But there is some optimism to be gleaned from the top of Boston’s pitching corps, especially with Brayan Bello locked in with a new six-year extension.

Bello, 24, showcased plenty of promise during the 2023 season, with the righty entering September with a respectable 3.57 ERA before relinquishing 22 earned runs over 26 innings during that final month.

Finishing strong will be key for Bello, who will get the nod for Boston’s Opening Day start on Thursday night.

But even though Bello is poised to build off of last year’s results, we’re buying into the Kutter Crawford hype this summer.

Crawford, 27, was arguably Boston’s best starter last season — posting a 4.04 ERA over 31 appearances and striking out 135 batters through 129.1 innings of work.

The righty continued to build his game during spring training — posting a 1.98 ERA with 13 strikeouts and zero walks through five starts.

Crawford and Bello may not project as proven No. 1 options on most MLB rosters, but both starters could give Boston some much-needed stability at the top of their rotation.

The rest of Boston’s rotation is a disaster

As promising as Bello and Crawford might be, that optimism doesn’t exactly carry over to the rest of the rotation.

With Lucas Giolito out for the season and the Red Sox punting on signing any other proven free-agent starters this winter, Boston will need Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, and Garrett Whitlock to shoulder the rest of the burden in the rotation.

That’s asking a whole lot from this trio, with both Whitlock and Houck likely better utilized as stud relievers, rather than potentially overworked starters.

Boston’s insistence on shifting Whitlock from an effective set-up man to a starter has not paid off, with the 27-year-old going 5-5 with a 5.15 ERA over 10 starts in 2023. In 46 games as a reliever in 2021, Whitlock posted a 1.96 ERA with 81 strikeouts over 73.1 innings of work.

Meanwhile, Pivetta was demoted to the bullpen last season after posting a 6.30 ERA over his first eight starts, while Houck has developed a habit of struggling when pitching the second or third time through an opposing lineup.

Even if the Red Sox weren’t willing to shell out big money for a free-agent target like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Boston choosing to not add at least another reliable, innings-eating starter (subsequently pushing at least one of Whitlock or Houck to the bullpen) seems like an offseason move destined to age like milk.

The Red Sox could have several overachieving players in place this season, but Boston’s ability to string together wins will be severely hampered thanks to a dysfunctional back end of its rotation.

Triston Casas clubs 35 home runs en route to All-Star nod

Triston Casas impressed last season — finishing third in AL Rookie of the Year voting after slashing .263/.367/.490 with 24 home runs. But the slugging first baseman could have made an even stronger case for himself had he avoided such a dreadful start.

Over his final 54 games of the 2023 season, Casas slashed .317/.417/.617 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs. Casas’ patient approach at the plate is already refined at this stage of his career, while those early growing pains should be a thing of the past in 2024.

Rafael Devers might still be the featured hitter in Boston’s lineup, but Casas should develop into a worthy 1-2 punch with his fellow infielder — slugging 35 home runs and driving in 104 RBI in his second full season in the big leagues.

It’s a welcome development for Casas and Red Sox fans, but creates further headaches for a Boston organization trying to hammer out an extension with him.

Rafael Devers’ defensive woes prompt future reshuffle  

At this point, we know what to expect from Devers at the plate.

The 27-year-old third baseman should be penciled in for 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI, year in and year out. But that offensive production continues to be marred by several lapses at the hot corner.

Boston desperately needs to shore up its defense in 2024, especially after tying for the worst mark in the AL last summer with 0.63 errors per game.

Given the shortcomings of Boston’s unproven rotation, Alex Cora’s team can’t afford to make things harder on themselves and extend innings with costly miscues.

Devers’ issues with fielding the ball persisted in 2023, tying for third in baseball with 19 errors on the year. Those continued struggles in 2024 might force Boston to seriously weigh a scenario where Devers is better suited for a DH role moving forward.

It’s a scenario that Boston likely wants to avoid — as the team ideally wants to keep Masataka Yoshida out of the outfield. There’s no question that Devers’ bat is valuable, but Boston will lose some flexibility in its lineup if Devers eventually becomes entrenched at the DH spot.

