What went wrong for the Red Sox, and where do they go now?

It feels like something special should be within reach for this franchise, but in reality, they’re far down in the pecking order and not close to truly contending. No one was expecting this particular team to win the World Series. Few were expecting them to beat the Yankees. But we all expected a bit more of a fight.

It wasn’t just that they lost to the Yankees; it was how they lost. They looked outmatched in every facet of the game and didn’t stand a chance against their biggest rivals.

In a way, the Rays sweeping the Yankees added insult to injury, as it reminded fans just how behind the pack the Red Sox really are. But, the silver lining is that perhaps this will be the final push Red Sox ownership needs to truly go full throttle in pursuit of reaching the next tier. 

Before, it was debatable whether or not this team was built for success. Now, it’s clear the current roster construction isn’t good enough, so perhaps that will have a positive ripple effect in the months to come (this is all assuming there is a Major League Baseball season, of course, which isn’t a guarantee).

So, given all that, where do the Red Sox go from here? Let’s take a closer look.

Starters

The Red Sox may have self-sabotaged in multiple ways when manager Chad Tracy removed Sonny Gray in the fifth inning of Game 2.

Gray was livid afterward, and you can’t blame him. After the season he had, and given the way the game unfolded, he deserved to finish the fifth inning (and maybe even the sixth). Tracy is a promising manager, but that decision is one that will likely eat at him.

Does Gray – one of just three players eligible to become a free agent on the roster – want out? It wouldn’t be surprising. If he comes back, the Red Sox have a strong, reliable rotation with Gray, Garrett Crochet, Payton Tolle, Ranger Suárez, and Jake Bennett. If not, they should acquire another reliable veteran starter to take his place.

They’re banking on Crochet coming back and returning to close to 2025 form, which could definitely happen but isn’t a guarantee. Adding another starter or two couldn’t hurt, but they don’t need to overcorrect here. Trust what has worked and tinker as needed.

Relievers

This one is tricky. The Red Sox’ bullpen was one of the best in baseball all season, then it totally imploded against the Yankees. Give New York credit. Ben Rice and Co. dominated from the fifth inning onward and turned tight games into lopsided ones.

At the same time, the Red Sox relievers deserve a share of the blame for the team’s demise. Erik Miller was a force when he first came to Boston, then he unraveled as the season progressed and had a rather rough two games against New York.

Garrett Whitlock, who has a contract option, was excellent most of the season. Aroldis Chapman doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Build around those two and bring in another proven right-handed arm to accompany Whitlock. 

Infielders

Caleb Durbin started slowly, helped ignite the resurgence, then was up and down the rest of the season. While anything is possible, it appears more likely than not he’s here to stay. Once he has a fully functioning pinkie, watch out.

The Red Sox have to decide what to do with Trevor Story. It feels like fans have turned against him, but he was actually pretty solid overall in his return. They can go with Story, Franklin Arias, or trade for someone in their prime to get some much-needed power. Adding a major bat here could be the move, if possible.

Nick Sogard has proven himself and deserves to be the everyday second baseman until further notice. Sogard is a smooth operator, a strong fielder, a reliable hitter and has certified ballplayer energy. He’s going to keep getting better and better, and there is no reason to veer elsewhere unless he’s part of a major trade for a true star.

Willson Contreras is a passionate fellow. He seems to enjoy Boston, and Boston seems to enjoy him, but the Red Sox need to be careful how they proceed. Contreras seemed to enjoy being “the guy,” but the reality is that this team needs him as its second or third power hitter rather than its leader in home runs. The Red Sox were 26th in home runs this year, which speaks for itself. 

Catchers

Adley Rutschman had his moments but struggled in spurts. It was strange that they had Crochet pitch to Rutschman in the playoffs without a trial run in a regular-season game. Rutschman will almost certainly be back with the team this coming season, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess.

Connor Wong is a reliable backup who made strides this past season and should continue to hold his own in that role. If you have to trade him, do it, but keeping him is also fine.

Outfielders

The Red Sox should build around Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela. Both have shown that they are capable of handling heavy workloads, are elite fielders, and can hit for both power and average. It’s fair to expect each one to continue to trend positively in the home run department. Again, don’t overthink it. Abreu, Rafaela, and Tolle are the only three who should be fully off limits.

Left field is where it gets perhaps the most convoluted. In some cases, having four players with as much combined talent as Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, and Jahmai Jones would be a gift. In the case of the Red Sox, they might have too many cooks in the kitchen. 

Anthony still has plenty of potential, but it’s fair to wonder if injuries will always hold him back. He may still end up being the face of the franchise, but the odds are dwindling setback by setback. Duran is fast and has some pop, but he is prone to inconsistency and is a bit of a wild card both on and off the field. Yoshida is approaching the tail end of his career and is recovering from a hamstring injury. Jones is a fine backup but doesn’t have the chops to be an everyday starter. 

The Red Sox shouldn’t be afraid to trade some combination of those four players to add a left fielder with power to the heart of their lineup.

Big picture

The Red Sox don’t need to reinvent the wheel, yet they also can’t accept where they are. They should bring most of their pitchers and position players back while also ensuring they make some moves to add more power, intimidation, and experience to the roster.

The goal should be to piece together a better regular season to avoid the Yankees in the Wild Card Round, advance to at least the next round, then see what happens from there. It’s doable, but they can’t just run it back. They have to make some concrete changes to get to where they want to go.

Trevor Hass is a sports producer who covers Boston’s professional teams. He also writes about Boston College football and high school sports for The Boston Globe.