in baseball.

First base

1. Triston Casas

No need to put much thought into this one. Casas is locked in as the Red Sox' star first baseman for the foreseeable future.

Second base

1. Vaughn Grissom
2. David Hamilton

Here's where this exercise gets tricky. The Red Sox acquired Grissom from the Atlanta Braves last season hoping he would fill a glaring hole at second base. That move hasn't gone according to plan. Grissom has missed most of the season due to injuries and in the brief time he was healthy, he was virtually unplayable. That said, it's far too early to give up on the 23-year-old former top prospect.

Hamilton has earned a spot on the projected 2025 roster with his performance so far this season and the uncertainty at second base. He probably won't see much time at shortstop next season if the next two names are on the team.

Shortstop

1. Trevor Story
2. Marcelo Mayer

Story will be back next season, but will he be healthy? We can't count on it. Injuries have plagued the two-time All-Star since he signed his six-year deal with Boston before the 2022 campaign.

If Story misses more time in 2025, it could open the door for the Red Sox' top prospect to take over as the team's starting shortstop. Mayer is on track to make his big-league debut next season if not later this year. Even if Story is healthy, Mayer could spend time at second base or shift to third base and move Rafael Devers into a designated hitter role.

Third base

1. Rafael Devers

The three-time All-Star slugger could move to DH at some point, but he's the "set it and forget it" third baseman until further notice.

Outfield

1. Jarren Duran
2. Ceddanne Rafaela
3. Wilyer Abreu
4. Rob Refsnyder

Tyler O'Neill isn't listed because he's scheduled to hit free agency after this season. The Red Sox could look to either re-sign him, sign one of the other outfielders on the market, or promote the organization's No. 2 ranked prospect Roman Anthony. For now, we'll leave Anthony off the Opening Day roster as he seems more like a midseason promotion than someone who will make the team out of spring training. The rest of the outfield appears pretty set in stone.

Designated hitter

1. Masataka Yoshida

Yoshida couldn't have gotten off to a much worse start to the season, but he's woken up over the last month. The Red Sox should still look to upgrade this spot via free agency or trade. Devers is a candidate to take over as DH if the club brings in a solid defensive third baseman.

Here are some of the top sluggers scheduled to hit the open market:

• Juan Soto, OF
• Teoscar Hernandez, OF
• Pete Alonso, 1B
• Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
• Alex Bregman, 3B
• Anthony Santander, OF
• Michael Conforto, OF
• Justin Turner, DH/1B
• Jurickson Profar, OF
• Gleyber Torres, 2B

Starting pitchers

1. Tanner Houck, RHP
2. Kutter Crawford, RHP
3. Brayan Bello, RHP
4. Lucas Giolito, RHP
5. ???

Nick Pivetta and James Paxton are set to become free agents this winter, but Giolito will fill one of their spots in the rotation when he returns from his elbow injury. That leaves one rotation spot, which will likely be filled via free agency or trade.

Here are some of the top starting pitchers scheduled to hit free agency:

• Corbin Burnes, RHP
• Max Scherzer, RHP
• Walker Buehler, RHP
• Max Fried, LHP
• Jack Flaherty, RHP
• Luis Severino, RHP
• Yusei Kikuchi, LHP
• Andrew Heaney, LHP
• Jose Quintana, RHP
• Charlie Morton, RHP

Relief pitchers

1. Liam Hendriks
2. Brennan Bernardino
3. Justin Slaten
4. Josh Winckowski
5. Zack Kelly
6. Greg Weissert
7. ???
8. ???

Improving the bullpen will be a focal point of the offseason with Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin becoming free agents. Hendriks will return from Tommy John rehab but it's unclear just how reliable he'll be. There should be multiple moves made to improve the relief pitching situation during the offseason.

Here are some of the top relievers that will be available:

• Aroldis Chapman, LHP
• Joe Kelly, RHP
• Blake Treinen, RHP
• Paul Sewald, RHP
• Carlos Estevez, RHP
• Scott Barlow, RHP
• Tanner Scott, LHP
• Clay Holmes, RHP
• Jose Leclerc, RHP
• A.J. Minter, LHP

Injured list

1. Garrett Whitlock, SP (Tommy John rehab)
2. Chris Murphy, RP (Tommy John rehab)

Whitlock will likely pitch out of the bullpen when he returns. The same goes for Murphy, who showed flashes of potential as a rookie reliever in 2023.