Top 20 most important people in the Red Sox organization

1. Garrett Crochet: Starting pitching is the foundation of a championship team and the lefthander is under contract through 2031.

Crochet finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting last season in only his second season as a starter dating back to high school. He had a 2.00 ERA in his final four starts last season as the Sox were fighting for a playoff berth, then allowed one run over 7⅓ innings and struck out 11 without a walk against the Yankees in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

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Crochet’s ability to build on last season is key to what happens next for the Sox. There’s nobody more vital to the team’s success.

2. Anthony: The organization’s top prospect looked completely comfortable as a big leaguer before an oblique strain ended his season in early September. The Sox were 40-26 in games he started, 11-11 after he went on the injured list.

Anthony had an .859 OPS and hit .323 with a .951 OPS with runners in scoring position.

Anthony is signed through 2033 with a team option for ’34. He’s lined up to be a centerpiece of the lineup for nine years and has the presence to expect the best out his teammates without it coming off as contrived. He’s comfortable with who he is and the expectations that come with that.

Midseason call-up Roman Anthony made his mark on the Red Sox before injury ended his year.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

3. Ownership: This includes principal owner John Henry (who also owns the Globe), chairman Tom Werner, and president and CEO Sam Kennedy.

The Sox are a pedestrian 526-506 since 2019 and have not won the division. Fifteen teams have better records in that time including the Blue Jays, Rays, and Yankees.

Their insistence the Sox are championship-driven is contradicted by those results. Many fans have come to believe Fenway Sports Group is more focused on other endeavors.

Outside of cooperating for a profile done by Financial Times in 2024, Henry has not taken any questions from reporters in nearly six years. The owners leave it to Kennedy to represent them, which you suspect might not be the case if the team was more successful.

4. Craig Breslow: The chief baseball officer is entering his third season in charge of the team. The last three people in his position topped out at four full seasons before they were fired.

But Breslow has built a reliable pitching pipeline and signed cornerstone players to long-term contracts. He has the team pointed in the right direction.

Breslow also has loosened up a bit after two years of talking about the Sox like they were a complex math problem he had to solve, not a baseball team. It still seems funny he was a member of the wild and wooly 2013 World Series champions.

5. Alex Cora: At a time when managers tend to have a short shelf life, Cora is preparing for his eighth season. His 610 victories trail only Joe Cronin (1,071) and Terry Francona (744) in team history.

Cora has mastered surviving in a tough market, knowing how to prepare his players and using his voice to shape the perception of the team.

He is under contract through 2027. If the Sox are indeed on the cusp of big things that will become a topic at this time next season.

6. Sonny Gray: This may seem too high, but Gray is the closest thing the Sox have to a No. 2 starter. They need 30-32 starts and 180 innings from the 36-year-old righthander to make their pitching plans work.

For Gray, the Sox represent a chance to play in the World Series for the first time. He says he’s eager to play in Boston. Check back in June.

7. Trevor Story: His leadership is important, along with his presence at shortstop to solidify the infield. As Cora has said repeatedly, the Sox are a better team when Story is on the field.

He finished last season with 25 homers, 96 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases. Mets star Juan Soto was the only other player to hit those marks.

8. Willson Contreras: The new first baseman is expected to be a middle-of-the-order presence. Contreras has an .817 OPS since 2022 with 77 home runs. His righthanded swing should play well at Fenway Park.

Contreras didn’t catch for the Cardinals last season and that doesn’t seem likely to change as he enters his age-34 season.

9. Andrew Bailey: The Sox used 15 starters last season and they had a 3.92 ERA, good for sixth in the American League. Bailey combines 11 seasons of professional experience as a pitcher with his knowledge of how to use data in coaching.

The pitching coach was one of the first staffers hired by Breslow in 2023 and arguably the best.

10. Carlos Narváez: What seemed like a minor trade with the Yankees before last season produced a reliable catcher with a solid bat. That’s a rarity these days.

