Who's back? 5 Q's Red Sox face in offseason

After an exciting season for the Red Sox that ended two wins shy of the American League pennant, it will be interesting to see how the club builds off the success of 2021.

As always, there are questions heading into the offseason. Here are five that stick out.

Will Kyle Schwarber be back?
Given that Schwarber had spent his entire career in the National League before the July 29 trade that brought him to Boston, Red Sox fans had no idea how much they’d come to love the veteran left-handed-hitting slugger. And not just for his relentless and productive approach at the plate, but also for his gritty and winning personality. In the coming weeks, we will find out of this was a short-term union of convenience, or if something long term can be worked out.

The Red Sox and Schwarber hold a mutual $11.5 million option. However, mutual options rarely ever get exercised and it’s a safe bet that Schwarber will want to test the free-agent market after one of the best seasons of his career. The Red Sox saw enough in Schwarber that they’d love to have him back. Following the team’s elimination in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series, Schwarber said the Red Sox have a “World Series clubhouse” and added that he’d be interested in exploring a reunion. Stay tuned.

Does J.D. fit with Schwarber?
For the third straight offseason, slugger J.D. Martinez has an opt-out in his contract. The last two winters, Martinez opted back in, which again seems the likeliest outcome this time around. If Martinez had kept up his torrid pace from the early months of the season, he would have been more likely to opt out, particularly with the looming possibility that the National League could add the DH. The 34-year-old is set to earn roughly $20 million in ’22.

Martinez remains a perfect fit for the Red Sox in a non-Schwarber world. But if the Red Sox re-sign Schwarber, the fit isn’t as good because both players are best suited to DH. If Schwarber does sign with Boston, there’s a chance chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom could trade Martinez to help fill other areas of need on the team. Manager Alex Cora effectively mixed and matched with Schwarber and Martinez during a short window of time, but it would be harder to make this fit work defensively over a six-month season.

What happens with E-Rod?
In six seasons, Eduardo Rodriguez has made 157 starts for the Red Sox, including the postseason. Will there be more in his future? We’ll find out soon enough. Rodriguez is entering free agency for the first time. There seems a decent enough chance that the Red Sox will extend the 28-year-old Rodriguez a qualifying offer. This could extend the union between the sides for one more season and give Rodriguez a chance to have a better walk year than the one he had in ’21 (13-8, 4.74 ERA).

Though inconsistent at times, Rodriguez has proven he can handle the Boston spotlight. He pitched well in his crucial final start of the regular season and in his final two start of the postseason.

Roles for Whitlock, Houck?
Garrett Whitlock wound up being one of the most successful Rule 5 Draft pickups in Major League history. The righty was a stud in Cora’s bullpen, posting a 1.96 ERA in 46 appearances. The Red Sox were cautious with him from a usage standpoint because he was coming off Tommy John surgery. Now, they'll be more open to his usage patterns, and that could include returning him to his natural role as a starter.

Fellow hard-throwing rookie Tanner Houck also had his moments of brilliance both as a starter and in relief, and in the regular season and postseason. Will he get a chance to be a full-fledged member of the rotation in 2022? The club’s plans for Whitlock and Houck next season could dictate whether Bloom is more aggressive in trying to acquire starters or relievers this offseason.

Can Barnes regain his groove?
Matt Barnes seemed on his way to a breakout 2021 season. Through the first three months of the season, he was brilliant, posting 18 saves and a 2.57 ERA while holding opponents to a .165 average in 35 appearances. After that, it went in the opposite direction, as the righty had a 5.95 ERA after July 1 while getting just six more saves and posting a 1.62 WHIP over those final three months. The fact that the Red Sox gave Barnes a two-year contract extension in July makes that drop-off particularly concerning.

Cora said that the Red Sox have already come up with an offseason plan for Barnes designed on getting the righty on track. How much can Bloom bank on this as he evaluates what needs to be done with the bullpen in the offseason? Either way, Bloom needs to upgrade his relief depth. The resurgence of Barnes is big going forward no matter what moves are made this winter.