The Boston Red Sox front office has expressed a clear intent to strengthen a specific area of their
The Boston Red Sox today announced that they have added Dillon Lawson to the Major League coaching staff as Assistant Hitting Coach.
Lawson, 39, spent the 2024 season as the Red Sox’ minor league hitting coordinator, his first year in Boston’s organization. Prior to joining the Red Sox, he spent five seasons with the New York Yankees as minor league hitting coordinator (2019-21) and Major League Hitting Coach (2022-23). He also spent two seasons as a Houston Astros minor league hitting coach, with short-season Single-A Tri-City in 2016 and with Single-A Quad Cities in 2018. Lawson served as a collegiate coach for 10 years, as an assistant with Lindenwood University (2007-09), Morehead State University (2009-12), and Southeast Missouri State University (2012-15), and as the hitting coach with the University of Missouri in 2017.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Lawson played four seasons at Transylvania University. He earned his master’s degree in education with an emphasis on strength and conditioning from Lindenwood University.
roster. In a conversation with Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow emphasized the need to add a top-tier starting pitcher to the team. “We know we need to raise the ceiling of the rotation,” Breslow stated. “There are many ways to approach that, but we’re going to stay very open-minded.” One obvious way to improve the rotation would be by signing a high-profile free agent. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report has suggested that the Red Sox may pursue Blake Snell, offering him a five-year, $158 million contract this offseason.
After winning his second Cy Young Award and being named to the 2023 All-MLB First Team, Blake Snell struggled to secure a long-term deal during last year’s free agency and ultimately signed a short-term contract with the San Francisco Giants. Now, he has opted out of his $30 million player option for 2025 to explore the market again, and the Red Sox could be a potential destination with a big offer. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report
highlighted Snell’s strong second-half performance, noting that he bounced back from a rough first half with the Giants, posting a 1.45 ERA over 12 starts after the All-Star break. Unlike last year, Snell is no longer subject to a qualifying offer, meaning any team that signs him won’t have to forfeit draft picks.
Although Snell has never consistently pitched high innings totals over his nine-year career, he has made at least 20 starts in each of the past four seasons. Should he join the Red Sox, he would immediately become the ace of their rotation, alongside veterans like Lucas Giolito and potentially Nick Pivetta, with Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, and Garrett Whitlock rounding out the staff, depending on how the offseason unfolds. If the Red Sox are aiming to contend for the postseason while maintaining their young talent, adding Snell with a long-term contract could be the ideal move to elevate their rotation in 2025.
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