Red Sox Face Injury Recoveries and Outfield Decisions Before 2027

Boston’s 87 wins in 2026 came with a warning: the roster has talent, but it needs healthier seasons and clearer answers about who fits where. The Red Sox reached the playoffs for a second straight year, then were swept by the Yankees, losing their two games by a combined 18-2. Their offseason challenge is to turn a crowded, injury-hit roster into one that can advance.

Health could change the outlook

The Red Sox won two fewer games than in 2025, despite an aggressive push to improve the club. They signed Ranger Suárez to a nine-figure contract and acquired Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras from St. Louis. The results barely moved: Boston again made the postseason, but its exit was more abrupt than the previous year, when it took the Yankees to three games.

Injuries offer some context. Garrett Crochet made only six starts because of shoulder problems, while a hand and wrist issue limited Roman Anthony to 55 games. Contreras missed much of September with a hamstring strain, then lost more time after being hit on the hand. Trevor Story, coming off a strong 2025, played just 64 games after hernia surgery and struggled when available.

Boston’s trade deadline additions had their own setbacks. Curtis Mead broke his wrist after being hit by a pitch in his first game with the club. Adley Rutschman was already on the injured list with wrist inflammation when acquired; after returning, he played through a hyperextended elbow. Getting these players back to regular workloads would help, but the club still needs to add support around its returning core.

The outfield logjam is back

Anthony’s absence created room in 2026, but Boston still has five outfield or designated hitter options to accommodate: Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida. That makes an outfield reshuffle a live question this winter.

Duran has a particularly uncertain place in the picture. He still brings the upside of a 20-20 season, but his overall production fell sharply. He hit .207/.266/.361, with a 69 wRC+, meaning his offense was 31% below league average. His 6.7% walk rate was nearly two points lower than the previous year, and his 27.1% strikeout rate was his highest in a full season.

The decline showed up in the contact numbers, too. Duran’s batting average on balls in play fell to .252, but a luck-driven explanation doesn’t cover the weaker contact: his hard-hit rate dropped from 46.8% in 2025 to 39.9% in 2026, while his average exit velocity slipped from 91.8 mph to 89.6 mph.

His projected $11.1 million arbitration salary adds a practical wrinkle. Duran earned $7.7 million in 2026 and, as a Super Two player, has two arbitration seasons remaining. Arbitration valuations have traditionally rewarded conventional statistics more than advanced measures, so his projected raise could be substantial even after a down year. Boston must weigh that cost against his past ceiling and the alternatives already in the outfield.

Payroll decisions extend beyond the outfield

The club has $158.5 million in 2027 commitments and $625 million in future commitments. Its largest long-term deals belong to Crochet ($142 million through 2031, with a 2032 club option), Anthony ($123 million through 2033, with a 2034 club option) and Suárez ($120 million through 2030, including a buyout of a 2031 mutual option). Those contracts establish a substantial core, while several shorter-term choices will shape the roster around it.

Boston must decide on Gray’s $30 million mutual option, which carries a $10 million buyout, and Garrett Whitlock’s $8.25 million club option, with a $1 million buyout. The team also has $13 million committed to Aroldis Chapman for 2027; his salary could rise by as much as $1 million based on the Reliever of the Year vote. Story and Contreras are each under contract through 2027, as is Yoshida, whose deal is worth $18 million that season.

Arbitration brings a longer list of calls. In addition to Duran, projected salaries include $9.1 million for Rutschman, $4.6 million for Abreu, $4.1 million for Tanner Houck and $2.8 million for Kutter Crawford. The other projections range from $800,000 for Zack Kelly to $2 million for Connor Wong. Houck, Johan Oviedo, Eli White, Crawford, Wong, Romy González, Triston Casas, Andruw Monasterio, Kelly and Jahmai Jones are listed as possible non-tender candidates.

Patrick Sandoval and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are the club’s free agents. With the roster’s health and several contract decisions unsettled, Boston’s offseason has two linked tasks: restore the players who missed time and clear enough space to build a more dependable supporting cast. The 87-win season shows the team can stay competitive through adversity; the next step is making that depth count in October.

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