Narváez played much of the season dealing with injuries but still managed a .726 OPS. The league average for catchers was .700. Narváez also graded out among the best at his position defensively. He led the majors in runners caught stealing with 32.

Narváez was very good and can get even better.

11-12. Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela: The outfielders won Gold Gloves last season. So what’s the next step in their development?

Abreu, 26, has the power that suggests he’s capable of 30 home runs and 35 doubles. He’s a potential All-Star and his glove is a game-changer in right field at Fenway.

Rafaela, 25, raised his OPS from .664 to .709 last season but is still a below-average offensive player. He’s a valuable player because of his defense. Does he have the drive to be more than that? This season could be one where he turns a corner at the plate.

13-14: Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith: Both hold the rank of senior vice president/assistant general manager. In essence they are Breslow’s top deputies.

Groopman oversees the draft along with international and pro scouting. Smith runs the analytics side and the modeling the Sox rely on when they make decisions. One could emerge as the GM, assuming the Sox ever get around to filling that job.

15. Aroldis Chapman: Signed as a setup man, Chapman became an All-Star closer at 37 and is signed for another season with a vesting option for 2027.

Closers run on their own schedules but Chapman has become a team leader and a valuable resource to other pitchers.

16. Garrett Whitlock: His 2.4 bWAR was third among AL relievers last season and he averaged 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Whitlock is the bridge to Chapman and could close if needed.

17. Marcelo Mayer: Flip a coin. Mayer has the ability to be one of the best players on the team or the infielder could again take up residence on the injured list. He has averaged only 83 games the last four seasons.

The coming season will do a lot to define him.

18. Brayan Bello: The righthander is signed through 2029 and has $52 million coming his way. Now does he want to be more than a No. 3 starter?

19: Payton Tolle: There’s something there. Maybe it’s ultimately as a closer but there’s definitely something there. The big lefty could open the season in the minors then end it starting playoff games.

20. Jarren Duran: The trade talk is too loud to ignore. But the outfielder had 13.3 bWAR the last two seasons and can’t be left off the list.

Honorable mention: Senior director of player development Brian Abraham, hitting coach Pete Fatse, special advisor to the CBO Kyle Boddy, lefthander Connelly Early, third base coach Kyle Hudson.

Third baseman Alex Bregman, who opted out of his contract with Red Sox after one season, is still unsigned.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

WHICH IS IT?

Red Sox have spent, but it’s not enough

As it stands today, the Red Sox have a $243.4 million luxury tax payroll for 2026. That’s the eighth highest in the game but third highest in the American League East.

They’re just below the tax threshold of $244 million and not yet to the point where they would be penalized with a surcharge. Those limits are $264 million (12 percent), $284 million (45 percent), and $304 million (60 percent).

The Sox can rightfully say they’ve spent enough to contend while at the same time being open to justifiable criticism that they’re not as determined to win as the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, and Yankees.

Trading more spare parts to the Cardinals for Brendan Donovan won’t change that. Bringing back Alex Bregman or signing Bo Bichette would.

The Sox are set to host Fenway Fest next Saturday. The event, which exists only to sell tickets, will be a flop if the running theme is why they still haven’t done enough to improve the offense.

A few other observations on the Red Sox:

▪ The team has work to do with five unsigned players who are eligible for arbitration. The sides would exchange figures on Thursday unless there is an agreement, and that typically means going to a hearing.

It should not be heavy lifting. Based on projections done by MLB Trade Rumors, Tanner Houck ($3.95 million), Kutter Crawford ($2.75 million), Johan Oviedo ($2 million), Romy Gonzalez ($1.8 million), and Triston Casas ($1.7 million) aren’t in line for major raises.

Crawford didn’t play at all last season while Casas, Houck, and Oviedo had seasons significantly shortened by injuries.

▪ If you are one of the unfortunate souls in possession of a Rafael Devers Red Sox jersey, take solace that Marcelo Mayer will now wear No. 11.

