The Boston Red Sox’s 2025 season has been a mixed bag through the first two months, with the team sitting at an even 27-27 ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles. It’s been a true rollercoaster so far, and only time will tell how June and the rest of the season will play out.
These early months have revealed who might be part of a winning formula in Boston — and who might not. While some players have solidified their spots on manager Alex Cora’s roster with strong performances, one veteran pitcher’s struggles prompted the team to make a notable roster move on Saturday.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Red Sox designated left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb for assignment Saturday evening. In a corresponding move, right-handed reliever Luis Guerrero was called up from Triple-A Worcester.
Newcomb’s tenure with Boston was brief. After signing a minor league deal in January, he impressed during spring training — posting a 1-0 record, a 0.63 ERA, and 13 strikeouts over 14 1/3 innings — earning a spot on the Opening Day roster.
However, that success didn’t carry into the regular season. Despite a respectable 3.83 ERA across 11 appearances (including five starts), the 31-year-old went 0-4 and allowed 12.2 hits per nine innings — his highest rate since 2020.
Although there were flashes of potential, his final 12 1/3 innings — during which he surrendered two home runs, four walks, six earned runs, and 16 hits — were enough for Boston to move on. The Red Sox now have seven days to trade, waive, or release the Brockton, MA native, giving him a short window to land elsewhere or opt for free agency.
Newcomb’s departure sends a clear message to the rest of the starting rotation: step up or risk being next. Outside of Garrett Crochet (and to a lesser extent, Walker Buehler), the rotation has underwhelmed, and consistency will be key moving forward.
For now, the Red Sox will rely on their current arms as they aim to make a postseason push — with +2600 odds to win the 2025 World Series
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