Starr’s 7 Questions: Has this postseason put even more pressure on the Red Sox?

The World Series is upon us. Well, not here in Boston, obviously.

One last ‘7 Questions’ before the 2024-25 MLB offseason finally begins and the Red Sox get to work:

1. How much does the Red Sox bullpen need?

After a stunning second-half implosion by the Boston bullpen, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow announced at the team’s end-of-year press conference that adding relievers is one of their top priorities this offseason.

The need for big bullpen reinforcements has only grown since that Sept. 30 presser, amplified by several magnificent playoff performances, such as the Dodgers’ bullpen game against the Padres in the NLDS.

It wasn’t so much of an issue for the 2018 champion Sox, who were able to mask a weaker ‘pen thanks to dominant pitching from their rotation. Alex Cora even used his starters for over a dozen innings of relief work that October, most notably in the World Series, when Nathan Eovaldi became a Boston baseball legend in Game 3 and Chris Sale closed out the deciding Game 5 by bringing Manny Machado swinging down to his knees. But unless there are drastic offseason changes to the starting rotation as well, the Red Sox will need a stronger bullpen, not only to get back into the playoffs, but to get through them. Their struggling relief core has already lost set-up man Chris Martin and closer Kenley Jansen to free agency, as well.

2. What does ex-Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson bring to the Red Sox?

In case you missed it, former Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson is now a member of the Red Sox big-league staff, replacing Luis Ortiz as an assistant under lead hitting coach, Pete Fatse.

Lawson, 39, previous worked as a hitting coach in the Houston Astros’ and Yankees’ minor league systems, before getting called up to New York’s big-league staff in 2022.

In 2023, Lawson became the first coach Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has ever fired mid-season. Ironically, Lawson’s replacement, Sean Casey, fared worse with the Bronx Bombers, who hit for a lower wRC+ (92) under him than they had under his predecessor (96).

Lawson joined the Red Sox last year as minor-league hitting coordinator, working with several of the organization’s top prospects.

3. Is there any poetic justice better than Aaron Boone getting walked off because of a bold pitching decision?

Yankees manager Aaron Boone will forever be despised in the diehard Boston baseball circles for his walk-off, ALCS-winning home run off the late Tim Wakefield in 2003.

When the Red Sox turned the tables on the Yankees the following October, they weren’t exactly able to get revenge on Boone. He’d been jettisoned from the roster after injuring his knee playing pickup basketball (also known as Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez’s pinstripes origin story).

Revenge finally came in 2018, when Boone was the rookie manager of a Yankees team the Red Sox clobbered in the ALDS.

And again in Game 1 of this year’s World Series. Boone got a taste of what it felt like to be Grady Little managing the ‘03 Sox on Friday night, when he put Nestor Cortes, who hadn’t pitched in weeks, on the mound against Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers slugger promptly blasted a first-pitch walk-off grand slam.

Though the circumstances were slightly different – Little’s fatal flaw had been leaving Pedro Martinez in too long – it felt like long-awaited karma from the baseball gods. (Even if it didn’t involve the Red Sox.)

4. Aaron Judge is a great reminder that some players get you to October, others get you through it.

This isn’t a question so much as it is something I think about every October while watching the postseason. One of the best things about playoff baseball is watching unexpected players become heroes.

I pondered this in another ‘7 Questions’ earlier this month as I looked at Mookie Betts’ playoff numbers in Boston and LA, but with Judge struggling mightily, it bears repeating. (I’m saying this before Game 3, the first contest at Yankee Stadium, FYI.)

5. Is Shohei Ohtani actually worth $700 million?

Technically, no person is worth $700 million, or anything remotely close. But in terms of return-on-investment, the Dodgers are certainly getting their money’s worth from the once-in-a-lifetime player. From the merchandise sales to attendance, to skyrocketing viewership in Japan, Ohtani is the ultimate golden goose. Not to mention, so fun to watch.

6. Can Lucas Giolito help the Red Sox sign Max Fried?

One wonders if the Red Sox came up in conversation when Lucas Giolito and Max Fried attended a World Series game together to support their former high school teammate, Jack Flaherty.

Giolito has already confirmed that he’s making his case for Fried to sign with the Red Sox this offseason, and singing the southpaw’s praises to the media. As an elite left-handed starter, Fried would certainly be a huge addition to the Red Sox roster.

Unfortunately, that means he’ll also require the kind of spending not seen in these parts since Dave Dombrowski ran the show.

7. Where were you when the 2004 Red Sox reversed the curse?

It’s officially been 20 years (and a couple of days) since the 2004 Red Sox finally made the impossible possible. If you have a good story about where you were that night, my inbox and I would love to hear it!