The Red Sox are focused on pitching, but they have significant offensive gaps to fill

Craig Breslow is correct in focusing this offseason on starting pitching. In the harsh American League East, the Red Sox will not survive another season of openers and 4-A pitchers.

But can we speak about the offense for a second?

Last season, the Red Sox had a firmly middle-of-the-road offense that finished sixth in the American League in runs. With Rafael Devers never really lighting fire and Trevor Story missing most of the year, they clawed for whatever they could get, but they’ve quietly lost a large portion of output this winter that hasn’t yet been restored.

DH Justin Turner, who opted out of his contract and is unlikely to return, was maybe their finest all-around hitter from a year ago. His 23 home runs were third on the squad, while his 96 RBIs were second. He also played a crucial role behind the scenes as a hitting instructor a la J.D. Martinez who could assist as a second set of eyes for struggling colleagues.

Adam Duvall (21) was just behind him on the home run leaderboard, bringing right-handed balance to the lineup. Even at 34, there’s no knowing what sort of season Duvall may have had if he hadn’t injured his wrist while being forced to play center.

And, while we’ve already argued that Alex Verdugo’s poor performance is replaceable, the outfielder was good for 600 plate appearances of league-average performance. Because of his injury history, it’s possible that replacement Tyler O’Neill, despite plainly having a better upside, will wind up contributing less. Wilyer Abreu, who showed potential in September, could wind up playing a bigger part.

As things currently stand, the Red Sox still require a second baseman to fill a position that was a void in 2023. They’ll most likely distribute DH duties among a number of players, including Masataka Yoshida, who is a horrible defensive left fielder who struggled severely down the stretch. They intend to keep Connor Wong behind the plate for everyday at-bats, despite the fact that he provides little offensively beyond the occasional home run.

And those aren’t the only reasons to be anxious about the starting lineup’s return. Jarren Duran began the season as a monster but closed with a whimper, hitting just.192 in August before needing season-ending toe surgery.

Despite his apparent defensive and on-base abilities, Story never regained his timing and did not hit at all in his return, and his durability remains in doubt. The Red Sox expect him to replicate his All-Star Rockies form, which is probably feasible, but he might also be the lineup’s Chris Sale.

Even Devers, whose $313 million extension officially kicks in this year, is coming off a disappointing season that saw him post decent numbers (.271-33-100) without ever really catching fire and carrying the team. He can’t just be good – he needs to be a force.

That leaves first baseman Triston Casas, who was not only the team’s best hitter in the second half, but one of the best hitters in baseball, with 15 homers and a 1.034 OPS. There’s every reason to believe he’ll be even better in 2024, so that’s a legitimate building block.

Complicating matters is that Breslow can’t simply concern himself with offense. The Red Sox played some of the worst defense in baseball last year, and improving that aspect of their game could come at the expense of the lineup. Prospect Ceddanne Rafaela, for instance, is far and away the best defensive center fielder on the roster. He’s also a free swinger who may never exhibit enough patience to play every day. Putting him in center could address one area of need while creating another.

Technically, help from the minor levels could be on the way, but not this year, given that top prospect Marcelo Mayer, breakout star Roman Anthony, and fast riser Kyle Teel have only combined for 235 at-bats at Double-A.

Even if one of them gets ahead of schedule, it’s a tall order for a 21-year-old to reshape the lineup. It took a full five years for Xander Bogaerts to become a star, while Mookie Betts’ climb to MVP candidate didn’t actually happen until year three.

These are all considerations for Breslow as the offseason progresses toward spring training. His attention is where it should be in the starting lineup, but he has more offensive work to do than we might believe.