Clay Buchholz, Bill Mueller, Tim Naehring, and Dave Stapleton are some other recent notable 11s in Sox history.

The Sox should get creative and offer a $20 discount on a Mayer jersey for anybody who trades in an old Devers jersey.

Nate Eaton also switched from No. 40 to 18. The Sox seem determined to give the utility player every chance to earn a bench spot in spring training. They see him as a young, more versatile, and cheaper version of Rob Refsnyder.

▪ Backup quarterback Jeff Driskel got into a game for the Commanders this season, giving him 25 appearances in his NFL career. He’s also played for the Bengals, Lions, Broncos, Texans, and Browns and has been a practice squad player for the Cardinals and Raiders.

The Red Sox took Driskel in the 29th round of the 2013 draft out of the University of Florida. He had not played baseball since pitching in high school but showed promise then and the Sox took a shot.

Driskel actually signed with the Sox but stayed with football and was a sixth-round pick of the 49ers in 2016. They waived him four months later and he’s been a journeyman since.

Diamondbacks assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye was the Red Sox scouting director at the time. He said that Driskel toured the spring training complex and seemed interested in pursuing a baseball career if football did not work out.

Driskel is not a particularly notable NFL player but has managed to stay in the game for 10 years. He made the right choice.

ETC.

Angels pay Rendon to hit the road

Anthony Rendon (right) hadn’t played more than 58 games in any of the last five seasons.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Angels fans received a rare piece of good news when Anthony Rendon agreed to restructure his contract and effectively end his career.

The 35-year-old third baseman will take the $38.5 million he is owed for 2026 over the next 3-5 years, giving the Angels needed payroll flexibility. Rendon won’t report to spring training and is expected to be placed on the 60-day injured list before the season because of hip surgery.

Rendon agreed to a seven-year $245 million deal with the Angels after a career season with the Nationals in 2019 that included his driving in 15 runs in 17 postseason games as the franchise won its first World Series.

He has since played only 257 of a possible 870 games and had a .717 OPS. Rendon had a series of significant injuries and hasn’t appeared in a game since Sept. 7, 2024.

But his tenure also included saying in 2024 that baseball was not a priority in his life. He also was suspended for four games by the league for grabbing a fan in Oakland in 2023.

Rendon disappeared from the team for long stretches while injured and wasn’t interested in being accountable for his lackluster play when he was on the field.

Baseball’s ability to turn its offseason into an annoying slog remains unmatched as Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Framber Valdez were among the dozens of players still unsigned going into the weekend … The curious case of Esteury Ruiz has taken another turn. The 26-year-old outfielder was traded again on Tuesday, going from the Dodgers to the Marlins for a minor league pitcher. It was the fourth time Ruiz has been traded in three and half years and the fifth time in his career. He has been with the Royals, Padres, Brewers, Athletics, Dodgers, and now the Marlins. Ruiz stole a league-leading 67 bases for the Athletics in 2023 but has played only 48 major league games since, hitting .197 and stealing nine bases in 13 attempts. The Dodgers traded Ruiz to open a spot on their 40-man roster. Now Ruiz will get a shot to make the Marlins as a platoon outfielder/pinch runner. Ruiz had a .923 OPS in 106 Triple A games last season and stole 63 bases. That is impressive but also is at least somewhat a product of his playing parts of four seasons at that level … Happy birthday to Kevin Pillar, who is 37. The outfielder announced his retirement last season after playing 1,234 games from 2013-25. Pillar was a mainstay for the Blue Jays from 2015 until he was traded to the Giants in the first week of the 2019 season. He went from there to the Red Sox, Rockies, Mets, Dodgers, Braves, White Sox, Angels, and Rangers, never spending more than one season at any stop. He finished his career with 114 homers and 111 stolen bases while making $25 million. Nobody would have guessed that after he was 32nd-round draft pick in 2011 out of Division 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Ben Volin and Dan Shaughnessy debate which Boston team is the closest to the next duck boat parade.

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social‬.