Spring training has begun, with the Red Sox taking on the Northeastern University Huskies on Friday before facing the Rays on Saturday.
This means that Craig Breslow and the Red Sox management office will soon have to make cutbacks and decide on a 40-man roster for the 2025 season. With that considered, here are four Red Sox players that could lose their roster positions in 2025.
4 Red Sox players in danger of losing their roster spot
Nick Sogard
Nick Sogard, a middle infielder, ranks first on our list. Sogard, 26, participated in just 31 games for the big league team in 2024. He had a slash line of.273/.326/.325 with an 82 OPS+ and 81 wRC+. While these figures aren’t bad, Sogard is in a tricky place because the Red Sox have a lot of skill in the middle infield. With Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell waiting in the wings, Sogard appears to be the odd one out.
Romy González
Romy González, like Sogard, is in a tough spot heading into the 2025 season. The 28-year-old established a solid role for himself on the 2024 team, appearing in 89 games for Boston. Despite not lighting up the box score, he still produced decent numbers, posting a line of .266/.306/.417 in addition to a 99 OPS+ of 99 and 97 wRC+.
While González never produced elite numbers, he still provided a decent bat and glove for an injury-riddled Red Sox team. However, with a fully healthy squad heading into 2025, his time in Boston may be over. In addition to the aforementioned debuts of Campbell and Mayer, the Red Sox also signed veteran Abraham Toro to a minor-league deal. If Toro has a solid spring training, he could take a position away from González.
Cooper Criswell
The first pitcher on our list is Cooper Criswell. Last season, the 27-year-old pitcher became a regular in the Red Sox rotation despite being frequently injured, starting 18 games. In those 18 starts, Criswell had a 4.08 ERA, 4.15 FIP, and 105 ERA+ in 99 1/3 innings.
While Criswell proven to be a reliable back-of-the-rotation arm, the signings of Patrick Sandoval, Garrett Crochet, and Walker Buehler this offseason indicate that Criswell has lost his spot in the rotation, raising questions about his future in Boston. Even if his time in the rotation is up, he might remain on the roster as a multi-inning relief.
Josh Winckowski
While this may surprise some, Josh Winckowski could lose his roster place in spring. After an outstanding 2023 season in which he had a 2.88 ERA out of the bullpen, Winckowski regressed in 2024, posting a 4.14 ERA, 4.48 FIP, and 103 ERA+ in 76 innings of work.
While his performance alone may not doom him in Boston, the Red Sox have a backlog of possible middle relievers, including Criswell, Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert, and now Garrett Whitlock, complicating Winckowski’s status on the 2025 roster.
