Red Sox Cuts: Tanner Houck Likely Safe, Veteran 1B Risk

The Boston Red Sox are heading into a crucial stretch of their offseason. Big decisions are coming up fast, and they’ll shape the roster for 2025 and beyond.

Tuesday’s Rule 5 Draft protection deadline and Friday’s non-tender cutoff both loom. The front office has to juggle keeping key prospects, managing payroll, and building for the future. Some moves seem obvious, but there’s always a chance for surprises as the team deals with injuries, arbitration, and possible upgrades.

Rule 5 Protection: Prioritizing the Future

The Rule 5 Draft protection deadline forces teams to pick which prospects they’ll add to the 40-man roster. If they don’t, other clubs can snatch them away. For Boston, that means clearing at least one spot for rising talents like David Sandlin, a promising righty who’s been turning heads.

Other names in the mix: Shane Drohan, Hayden Mullins, Yordanny Monegro, Jedixson Paez, and Miguel Bleis. It’s a crowded field, honestly.

Possible Roster Casualty: Nathaniel Lowe

To make space for these prospects, someone’s got to go. The most likely candidate is Nathaniel Lowe. He’s on track to make $13.5 million after a pretty disappointing year.

Boston expects Triston Casas back healthy at first base. With the team poking around for upgrades through trades or free agency, Lowe’s spot feels shaky at best.

Tanner Houck’s Injury and Contract Status

Despite some chatter, the Red Sox aren’t expected to non-tender injured starter Tanner Houck. He had Tommy John surgery and will probably miss most or all of the 2026 season.

Houck is projected to earn $3.95 million next year and stays under team control. The front office has to decide whether to take him through arbitration or try to sign him to a longer deal, hoping he’ll bounce back once healthy.

Arbitration-Eligible Decisions

Friday brings the non-tender deadline, so Boston has to choose whether to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players or let them go. Several guys look like safe bets to stick around:

• Kutter Crawford – Steady rotation arm with some upside
• Romy Gonzalez – Utility infielder who can cover a lot of ground
• Triston Casas – Everyday first baseman, if all goes well
• Brennan Bernardino – Bullpen guy who’s been quietly effective
• Connor Wong – Catcher with a bat that’s started to show up

Players on the Bubble

The team might move on from righty Josh Winckowski and lefty Jovani Morán. Their numbers just haven’t matched what the team’s paying them.

Meanwhile, utility options like Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton, Nate Eaton, and Nick Sogard seem safe for now. They bring some much-needed flexibility off the bench.

Strategic Balancing Act

This week, Boston’s got to juggle three big things:

• Protecting top prospects from the Rule 5 Draft
• Keeping payroll under control without getting too ruthless
• Staying ready for 2026, even with all the injuries

Long-Term Perspective

Fans usually focus on what’s happening right now, but Boston’s front office is thinking years ahead. They want to lock in the future for players like Houck and Casas.

Keeping affordable depth arms matters too. That’s how you stay competitive season after season, even when injuries or money issues hit.

The Red Sox face a tight window to make big choices. They’ve got to juggle what the team needs today with what they’ll want tomorrow.

This week could really shake up the depth chart and the farm system. The Rule 5 deadline and non-tender cutoff are right around the corner, and nobody’s quite sure what Boston will do.

Fans should probably get ready for a flood of news out of Fenway. Boston’s front office is busy fine-tuning its path to the next real shot at a title.

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Here is the source article for this story: Red Sox roster cuts this week likely won’t include Tanner Houck, but veteran 1B on chopping block