With the Boston Red Sox entering Tuesday's play with just a 1.5 percent chance to make the postseason (per FanGraphs), it's likely time to start looking ahead to 2024. That means it's also time to start looking ahead to which players from this season likely aren't a part of the team's plans next year.
Here are five players who played for the Red Sox this season but should not be back with the franchise in 2024.
Corey Kluber shouldn't be on the Boston Red Sox roster in 2024
It is almost crazy to think that Kluber was the Opening Day starter for Boston this season. Between injuries and ineffectiveness, Kluber hasn't been anything like the Red Sox hoped he would be when they signed him before the season began.
Currently on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, Kluber has made nine starts for the Red Sox this season and seen action on the mound in six other games. In all, over 55.0 innings, he has logged a 7.04 ERA/7.12 FIP/1.636 WHIP. That includes a 9.45 ERA in his final six appearances over 13.1 innings in June.
Kluber does have a team option in place for 2024, but it makes little sense for the Red Sox to pull the trigger on that deal. Expect Boston to walk away from the Kluber experiment after one season.
Adalberto Mondesi shouldn't be on the Boston Red Sox roster in 2024
This was another attempt by the Red Sox to plug a hole in their lineup that went awry. While Mondesi was acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Royals and the Red Sox were hoping he would not only be healthy to begin the season, but also play a key role in providing infield depth with Trevor Story out for the start of the season with elbow surgery, things never came together. Mondesi spent (up until the time of this writing) working on rehabbing his knee following surgery. Instead of helping the Red Sox in Boston, Mondesi was working away in the shadows of Boston's team complex in Fort Myers, Fla.
While the Red Sox have been patient with Mondesi, him being out for the entire season hasn't helped the team embrace what he could potentially do to help in Boston. With Story now healthy and other options available this offseason, it seems Boston would do better to cut ties with Mondesi and wish him well as he tries to restart his career with another team.
Boston can do better than Mondesi, and likely will do just that this offseason.
Adam Duvall shouldn't be on the Boston Red Sox roster in 2024
There have been times this season when Duvall has been an integral part of the Red Sox batting order, and other times where he has completely disappeared at the plate. It certainly didn't help Duvall's attempt at consistency when he went on the 60-day injured list right at the start of the season with a left distal radius fracture. When he was activated on June 9, Duvall slashed just .167/.265/.283 in 68 plate appearances for the rest of the month.
When Boston needed him most as the Red Sox tried to push for one of the AL Wild Card spots in September, Duvall has floundered at the plate this month, slashing just .111/.143/.222 in 28 plate appearances. He has also struck out in 13 of those plate appearances, meaning his at-bats are doing nothing to advance runners or give the Red Sox a better chance to win.
Signed to a one-year, $7 million deal before the season began, Duvall has likely lived up to that salary, but he certainly hasn't exceeded it. With that in mind, unless Duvall were to come back on a sweetheart deal in 2024, it seems like an easy decision for Boston to find someone else to fill his place on the roster.
James Paxton shouldn't be on the Boston Red Sox roster in 2024
Signed to a two-year, $10 million deal that ends at the conclusion of this season, Paxton did not see the mound in 2022 because of Tommy John surgery. This season, the 34-year-old southpaw started the season strong for Boston, posting a 2.73 ERA in his first 10 starts of the season (56.0 innings). However, after the All-Star break, it's been downhill for Paxton, who logged a 6.98 ERA over his next nine starts (40.0 innings).
Simply put, when the Red Sox needed him for a potential second-half push for the postseason, Paxton hasn't put up the necessary numbers.
Currently on the injured list with right knee inflammation, it's unknown if Paxton will be back with the Red Sox this season. If he isn't, the final performances for him in a Boston uniform seemingly weren't enough to warrant the franchise including him in their 2024 plans.
Paxton will be 35 next year on Opening Day, perhaps helping push Boston toward a youth movement and away from him.
Joely Rodriguez shouldn't be on the Boston Red Sox roster in 2024
Call it a hunch since Rodriguez is arbitration-eligible in 2024 and won't be a free agent until 2026, but his first season in Boston has been anything but impressive.
Signed as a free agent by the Red Sox in the offseason after the New York Mets cut ties with him, Rodriguez has thrown just 11.0 innings (over 11 games) this season and has a 6.55 ERA/4.72 FIP/1.727 WHIP.
He has not pitched for Boston since July 25, which finished up an impressive month for him (7.0 scoreless innings over six games). He went on the injured list on July 31 (retroactive to July 29) with right hip inflammation and hasn't been seen with the Red Sox since.
While July was impressive, ending it with an injury after bouncing between Triple-A and Boston because of inconsistency isn't a good sign. Boston will need someone in the bullpen they can count on, and the 31-year-old southpaw didn't show he was that person in 2023.
