This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Finishing with the same record as last season (78-84) isn’t what anyone affiliated with the Red Sox had in mind.

But that’s exactly what happened, and manager Alex Cora’s team has no choice but to plot a course that will help the club get back to its winning ways.

“Finishing last, it doesn't play,” said Cora. “And we've finished last back-to-back years. We can talk about ‘18 all we want. The magical run in ‘21 or [the championships] of ‘07 or ‘04 or ’13, none of that matters. We've got to turn the page, man. That's gone. We have to move forward and, yeah, we got some pieces that are in place for us to be better in the future, but we have to improve.”

Here is a look back at the highs and lows of ’23. 

Defining moment: On Aug. 28, the Red Sox opened a three-game series that represented a last gasp to get back into the heart of postseason contention. They were hosting the Astros, the team they trailed by 4 1/2 games for the third American Wild Card spot. In the fifth inning, the Sox took the lead on a two-run homer by Adam Duvall. Nearly everyone in Fenway Park was stunned when Cora stuck with mop-up man Kyle Barraclough, who had come on in relief of Chris Sale in the fifth.

It seemed like a situation that called for Cora to go with a mid-to-high leverage option. Cora explained after the game that he needed to reset the bullpen due to overuse over the previous couple of weeks. Not only did Barraclough endure the entirety of a six-run sixth inning, but he pitched the rest of the game. Over 4 1/3 innings, the righty was tagged for 11 hits, 10 runs and five walks.

“It’s awful,” Cora said of having to let Barraclough wear the loss. “You saw me. Probably my face was all over TV. It’s uncomfortable.”

It was a jarring example of how the Sox left themselves too short on pitching depth, making chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom’s decision not to add some arms at the Trade Deadline a mistake. Bloom was relieved of his duties on Sept. 14.

What we learned: The Red Sox need to get a lot better on defense. They tied the 50-112 A’s with 102 errors for the most in the American League. One thing that will help is shortstop Trevor Story being healthy for the entire season. His defense at the most important position in the infield is elite. Star slugger Rafael Devers regressed at third base, and that needs to be fixed over the offseason. The team had just two exceptional defenders in ’23 -- right fielder Alex Verdugo and catcher Connor Wong.

Best development: Rookie Triston Casas turned into a force from July on, slashing .306/.406/.590 with 15 homers in his final 200 at-bats. The only thing that stopped Casas down the stretch was a right shoulder injury that ended his season on Sept. 14. Casas should be a key piece in the Boston lineup for years to come.

Area for improvement: Starting pitching. The Sox need to load up in this area to become legit contenders. Sale showed flashes of brilliance when he was healthy, but he shouldn’t be counted on as an ace at this stage of his career.

On the rise: Jarren Duran. After not making the team in Spring Training, the left-handed hitter was called up in April and turned into a spark. Duran’s season ended on Aug. 20 when he injured his left big toe trying to make a catch at Yankee Stadium. Before the injury, he had a line of .295/.346/.482 with eight homers and 24 stolen bases. His defense in center field improved dramatically.

Team MVP: Devers had an up-and-down year at the plate but still managed to belt 33 homers to go with 100 RBIs and an .851 OPS. He was a steady presence, playing in 153 games and taking 656 plate appearances.