Truck Day came and went quickly Monday, as it departed Fenway Park for the long journey to Fort Myers, Fla., and another Red Sox spring training.

“We just continue to be grateful for these fans,” said team president Sam Kennedy. “And it definitely is that moment of the offseason where you’re like, ‘OK, we’re ready to get going in a few short weeks.’ ”

The hope for Red Sox fans, in attendance and elsewhere, is that their team finds better fortune in 2025 after finishing 81-81 last season and missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

The Sox’ pitching has taken a step forward, as they added starters Walker Buehler and  well as reliever Aroldis Chapman.

“Clearly, the focus so far this offseason has been on improving the [pitching],” said Kennedy. “So it’s exciting to have a couple of proven top-of-the-rotation guys, but I also think there’s a lot of focus on the younger players who are starting to emerge in their own right. So, there’s anticipation building. But it’ll be good to know that we have depth in our rotation and in the bullpen.”

As anticipation builds, so does some frustration, as most of Boston’s key moves came in December. Since then, the club has been mostly silent.

The Red Sox are still in need of a righthanded bat, a hole that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow identified even before last season ended. With Tyler O’Neill, the Sox’ leader in home runs in 2024, now with the Orioles, that void is even more pronounced.

But the possibilities have diminished, with at least one of the top offseason priorities,  opting to re-sign with the Dodgers instead of joining a Sox organization he said in the past was his favorite.

“I think that’s still a goal,” said Kennedy. “It has been from the beginning, obviously, with Vaughn [Grissom] and Trevor [Story], hopefully, coming to spring training healthy, we feel better about the more balanced nature of the lineup. But if we can add a righthanded bat, we would love to.”

Alex Bregman is still on the market, but the Red Sox have been hesitant to sign the infielder, who turns 31 in March. Kennedy declined to comment on the righthanded-hitting free agent, only hinting that the Sox still have interest.

An agreement could be reached once spring training begins, as the longer Bregman waits, the lower his market value will be. The Sox, perhaps, could pounce then.

But that’s the formula of a penny-pinching team, a strategy adopted following the trade of Mookie Betts. The Sox were adamant that they would be aggressive in free agency this offseason. However, according to FanGraphs, their projected payroll sits at $171 million, $13 million lower than last year.

“We have the ability to [add], if we can match up on deals that make sense in terms of where we stand right now,” said Kennedy. “We were engaged in the , and it is something we have the ability to be flexible on. We’re going to do what’s right for the Red Sox in the short term, a team that’s built to win in 2025, but also what makes sense for the long term.”

The truck carrying the Sox’ equipment departed Monday. The players and staff will follow next week. Where the team goes beyond spring training remains to be determined.

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Despite the US Department of State’s updated travel advisories for Mexico because of rising crime, which could impact tourism and alter travel plans, the Red Sox have not received any word on changes to their exhibition games scheduled for March 24-25 against the Sultanes in Monterrey.