Jarren Duran finishes top-five in MLB in doubles 

One of the few positive developments drawn out of the 2023 season, Duran put together a breakout season after many thought his time in Boston had stalled out. One of the fastest MLB players on the basepaths, Duran was a dynamic presence at the top of Boston’s order — routinely stretching bloop singles into extra-base hits last season.

Despite only appearing in 101 games last season, Duran finished near the top of the American League with 34 doubles. Alex Verdugo led Boston in doubles last year with 37 — but logged 214 more at-bats than Duran.

So long as Duran remains healthy, expect him to compile quite the highlight reel at the top of Boston’s order.

Red Sox sell off pieces at the deadline 

Even though July will once again see some Red Sox fans clamoring for reinforcements — especially in regards to the starting rotation — Breslow and his staff stay the course as they look ahead to 2025 and beyond.

Expect the Red Sox to be linked to at least one or two proven starters out on the market. But with Boston’s trio of top prospects in Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel raking in the minors, Breslow doesn’t bite the bullet on a blockbuster move — instead choosing to sell off assets like closer Kenley Jansen.

Kyle Teel is first Red Sox top prospect to debut 

Most of the “excitement” tied into this season likely won’t revolve around what plays out at Fenway.

Rather, most Red Sox fans should keep tabs on what’s going on in Portland and Worcester — especially if the team’s trio of top prospects in outfielder Roman Anthony, shortstop Marcleo Mayer, and catcher Kyle Teel make their big-league debuts.

Ultimately, the 22-year-old Teel is the first of this “big three” to face MLB competition in August after dominating in the minors.

Teel was taken 14th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by Boston last July out of the the University of Virginia, but logged just 17 total games between the Florida Complex League Red Sox and High-A Greenville Drive before ending the year with the Double-A Sea Dogs.

Expect Teel to start supplanting Connor Wong as Boston’s go-to option behind the plate in short order, while Anthony — who only turns 20 in May — cuts his teeth with the big club just a month after Teel’s debut.

Mayer, who is coming off of season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023, will marinate a bit more down in Portland and Worcester before becoming a featured player on the MLB roster in 2025.

Red Sox have two Gold Glove finalists 

Most of the Red Sox’ potential positive gains on the defensive side of the ball in 2024 will be tied to the play of both Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela in the field.

Even with a strong spring training at the plate (.380/.448/.640, three home runs, 14 RBI), some skepticism will continue about Story’s ability to replicate the production he generated with Colorado. But there’s no doubting Story’s defensive capabilities, with the 31-year-old shortstop solidifying Boston’s infield after returning from injury last August.

Rafaela still has some question marks about his approach at the plate — with his tendency to chase pitches hampering his ability to become an everyday starter in the big leagues.

But so long as he can limit his knack for whiffing on offerings out of the zone, Rafaela should stay in Boston’s lineup thanks to his superb defensive skills in center field.

Red Sox win more games than last season

I said bold predictions, right?

After finishing in last place in the AL East with a 78-84 record in 2023, the 2024 Red Sox make some strides …. by posting a 79-83 record.

Sorry.

While most of the hope involving this franchise rests in prospects like Mayer and Anthony, the 2024 Red Sox do boast several players who can (and should) take big steps forward this summer.

But given the state of Boston’s rotation, a whole lot needs to go right for this team if it wants to consistently string together wins and stay afloat in the AL East.

Boston might be building toward greater returns in 2025 and beyond, but this summer should be another slog for Red Sox fans.

Alex Cora manages his final game with Boston

Breslow and his team’s long-term approach for this franchise doesn’t exactly coincide with Alex Cora’s timeframe.

With Cora entering the final year of his current contract (and no extension talks broached between him and the team), expect the respected manager to be running the show in another dugout in 2025.

Even if the 2024 Red Sox submit another last-place finish, don’t be surprised if Cora lands a hefty contract on the open market, given his championship resume and his high standing across MLB circles.