The Boston Red Sox appeared to have a solid roster as the season got underway. They made a huge free-agent signing shortly before the start of spring training when they signed All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman away from the Houston Astros.

They also signed a star pitcher in Garrett Crochet and a solid veteran in Walker Buehler to upgrade the pitching staff. The team appeared relatively healthy, and there was an optimistic thought that the Red Sox could compete with the New York Yankees for American League East superiority.

However the early part of the season  has not been easy for manager Alex Cora. The signing of Bregman has shunted Rafael Devers to the role of designated hitter, and he got off to a brutal 0 for 21 start with 15 strikeouts. He has since turned it around and hit the ball with authority, but he made it clear that he did not want to learn a new position — first base — after Triston Casas got injured.

The normally affable Devers was accused of being selfish by some Red Sox fans, but he responded to the criticism by going on hot streak.

Trevor Story looks like a dark hole in the lineup for Red Sox

One of the biggest issues for the Red Sox has been the play of shortstop Trevor Story. He has been troubled by injuries for the majority of the four seasons he has been with the Red Sox, but he has been healthy this year.

The Red Sox were hoping that they would have an excellent fielder who could contribute 20-25 home runs and 80-90 RBI while batting in the .280 range. Story was placed in the clean-up spot quite a bit early in the season.

Story got off to a reasonably hot start in the first few weeks of the season, and he was batting over .300 through mid-April. However, he has been unable to maintain that hot start and his average has taken a deep dive.

At this point in the season, Story is slashing .228/.270/.333 with 6 home runs and 21 RBI. He has demonstrated that he can still run effectively with 9 stolen bases and is a solid fielder, but he looks lost at the plate.

He seems to have a hard time recognizing breaking pitches and he has struck out an American League-leading 61 times in 189 at bats.

As bad as Story's slump is, a reversal does not appear to be coming any time soon.

Triston Casas was a disaster before his injury

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (36) looks on during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
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Red Sox trade with Angels for first baseman amid Triston Casas injury

The Red Sox looked at their first baseman as a consistent power source at the start of the season. He had delivered a 24 home run season in 2023. A rib injury had cut his 2024 season short, but he was fully recovered this spring.

Some Red Sox observers spoke about Casas delivering as many as 40 home runs this season. Casas was brutal for the Red Sox in March and April. As he struggled to find his swing and contribute to the team, Casas took a brutal fall while attempting to leg out an infield grounder and ruptured his left patellar tendon.

Casas is done for the season, and the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the Red Sox don't have a competent backup first baseman. This is supposed to be a power position in the big leagues, and the Red Sox have not been able to fill the spot with a player who can deliver extra base hits — let alone home runs — on a consistent basis.

There were no signs that Casas was going to turn things around before his injury. He is a below average fielder and a slow runner. The Red Sox still presumably have faith in Casas once he rehabs his injury, but that faith may be misguided.

Garrett Whitlock has struggled out of the bullpen

The Red Sox had a number of games in April and May where they have carried leads into the middle part of the game but failed to hold their advantage.

The bullpen has failed too many times for team that pictures itself as a contender. Garrett Whitlock is not alone among relief pitchers who have failed to get the job done, but he certainly has struggled quite a bit for Cora.

Whitlock actually has a 2-0 record, but he has a 4.07 earned run average with 22 hits allowed and 10 bases on balls in 24.1 innings. The biggest issue is that Cora has given him an opportunity to save four games. He has blown all four of those opportunities.

This is especially frustrating to Red Sox fans and they are fed up.