The Red Sox wrapped up an eventful week, highlighted by four trades on Tuesday that moved several notable players. By Friday, the organization faced important choices regarding a group of players who were potential roster cuts, yet Boston ultimately chose to retain everyone.
Friday marked the non-tender deadline, the point at which teams can part ways with players they no longer plan to keep. Rather than make any subtractions, the Red Sox opted to tender contracts to all 26 eligible players. That decision indicates that no additional personnel changes are expected in the immediate future, at least not for a couple of weeks.
The most significant call centered on Tanner Houck, who recently underwent Tommy John surgery and is projected to miss the entire 2026 season. Boston had the option to release him and allow him to pursue free agency, a route that other clubs have taken with injured players. Instead, the Red Sox are choosing to hold on to Houck through his recovery, hoping he can return to the mound in 2027.
Red Sox Has Gotten an All-Star
Houck earned All-Star honors in 2024 after delivering an 8-6 record and a 2.54 ERA across 19 starts before the break. His performance dipped in the second half of that season, and things worsened in 2025 when he went 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA over nine starts before the team shut him down in the spring. Several attempted rehabilitation programs eventually resulted in the decision to undergo elbow surgery.
“There were different opinions and different options, but that was the last one and Tanner decided to go with that one,” manager Alex Cora said.
Cora also noted, “Tough year for him, tough year for us. But he’ll kill the rehab, he’ll do his job, and when he comes back, he’s going to be OK.”
Houck’s estimated arbitration salary for 2025, per MLB Trade Rumors, sits at 3.95 million dollars.
2 Young Red Sox Pitchers Missed Most of 2025
Despite setbacks for some of their younger arms, the Red Sox still found success on the mound in 2025. Garrett Crochet’s arrival helped stabilize the rotation, while Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito delivered reliable performances behind him.
It is easy to overlook how critical Houck’s breakthrough 2024 season had been, along with the strong showing from Kutter Crawford. Crawford finished 9-16 that year, but the record did not fully reflect his effectiveness, as he posted a 4.36 ERA over 33 starts. He looked particularly sharp before the All-Star break, going 6-7 with a 3.00 ERA. Like Houck, he was largely absent in 2025.
Crawford dealt with a knee injury in 2024 and focused on rehabbing it in 2025 before a wrist injury suffered in a household accident required surgery. He is expected to return in 2026 and compete for a spot in the starting rotation.