The Boston Red Sox are currently in the early stages of what could be a highly consequential offseason for the future direction of the franchise. Boston didn't make it past the Wild Card round this year, losing to the bitter rival New York Yankees in three games and opening a slew of questions for what the offseason will hold.
One of the big questions for Boston is what they will do about pitcher Tanner Houck, who underwent Tommy John surgery over the summer and is not expected to be able to contribute much, if at all, in the upcoming 2026 season. With this being the case, some expected that the Red Sox' brass might opt to part ways with him this offseason, but evidently, that will not be taking place.
“At this point, Boston is unlikely to non-tender injured righty Tanner Houck, multiple sources said Monday. With a 40-man roster crunch coming, there was some thought that cutting bait with Houck was possible due to his current situation,” reported Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
“…Considering the 2027 season is in jeopardy due to labor tensions and Houck is set to hit free agency after that year, the possibility existed that the Red Sox could non-tender (release) Houck into free agency to save a bit of money knowing he won’t be ready to pitch for most of 2026. But sources indicate the Red Sox plan to tender him a contract,” Cotillo added.
At this point, it remains unclear what the Red Sox' rationale is for keeping Houck around despite the fact that he will likely be unable to contribute, but it seems that the front office has already made up its mind on that front.
In any case, the Red Sox are set to kick off spring training for the 2026 season in February.
